Page 240 of Vasmora

“Godsteeth!” Zevander growled and strode from his bedroom, making his way down the staircase and out the front entrance into the cold night.

Maevyth’s laughter echoed in the distance, as she darted for the trees. He gnashed his teeth as he tore across the grounds after her, catching a glimpse of the moons that had nearly crossed paths.

He didn’t have time for her fucking games.

Zevander shot his hand forward, casting a wall of flames, but she merely stepped right through it. He threw out his other hand and summoned Erigorisz, attempting to lift her up into the air.

Her body drifted upward by only about a meter before she landed back down and pushed into a dead run, her dress fluttering behind her.

Ordinarily, he’d have reveled in every moment of such a thrill to his senses, had it been Maevyth he was chasing and not the one who’d stolen her body. Only his mate held the power to summon those natural instincts in him.

Morsana had only succeeded in pissing him off.

She breached the tree line, and he upped his pace, his hands clenched at his side, blood hot with annoyance. Beneath the canopy of trees, he took light steps over the brush, avoiding so much as a crackle of broken twigs.

Eyes scanning.

He clicked his tongue, his mind catching on an image behind the tree ahead, where she hid.

There you are.

“It’s futile, you know.” Her voice echoed through the surrounding forest. “She’ll never escape Caligorya. Far too much temptation for a girl who yearns for a family.”

He didn’t answer her, not wanting to give away his location as he slipped behind a nearby tree.

“It isn’t personal. I admire her, really.” Her dark silhouette moved between the trunks, and Zevander stalked after her, keeping to the shadows. “I have since the day she was born. But this world isn’t meant for nurturers. For protectors. I watch your species kill each other. Callously. And I reap the souls of your violence.” A white birch offered little cover for her as she paused behind it before sliding to the next. “Zevander Rydainn, you’ve been my personal favorite for some time. You’re so efficient. And so fucking handsome. Mmmmm. Imagine the beautiful children we’d make together.”

The only thing he planned to make with her was the memory of a shit night that he’d hoped to forget soon after.

As if bored with the game, she stepped out from behind a tree into a small clearing. “Come. Show yourself.”

He hesitated at first, preferring the advantage of surprise, but the way she stared in his direction told him she might’ve already spotted him. She was a powerful goddess, after all. With careful steps, he emerged from the trees and stood opposite her in the clearing.

“In time, you’ll forget her. Those little adorations will soon blur, and all you’ll see is me.”

Zevander’s lips pulled to a snarl. “She’s my mate.”

“Not consummated.”

“Give her back, Morsana. You don’t belong in this world.”

“I did once.” Sadness slipped across her face before hardening. “But I have slumbered for far too long.” She lifted her chin high. “It’s time to strengthen my bloodline. I will fuck as many of you ungodly creatures as it takes to ensure that my lineage survives.”

Zevander’s blood simmered at the thought of her using Maevyth’s body, and vision red with rage, he charged forward.

She didn’t bother to run as he closed the space between them and gripped her by the throat.

“Release her, or by the gods, I will squeeze the life out of you.”

She chuckled and lifted her gaze skyward. “I’m afraid you’re out of time and so is she. The eye of creation is watching, and I will remain in this body.”

Zevander growled, and as she twisted in his grasp, he swiped up her legs and set her onto the ground so as not to injure her.

She scrambled onto her stomach in a poor attempt to escape him, though she could’ve probably turned him to dust, were she so ambitious.

With a grip of her arm, he wrenched her onto her back, and held her pinned to the ground as he straddled her body. “Maevyth!” Entwining his fingers in hers, he summoned the flame, drawing heat to their joined palms. “Listen to me!”

“The hour is upon us. Kiss me, Zevander. Claim me on this joyous night!” She tilted her head back again, a smile stretching her lips. “Tonight, I ascend. I will use this mortal body to enjoy the pleasures of life! And when she’s spent, I will return to my prison in gluttonous splendor!”