Legacy of Blood

chapter Twenty-Three



A few minutes later, I skidded to a stop in the parking lot and jumped out of the truck, not bothering to kill the engine or shut the door. I flashed up the 106 stone steps in seconds and looked around when I reached the summit. There was no sign of Amun anywhere but I could feel him. I headed left, past the covered viewing area, and into the park section.

Amun’s vision began interfering with mine again and I saw myself from his eyes. He was standing behind me. I whirled around and took off the ring, throwing it to the ground.

“I’m here, just like you asked,” I said, trying to remain calm. The last vision I had of Trey was of his frightened and bloody face which had completely unnerved me. “Where is Trey?”

Amun studied me for a few moments and then smiled. “It is good to see you, Nisiqtu. I have not been in your presence in over a month. Come, greet me properly, Damu,” he smiled as he held his arms out.

I swallowed hard and looked around for Trey. I didn’t see him anywhere but that didn’t mean Amun hadn’t hidden him before I got here. I quickly weighed my options and knew there was no way out of this. I would give myself to him if he guaranteed that Trey and everyone I loved would be safe from him.

“Is Trey okay?” I asked as I slowly walked toward him.

“Your friend is unharmed,” Amun smiled as he closed the distance between us. He wrapped his arms around me and sighed deeply as he held me to him.

“You do not appear happy to see me, Damu,” Amun grumbled, displeasure painting his voice.

“I am, father,” I sighed as I lifted my arms and hugged him back. The action itself was one of the hardest things I had ever done in my life. Everything in me was screaming at me to kill Amun while a tiny part advocated for Trey’s safety. In the end, Trey’s life won out. I loved Trey deeply and would do anything for him, even hug the devil himself. “I am happy to see you.”

“Good,” he smiled as he pulled away and held me at arm’s length. “Let me behold you. My, you are stunning. Immortality suits you. What a beautiful bride you will be, Nisiqtu. Do you have the dress I left for you?”

“I-I never got to see it,” I swallowed thickly, my skin crawling as his eyes undressed me. “An Dilis took it.”

“Never fear, my love,” Amun smiled as he pulled me into his arms again. “We will get you a better one; one befitting the queen you are to become.” He pressed his cold lips to my forehead and sighed contentedly. “Together, we will be unstoppable. Our talents are completely unparalleled, Damu. There is nothing we cannot conquer now that we are together.”

“Take me far away from here,” I said softly, trying to control the tremor in my voice. “I want to leave America right away… tonight even.”

Amun chuckled and held me tighter. “Where does my queen wish to go?”

I swallowed hard and tried to suppress the tears I felt stinging my eyes. I didn’t want to leave Austin, but I would if that meant Archer and our family would be safe. I wanted Amun far away from them, and the sooner the better. “Take me somewhere cold. I’m sick of this summer heat.”

“Your wish is my command, my queen,” Amun whispered as he lowered his head to mine. “Do you see now, Nisiqtu? I am not a bad man and would freely give you the world if only you would submit to me. We will have a beautiful union, Skye. You will see. You will be happy with me.”

I nodded my head and realized that Amun was preparing to kiss me. I closed my eyes tightly and stifled the sob that threatened to tear itself from my chest. I wanted to be anywhere but here in his arms. Amun made me sick and all I wanted to do was kill him for what he had done to me, what he had done to my life, and what he had done to Trey.

My eyes flashed open and I realized this was the perfect time to have my question answered; Amun was in a good mood now that he had me. “What did you do with Trey?” I asked right before his thin lips touched mine.

“He is chained,” he whispered against my lips as he pecked them once. “I placed him on a ledge over the side for safe keeping.”

I sighed in relief and Amun took that as his cue to kiss me. His cold lips pushed hard against mine as his hands tangled in my hair. I whimpered when his wet tongue brushed against my lips and demanded entrance and I dug my nails into his back as I gave him what he wanted most. I kissed him back and poured every bit of my anger, frustration, and rage into it. I dug my nails into his neck and he moaned into my mouth as I completed my bloody track down. Amun seemed to be enjoying the pain and that pissed me off even more.

“Your kiss is everything I imagined it would be,” he sighed as he pulled back and licked his lips, savoring my taste. “It was well worth the wait.”

I fought not to spit his acrid taste from my mouth as he released me and took my hand. “Where are we going?”

“I have a present for you,” he smiled back at me as we approached the cliff’s edge.

I looked over the side and saw Trey lying on a narrow ledge, chained and in obvious pain.

“I saved him for us,” Amun smiled, putting his arm around me. “I thought we could feast on his blood together before we completed our union.”

I shook my head in horror and backed away from the edge. “No,” I whispered in fear and disgust. “No. I do not want to drink from him. Trey is my friend.”

“He must die!” Amun growled angrily as he spun around to face me. “They all must die eventually!”

“No,” I whimpered as cool tears fell down my cheeks. “I won’t do it. I’ll do anything, Amun…but I won’t drink from my friend. I can’t. Please don’t make me.”

“You love this disgusting Day Walker more than me?!” he screamed and I jumped involuntarily as his rage hit me full force. “I am your father and soon-to-be husband! You will bow down before me and do as I command, Damu. You will submit to me this moment or you will not like the consequences of your disobedience!”

“He is my brother!” I yelled back, finding the last ounce of strength I had to fight him. “He is my family, Amun. Trey has been like my brother since I met him. I love him! If you kill him, you might as well kill me too because my heart will die with him. And I promise you, I’ll never forgive you for it; no matter how many centuries I live. I’ll hate you with every breath I take. There is no coming back from this for me, Amun. You kill him, you kill me too.”

“Perhaps I should just kill you,” Amun whispered, his eyes narrowed in anger, as he slowly walked toward me. “You defy me at every turn, child. I am beginning to believe that you are not worth the inconvenience.”

“I came to you, didn’t I?!”

“Only after I had taken your little friend and forced your hand!” Amun spat at me. “You dispatched the Day Walker’s Army after me. You wanted to kill me! So now I am supposed to simply believe that you have suddenly changed your mind about desiring my death?” Amun scoffed and flashed to stand a foot away from me. “How ignorant do you think I am, child? I am well over ten thousand years old and I assure you, I am no fool.”

“None of that matters anymore!” I cried as I grabbed onto his hand. “I told you I would come to you, and I did. I asked you to take me away from here and I meant it. I won’t fight you, Amun. I’m done fighting you. You have made it very apparent that you will hurt everyone I love if I continue. I am submitting to you, just like you asked. The only thing I ask in return is that we leave now and never come back. Leave the people I love alone. Please, Amun. Just do this one thing for me. It’s all I’ll ever ask of you… I swear it.”

Amun studied me for a few long, silent moments and I anxiously held my breath. I felt his anger slowly ebb away and finally, he nodded his head. “If you defy me again, we will return to this country and I will personally make you kill everyone you have saved this nigh. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” I bowed my head and wiped the tears from my face. I had planned to find a way to kill him once we were far away from America, but his new threat put the fear of God in me. I had no doubt he would make good on it if I defied him again. God, I hate that bastard!

I was terrified of what my life would be like now. Would he make me murder people with him? Would he rape me? I knew he planned on us being married and I fought the wave of sickness in my stomach. He would expect me to have sex with him and I didn’t know if I could do that. I swallowed thickly as my new reality fully hit me. I was going to live for time immeasurable with a sick and sadistic man that I couldn’t even stand to look at. My life was going to be a true living hell, but I’d do anything to keep my true father, Archer, and our family safe. I’d endure this hell and use the memory of our one amazing night spent together to get me through it.

“Why must you force me rule you with an iron fist? You would see that my love is like a feather’s caress if only you would stop fighting me.” He sighed and stood up straighter. “Kiss me, Skye,” Amun commanded as he held his head higher, reveling in his new dominance over me, “and show me how delighted you are to finally be one with me.”

I hung my head, my soul shattered, as I stepped to him. I slowly placed my hand on his chest and heard a pleasured sigh escape his lips.

“Good girl,” he whispered, pleased.

His praise cut through me like a dull knife and my bottom lip trembled as I looked up at him. His black eyes bored into my colorless ones and he smiled in victory as he leaned his head down to mine.