Chapter 4

"What do you mean? Are you accusing me of doing something behind your back? I finished my business and came back for you, but you were gone! I looked everywhere. I couldn't even sense you through the bond. I was sick with worry, and I even tore up my leg on the thorns looking for you!"

Oh, she hurt her leg looking for me? How ironic.

I gave her the coordinates to the temple infirmary. Less than half an hour later, she limped in, followed by Darius and her annoying nymph friends.

Seeing me genuinely badly injured, with blood soaking the bandages, Lyra looked at me with a face full of guilt.

"I'm so sorry, Orion. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have brought you hunting. Does your leg still hurt? I'm not leaving; I'll stay right here with you."

But right now, I only felt disgust. I was repulsed by the idea of her touching my body.

Yet Lyra refused to let go. She hugged me tight, acting like she truly knew she was wrong and was drowning in regret.

I couldn't push her away, so I played along. "You're hurt too. Let go of me."

"No, my injury is nothing. I only care about yours."

She was so stubborn that I eventually relented. Thinking my anger had faded, Lyra loosened her grip and started peeling a fruit for me.

While feeding me, she smugly showed off to her friends in their tongue.

"Thank the gods I'm smart. I purposely hurt my leg to look pitiful, otherwise I wouldn't have found a good excuse to cover up my cheating."

"Tsk, aren't you a genius."

"Of course. Look at my Orion. I drop two tears and he forgives everything."

"Stupid dog. Forgave you that fast."

"Because my Orion loves me! He can't live without me!"

My body stiffened, my breath turning ice-cold.

Why did she lie to me every single second of the day?

For a split second earlier, I actually thought she had genuinely hurt her leg looking for me. I even felt a pang of sympathy.

Ha. I was wrong. I shouldn't believe a single syllable that came out of this rotten woman's mouth.

Right in front of my face, they started reminiscing about the fun details of their wild sex yesterday.

They talked about their messy affairs without blushing, all while turning back to shoot me looks of pity and disgust.

For the next three days, I forced down my nausea and let her take care of me. I didn't expose her. I just let her busy herself preparing for the Soul-Binding Ceremony that all of Olympus would be watching.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, I laid the net in the Pantheon that would drag her straight to hell.

The day of the ceremony arrived.

Lyra wore a gorgeous, sexy gown, with Darius trailing behind her.

Darius grabbed her hand, looking frustrated and unwilling.

"Lyra, are you really going to marry him? What about me? What am I to you?"

"A plaything for my body."

"But I love you!"

"But I need Orion's status more. Once we're bound, I'm cutting you off. I want to clean up my act and be the high and mighty wife of Olympus."

I watched this scene unfold through my scrying mirror. Face completely blank, I packed my bags and opened a mental link to the Underworld.

"The ferry on the River Styx should leave in about two hours. I'm heading out. See you below."

I cut the link, picked up my bag, and walked out of the temple without looking back.

Before I left, I decided to leave Lyra a "huge gift."

Back in the hall, Lyra was getting anxious because I hadn't shown up.

She was just about to use our mental link to call me when she was interrupted by a man in a black cloak. It was the God of Death, Thanatos, here to escort me to the Underworld.

He held a glass of blood-red pomegranate wine, looking at Lyra with a mocking smirk.

"Congratulations, future Lady of the Underworld."

"Our Prince Orion is a god who takes contracts very seriously. Don't worry, once he commits to something, he will fulfill it, even in death."

"However, His Highness does have one absolute boundary—he despises being betrayed."

Lyra gave a stiff, fake smile and nodded.

Just as she turned around, the God of Death sneered and tossed a roll of parchment right at her feet.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. This Underworld Prince you've all been playing for a fool? He’s practically from the same woods as you."

"His soul was born in a tributary of the River Styx, deep beneath the very ancient forest that birthed you. The soil of the abyss and your tree roots are tightly intertwined."

"Look. This is His Highness's Scroll of Origins. I'm not lying. If you curse him out right now using your most obscure secret tongue, not only will he understand every single word, but he’ll curse you right back in fluent Sylvan."

The smile on Lyra’s face completely died.

She frantically reached out to sense the mental bond inside her.

Nothing.

The connection was gone.

The laurel crown she always wore to show off our love fell from her trembling fingertips with a snap.

It turned to dust before it even hit the floor.