Page 57 of Demonic Affliction

Dagny rolls her eyes, muttering something about a crazy asshole under her breath.

She walks over and gives me a look, and I follow her deeper into the cave, away from the others.

“He’s really going to the core with us?” I whisper.

“Yep. We asked all of the southern kingdoms for help, and he was the only one who accepted. You saw the army fly in with us. The man is dead serious.”

“But… he’s only helping us because he wants to go out in a blaze of glory?”

“Basically.” Dagny shrugs a shoulder. “He’s crazy, but he’s all we got. It’s good enough for me.”

Based on the size of the army sitting at the base of the cliffs, it is for me, too.

“So… what do we do now?”

Dagny looks at me. “I was hoping you would know.”

“I mean…”

She lets out a breath. “Do you even know how to get to the core?”

“By the way you’re saying it, I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like the answer.”

She pins me with a look. “Remember the room I showed you that used to hold the healing baths? The one with the pit that the creatures crawled out of?”

The blood drains from my face. “No…”

She just shrugs. “I told you it wouldn’t be a fun journey. There’s a reason no one travels to the core.”

I take a deep breath. “Okay… At the next sun flip, we should head back to your lair. We can catch our breath, then head inside.”

She nods. “I was thinking the same thing. Okay, we have a plan. Sort of.” She grins now, but it’s shaky. “Better than nothing.”

“Better than nothing…”

After relaying the plan to our mates, we settle into the furs to try to get some rest. My mates and I at one end of the room, Dagny and hers at the other. Vhalthor opts to spend his last evening down at the base of the cliffs, huddled together with his soldiers. Something about building character, I guess.

My mates crowd around me, and some of the tension bleeds out of my shoulders. Right here and now, nothing can hurt me. Here, huddled up with my mates, I can almost forget that the world is ending. I can almost convince myself that I’m not the reason it’s going to.

Tomorrow is the start of our journey to the core. Tomorrow, we face the horrors. But tonight, we hold each other tight. Tonight, there is just us, the love between us, and the sound of our racing hearts, beating in time as one.

19

Dravik

As soon as the moon gives way to the silver sun, we get ready to travel to the core. Packs full of food and extra furs for Willow, plus as many weapons as we can feasibly carry. Vhalthor and his army came well-equipped, and they wasted zero time handing out their excess—a fact I am grateful for, because my Willow does not possess any claws or sharp teeth to defend herself. A well-sharpened dagger might just save her life if all else goes wrong.

Everyone is tense, and you can feel it in the air. Nyx is quieter than usual, and Rhune hovers close enough to me that I trip over him twice while packing. Dagny and her mates seem equally tense, and nobody is speaking more than necessary.

The only one who seems unaffected is Vhalthor. If anything, he looks pleased, humming under his breath as he checks over a wicked-looking blade.

I cut a glance toward Cin, finding him standing frozen at the mouth of the cave, staring unblinking out at the icy landscape. He’s woken up from his trance—for the most part. He’s awake enough to stand on his own and fly to Dagny’s lair, but trying to get him to focus on anything or hold a conversation is like trying to teach a rock to fly.

His behavior is the most concerning of everyone, but we can’t do anything about it right now.

“Ready to head out?” Nyx asks, watching me stuff another hoarfrost tuber into my pack.

“As I ever will be…” I gaze toward Willow, finding her in a hushed conversation with Rhune. “I worry about her.”