Sign of the Devil's Footprint [THE DEVILS CULT BOOK 1]

Chapter Sixteen

Melione leaned against Grym's chest, her head resting against his shoulder as they traveled through the Emerald Realm. Her body was deliciously sore after their long escapade last night. Grym had used her body to distract whatever was happening in his mind. She didn't mind letting him use her to calm himself. She would never deny him.

Grym wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer against him. "I hope I wasn't too rough with you last night," he murmured in her ear.

Melione felt a shiver snake down her spine at his words. She shook her head. "You could never be too rough with me, Grym."

Grym nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. "When all this is over, we'll find our place to live that is ours. I will make love to you all day, every day."

"Grym," she breathed as she felt her body heat up again. She was done denying that he was her mate and she was his. Melione knew the realms would try to separate them once this was over, but Grym promised they would fail. She was entirely his, body and soul.

Suddenly, her body went rigid, and her stomach churned. "Grym," she called out to him as she touched her belly.

"What's wrong?" The arm around her waist tightened.

Melione picked up her head just enough to see without the sun burning her eyes. The sun had just started to set, allowing her to see more than before. "I think we're close." Her eyes searched the scenery around them. Instantly, visions of her dream came to life around her. She saw the ghost of the deity running for her life. She gasped as she saw the patches of dead grass in the shape of footprints to their right. "There," she pointed. "Follow the footprints."

Grym instantly obeyed and reined his horse in the direction of the footprints. Melione's stomach churned as they approached the tree behind which the deity hid. "Here," Melione gritted out. "We're here." The sun was down enough that Melione could lift her head completely to see around her. Grym helped her off the horse and held onto her as they walked to the tree. Melione felt her knees would buckle underneath her if she didn't hold onto Grym's arm.

Melione reached out and touched the blood-stained bark with shaky fingers. "She was found here," Melione explained. "I woke up shortly after this."

Grym stood firmly behind her. "Then her body should be around here somewhere."

Melione nodded in agreement. "It'll be close, yes." Melione turned to look around.

"Come," Grym ordered silently. He pointed to the ground. "There's a trail of blood."

"Dried." Melione's stomach never felt like this before. She had been the head investigator for years and had witnessed the gruesomest sights before, but this felt different. She had felt the pain and terror personally. Melione kept a firm grip on Grym's arm as he followed the trail of blood.

Grym stopped short, instinctively pushing Melione behind him. "Fuck," he gritted out.

Melione moved around him and gasped. It was the same scene as the other three deities, but it would always be challenging to witness. A spike sticking out of the ground skewered the deity's head. Her torso was separated from her body and stabbed in the center of the spike, her intestines wrapping around it. Her limbs were in a perfect circle around her body. The puddle of blood had dried over the grass. Her clothes had been torn off, the blood gluing the torn patches of clothes to the grass.

Melione stepped closer to the body, letting go of Grym's arm. The deity's face was frozen in forever fear. Her grey eyes were wide in terror, her mouth permanently open. Her hair, which looked to be the color of chestnuts, was clotted with blood.

"Do you recognize this goddess?" Grym asked her as he walked around the scene. He had his notebook in his hand. She knew that he was taking notes and sketching the scene. His face was blank, showing no emotion as he surveyed the scene. Melione had figured him out shortly after he had arrived at the Eclipse Sanctum. He would turn off all feelings once he was at a crime scene, something she wished she could do.