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“You know her name is Hanna. You’ve met her before,” I tell her. I wait a beat before I add, “She bested you and cut off your tongue.”
Her lip curls in a snarl, and a malevolent, otherworldly sound comes from her mouth, like a growling beast.
“She didn’t best me. She cheated.” She opens her mouth as if to show me her tongue but closes it and composes herself with a flick of her head. “Regardless, I wanted to see her first public appearance as the Goddess of Death. I have to say, I was expecting Tuoni to drag her out into the middle of the arena and parade her around like a doll, perhaps make some sort of speech, but he did nothing of the sort. I do hope he’s not growing tired of her, ashamed of her mere mortality. You know how your father is. Gets bored easily.”
She gives me a cunning smile as she goes on. “But it doesn’t matter how he feels, does it? As long as he’s happy, I suppose. As long as you’re happy too. I should get on now, before I start making any trouble.” She pauses, licking her lips. “You’re a smart boy, Tuonen. Perhaps your father knows what’s best for you after all.”
And at that, she turns in a swirl of black, sulfured smoke and walks away, disappearing before my eyes.
I stand there for a few moments and blink, my eyes watering.
What the hell was that?
Why was she really here?
Oh, fuck.
My father.
She had to have done something to him.
I turn around, about to run down the stairs, when I stop dead in my tracks.
My father is right below me, coming up.
“Father?” I ask, taking a step backward.
He stops in front of me, though he doesn’t meet my eyes. For some reason, he’s shirtless, but at least he has his pants on, though they look a little torn.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yes,” he says, clearing his throat and rubbing at his arm with his hand. His bare hand. No gloves. There’s a huge, bloody wound there, one that looks ripped by teeth, but the more I stare at it, the more it seems to heal itself before my eyes.
“What was that? What happened?”
“Just had an altercation with one of those spider things,” he says. “And before that, I was busy with Hanna, if you must know. Come along; it’s time to leave.”
He brushes past me—I’m careful to step out of the way of his hands—and walks down the hall.
“Did you find anyone for your army?” I ask as I jog after him.
“Mmmm, yes. Some. I’ll come back some other day and be more thorough. It’s important we get back to Shadow’s End.”
“Wait,” I say, striding beside him until the hall opens to the arena. “Where’s your Shadow Self?”
He looks down at me, meeting my eyes for the first time. He grins. “He’s having some technical difficulties. I guess I’m not the magical genius I thought I was.”
Then, he goes and joins the others, including Hanna, who almost grabs his bare hand. I’m about to yell at her to stop, but then she seems to remember and pulls her hand back, smiling at him instead.
Very fucking strange.
Sarvi looks over at me, and their voice slides into my head.
Are you alright, Tuonen?they ask.
I nod.
I’m alright.
