“He was born to rule you, that’s why you hated him. Lesser creatures always hate their gods to one degree or another, either borne of jealousy or helplessness.”
“I can tell you more about him.” I wriggle my hand, the blood making my grip on the knife slippery.
“Tell me about Valen.” He grins again, his dead eyes boring into me. “Did he promise to turn you?”
“No.”
The raw muscles on his forehead flex in consternation. “Is that so?”
“He never said he’d turn me. We never even discussed it.”
“Strange.” He slides his claws along my front and down to my thigh. “Perhaps he’s more like me than I imagine. He knowsyou’re weak, human. And even though you’re his Blooded mate, he would rather you die than carry on his line.”
Valen grunts, his body twitching.
“No need to deny it.” Gregor stabs his claws into my thigh.
I scream and writhe.
“It was a compliment, my Specter.” Gregor laughs.
“Another thing,” I gasp through the agony, through the searing pain.
“Do go on.” Gregor scrapes his claws along my femur. “So very entertaining.”
Another wail, tears blinding me. I can barely breathe. Darkness encroaches on my vision, but I shake my head, fighting it back. I can’t pass out. I can’t give up. Not now. If I do, Valen’s dead.I’mdead.
“About Theo,” I howl the words as he removes his claws again and snakes his black tongue out to clean them.
My heartbeat thunders in my ears. “I’mthe one who killed him.”
He jerks, his dead eyes widening.
Then I stab sideways into him, cutting through my sleeve, through the rotten fabric of his black robe, and into his chest.
His scream is like a lightning strike, and he throws me off him. I land halfway across the cavern, my body slamming into the stone and skidding. There’s a roar in my ears, and I can’t catch my breath. My ribs are broken. Maybe more. And I can’t see clearly, can’t tell what’s happening.
I fumble for my pocket with my good hand, now slicked with blood. My fingers graze a syringe, and I grab it but can’t get it free from my pocket. My hand has gone cold, numb.
Gregor is still screaming. Not dead. He’s not dead. I failed. I have to try again. But I’m cold now. So cold.
I still can’t breathe all the way, my head getting lighter as I try again to get the syringe.
“Georgia.” A voice I know. A voice I’ve loved for most of my life.
I whimper, my jaw not moving as I try to tell Juno what’s in my pocket, what it can do.
She smooths her fingers along the wound in my arm, warmth fluttering across my skin. Her blood. Juno’s Miracle.
“I’ve got you.” She strokes the hair away from my face, my vision clearing slightly as I stare up at her. Wings flap far above me, right where Valen was hanging. Is it Coal? Is he?—
A hard impact sends me flying across the floor again and hitting the wall with the force of a car crash. I’m dazed, my body erupting in pain again.
“Juno!”
“Fucking human bitch!” Gregor slams her to the ground, his rage palpable. She fights, her claws shredding him, his threadbare clothes falling away and revealing nothing but a corpse. Bones and sinew, yellow fat and grey, half rotted organs. He lifts her head and smashes it into the floor again and again as I crawl toward them, the syringe in my hand. Her blood is healing me slowly. I can make it. I can save her.
He jerks his head to the side, his milky gaze on me. “Valen, kill your mate!” he bellows then slashes Juno’s throat open, the blood spurting out as he sinks his fangs into her.
