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She didn’t answer, instead tugged on the chains to ensure they were strong, then reinforced them with magic.
Erianna groaned, then moved to face her. “I’d answer her if I was you, or I will ensure you’re the first person I come for when I get out of here.”
Avyanna spun to face her. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Salvor won’t allow that,” she spat. “We had an agreement. I know he wants me in Malum. Come now, you know at least I’ll be getting out of here.”
Her jaw clenched, and she looked down at Erianna. “They’re fine. Poisoned, but they’ll survive. They’re vampires.”
I gasped. “Not Anna!”
She shrugged. “Mortals often get caught in the middle of things.”
Erianna’s eyes clamped shut, her lips curled behind her teeth as she held back her grief. A chill washed over me, and I shot Avyanna a glare, my heart feeling somehow ten times heavier. “Zach’s going to murder you.”
Her lips twitched, as if this wasn’t the first time she’d thought about that. “He won’t be able to get in here.”
I gritted my teeth, digging my nails into the ground as tears welled. “You’re already dead for this. You hear me? Dead!”
She inhaled sharply. “It is what it is.”
She double checked the shackles on my wrists, wishing I could tear her throat out from here. “Do you actually think Salenia will keep good on whatever promise she made to you?”
She stepped back, examining my chains again before moving onto Erianna’s shackles, who was quieter than I’d ever seen her.
“Fine,” I baited, “then tell me, who is this woman worth dying for? The one trapped in the underworld? Or is that just another story you fabricated?”
She gritted her teeth. “Enough with the questions.” She tugged on Erianna’s shackles, who was already weakened from being fed more poison. Her bloodshot eyes found mine, but the warrior in them was still there, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Grief emanated around the room, threatening to break through my barrier as my sadness weakened it. We had all lost too much, and letting in all those deaths would take away any fight I had left. I couldn’t let it destroy me, not yet when Sebastian and Zach were still out there.
I slumped further back against the wall, the stone cold against my skin. Being there reminded me of being chained up again. This wasn’t half as bad, but knowing I couldn’t get free, almost threw me into a panic attack. Desperation slathered my words. “Was the poison strong enough to kill Anna?”
She didn't answer, but Erianna's tiny nod made me recoil, bile rising in my throat. “I hope Salenia betrays you!” I snapped. “I hope she doesn’t give you what you want.”
“She will,” she said with absolute conviction. “Now enough talking. Don’t make me use her dagger to hurt you.” I noticed Erianna’s dagger, several feet away from her on the ground. Avyanna bent over, slowly picking it up. “Because I will.”
“You’re helping the enemy, killing for her.” I shouted before she could walk away, dagger in hand. “Don’t you see what’s she done, or do you not care?
She halted, then slowly pivoted to face me. Her eyes swam with tears. “Do you think I like it here? That I’m happy helpingher?” she spat. “I have no choice. I must protect Salenia’s body.”
My heart galloped. Herbody. My eyes widened at the same time as Erianna’s. “It’s Gwen,” I realized, letting out a long breath. “Salenia’s possession, and you want it back. But I thought she’d been possessing her for like a century. You’re mortal. How can she be your girlfriend?”
She cast her eyes down to the ground. “Salenia’s come in and out. We tried to stop it. I dideverything. Every time she went back into the underworld, it left Gwen’s mind more fractured. She’s had her body for years now, refusing to leave. Finally, I’ll be able to get her back for good.”
“How? Salenia won’t leave her body.”
“She will.” She swallowed thickly. “Soon.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. “She’s coming back, in her original form.”
Erianna looked at me, her words slurring slightly. “Avyanna’s been alive for a long time. There’s more than one way to prolong your life.”
It all made sense now. I shuffled against the hard ground, the stone aching my legs and buttocks as I couldn’t find a comfortable position. Gods only knew how long they’d have us down there. “Help us,” I pleaded, knowing I was grasping at nothing. “You can’t believe she’ll leave Gwen alone after all this time? She knows too much. We can help bring Gwen peace.”
Tears formed in the corner of her yellow eyes. “I need her back. We deserve a life together.”
“More than she needs peace?”
She balled her fists, the candlelight enhancing her sharp features. “Iwillgiveher peace.”
