The Light Within Her - Book Nine

Ch. 26- Dance for Liars

"You cannot run from the shadow. But you can invite it to dance."

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Two months until summer solstice. Until I marry the God of darkness and take his shadows from beneath him. Two months until I destroy him from the inside out. I can survive until then, I just have to separate my heart from my brain. Yeah, okay, that was going to be difficult now. There wasn't any doubt that I yearned for him like no other, that my body seemed to warm at his touch. He and I were different in every aspect, yet my eyes found him every single time. And no matter how much I hated Erebus, my heart did not. Yes, it was getting fucking complicated. Too much. What is real and what is the game? Are we both dancing around each other like some sort of game we were unknowingly playing? I wasn't sure now.

It has been two weeks since I was stolen from my home, not able to conjure the sunlight in my hands unless he said so. And here I was, trying on wedding dresses with three gods watching me closely. When did my life turn completely upside down? I sighed, gazing at myself in the mirror and at the white gown I wore. It wasn't me, I realized, for it fit like a Princess and was frankly too big for me to move around in. "Try on the next one," Lyssa said. She sat on an armchair while the other two Gods, Selene and Achlys sat at the other.

My eyes scanned Lyssa's for a second, wondering what she was thinking. She was trapped in this home the same way I was and yet every day, Lyssa's dark eyes grew dimmer and dimmer. Because of her parents, I thought. I wondered what she would think if I told her about Erebus and I, about all the nights we shared. Would she be angry? Or would she understand how far I was willing to go to save our worlds? Selene, the one that held power over the moon, clicked her tongue at the maid in the corner. "She needs one that hugs her curves," She turned toward Achlys, the blonde one. "Isn't that right?"

Achlys nodded. "Of course."

"What about Artemis?" I questioned. "Have you found her yet?" I turned around, facing all three of them now while Lyssa lifted an eyebrow. She knew how much I hated others talking about my body. Knew how much I used to hide it with baggy clothes when we were together. Now, I could walk around the house with nothing but a pair of booty shorts and a crop top and grin like a fucking child. As much as I was over feeling insecure, it still creeps up into my mind sometimes. Like now. Selene and Achlys stared at me for a second, as though I was a shiny new piece of jewelry and they were trying to find out how much I'm worth.

Selene spoke first again. "Don't worry about Diana, little sun. You are well protected by us as long as you stay here." Her gray eyes stared into mine now, nothing compared to Erebus's. Is it bad to say I missed him? "You should worry more about the revel tonight than the huntress."

Tonight was our engagement party and apparently, most of the Gods will be attending. To see me, of course. All of them were sided with Erebus, but I think some were secretly hoping Moros would come back to defeat his brother. At least, that is what I hoped. If I can have more Gods on my side, the better. "I should worry about whatever the fuck I want, Selene. And the huntress you speak about is trying to assassinate me, so really, I don't give a shit about what I wear to the wedding."

"Yet, you wear the ring," Achlys replied, pointing at my left hand. "The one he gave you, right? And staying in that temple of yours with him, it does sound like you give a shit."

A snarl grew beneath my throat, screaming to come out. Her dark gray eyes pierced through mine, enjoying the sight of my discomfort. "As long as I live, there is a price on my head. Because you are the ones that put me in danger in the first place. And really, it doesn't matter to any of you what I think."

"Leave," a male voice said from the doorway. My body turned immediately, a sense of relief flowing through me as I stared at Erebus. He wore simple black dress pants and a button up the same color, making his gray eyes brighten as they focused on the other Gods in the room. "Now." All of them stood up immediately, leaving the room suddenly. Lyssa looked back at me for a second, though I couldn't get a grasp on her expression. What was she feeling, I thought. She turned around quickly, shutting the door behind her as I was left alone with Erebus. My focus turned toward him now, a smirk growing on his lips as he gazed at the wedding gown I wore. "I had a sense you needed saving."