Page 7 of The Guardian (Dark-Hunter 20)
How dare you proclaim that pathetic backwash as my divine offspring! How dare you name him after me, you bitch! You both sicken me. Get it out of my sight before I gut you both. Those had been the last words his father had said to him. It was what everyone since had seen him as. Nothing but worthless garbage to be used and discarded.
Walked over.
And that set fire to his temper.
He closed the distance between them and grabbed Solin by the hair. His nostrils flaring, he forced Solin to meet his gaze. "Tell me what I want to know or I'll kill her."
Solin looked down at the blood on Seth's armor. "How do I know you haven't already?"
Seth sneered at the question. It was his own blood staining his armor, not Lydia's. Blood brutally taken from him because he had yet to break the Greek.
Only Solin had the ability to end Seth's suffering and the stubborn bastard wouldn't. Damn him for it.
So he tormented the Greek in turn-not nearly as badly as Noir had him, but enough to make Seth feel better. "What would be the fun in that? It's more torturous for you to know that I have her at my disposal. I can do anything I want with her and there's nothing you can do to stop me. Nothing."
Solin exploded into a string of profanity so foul, it was a wonder his mouth didn't spontaneously combust.
Seth tightened his hand in Solin's hair. "If you want her safe, tell me where the key is."
"I don't know."
"Bullshit! I know for a fact that you're the only one who has access to it."
Solin shook his head in denial.
Seth wanted to crush his skull. Noir was growing more impatient by the heartbeat. If Solin didn't break soon, Noir would return him to his hole and bolt his mouth shut again.
This time, it would be permanent and he'd never be granted another reprieve from it.
May the gods help Solin then. Noir would never take the pity on him that Seth had. As badly as the idiot thought he was suffering now, it was a walk in paradise compared to what was coming for him.
He knew from personal experience that the worst place to be was between Noir and whatever it was Noir wanted.
C'mon, you stupid bastard. Give me what I need to save us all. "One word from you and I'll let you both go."
"Fuck you."
"Not the word I wanted." Growling, Seth released him. This was the same as it'd been for two weeks now. And he was through with being Noir's scapegoat. With being blamed and punished for Solin's obstinacy. Given what they were doing to him, he might as well be pinned to the table beside Solin.
But no more.
"Fine. I'll go question Lydia. Let's see what she knows."
Solin let out a scream so loud and pain-filled that it had to come from the deepest part of his soul. "Don't you hurt her. Don't you dare! I'll get you whatever it is you want if you'll release her."
For once he believed him. The emotion in Solin's voice and eyes was too real to be faked, and that scream ...
It was one born of desperate love. Seth had absolutely no concept of that word. But he'd seen mothers who had died protecting their young. Of men who sacrificed themselves for friends, family, and women.
Did Lydia really mean that much to Solin?
"Would you give me your life for hers?"
Solin didn't hesitate with his answer. "Yes."
Fascinating. What could make a god want to die to keep another safe? "Do you think she'd do the same for you?"
"She came for me."
Those words stung him. Solin was right. She'd risked everything to try and rescue the dream god. "You love her?"
Solin didn't answer. Rather he did the one thing he'd never done throughout any of his torture.
He begged. "Please, please don't hurt her. I swear if you keep her safe, I will bring the key to you and put it in your hands."
Relief coursed through him as he finally heard the words that would save his ass and spare him more degradation.
Provided Solin wasn't lying to him. Did Lydia really mean so much?
Trust was not in his nature. Whenever he'd made that mistake, the repercussions had been shoved down his throat and stomped into his stomach. The only thing he had faith in was other people's willingness to lie and screw him over.
But in this, he had no choice. He had to have that damn key. Sooner rather than later.
He glared at Solin. "You have three days to return. If I don't have the key then, I'll send you her remains." Stepping back, Seth snapped his fingers.
The chains melted away.
Solin lay there, panting and weak. Just like he'd done when Noir had finally freed him. A part of him was remorseful for his part in it. He hated to see someone else in pain. But better it be Solin than him. At least he hadn't bolted Solin's mouth shut. He rubbed the back of his hand under his chin as a phantom pain reminded him of how much that had hurt. Nor had he violated the private parts of Solin's body. The stupid bastard thought he knew what torture was. He had no idea how gentle Seth had been compared to the others who called this hell home.
Solin should be down on his knees in gratitude.
Seth held his hand out and returned Solin's clothes to him. "Three days, Olympian. Do not fail me." Then he used his powers to send Solin back to the mortal realm he'd stolen him from.
How he wished he could go with him. But Noir had taken his ability to leave the moment he first brought him here. He could only pull others out of the human realm or return them.
Never himself.
But right now, that didn't matter.
Seth let out a relieved breath at the thought of handing the key of Olympus to Noir. It would make his overlord happy. Or at least as happy as the miserable son of a bitch could be.
Maybe then he'd be forgiven and allowed to remain without chains.
And with luck, Solin would be back in a few hours.
In the meantime, he wanted to understand what about the woman was so special that a god like Solin would give his life for her.
Was Solin out of his mind for putting her safety above his own? People lied and they betrayed. Especially where love was involved. It was only a tool the strong used against the weak.
He knew that better than anyone.
I love you. He sneered at the thought. Cheap, meaningless words bandied about by selfish asses incapable of understanding the meaning of it.
Lydia was just like all the others. She would turn on Solin.
And he would do the god a favor.
He would prove it.
