She needed to thank her guardian spirit they had gotten to her in time.
“Why would she jump into an ebros-infested lake? Is she fucked in the head?” Callum asked, directing his question at Theo.
“I didn’t... jump. I fell. And how was I supposed to know those...thingswere in there?” Helaina whimpered.
“You fell? You hear that, Theo. Your weapon fell, it’s a damned miracle she didn’t crack her head on the rocks. The ebros could have been licking her skull clean.”
Theo bristled, but just barely. “Well, she didn’t, and they’re not.”
“We should have gone in sooner.”
“The current was mild, I thought she could reach the shore alone,” Theo countered.
Callum had thought that for a moment too. She had been fighting so hard back there. Until the whole herd of ebros found her. He couldn’t imagine anyone fighting off the rows of teeth that circled their throats all the way down to their stomachs, making the most agonizing death for anything they swallowed.
“You wanted to wait, now look at her. Her damned leg is shredded.” He watched her tremble and shake like a leaf in the wind.
“Stop pandering to her. She’s playing with us, she’snothelpless,” Theo said.
Callum knew he was right.
Theo paced back and forth. “She should have used it. Fuck.”
“Yeah? Well, she didn’t! You expected too much from her too soon.” Callum couldn’t escape the growing guilt. They had taken her from whatever life she had, and planted her into this. He was given a choice in coming here, Aaron too. Everyone in the Divine Allura was given a choice. To continue their lives as they were, or trade their mortality for an eternity of service.
She hadn’t been offered the same—theycouldn’toffer her the same. Destiny and all that.
He could barely lift his head anymore. Fuck, he was fading fast.
She was in worse shape. Callum watched her roll to her side. Her eyes tracked down to assess the damage. He heard her dull snivel when her hand touched the warm blood oozing through her ripped clothing.
The creature had chewed down to the muscle. How her leg managed to stay attached to her body, Callum had no clue.
“If you brought me here for my powers, you might as well end me here. I won’t help you.” Helaina’s voice sounded somewhere between a sob and a scream. “You hear me? I won’t use it!” Those twiglike arms shook. She was barely holding her head off the ground.
“There you go again, begging for death.” Theo’s reply was unconcerned. “You ask for it so often, yet you know nothing of it. Not all souls go to the ether, you know—you could be damning yourself to the six, and you wouldn’t even know it. Is that the death you pray for? Circling the hell realms as the gods tear your soul apart?” Theo kneeled down to meet her gaze.
“I’ve seen... plenty of death,” Helaina spat back. “Whatever’s after can’t be worse than here.”
Theo gave a condescending nod. “The coward’s way out, then, that’s your only answer. Believe me,Highness, under any other circumstances, I would grant your request with pleasure...”
Helaina’s fingers dug into the coarse ground like she was bracing for the life-ending blow.
“But my soldiers are dying—yourpeople are dying, souls that very muchwantedto exist here and were robbed of the life they were given. Fate has been cruel to the both of us, becauseyouare the only one that can help me stop what’s coming. You and that curse of yours.”
The princess’s arms grew weaker as she continued to try and brace herself on the uneven floor. Blood pooled down her mangled trousers, soaking the ground.
“Theo, enough.” Callum tried to prevent his eyes from rolling back in his head as he nodded toward her injury. “Get the healers.”
Theo ignored him. Instead, he brought her face close to his own, cupping her chin. “Is there any part of you—any sliver—that possesses the capacity to think beyond your own selfish motives?” His voice was low and twisted. He gave her a once-over and made no effort to hide his contempt.
“Refusing to use this power isn’t selfish!” she fired back.
“Theo... her leg,” Callum tried once more. Too much blood, she was losing too much blood.
Manos chimed in. “I’ll get Lionel.”
Thank the gods for Manos and his sensibility.
