Chapter 781

"No," Midnight snarls. "I'm not taking you back." When Jesse turns back towards her he sees that she's glaring at him with those soulless empty eyes, her arms crossed. A shiver runs through him completely, his entire self.

God, fuck, what was the Goddess thinking giving him this as his mate?

"I'm never taking you back there," Midnight snaps, shaking her head, her voice dropping deep as shadows - shadows just like his, but darker and more menacing - start to swirl around her. "Not to that whore. Not to that terrible nation where women run wanton and commit their sins and get paid for it. I'm keeping you here, where I can be your good mate and give you eighteen babies. And we'll be happy." Jesse just continues to stare at her, a string of desperate curses running through his mind in an endless refrain. What...what the fuck is he going to do?

Taking his shock as acquiescence, Midnight straightens her shoulders, her face returning to normal. "Good!" she says, perky again. "Come on, I'll take you to my house." She offers a cheerful hand. Jesse just blinks at her before he leans far down so that his eyeline is even with hers. "Midnight," he whispers. "I'd rather fucking die than go to your shit house in this shit world. Now take me home to my fucking girlfriend."

He watches, almost interested, as the finality of his words settle into Midnight's mind, as her face shifts from eager happiness to shock, and then anger, and then rage. Energy crackles through her hair, her fingernails edging into talons at the curved points of her fingers. Each of her breaths grow deeper with her violence.

But Jesse doesn't back off or even straighten up. Because even if he hates her - and he does, absolutely, just...hates this tiny person in front of him - he knows her. Knows her to the depths of him already, knows she's not going to strike out at him - that this is all just her temper flaring deep.

And so he smirks, and laughs a little, and shakes his head. "You're not going to hurt me, Midnight," he murmurs, allowing himself to be a little cruel. "Stop fucking around. Take me home."

Her anger fades almost instantly when he calls her bluff.

"I won't hurt you," she says, her eyes clearing, her words almost a purr. Fear races through Jesse as those eyes shift, looking behind him, to someone standing there. "But he might."

Jesse spins, and then stumbles back, terrified, when his eyes focus on a man standing there.

A man he horribly recognizes. Corporeal this time, when he was only shadow before.

"Hello, little shadow Duke," the God of Darkness says, striding forward. Jesse gasps as the God comes close but doesn't touch, instead passing him. Jesse spins to watch as the God of Darkness moves to Midnight's side, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "I very much hope that you're being kind to my girl."

"No, papa," Midnight says, leaning against the God and giving a very nearly ridiculous pout. "He's been very cruel.noveldrama

Jesse just...stares, realizing that his life is dancing on a very, very thin string.

"Now now, Sinclair," the God of Darkness says, tugging Midnight mockingly close to his side, making it very clear that this is his girl. "We musn't be mean to my little Midnight here. Not when she's waited so long to meet you."

Midnight lifts her chin towards Jesse, glaring, righteous and proud.

Jesse just stares between them, not sure if he's supposed to apologize or...grovel...or...

"But girl," the God says, snapping Jesse away from the question as he turns his face to frown down at Midnight. "You did not follow the timeline I gave you. You have caused a great deal of trouble for me." "But," she gasps, shaking her head and holding a hand out towards Jesse. "He was with the whore! He was going to give her his mark!"

The God of Darkness glances Jesse's way again, amused, before looking back at the girl. "Regardless, Midnight he says, stern, shaking his head. "You were impatient, which is a sin You've claimed your mate earlier than I told you to, causing a sincere disruption of my plans."

The God clicks his tongue shamefully and Midnight hangs her head as Jesse goes pale.

"Now," Darkness snarls, "I have to move up my plans in Atalaxia and we no longer have a spy in the midst of the royal family of Moon Valley."

Midnight sighs and murmurs a formal apology, but Jesse can't even listen as he finally begins to understand.

The spies.

The spy.

This whole time he'd been wracking his brain trying to figure out how Atalaxia was getting information

about them - about Ariel, and where she would be that day of the battle - what she could do

This whole time it wasn't Perry Gibson being some kind of spying savant, it was...him. Midnight, lurking in the darkness in the shadows through some sort of power she controls, watching...him.

He, Jesse, was the leak.

He groans, putting his head in his hands as the pieces finally fall into place.

"No need for that, boy," the God of Darkness says, letting his hand drop from Midnight's shoulders as Jesse again raises his head, his face agonized. "You'll be very happy here with the girl, I am sure. You," he snaps, turning his head sharply to the girl as Midnight jumps to attention before him.

Something about how she does it - so eagerly, like a dog starving for scraps - sets Jesse's teeth on edge.