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“She’s not part of this world,” I rush out, my gaze moving to Titus. I let him see the concern in my eyes, hoping the earlier understanding between us still stands. This is too far, and from my understanding of his power, doing this surpasses his vengeance. “Just let her go, let my mates take her home safely, and I’ll go with you.”
Nelle sucks in a sharp gasp, and my eyes dart back to her, making sure she’s okay. She looks as though she’s about to argue, but I pin her with a glare, willing her to keep her mouth shut. She means the absolute world to me, and I will not have her roping herself into sticking around when she has no way to defend herself.
I would gladly give my life for hers, but I’m at least ninety percent sure they don’t want to do that. Otherwise, they would have tried to use much more lethal means already. It was safer for her if I went with them without a fight. The only way I can focus on maybe getting away from them is if she is already out of their clutches.
“Where are you guys?”I project, hoping they can still hear me.“They have Nelle. Domenic betrayed us. I need to know you’ll get her to safety.”I summarize, while keeping my focus on my foes surrounding me.
“Fuck, we were about to leave where Titus tricked us into tracking you to when a swarm of shadow demons showed up. We’re fighting them off, but Kyros is searching for you. We’ll be there soon, I promise, angel.” Adrian projects to my mind, and a lead weight drags down my stomach. They’re in danger too. Fuck, this is not good. I try my best not to let my emotions play on my face. They don’t know that I can communicate with the guys, and it’s best to keep that to myself right now.
“I can take her back to the school. She’ll be safe until the gods come for her,” Domenic offers, giving me a hopeful smile. As though his offer is supposed to make everything better. Eclipse the hurt and betrayal, the fact that he put my sister’s life in danger.
“You think I trust you? You actually think I’ll still believe a word from your traitorous mouth?” I ask in disbelief, and my lips curl in disgust as I stare back at him incredulously.
“I’m so sorry Liv, I never meant for this to happen. It was the only way … ” Domenic says weakly, before he shifts his gaze back down at the ground, his hand rubbing his arm nervously as his cheeks grow red in shame. Screw his shame—he should have thought about this before deceiving us. Before he pretended to like Nelle, just to what, hand her over to his aunt as leverage?
I go to deliver a scathing remark, when Titus interjects. “Oh, don’t be too hard on Domenic. He only did as I asked him to.” Titus chuckles, but I see a hint of apprehension in his gaze as he glances at Helene and back to me. Making me think he wasn’t exactly aware of this contingency plan from the cunning god of the sea.
“Why? What would make you do this? What would make you betray us like this?” I ask Domenic incredulously, my tone pitched so high it pierces the otherwise silent forest. My voice shakes despite how hard I fight to keep it steady. But the coward just shakes his head, unwilling to look away from the dirt.
“You really are stupid, aren’t you?” Abigail snickers, clearly taking joy in my confusion. “The idiot is in love with you and believes that getting you away from your mates is the only way you’ll be with him.”
The world seems to stand still around me as what she said sinks in. Bile claws its way up my throat, my stomach roiling at her words. I glance at Domenic, my lips curled into a snarl, but he refuses to meet my gaze. Truth, what Abigail said was true. His silence speaks a thousand words. I whip my gaze away, unable to handle Domenic and his betrayal right now. This is all my fault—Nelle would never be in this mess if it wasn’t for me. My hand itches to strike out at the disgusting man I used to call my friend, but I can’t, not yet.
My heart crumples like a discarded scrap of paper, and I force air into my screaming lungs, my chest feeling like it’s collapsed in on itself. Not for me but for Nelle, not only is her life put in danger right now, but this man used her as a pawn to get to me. These assholes are going to get what is coming to them for both the physical and emotional pain they’ve put my friend through. But right now, I need to get Nelle out of here—that is my only priority. The god of vengeance will get a taste of what he serves.
“I’ll go with you, just let her go,” I plead, focusing on Titus, not caring if I look weak anymore, desperation tingeing my tone. This really isn’t looking good. Sure I may have been able to get past Titus and Helene, but with Abigail holding Nelle captive, lightning still sparking at her fingers. I can’t take that chance.
“Don’t do it, Liv,” Nelle screams, drawing my attention back to her and cutting off Titus’ words. “Bitch,” she gasps as Abigail sends small bolts of lightning skittering across her face. Nelle snaps her eyes closed, wincing against the pain I know all too well.
“Nelle, you need to listen to me,” I say, breaking through to her, forcing her to hear me before I offer myself again. “Find the guys, they’ll get you home safe. I’m so sorry for all of this, just please promise me you’ll find them.” I blurt, not giving her any time to protest. I clench my hands into fists at my side, barely leashing myself from throttling Abigail, and make another mental note of the pain she’s caused my sister.
“I’m not sure why you keep offering to come if we let your friend go. You’re so much more compliant when her life is being threatened. And by my count, you’re outnumbered,” Helene drawls, glancing at her nails as though the entire scene is a mere inconvenience, and we’re just wasting her time. “Perhaps we should bring her to the infernal realm with us. At least then we would have a bargaining chip to keep you in line.”
“Helene,” Titus warns, but she ignores him, stepping towards Nelle and Abigail.
“Let’s get going before her mates escape that trap we laid for them,” she says, giving me a maniacal grin. I feign surprise, my brows creasing as my face falls, trying to convince them I had no idea what was going on with the guys.
But I truly don’t have to fake my reaction, as my mind still works over her declaration. Cold dread washes over me as memories of the few demons I’ve faced flit through my mind. I have powers, but Nelle doesn’t. How would she survive in a realm where they’re only minor threats? I race to form a plan. Letting them take us is not an option, so I need to get Nelle out unharmed.
I’m jolted from my thoughts by Nelle’s ear-piercing scream. She throws her head back as small bolts of electricity whizz across her body.
“She’s so pretty when she screams. I’m so glad I get to keep her,” Abigail says gleefully, her smile widening as she gives me a pointed look, using Nelle to get at me, the fucking coward. My breath hisses out from between my gritted teeth as I pull on my power, bringing it back up to the surface.
My anger builds to a near boiling point, and I burst into action, pulling on my power again. Heat washes over my body as the power fills my every limb. I don’t just skim the surface—no, if we’re going to get out of here, I’m going to need to unleash it like a tsunami upon them.
The earth quakes around us, and the wind whistles as it swirls into a tornado again. I push destructive force towards Titus, knowing he’s my biggest threat. Fury blazes within me, and before I know it, a swirl of fire encircles the raging funnel of wind barreling down on Titus.
His balls of energy form in his hands, and he launches them towards the tornado. I feel the power attempt to shift as he tries to take over the result of my destructive power. I fight for control, my energy spilling over as the earth shakes again.
Titus stumbles, losing his grip on my power, but I keep my footing. The earth is like an extension of myself, my body able to anticipate the tremors and move with them. I notice movement out of the corner of my eye and glimpse Abigail readying herself to send another jolt of power towards Nelle.
I couldn’t use that destructive force directly towards Titus, but there’s nothing stopping me from using it on this bitch as repayment for the pain she’s caused my sister. I focus on the hand clutching Nelle’s chin, squeezing the soft flesh of her face in a vise-like grip.
I narrow my focus, making sure the power doesn’t leak over to Nelle, and watch as Abigail’s hand dries, the skin resembling the desiccated flesh of the shadow demons. A cry leaves her lips, and she stumbles back, releasing Nelle’s throat as she attempts to outrun the power, but her fingers crack before her. They crumble to the forest floor, and the others watch on in shock and horror as cracks spiderweb out to the rest of her hand.
I cut off the power, my gaze moving to Nelle to make sure she’s okay. She rubs at her throat as she catches her breath, but she nods. I motion with my eyes for her to run, and I see the hesitation there as she nervously chews on her lip, not wanting to leave me alone.
Finally, she takes a few steps in the other direction at my pointed look, and I turn back to Abigail. Helene clutches her arm, watching the flesh crumble before them as Abigail’s wails echo through the small clearing. I need to trust that Nelle is making her way to safety, I can’t draw any more attention to her by screaming at her to go.
