Page 23
Vengeance was totally a weakness, but… an ancient immortal punisher with a temper problem sort of weakness was not the same as Lexi’s weakness for double chocolate brownies.
Eryn bit the edge of her tongue. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked a few steps as she considered her words. Threatening the evil, murderous fury of vengeance was risky, but in this case… Eryn was desperate enough to risk it. “And if you renege on our deal and go anywhere near my sister, I will make sure you die as quickly and as painfully as my parents.”
Tisiphone tipped her head back, a viciously enthusiastic laugh shaking the sky. “Oh, I adore you. We are going to be the best of friends, I can tell.”
Relief flooded Eryn until heat welled behind her eyes, a measure of hope filling her that she didn’t try to hide. “My sister has a life of her own. A solid career, and she’s already making friends here. Thank you, for giving me the time to see her settled. But I won’t pretend I’m looking forward to this. Or even that I won’t fight you every step of the way.”
“I know.” Tisiphone trailed her ice-cold fingertips over Eryn’s jaw before wiping the tear that beaded at Eryn’s lashes. “You showed so much bravery, all those years ago. Coming here to try to kill me. I would be so disappointed if you rolled over like a meek puppy and showed me your soft, human belly.”
Tisiphone circled her fingers in an artful twirl and admired her nails as they elongated and sharpened.
Eryn froze. Clenched her jaw tightly and tipped her chin up.
Not that her stoicism would be interpreted as fearless. Nothing could mask the sludge of her blood freezing in her veins.
“I’m ready.” Eryn’s throat swelled with terrified anticipation.
Nails shunting back in, Tisiphone shrugged and backed up a few steps. “Again, proving why I cannot do this part myself. I care for you too much already.”
Confusion tangled in Eryn’s belly.
“When I first shared my power with you, you were in such a deep state of grief, you were in a perfectly receptive state. This time, for this second exchange, it will take more than courage. More than grief.” Humanity drained from her expression as she raised her arms to the sky. “You are not ready for the second exchange. Consider today a lesson. You spent enough time in school to understand that. But you might also call it… priming the pump?” Sick joy trilled in her laugh. “Prepping my work surface. Sterilizing my field.”
Shit. What the fuck did she mean by that? Eryn braced to run.
Toward the trail… where her parents had died. Where this awful bargain had been made…
Or back home, to Lexi.
How far and fast could they run? When the fury caught up to them, how violent would her vengeance be?
Tisiphone lowered her arms sharply.
The noises of the forest stilled.
Eryn steadied her breath. Shivers threatened her composure. “Don’t you have the guts to kill me yourself?”
At her command, the trio of wyverns circling overhead altered their flight pattern.
Birds of prey, circling lower as they narrowed in.
Tisiphone offered a smug pout, oozing false sympathy. “After all we’ve been through together? I assure you, heart of my hearts, that if you survive this, I will not entrust your end to any but me. You knew this wouldn’t be easy.”
Each dive-bombed in turn.
Birdlike feet, hard as iron, slammed into her chest.
Ribs cracked and dislodged from their connection to the sternum.
Eryn’s mouth filled with blood before she could cry out.
She crashed backward onto the damp ground. Jagged rocks spiked into her spine.
Bracing her fractured sternum, lurching as she struggled to breathe through the pain, Eryn pushed to her knees.
Waddling like eagles on a fisherman’s dock, the wyverns tucked in their wings and stalked around her.
“To know death, you must watch it. You have done well with that, my sister. To be death, you must feel it. You must know it. You might even beg for it,” Tisiphone said softly.
