Blood Flows Deep in the Empire (4 page)

Evesse laughed as well, earning another scowl from Ismini. It was moments like these that she felt transparent. Straight-up gossamer. She felt as if Eve could see every hidden fantasy inside her and the
god
that they revolved around, even though she didn’t know anything about Ismini’s secrets.

Ismini had been seeing Dyletri’s image since she was a child, almost going back as far as she could remember.
Back then—when Nylicia, Watcher of Destinies, had first come to Ismini in her dreams—she’d had an odd fascination with the being who had long ago sealed her fate.
Obviously, that fascination had morphed into something different once she’d become a woman.

He was the one her fantasies featured whenever she used the damned vibe, much to her shame and embarrassment. It wasn’t as if she could control it, though. The man was delicious in a way only a real god could be, and he haunted her despite her attempts to forget him.

Having orgasms while thinking about the man who’s not only supposed to kill you, but who is doing it to resurrect the love of his life. Real nice, Iss. Real nice.

“I swear, you’re happier about me having that vibe than I am.”

“You’re such a liar.” Eve flipped her off, then turned to head back toward the cash register.

Ismini returned the gesture and threw a little kiss to the brunette’s back as she walked away. Soleria laughed and waved goodbye.

She walked through the door and paused right outside, knowing this would be the last time she saw them. And she couldn’t even tell them. Dyletri would be coming for her tonight and he was going to use her as a freaking sacrifice.

Evesse and Soleria would never know that she’d died. Or how it had happened. They would worry and probably call the FBI to try and find her. Her breath hitched for a brief second at the thought. She had to fight the urge to run back in and hug them both. Thank them for being two of the few people who’d ever really cared for her. They had done so much for her.

Don’t think about it. Just act like everything’s normal. Let it go.

She tried. Hard. She tried to reminder herself that, thanks to Nylicia, she knew what her future entailed. Or more accurately, that she wouldn’t have one. She just walked down the street and pretended she wasn’t heading home to wait for god who would lead her to her death.

Fear threatened to overwhelm her thoughts, but she was determined to ignore it. She crossed the street, fighting the tremors that wanted to break forth. A shiver slid along her back, making her stop.

What the hell?
Ismini peeked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. Two tall men were coming toward her, and one had . . . blue skin? And the other one had
leathery
beige skin. What the fuck? She looked from side to side, but no one else was around.
No way to tell if she was the only one seeing those things or not. One more look at what was heading toward her was all it took. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to flee. She wasn’t stupid enough to ignore her gut. No way. Adrenaline rushed through her. One breath later, she took off, running as fast as she was able in the opposite direction. Away
from her apartment building.

She had no idea what they were, but even as she flew down the street, she knew their presence was no coincidence. The fact that this was the day she’d been waiting for—and dreading—for years, was just too convenient. She wondered where the hell Dyletri was. Nobody said shit about monsters coming for her.

“
If I told you this was waiting for you on the other side . . . would you follow me through?”

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Smart. Follow her through. Yes, follow Nylicia into the dark portal leading into the dream world all because the goddess had dangled the sexiest thing Ismini had ever seen in front of her. Wonderful idea.

If I told you this was waiting . . .

The words flashed through her head again, a taunting echo.

No, Ismini,
she told herself.
Don’t think back on it. Just keep running!

Her footsteps pounded. Breathing was becoming more difficult. For the first time since she’d started working out, Ismini was grateful she’d listened to Evesse and had gotten her lazy ass in shape.

A sharp turn almost sent her skidding straight into the asphalt. Ismini crashed into the side of the building and pushed away. Thankful her ribs weren’t cramping yet, she pumped her legs harder and tried to keep the panic down.

“I'm sorry, Ismini. But the time is upon you. He draws near,”
Nylicia had told her this the night before in her dreams, her voice carrying like the faintest of winds. Was this what Nylicia meant?

Because the two weird motherfuckers who were after her looked nothing like Dyletri. The few times she’d seen him, she’d thought him beyond sexy. Unreal. The things behind her were
rotten
!
They weren’t like anything she’d ever seen in her dreams before.

Ismini thought she might be able to take them down thanks to her kickboxing training, but that was wishful thinking. There were two of them and they were huge. Not to mention fuck-ugly and unnatural. Something deep down told her she’d never win against them, and damn it, she was listening.

She cut through an alley and ran headlong into another.
What the fuck is going on?
Her whole life she’d been groomed by Nylicia, visited in her dreams, prepared to wait for Dyletri to come and get her so she could be sacrificed. So why, on the day he was supposed to come, were those
things
coming for her, too?

She had to die in order to prevent the Fates from going rabid on the Universe. She knew this. Wasn’t happy about it, but had accepted it.

But really, was it necessary to throw the two puke-inducing things behind her into the mix?

More of Nylicia’s words came to mind.

“Remember one thing. Life tends to throw at you the most painful of lessons in order to forge your soul and prepare you for your destiny.”

Yeah, well, screw life lessons. This was just unfair. While she ran until she was out of breath, those two things seemed to be merely walking.

Come on, Destiny. Give a girl a break!

With her ribs starting to cramp, Ismini knew it wouldn’t be long before running became unbearable. She reconsidered stopping to fight. Should she continue running and put herself at a disadvantage? Or should she just stop and show them they’d just fucked with the wrong girl?

Sure, she was confident in her self-defense abilities and had a few years of sparring under her belt, but could she really hold her own against two whatever-the-fuck-they-weres? Maybe if she wasn’t about to double over. But right now?

Probably not.

Out of nowhere, she heard a voice calling out to her. Screaming her name and demanding that she stop.

Her heart lurched in her already heaving chest at the sound. For all she knew, it belonged to one of things following her, but something inside her told her otherwise. Her whole body suddenly screeched, urging her to stop.

Her fear of the things following her faded, and she slowed to a halt. Eyes wide and searching, she braced herself with one hand against a brick wall. The other clutched at her chest as another roar went through her body, nearly knocking her off her feet.

“Ismini!”

That voice. Gods help her,
who
was that?

She could guess. She wasn’t sure how, but she had a feeling she already knew.

With each painful thump of her heart, Ismini became more certain of who was approaching her. Someway, somehow, her body recognized that voice.

A figure appeared right next to her, seeming to poof into existence out of thin air. She gasped in shock, as a large hand landed on her shoulder and she felt a series of short electrical impulses through her. As if a live wire had ripped through her hoodie and gone straight to her skin.

She shivered, the sensation spreading along her flesh. The world tilted, her perception bending in on itself, and her reality morphed. Pain exploded inside her. Whoever, whatever, was holding her turned her, steadying her.

Ismini’s eyes widened in surprise when they met the powerful, blue gaze in front of her. Her tremors doubled. Towering over her was Dyletri.

Dyletri.

Chapter 3

Dyletri had just arrived outside Ismini’s apartment building when he heard what sounded like rubber tires screeching on cement. He turned instinctively to determine where the sound had come from.

There, across the street. A small figure darted from behind one building and flew across the pavement, rushing for another alleyway. Her dark hair was loose and flowed wildly behind her as she ran. To his surprise, the light blue, purple, and white aura that flared in chaotic waves around her was one he knew well.

Dyletri’s heart sped up in his chest, and he instantly dematerialized. Reappearing a few feet behind her, he peered at the running figure.

He could sense no energy signatures close by, not even another human was near the alley. All he felt were the humans inside the apartment buildings.

Why is she running? And where the hell is she going?

“Ismini! Stop!”

He saw her come to a stop. When he saw her clutching her chest, an odd stab of worry went through him.

He decided to hell with it and dematerialized once more. “Ismini,” he said, appearing behind her.

He was shocked by the changes in her. She’d been a child the last time he’d seen her. A chubby, awkward child. But it was a short, athletic
woman
standing in front of him.

He grabbed her shoulder, tensing as she gasped. Something warm rushed through him. He barely stopped himself from clenching his hand as every muscle in him seemed to jump to attention. Dyletri reminded himself that one wrong move from him and he could crush her. Still, it was difficult, especially when she continued to pant in front of him.

He swallowed, trying like hell to ignore the warmth he felt rise up in him.

Familiar big gray eyes stared up at him from a dainty face he did not remember. It was different, pretty, but foreign to him. No longer childlike, it was appealing in a way that surprised him. He focused on the specks of hazel in in her eyes, and his heart sped up, his confusion giving way to something else.

Something dangerous.

Ismini stared up at him, fear rolling off her. He could see it in her eyes. Smell it in the air around her. The girl was shaking like a leaf, making him frown. He ground his teeth as a dangerous ripple went through him. What had frightened her? Had someone tried to hurt her?

I’ll kill them.

He blinked, the thought surprising him even as he began to question her. “Why were you running, Ismini? What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer but continued to stare up at him with an unblinking, terrified expression.

Her legs gave out, and she started to slide down the wall. Unable to let go of her shoulder, Dyletri followed, kneeling beside her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice lowering.

Her lips parted in response, and the movement made him gasp. Her scent barreled into him, the taste of her fear and . . . something else. Something overwhelming.

As confused as he was, there was no denying the way his blood was heating up. His muscles bulged.
All
of them
.
For the first time in millennia, a sharp slap of arousal hit him, diving straight into his lower abs.

“Ismini . . .”

Control yourself, Dy.

Almost as if he’d been removed from his body, he watched his hand leave her shoulder. It rose, not stopping until it was on her skin. Cupping her face. Electricity shot out of him and into her once more. She felt it. He knew she did. Her pupils dilated and she gasped.

“Why were you running?” he asked.

Dyletri tried to make sense of how she was causing such a reaction in him. Sure, she’d grown up to be beautiful—he’d have to be fucking blind not to notice—but he was around goddesses and beautiful females all the time, and none of them made him feel such a craving. He hadn’t felt anything even close to desire since he’d locked his powers away.

Dyletri’s cock swelled, making him shift uncomfortably. Shifting was bad, however. He realized that any movement his body made served to bring him closer to Ismini. Her skin was as soft as it looked, the heat of it leaking into his palm. He examined her face before fixating on her parted lips.