Page 177 of Vengeance of the Gods

She intentionally slowed her reaction time, letting Helena believe she’d let her guard down. Vega rolled into a somersault at Helena’s next charge, reaching out at the right time and wrapping her fingers around Helena’s ankle.

Heat soared up her arm and through her chest.

Helena screamed.

Death roared so loud she was sure everyone outside her head could hear it too.

The gods hissed, pouring through her mental shields like feral beasts. Vega had to pry her hand off Helena’s leg, but that didn’t stop them.

Their wails kept coming, kept getting louder.

“Stop him.”

“Stop him.”

“STOP HIM!”

Vega cried out in pain, her screams echoing inside the ring’s enclosure and her head. Her lonely, empty head.

Death was gone, a sliver of shadow disappearing behind Bridger’s now closed door.

Stop who?

She shrieked again, barely noticing the shield of the training ring falling back down. Helena fought through pain of her own, on her hands and knees, panting for air.

People flooded around. No one came too close to Vega, all checking on Helena instead.

They were afraid—they were afraid of Vega.

“Stop him.”

“Stop who?!” Vega shouted out loud, drowning in pain.

Where are you? Vega reached for Death. She felt hollow and alone for the first time since returning home.

The people inside the ring stared at her. Ro helped Helena to her feet.

Helena’s voice sounded raw. “Someone find Khort or Arlet.” She choked. “Now!”

Vega had no idea how long passed before Khort was beside her, hands on her cheeks as he tried to search her face for an answer. “What happened?”

Vega couldn’t focus over the screeching in her head.

“Your bonded soul.”

“Stop him!”

“Bridger,” she said on a breath. “Where’s Bridger?” She reached for him, but the doorway was closed. Sealed off completely with no chance of sneaking through.

Khort paused for too long. “What?”

His hesitation was the answer Vega needed. He knew.

Vega had known something was wrong… just five, ten minutes ago—fuck, how much time had passed?

She grabbed Khort by the collar of his shirt, shaking him wildly. “Where the fuck is Bridger?”

He didn’t answer, sending Vega into an all-out frenzy. “Khort, please. Please! Where is he? What is he doing?”