“Tirsynth ruled,” Basilius offered calmly. Even if he’d spit the name out of his mouth like it was vile poison that burned. “Tirsynth was the king. He ruled over the land without it choosing him.”
“Tirsynth never truly ruled over the kingdom. He merely held the title once Scylla perished.” Angry, condemning eyes sought Zyion out, blame burning in their depths. “Scylla ruled and was the only one truly claimed by the land. Tirsynth invoked terror in those he lorded over, and reinforced it every time he hung someone who opposed him. He was a tyrant who brutally broke our people after the rightful heir was murdered.” Her eyes clashed with Zyion’s, who nodded in agreement.
“Scylla used seidr magic to learn how to create a savior. One who could undo the damage Hecate unleashed upon the land.”
“You shouldn’t get to say her name. If she were here right now, we wouldn’t be in this mess, fucking traitor.” She stepped closer to him, and before I knew it, I was standing between them, glaring murderously at her in warning. Except I hadn’t fucking moved.
“I forced him to kill me, Evaleigh Prometheus.” The words exploded from my lips, even as my eyes rounded in horror. It wasn’t my voice that had left my throat. “He did not fail me. I failed to realize just how much the cost of my sacrifice would be. I never imagined they’d demand such a hefty price, but once I’d set things into motion, it could not be stopped.”
I was flabbergasted at the fact that Scylla, who was fucking dead, was speaking through me. What in the fuck was even happening? How was she controlling my body, my lips? I had enough personalities, damn it. I seriously didn’t need another one. Especially not my grandmother!
Chapter Twenty-Two
Aria
“Zyion, the Vicious, was mine to shape into whatever I wished him to become. The warriors of Valhalla trained him, then sent him to time in the jarl’s harem to learn how to please a woman. After the harem, he learned how to grow wheat, craft mead, forge weapons, and so much more.” She paused, rising from my seat, which meant I was going with her, even if I didn’t want to do so. My hand landed against his solid, powerful chest. “But I didn’t crave or hunger for a lover, not for many eons, anyway. So, I sent my dutiful, honorable champion off to train alongside the Valkyrie. From the first moment I looked into his eyes, I knew the price he’d pay for belonging to me.” I felt Scylla’s presence, which I was certain Zyion sensed as well. His eyes held mine, as if he searched for me within the shell, which she’d taken control over.
“Scylla,” he murmured reverently, as if he’d been in love with his queen at one time.
“My bravest knight,” she whispered, leaning closer as if she intended to kiss him. I jerked back, which had my lips puckering against the air. It was the loudest air kiss ever heard, which caused heat to spread down my face as I fought to control my body. A scream of horror broke from my lips, or tried to, at least as I realized she’d fucking stolen my body. Scylla pulled back from Zyion, then leaned into the hardness of his body.
I searched my mind to try to remember if I’d agreed on a granny-soul-snatcher-three-thousand using my body. If I had, I couldn’t remember. But I wasn’t about to let her keep it, either. There had to be some way to stop her . . . right?
“Ember! Do something! My grandmother stole our fucking body like she owns the fucking thing! She just tried to kiss Zyion, with our lips!”
“It isn’t us trying to kiss him. It’s her, so technically, not our problem?” Something moved in my peripheral vision, forcing my head to turn, startling when I found a mirror image of myself sprawled out beside me, sunbathing in the grass. Quickly peering around, I discovered an entire meadow within my head that she’d formulated to lounge about in, bathing in the heat of the sun. What the fuck? Was that what she did all day? Just lazed about while I was working my ass off? “I like kissing a lot. Knox told me he’d kiss me whenever I wanted him to kiss me. Wasn’t that sweet of Dicker? He can be dense, but he has his minutes. Far and in between, though. I think he likes me more than you, you know? Because I like fucking, and you don’t bait the beast into rutting us like I do. Knox likes to fuck, too.”
“Damn, I thought you’d at least look different from . . . you look just like me, Ember,” I whispered as I deflated, at a loss for how to take back control of our body. At least Scylla was a grandmother, which hopefully meant I wouldn’t wake up eating a dick or riding one. Horror rushed through me as I wondered if she would be like Ember, riding within me as I fucked Knox.
This would not turn out good for me. I could just imagine riding the prick, while my grandmother offered pointers inside my head. Right then, Zyion’s hand gripped my lower back, jerking me in closer as he glared at me. A sudden jolt of warmth shot through me, forcing my eyes to widen in horror. Warmth continued down my frame until I felt a foreign urge within me. I couldn’t discern what it was, or why I felt it. I hadn’t ever felt shit for him, other than to notice he wasn’t hard on the eyes.
“Jesus, is that what it feels like when I get turned on for you? Do you feel that? Shit, no wonder you’re always hypersexual. I feel feral right now, but I don’t sense any of it being my desire. Does that make sense, Ember? I’m always turned on when around Knox, which means you feel this shit all the time?” I asked, struggling with an image of us riding Zyion, which I shut down quickly. The sound of Scylla’s laughter and Ember’s made my jaw drop. “Oh, my fucking God! I’m becoming you? It’s only been a few seconds. Holy shit. Am I already a nymphomaniac? Is this actually happening to me? How the fuck. What the fuck?” I demanded in a panicked tone.
“Calm your tits. This is normal emotions. It’s her, not you. Honestly, it took you long enough to realize you were the problem. You are the hypersexual bimbo here. I’m a good girl, just ask Dicker.”
Her words caused a snort to escape before I could conceal the reaction. “I am not the one who constantly demands dick. Remember? That would be you.”
“Who ripped him apart? You. Who terrified me, who enjoys feral fucking? Oh, yeah. That was you, too. Who rode him until we had saddle-sore between our legs… right, that was you too, Aria. But to answer the question? Yes, it is what I feel when you go into heat, or lust rushes through your entire body. Most idiots realize they need to get laid, but not my host. No, I have to kill something, use the blood to write it down. I have to use blood, because you went and used all the crayons on Dicker! But yet I endure it because if I didn’t, you’d get all pissy when I took control and rode your Dicker until he begged me to give him mercy. It would be fun for me, but you two need breaks because you’re both weak. The need rushes through us all the time. But then you deny us what we need. See the cobwebs?” she asked, pointing at her dress covered thighs. “An entire spider family moved in to our vagina today. The kids seem nice though, only bite me if I bother them. I’ve even decided to name them all. I’m actually, grandma. Think she might even get me more dick than you did!”
“You’re an asshole, Ember,” I groaned loudly. “This is so not cool, Scylla!”