Sickly, Sweet - Book One

Ch. 44 - Hard To Believe

This will be another short one guys, but it's very important.

So pay attention. LOL

VALPHIRA Forever <3

***

It hurts when a friend betrays you and it is the same with someone close to you but it hurts the most when it's your lover or your spouse. I've felt it before and I'm sure many have but at this time it's hardly believable.

Valentine and I exchange confused looks and at the same time, we flick our gazes to Datura wanting to know what's going on in her mind. She's an endless abyss of mysteries and we keep unraveling multiple facets of her mind only to end up running into more closed doors than before. This whole mess is getting worse by the minute and I'm afraid that it will come to a point that there will be nothing we can do about it.

"Datura," Lucius rasps under Valentine's grip. "What are you doing?"

Evidently, this was not part of their plan. Who, in their right mind, would let someone kill the only person that they loved? Isn't this entire war because of their so-called love? He's the only reason why her vendetta has lasted this long. It doesn't make sense at all and I am certain that she doesn't know what she's doing either.

"I don't need him," she says without a single hint of hesitation in her voice. "And I'm not going to drop on my knees either, vampire."

Her words cause whoever is around to tense up, including Nikita and her squad of girls and Rath who was listening to every part of our conversation. It looks as if time had stopped when she spoke - everyone, including Datura's dark army, stopped their battling to look our way. Whatever she says after this will determine the outcome of this war. Whatever happens, our main goal is to hand her over to Rath and if that doesn't work then off with her head.

"This entire charade is to avenge Lucius, how can you say that you don't need him?" Valentine speaks, not letting his grip on his brother's neck loosen because if he did, there is still a chance that this is all just a lie.

"Come on, Valentine, you're smarter than that. You think I really loved your brother? All I ever wanted was power. Once I had a taste of dark magic, being the crimson seer wasn't enough. I had to make sure I was going to end up on a throne one day, even if it meant killing your kind and betraying my own," she responds.

"Well, I see that it's working very well for you," he says sarcastically. "Let Saphira go and we can negotiate a way for you to get a throne of your own."

I become aware of her death grip around my wrist and my lungs start to block off air making it hard for me to breathe. Dark spots dance in my vision. I try to push her control out of my body, wanting to take back the little power I had from the start. How could I let this happen?

"Do give up, old witch. Two-hundred years and you've barely gained a kingdom. I can't think of a more epic fail than that," Rath's deep voice carries across the field of creatures. He makes his way to us, making sure his presence is known. "If you want a throne, I'll give you one, right in the pit of Inferus where you belong."

"Rathmoor," she purrs seductively. "It's been ages since I last saw you. How's your father, still hot as ever?"

Rath twists his face in disgust. "He's not happy if that's what you mean. You've been disrupting the balance of life in the Underworld. He's had to make room for the creatures you killed. The light angels don't want then and hell can only take in so many souls."

Weakly, I raise a brow at his answer. Rath's father is the devil, the first angel to ever fall from heaven, Lucifer himself. That's why Rath has such a high rank in Inferus. That's why he is so dedicated to finding out what happened to Scarlett.