AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She was such a beautiful goddess, but her heart was cold. The Rhythm was the only thing that mattered to her. Even the God of Death was second to it.”
I furrow my brow. I’m not sure I like who Talia was.
Past life or not, she made decisions that I wouldnevermake. If she’d just let Lucius and Violet be together,noneof this would be happening, but I guess then I would never have been… me.
“Did she love Borvon?” I ask quietly.
Arulius scoffs. “She only loved the Rhythm. All the males she took meant nothing to her.” There’s hurt in his voice and I raise a brow at him. They obviously had…relations… but did he have deeper feelings for her too?
“Didyoulove her?” I turn to study him. His brows furrow and a weak smile crosses his lips.
“I did—completely, like a fool.”
I let a small gasp slip out. I knew they bonded but I didn’t think he loved her…
“She took everything from me. I was a fool once upon a time, and after her, I just didn’t give a shit anymore. Kept my head down and followed orders. That’s the way it was always meant to be for someone like me.”
I bite my lip in thought. “That doesn’t line up with Moro’s story. He said the God of Wrath bonded with her to take her powers… so Violet could further ruin the Rhythm.”
Arulius nods. His eyes look so empty as he calls on his memories. “That’s true, we did bond, but it was Talia who wanted to bond with me. She wasn’t aware I had the power to contain other gods’ abilities. No god was as strong as her, except Borvon, but I’d already slain him.”
I swallow hard at the thought of him killing Borvon. I immediately picture Kastian dying all over again and I have to shake my head to clear the image from my mind.
“Why would she want to bond with you?” It comes out a little more snarky than I was going for.
He shoots me a glare and I wince with an apologetic look.
“That’s not how I meant it… but really, why?”
Arulius clenches his teeth and I can feel a swell of anger rise in my chest, though it’s more distant than usual. “Because she thoughtshecould control me. Her intentions were to have Violet’s pet massacre her court.”
My wings tilt and I immediately stop, faltering a bit with the stopping portion because it’s so much easier to stay in motion. My wings bat in the air and I find my rhythm. He glides ahead a bit and turns, waiting for me.
“Taliawouldn’tdo that,” I say firmly. There’s no fucking way she would do something like that… right?
Arulius considers me for a moment before flying closer. “She tried, but I locked her powers up. Violet wanted her to endure the same pain she herself did. The pain of time. Though the High Lady quickly began to notice that it was the Rhythm being broken that hurt Talia more than Borvon’s death.”
He rolls his shoulders as if they're sore and pushes his hair from his face. My golden god looks like the sun itself in the dark. He still shimmers, as if the light can’t leave him.
“So at what point did you fall in love then?” I try to swallow the lump in my throat, disgusted with my past self if what he’s saying is true…
He smiles nostalgically. “I was her guard. We spent so much time together and I pitied her. She was so loyal to her beliefs. Talia was beautiful, but too lost for her own good. All she had to do was reincarnate Violet…”
My stomach fucking twists, bile rising up my throat.
“That’s all she wanted… just to be with her love again. She begged, but Talia refused. After nearly a year, Talia turned her focus to me, baiting me into her love trap until I was stupid enough to fall for her. I tried to help her break the bond so that she could be free… She promised we would be together. But after the bond was broken she turned on me.”
Tears are battling their way to my eyes but I hold them at bay the best I can. It’s funny how different a story can sound when you hear the other side of it.
“Violet was furious that I betrayed her, rightfully so. As punishment she had me slaughter the Goddess of Life. Violet is the Goddess of Ruling. She controls all but the Rhythm Gods.” He pauses and swallows like his words are choking him. “I… can still see Talia’s dying smile. She was happy to press restart, because it meant the Rhythm would be cycling once more. The Goddess of Life is always reincarnated upon dying, like a phoenix reborn in ashes. She got a new start… but I was never the same.”
“Arulius…”
He reluctantly looks at me. His amethyst eyes pierce through me. “I’m sorry that I’m a monster to you, Elodie, that I fucking killed you and tricked you… ruined you. It’s no excuse, but I hated you… and when Violet called for you to reenter Tomorrow, I was happy to carry out her orders. Happy, until I met you.”
I have no words.
We stare at each other in silence as the twilight dips to night around us.
