Page 133 of The Divine Lies We Weave

The Viperess’s lips twitched.

Rajesh continued, “You refuse to acknowledge or even think of forgiving a man who thought you had broken his heart. Does he not get a small act of forgiveness? Did you not even think to tell him? After all this time?”

“I was stuck in the Netherworld because of him!” she screeched. “I didn’t get to say anything before I was cast out below, forever trapped in the darkness with monsters clawing at my skin, every single day. You think I could forgive him for that? For letting those monsters feed on me? Why do you think I cursed him with the sandstorm? So he could feel the same pain I felt when I had monsters eating me alive.”

Rajesh glanced at the katar in the Viperess’s twitching fingers. Rage burned in her eyes. It was only a matter of time. He was just hoping for a swift rise to the Awakening. There was no one with his bloodline here. The Scorpion curse would end with him.

What are you doing, mortal?

Anything to get rid of this. It’s over. She wins.

No. No, you don’t get to quit, now!

I don’t see you doing a whole lot.

Rajesh’s spine shot through with an overwhelming heat. He stumbled forward, clutching his chest as the Scorpion took control.

A newfound fear gripped him. He had never had the Scorpion take total control of him, and now he was stuck behind some invisible glass wall without a way out of his mind. What are you doing!?

Stopping you from making a very bad mistake.

“Scorpion,” the Viperess hissed. “Finally.”

“You want to kill him?” The Scorpion stepped forward. “No. You want to kill me for something I did. I made a mistake, Viperess. I am sorry. From the deepest depths of the Netherworld to the farthest reaches of the Awakening, I am sorry.”

The Viperess held incredibly still.

“You were always the woman I loved,” the Scorpion continued, “And I wish I could take it back. I wish I did not believe what the Viper said that night, but my heart was broken. I wish I could say something to stop this madness, but the look in your eyes says you’re on a warpath I cannot stop. Not until you reach your end. Like the times we were reaching our own ends.”

“Do not defuse this situation,” she snarled. “You caused all this chaos!”

“And you did too. You cursed me. Hunted me down from the depths of the realms. Planned all of this—” the Scorpion raised the hands to motion everything, “just to get revenge? Does that not state the biggest lie here?”

The Viperess flinched. “What?”

“That you are still irrevocably, undeniably in love with me.”

The Viperess curled her lip and finally threw the last katar.

Rajesh stumbled. He was sucked back into his body, a slow release of pain finally hitting him. His fingers shook as he looked down at the blade wedged in his abdomen and he had killed enough monsters to know it had struck vital organs.

Good…

The Viperess stood tall, chin raised, the glow in her eyes flickering and burning brighter than ever.

Metal coated Rajesh’s tongue and pooled in his mouth, as blood spilled onto the ground. His knees hit the carpet as the dizziness washed over him.

It was over.

The curse.

His love.

Everything.

He had always envisioned his death, but he hadn’t expected it to end this way. He had pictured it growing old, like everyone did, with his family surrounding him. Under different circumstances, he might have even died at the hands of a monster.

Memories flooded his mind. His childhood days when he played ball with Ishaan. His teenage years when he wondered and questioned every second with Leela. The moment he held her in her arms during their final trials and stared into her warm brown eyes.