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Foremothers, preserve us! El Shaddai, Goddess on high! Can’t you hear your people cry? No wonder Nita is bringing the rain. She’s delaying the knights, Idrys’ orders as long as she can.
Driven more than ever, with bloody tears mixed with rain streaming down my face, I kiss each of Quillion’s cheeks and beg him, “Stay with Jesula. Please…don’t let her die, Quill!”
“I’ll do my best. Where are you going, Princess?” When I don’t respond, when all I can do is whimper a plea for him to understand as I climb into the elevator, Quillion takes a step back, eyes widening, pupils dilating—a rare occurrence. “No, Elysia, please.”
“I’m dying, Quill.” I close the elevator door. “There’s nothing else left to do.”
“I can give you the treatment. It will slow—” he tries to protest.
I shake my head and raise my hand to the bars, to the very first vampire who showed me true kindness in the Tenth Court…and has again and again. “I love you, Quillion.” My voice cracks as I say goodbye. “Thank you for…my chart.”
The elevator ascends. I unleash as many coughs as possible to fortify myself for what comes next. Because I have a feeling this next goodbye will be the worst. Worse than saying goodbye to my mother in the remnants of our burning home, worse than saying goodbye to her again in the Chasm, worse than saying goodbye to my father when I kissed his soul away to heaven.
The elevator reaches its final ascent. With the rain soaking my skin and dressing my hair to my face, with its presence like an omen chilling me to the bone, and the thunder rumbling in the clouds like a thousand war hammers, I go to say goodbye to my sister.
Chapter29
“You are going to the hall of the Prince of Destruction in a land with no king.”
“We wish we could join you, sweet Ezer, but as you can see, we are ratherbusy,” professes Nita, pivoting her wrist and directing one single bolt of lightning to the knights approaching a warehouse with torches.
“Nita…” I clasp my hands to my neck even though I must look far more wretched than sweet to her. “Do you know?” Does she know what I am going to do?
“Of course I do, angel. I won’t stop you. I can only help you as much as I can.”
“Right.” My throat cracks and burns as I remember: empowered women empower women. I take a few steps to her side, dare to touch one of her horns for the very first time, probably the last…and kiss her cheek.
She winces, then grins, and launches another lightning bolt, causing the knights to scatter, and the rain to drown their torches. “Run, run, little ticks. I’ll show you how lightning can strike in the same place twice!”
My voice is no louder than a whisper when I proclaim, “Hail, Hydra.”
“Give him hell, lightning rod. Go slay that demon heart.”
Spinning around, I run, channeling what little Halo light I have left to spur on my vampire speed instead. Who knows how long I have before Neoptolemus leaves the festivities? How long do we have before Mordere’s army arrives?
Just as I pass one of the Iron Walls outposts, just as I prepare to thrust my body into vampire speed, a strong, cold hand grips my arm, hauls me toward the shadow of that outpost, and slams me against the back wall. “Looks like I captured the little star,” Idrys’ poisonous voice murmurs in my ear, and his beard chafes as he mouths my neck. “Little dying star now.” No, he won’t bite me, but it doesn’t matter. He can still hurt me.
True to form, Idrys’ hand grips the sodden gown layer and yanks it up to my hip. History repeats itself because my heart shuts down. I don’t have anything left to fight back. I’m saving everything for Neoptolemus. If this is another price I must pay, I can only hope he’ll get it done and over with quickly.
“Disgraced former bride. All mine now,” Idrys warns and pins my arms to the walls above my head, one knee driving my legs apart. “Let’s see how much of an angel you are.”
Unashamed of my tears, I sob openly, I cry, I scream when he rips at my lace panties, when he loosens his belt and prepares to stab me right to that wall. I close my eyes and wait for that impalement, but he releases me…nothing but wind and rain rage on my skin. I open my eyes and nearly plummet to the ground from hearing a familiar, feminine growl as she plants a firm boot on Idrys’ chest and leers down at him.
“How Ihaterapists!”
“Syn!” I cry out, my hands flying to my mouth to catch more blood droplets. Did Thanatos send her?
One serpent lashes out from her shoulders, digging into Idrys’ neck. More soon join the first, and Idrys’ screams and wrestles with her, but Syn commands more serpents to bite his wrists and wind around them. “Mmm…fresh meat,” she muses. “A proper meal for my babies.” Then, she whips her beautiful, bald demoness head around, her expression softening. Puckering up her lips, I recognize Verena’s familiar expression before she nods her head to the Court. “Go, Lightning Rod. We got this piece of shit.”
“Love you, V.”
I break into vampire speed. Nita, Nita, Nita had known. She couldn’t protect me, knew she couldn’t get me to the Court. Somehow, during her time in the Chasm, she must have met Syn…and my Verena. All over my being, I bear the insignia of strong women, like modern-day foremothers, blessing me with their gifts of empowerment and protection. How can I do any less for all the ones at the border? And myself…
Only a mile from the Court now, but at the last second, I swing onto the high road. I hurry to that scenic overlook where I can make out Mordere’s army. Ten thousand bitten vampires strong no more than ten miles in the distance. Any moment now, Neo will leave the Tenth Court. He will wait till the blood moon is as full and high as possible. I’m losing time!
I whisper my truth and honor. I whisper it like a prayer and a petition. Thanatos tethers me, binds me, and summons me through the webs of reality, dragging me into the Soul Plane so he may hold me one last time, so he may beseech me one last time.
I gaze down at my chest. My soul is dim. My Halo light is going out.
