“What?” she asked.
“You were so terribly and inappropriately named.” His chuckling continued.
“The king of the fae once told me it means ‘shining light,’” she mused.
“A shining light... who came back a powerful dark bringer.” He ran his hands over her filthy hair, continuing to solidify she was here with him. That he had not perished on that field today.
She hummed in satisfaction.
Theo was about to say something, say anything else to keep her close, keep her talking to him a little longer. He needed to hear her voice.
But a massive quake broke through the ground.
A whirlpool opened up before them. The mud and blood began to swirl until it deepened as if a hole had been cracked in the earth’s center.
They both rose to their feet, stumbling back as the whirlpool grew wider and wider, forcing them apart.
The earth shook as Helaina fell flat on her backside. Her eyes went wide as a pale hand reached up from that rippling ground. Long fingers breaching the surface.
“Helaina!” Theo shouted from across the divide as he reached for her.
It was too late.
She couldn’t shift her gaze from the dark figure rising from the whirlpool, stepping through the swirling earth.
He was tall, with black hair and ram-like horns. Skin ghostly pale. He possessed thick black veins that traveled up and down his body. He was nearly identical to Theo in his demon form. The trails of veins marked his face and abdomen as he stood before her with a bare chest. Although he came up through a pool of liquid, his long, thin, black coat and trousers remained untouched and pristine.
He turned to face Theo.
Callum teleported to his captain’s side, his eyes displaying utter disbelief.
“Valhoor,” Callum breathed.
The Hell God’s insidious grin grew wider at the sound of his name, revealing animallike teeth that gleamed in the overcast sunlight.
“What do you want?” Theo’s voice was thick with malice.
“My boy,” the low voice hissed in response, “it’s been so long I thought a visit was due.”
“You’re not welcome here,” Theo seethed.
Valhoor clicked his tongue. “That is no way to speak to your father.”
Helaina’s mouth parted.
Father.
Theo allowed his demon form to come out with the last bits of physical strength he could muster. “Get out of my realm,” he ground out.
The Death God hovered over the swirling ground, a snakelike grin upon his face.
His voice was low and hateful as he gazed upon his son. “I see you’re still fighting the good fight. Such a disappointment.” He shook his head. “I will go...”
Theo tensed. Too easy. That was too easy.
“...butshecomes with me.”
Before Theo could act, before Helaina could call upon her power, before Callum could shift to her side, Valhoor ripped a shadow out of the air, whipped it around Helaina’s neck, and dragged her down.
