Chapter 41: Psycho Gods: Part 3 – Chapter 40

Adust (adjective): burnt or scorched.

A few hours later, I stood on a mountainside with the bane of my existence as a blizzard raged. Snow whipped in a frenzy, and sheets of ice slammed against us mercilessly.

The twins, Orion, and Scorpius had all disappeared without a word and left me alone with the blight on womankind who had choked me this morning like he owned my body.

The problem was I hadn’t hated it.

I’d spent the entire trip up the mountain daydreaming of Malum holding me down as he did wicked things with his mouth.

“Okay,” Malum said as he cracked his neck back and forth like he was preparing for battle. “So—I’m going to release my flames, and you need to try to stop me with your ice. Can you do that?”

I didn’t reply.

Stupid questions didn’t deserve answers.

I inhaled enchanted smoke and exhaled Horse. He circled and spun in the snowy air above my head.

Up on the mountainside, visibility was at an all-time low as the wind whipped angrily through the basin. The sky was dark with cloud cover.

Only idiots would venture up a mountain in a blizzard, and here we stood because of Malum.

It made sense.

He stretched his flaming arms out wide. “I’ll take your lack of response as a yes—let’s do this. Are you sure you don’t want to use your wings? Knox says they are the source of your power.”

I gave him a death glare. “I’m sure.”

There was a 0 percent chance I was taking off my coat and exposing my wings in the middle of a blizzard.

Knox kept saying that our power generated from our wings, but Mother had lit me on fire nightly and she didn’t have them. He could shove his bad advice where the sun didn’t shine.

My fingers curled in my warm mittens.

After our morning fight (Malum had an episode and I watched), he ranted on and on about responsibility and the importance of making progress.

Then he’d dragged me up the side of a mountain.

“Like I said earlier,” he said, like he thought talking about it more would change something, “I think it will be helpful for you to use your powers against my flames without all of us being present—I think we were trying too much at once. Let’s start small.”

I glared at him as my teeth chattered together.

Starting small would have been me trying to put out a fireplace while warm and cozy indoors.

“Okay, I’m going to release my fire—get ready.” He bent his knees and took a step away from me. “I don’t think it should be that much because the other men aren’t present.”

Flames roared as he exploded.

I was not ready.

Scarlet fire hissed as it fought against the blizzard. The wind sent red shooting out in all directions like a sadistic flamethrower.

I put my hands forward to get a little warmth.

It felt delicious.

If only I had some marshmallows and chocolate; suddenly I was craving s’mores.

“Try to stop me now!” Malum bellowed as he waved his arms. Ice melted around him, and the rocks in his vicinity caught fire.

Sucking on my pipe, I tried to figure out the best way to kill him while exerting the least amount of energy.

I patted my pockets.

I didn’t have a gun.

Regrettable.

Flames leaped higher off him. “Give it your best shot!”

Raising my hands before me, I imagined the ice that always dripped from my fingers crawled toward the flames and put them out.

Nothing happened.

Snow mixed with fire and the elements roared.

Malum tipped his head back and screamed out fire.

There was no doubt in my mind, he was the dragon of the House of Malum.

I pulled off my warm mittens and stuck them into my pockets. My bare fingers were immediately covered in a sheen of ice that had nothing to do with the weather. I pointed them toward Malum.

Scarlet leaped off him, toward me, like solar flares on a sun.

The ice thawed off my fingers.

I put my hands under my armpits.

Hopping up and down to warm myself, I yelled, “It’s not working!”

Exhaustion weighed down my bones, and my eyelids felt too heavy for my face. The urge to curl up under the flames and sleep was overwhelming.

Not again.

“Stab me with your feather, that worked before!” Malum yelled as his flames shot toward me with increasing frequency.

He took a step forward.

I basked in his warmth.

He gestured toward his stomach, and I realized he was showing where I should stab him.

My stomach pinched at the thought of purposefully making him bleed. That, or something I’d eaten wasn’t sitting right.

I scowled. “Knox said our feathers are precious! I’m not wasting one on stabbing you.”

Malum made an aggressive hand gesture that seemed to indicate annoyance, but it was hard to tell because his face was engulfed in fire so I couldn’t see his expression. “I’ve seen you make ice claws, use that!”

“Fine,” I said.

Snow gathered on my lashes and made it hard to see. Somewhere far above in the howling gray, Horse cawed out encouragement.

I once again extended my hands like an idiot.

Mother had never done something so idiotic.

A wild thought struck me, and I snapped my fingers like she always had and pictured Malum writhing in pain.

I waited.

Nothing happened.

Honestly, in retrospect, it was probably for the best that I didn’t have torture powers (I was a little disappointed).

I focused on ice claws, and within seconds, cobalt serrated edges extended from my fingers.

I admired them but frowned as I pulled them closer because the ice dug into the edges of my nails. Blood dripped down my hand. Holy fucking sun god. I scoffed in disbelief. Now I knew why my cuticles were so ruined.

How embarrassing.

“Do something!” Malum roared. “What are you staring at?”

“You really think stabbing you with these will help?” I waved the serrated edges around doubtfully.

A streak of scarlet arched toward me. The heat almost touched my cheek. I smiled because it felt nice.

I took a step toward the inferno.

Malum stumbled back. “Wait. Don’t come near me. My flames might hurt you—I don’t have control right now!”

I gaped at him as I waved my ice claws. “You just realized this?”

He took another step back. “Don’t come closer. Put your claws away. The idea was shit—just try to use your powers from a distance.”

For a second, I debated listening to him, then I remembered I didn’t listen to men.

I smirked and took a big step toward him.

Seven feet of flaming male trembled at my proximity, and walked backward like I was poisonous.

I did what any woman would do if they were trapped on the side of a mountain with the man who’d used to bully them—I ran forward, cackling.

A noise that suspiciously sounded like a squeal escaped from Malum as he ran away. “Don’t come close, I don’t want to hurt you!”

Of course, I ran faster.

Snow and flames whipped around us.

I hadn’t had this much fun in years. Horse flew beside me like he was also giving chase.

“Stop it, Arabella!” Malum bellowed as he stumbled across the mountain.

“Corvus,” I cooed. “Don’t run from me, baby girl.”

He tripped over a boulder and fell onto his butt. “You said my name?”

I used the advantage to jump on him. Claws extended like a cat, I aimed for his middle.

We slammed together; ice crashed into fire.

He rolled to take the brunt of the impact and I closed my eyes. It was toasty in his embrace. Amazingly warm.

It was even better than a hot shower after lying in a snowbank for hours.

For a long moment, we lay on the rocks, embracing, neither of us moving or speaking.

My short fingernails were curled into the material of his jacket. His fire had put out my ice.

Darn.

I sighed and snuggled closer. His arms and legs were still very much on fire, and they felt nice.

I was fireproof. Slay (in a hot way).

“We need to keep practicing,” Malum muttered halfheartedly, and I looked up at him with exasperation. His bronze cheeks turned pink, flames flickering on the top of his head like a crown.

“No. You need to keep practicing. I’m perfect.”

I snuggled against him and waited for his outburst.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “You should put your mittens back on.”

Before I could process what was happening, he pulled them out of my pockets and tucked them onto my hands.

“Good practice. Team.” I yawned.

Eyelids heavy.

Soul warm.

I shook my head to wake myself up.

Malum’s arms tightened around me so I couldn’t move.

“It’s fine, Arabella.” I shivered at how he said my name. His voice was like smooth whiskey and high-end tobacco. “Go to sleep. I’ll carry you back down the mountain.”

Nodding, I closed my eyes.

“I’ll take care of you, my love,” he whispered. “But please stay awake so I know you’re okay.”

I forced my eyes open.

Handsome bronze features hovered close to mine. His eyes were full of concern.

I leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose.

He looked thunderstruck. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I wanted to,” I said honestly.

Warm lips suddenly slammed against mine as Malum kissed me passionately. He claimed me with his tongue, and I melted. I kissed him back with equal fervor.

When he pulled away, we were both panting heavily.

I fingered my tingling lip and looked at him questioningly.

“Because I wanted to,” he said as he started walking back down the mountain. It would be a long trek with me in his arms, but he didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he looked pleased to be carrying me.

It made sense.

Men had evolved into stronger bodies so they could carry their superiors (women) around all day.

“Tell me about your childhood,” he said out of the blue.

I played with my mittens. “It’s not a pleasant story.”

“I’m sorry for not asking before. It’s your story, and I want to know more about you—please, Aran.”

It was the first time he’d apologized without sounding arrogant. He looked down at me with such a hopeful expression that my heart twisted.

I began to talk.

I told him every gritty detail about what it was like growing up. For some reason, I told him things I’d never dared tell anyone else.

His silver eyes glimmered with understanding. He’d also walked through hell.

For hours, he carried me down a side of a mountain, and for hours, I told him what it was like growing up as the powerless royal heir of the mad queen.

He didn’t get angry.

Not once.

Instead, he stayed calm and nodded, tucking me tighter against his chest like he could squeeze the pain out of me.

“It’s all behind you,” he said as we got back to the war camp.

I was amazed that he’d learned so many terrible things about my past and hadn’t threatened to kill anyone. Not once. He was maturing.

I smiled at him as he tucked me gently into bed. “Thanks for not going on a homicidal rampage.”

He laughed awkwardly and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

“Move over,” Malum said as he pushed his oversized body into my bunk.

“What are you doing?” I shrieked as he fit himself into a space that was designed for a person half his size.

He was pressed flush against me.

“Let’s keep talking,” he whispered.

I couldn’t hide my smile. Even though we’d already been talking for hours, I hadn’t wanted our conversation to end.

“You should tell me about yourself this time,” I suggested. “What do you miss most about the devil realm?”

“The peace,” he said immediately.

He launched into a story about rolling hills and solitude. With his baritone voice, he should have been a storyteller. My toes curled.

He weaved a fairy tale.

I never wanted him to stop speaking.

I fell asleep with his warm body squished against mine, wild tales of ponies with bows and rolling hills dancing through my head.

The leader of the kings was slowly dropping his mask, and I was intrigued by the man it was revealing.

Flames danced in the air around us and cast a golden glow.

With my head tucked beneath his chin, I realized what he reminded me of.

Sunshine.