Arrogance: Kingdoms of Hell, #6

By Kit Bladegrave

A love story. Set in hell. The daughters of a god find themselves having to meet an obligation they didn't count on. They have been pledged to marry the Princes of Hell. Hell hath no fury like a goddess forced to marry a prince of the Underworld. The Kingdoms of Hell Saga is ongoing.

 

A rocky relationship between the Prince of Hell and the demigoddess who's forced to marry him? Perish the thought.

 

Victor's destined to be the God of the Underworld.  This isn't something he wants to ascend to anytime soon. He has shadows that do his bidding. When they don't. He's a tortured prince of hell.

 

Petra's strong in ways she doesn't realize. She's perfect for the upcoming God of the Underworld. And yet, she keeps fighting destiny. Resisting fate. Can this demigoddess see Victor for the god that he is and accept him as such?

• Language: English
• Publisher: KitBla
• Release date: Sep 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215550267

Book preview

1

VICTOR

Iground my teeth and dug my nails into my palms as hard as I could. The wall in my soul that had been in place for years was cracked. My lip twitched. A burning cold I hadn’t felt in so damn long seeped through my veins, creeping over my skin. The shadow I cast on the ground shifted and moved, coming alive.

With each beat of my heart, that burning cold surged through me, leaking from that cracked wall. I had to stay in control. I couldn’t lose it.

Distant shouts and screams for mercy resounded inside my skull. Warmth sprayed across my face. Though my hands were empty, I felt the hilts of two blades in my palms, the hard edges cutting into my callused skin. Shadows cackled as they rose over my shoulders, ready to unleash my wrath on the battlefield—

Victor, Ezra called out.

I shoved that coldness down as deep as I could and blocked out the past. My brother approached, worry in his eyes. He and Caleb were the only two who knew the truth. Jaspen and I had kept it from my other siblings. Pierce, Aidan, and Holden always had enough of their own issues to be burdened with my secret, too.

I hadn’t wanted any of my brothers to know, but Jaspen had told me if that wall ever broke, if the full might of what I was unleashed itself, Caleb and Ezra were the two strongest warriors of the Underworld.

They might be the only ones to stop me.

Might, I reminded myself. Don’t lose control. Don’t let the beast free.

Are you alright? Ezra asked.

Fine, I bit off.

His eyes narrowed, and he shifted closer. Victor, be honest with me.

I breathed in deeply through my nose and let it out. I’m in control.

If that changes—

I’ll tell you, I assured him, though, without Caleb here to back him up, I wasn’t entirely sure Ezra would be enough to help me.

You mean stop you.

My shadow began to rise off the ground. I glared at it, and it returned to the grass. Thankfully, Ezra didn’t seem to notice.

It looks as if most of the warriors from the camp are here, Ezra said, though he hadn’t stopped watching me out of the corner of his eye.

I forced myself not to glare at him and looked around. He wasn’t wrong about who’d come with us, but it certainly wasn’t the entire camp that had been on the border of Castle Wrath. From the quick head count I did, it was close, though, since all our forces had been condensing there. We were certainly in the mortal realm. The sun was far too bright, and the scents from nearby villages wafted through the forest. They were all very human. I supposed I should’ve been elated we were no longer trapped in the Underworld.

The question was how we came to be here.

I flattened my hand on my still aching chest. At the same time, I felt another small crack form in the wall. The shadow on the ground expanded and shrank in time with my racing pulse. This time, Ezra’s eyes flicked to it, and his hand rested on the pommel of his sword. I turned inward, willing what remained of the wall to remain firm and hold back the tide. This was not the time for it to come tumbling down.

There were far too many innocents in my path. Far too many who’d end up dead.

How is everyone else holding up? I asked, forcing the words out. I needed a distraction. That was it. Once I was moving again and had something else to focus on, I’d be fine.

Ezra’s grip didn’t let up on his blade, but he nodded across the clearing. Irina’s shaken but unharmed, aside from an ache in her chest. I’m assuming we’re all suffering from that. I don’t believe anyone aside from Irina’s sisters and us were affected by whatever power that was.

Aside from being yanked out of the Underworld, you mean.

Yes, he muttered. Aside from that.

Not far away from where we stood, Holden was sitting with Gabriella on the ground, asking her again if she was alright. She had her hands resting on her pregnant stomach, and though she nodded, I saw the fear in her eyes. My heart went out to them. It was bad enough for us to be attacked as we were. It was another to not know if the magic had harmed their unborn child.

Behind them, Irina was speaking with a group of warriors who’d come to the camp with Caleb and Meris after Savagery fell. Many of them were the wounded. Their injuries had appeared to all open again. Most appeared barely able to stay on their feet. We would have to find a safe place to make camp and see them tended to.

Remi and Pierce weren’t far off from Irina. She looked more than ready to take off to try and murder the first enemy she could find, and Pierce was fighting to calm her down. Remi hissed at him, but Pierce hugged her close, whispering in her ear. Whatever he said seemed to take most of the fight out of her, and she sagged against his chest.

Meris stood on her own, staring into the forest that was to the south of where we’d been dumped. I understood the growing concern in her eyes but had no words of comfort I could give her. She had no idea where Caleb was or if he was even alive. Nell and Aidan were missing, too.

My brothers were formidable, and Caleb more than lived up to the name of his kingdom, but the forces we’d faced these last few weeks were like nothing we’d seen, not even during the war against Alric. They were being led by commanders who were meant to be executed at the end of that conflict. And yet there they were, alive and well, leading a massive army to take control of the Underworld.

I thought back to those last few moments until we landed in the mortal realm.

The first inkling of pain had struck me like a blow to the chest. Then it was like someone was crushing my heart in their fist. Worse was watching those glowing threads emerge from our chests. My brothers and Petra’s sisters had all had them. Irina had said something about them being heart threads.

There hadn’t been a chance to ask her more. Then the agony had struck, nearly crippling us.

I’d shouted the order to prepare for an attack. I’d assumed Alric’s old commanders would’ve been marching on our camp. But they had never come. Then that massive burst of energy had shot through us, and it had felt as if someone had tried to gut me. I wasn’t the only one who’d retched after landing in this clearing. None of us had a solid idea of what had happened or who was behind the attack.

Pierce came toward Ezra and me. It appeared he’d gotten Remi to stop from taking off, though the promise of violence remained in her eyes while she went to Meris. Holden had Gabriella on her feet now. From the way she was urgently whispering to him and holding so tightly to his arm, he was struggling to keep his demon rage in check. Irina joined her other two sisters. From the way their eyes were all narrowed, it wasn’t a pleasant talk.

We need to figure out where we are, Pierce said once he’d reached us. Irina and the others don’t recognize it.

Could be Prestigen then, I suggested, turning all the way around to take in the scenery.

Aside from an endless forest of large oaks intermixed with flowering bushes of red and orange, I couldn’t see much. But those flowers, they looked familiar. Their scent teased me, too. I should know it well enough. It followed Petra around everywhere.

And where is she? What happened to her here while we were attacked in the Underworld? What if she was hurt? What if she was—

I cut off my thoughts with a grunt and shook my head. I’d sent Petra to the surface the moment the Underworld came under attack to keep her safe. She was safe. I was going to find her unharmed and in one piece.

Are you sure finding her is the best idea in your condition?

Petra’s smiling face appeared in my mind’s eye. The last time I’d seen her had been hours before we’d become trapped in the Underworld. I’d returned to Xanto long enough to take care of something I’d been meaning to do for months.

Just in case.

As much as my heart longed to see her again, could I trust myself around her? It was hard enough for me not to take off now out of fear of who I might hurt if that wall cracked anymore.

Victor? Pierce asked.

Xanto, I murmured, then cleared my throat and said louder, I believe we’re in Xanto.

That you are, a familiar voice said, and the three of us spun about. Hollis, one of the messengers of the gods and someone who’d been a close friend of mine for years, slowly came toward us. How are you here?

That’s a good question and a long story, I replied.

Hollis held out his hand, and I clasped mine around his arm, pulling him into a quick one-arm embrace. You all look as if you’ve been through the pits. That massive surge of power, it brought you here?

You felt it? Damn, if Hollis felt it here in the mortal realm, there wasn’t a chance Petra hadn’t.

I did. It’s why I came searching for the source. I hadn’t expected to see any of you, but now that you’re here, Petra can stop bothering me every damn day for news. I should bring her to you. You’re a few days away from her temple. And the other gods, they’ll want to know what’s gone on.

Wait, I said the second Hollis turned, ready to leave. I warred with myself on whether to have him bring Petra to me or not. Fear won out. Don’t bring her, not yet. We don’t know if it’s safe.

Ezra kept his face blank, but Pierce shook his head. I wasn’t about to explain my reasoning to my brothers. Until I knew for certain the rest of that wall wasn’t going to fall, it was far safer for Petra to stay away from me. And the others, I’d have to find a reason to get away from them, too. I ignored them for the moment and focused on Hollis.

If that’s what you wish, he said slowly, but I should at least let her know you’re alive.

Thank you. We’ll come to her soon enough.

Hollis tilted his head, studying me closely. He, like Ezra and Caleb, knew about the wall. I hadn’t intended to tell him, but it had slipped out one night. I’d sworn him to secrecy but having another being know about my condition in case the wall fell was probably a good thing. He finally nodded at my request, and in a blink, he was gone.

You know Petra would be safer if she was with us, yes? Pierce asked, crossing his arms.

That’s up for debate, I argued.

Is it?

We don’t even know who attacked us, I reminded him hotly. And Caleb, Nell, and Aidan are still missing. We don’t even know if they’re alive. I’m not going to take Petra away from her temple where she might have a chance to stay safe, even if it’s only for a while longer.

Pierce is right, Meris said, coming our way. That attack, I know who it came from. We all do. She glared at me, and it hit me what I’d just blurted out.

Meris, I’m sorry.

No, you’re right. She lowered her furious gaze to the ground. We don’t know if Caleb or the others are alive. We don’t know anything, but as I said, we know who came after us in the Underworld.

And? Who was it? The commanders? Pierce demanded.

Alric, Meris said, her hand falling to the dagger at her hip. That power surge came from him. We felt his magic during the attack.

How? He’s locked in a cell, Pierce reminded her.

Is he? How do we know?

I hated to agree, but she was right. We hadn’t received confirmation that Alric was still locked away in a cell beneath Castle Wrath. We’d been distracted by Savagery falling and Caleb and Meris arriving at our camp. I’d meant to order someone to check the cells but hadn’t had the chance. Alric could’ve gotten out or been released. I recalled the theory Raff, Aidan’s guard, had put forth. That Alric had been planning this all from the beginning. That he wanted to be captured. That he wanted to end up in the Underworld. This entire time, he could’ve been siphoning power from the collective that kept not only our realm powered but us, too. It would explain why Jaspen had appeared so weak lately. So drained.

My brothers had been weakened, too, after this latest attack. It was different for me. The part of me that