Chapter 41
Forty - One
Shaye
The demons celebrate for hours. No one pays us much mind except once in awhile, there will be a random creature who wants to touch me. To see “the pretty mortal girl’s breasts”.
Bastian growls and slams on the bars whenever someone encroaches on us and for that, I’m grateful. Honestly, it’s the least he can do. I’m down here because of him. I was violated because of him.
Nyx stirs a couple of times, but doesn’t wake.
“We need to get out of here,” Bastian whispers but I ignore him. “Shaye? Shaye, are you asleep?”
I sense him move closer and I whip around with a hiss, fire in my eyes. “Don't. Touch. Me.”
He raises his hands so I can see them. I’d forgotten he had given me his shirt, so I can see all the planes of his bare chest and the wound in his side.
“You’re injured," I blurt out, surprising us both.
Bastian glances down at it and waves off my concern. “It's not deep. I’ve endured worse.”
And by the scars riddling his torso, I believe him. But when he turns to stare in the direction of where most of the celebratory noise is stemming from, I gasp.
“Who did that to your back?” I ask, voice teetering on broken. He volunteered to take the whipping I believed I was to suffer when his back has already gone through dozens of lashes.
He freezes. At first he doesn’t face me, but once he’s collected himself, he squares his shoulders to mine.
“My father.”
My eyes widen. “Your father whipped you?”
He nods. Pity flares in my belly for him. No one, not even Bastian, deserves to be so cruelly treated.
“Tell,” I almost say my parents but replace the title with, “the king and queen. He shouldn’t be torturing you -”
“I don’t need to tell your parents, Shaye.”
I frown. “Your father is unfit for his command if he is treating you -”
“My father is dead.”
I still. By the wild look on his face, I gather there’s a confession there. “What happened to him?"
He flicks his eyes up to meet mine. “I killed him.”
“You killed him?” I repeat, not truly believing it. "When?"
“A few weeks ago,” he admits, no longer looking me in the eye. “In front of your parents.”
“Garren and Keres saw?”
“They saw my beast form, too.” Bastian strokes his fingers through his blonde locks and nods. “Listen, Shaye. I fucked up. There’s no denying that, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness, your mercy, or your kindness. But we need to help one another escape or we’re all dead.”
I frown. “I'm not going anywhere with you."
“Shaye," he moves toward me and I kick back. He stops, dragging his hand down his face. At first, I read him as annoyed, but then I notice him swipe tears from his eyes. “Fuck. I’m so sorry, Shaye. I never wanted anything bad to happen to you. But watching you endure... Not being able to get to you... I’m just so sorry.” He inhales sharply.
“Please, let me help you escape. Please. I can’t watch you die. ”
He’s right about us needing to escape. Despite Drogon insisting he will keep me around as his pet, I would rather die. But I don’t intend to die down here.
I do a once-over on my body. Most of my flesh is pink from light burn marks. Other areas, where Drogon paid special attention to, are crimson and angry. There are even full-blown handprints on my thighs, my breasts, and by the feel of it, my neck.
Despite my pain being a hindrance, the sugovan still has some time left in my system so I can’t help speed my healing. I don’t have my magic, and I don’t have weapons. I don’t stand a chance to fight my way out of the Underworld. And I’m not strong enough to carry Nyx.
Nyx groans, drawing my attention. His forehead is perspiring.
“I thought your demon friend said the ointments would stave off any infection,” I hiss at Bastian.
“Apparently, he lied.” Is all Bastian says and it fills me with rage.
“If Nyx dies - “
“If we don't get him proper treatment, he will die,” he cuts me off. “You don’t have to trust me, but if we’re all going to get out of here alive, you will have to work with me.”
I grind my back teeth, clinging to my knees pressed to my chest. “Fine.”
He looks relieved, as if he was expecting me to refuse. We may be enemies, but if the three of us are going to survive, we have no choice but to work together.
“We will have to be quick.” He tosses one last long look over his shoulder toward the celebration beyond the castle. “I’ve been keeping watch and there is no one guarding the square, meaning no one is guarding us.” He holds his hand out and it transforms into a claw. I lurch backward.
“I’m going to break the lock. Once I’m out of the cage, I’ll fully transform. I’ll put Nyx over my back. You’ll need to get up there, too.”
We've already wasted enough time bickering, so I just nod in agreement.
Bastian makes quick work crushing the lock before dragging Nyx out with him. Watching him transform into his beast form makes my stomach flip, but this time, he’s not here for me. He’s going to get us out of here. With Nyx draped over Bastian’s furry back, he motions for me to get on.
For a split second, I’m not sure my body is going to move. Flashes of Drogon’s hands all over me, the thousands of eyes pinned on my naked body, the invasion of my humanity.
I will not die here.
Although I’m flooded with pain with each limb I move, I scramble out of the cage with Bastian’s shirt hanging loosely at my thighs.
As quickly as I can, I hoist myself up onto Bastian’s back, cling to Nyx’s limp body, and tap my bare foot against Bastian’s furry side to give him a nonverbal clue I’m ready.
Bastian takes off. It’s not far to get to the portal, but the dread a demon or creature will notice us attempting to escape – or worse, are already on the other side in our realm and waiting for us – crosses my mind.
But I try to keep positive, lying as flat as I can to keep from being seen.
Not that demon scouts wouldn’t notice a gigantic bear-like creature sprinting for freedom.
Luck must finally be on our side, or the demons and creatures of this realm are all too drunk on debauchery to notice we’ve broken out, but Bastian bounds through the portal and doesn’t stop.
We’re in the middle of the desert. I have no idea how far Midori is from here, but that can be our only hope to save Nyx.
Anxiety of seeing Garren and Keres pools in the pit of my stomach. For Nyx, I will do whatever it takes to save him.
Even when we are up and over several sand dunes and the portal is no longer in sight, Bastian doesn’t let up. He keeps pushing as if something sinister was nipping at his heels. I don’t say a word to stop him. The farther we get from the portal – from Malvolio – the better.
The moon is high in the night sky, lighting our path brightly. At least we have that in our favor. And it’s cool out. The light crisp breeze dances across my rosy flesh, and I welcome the relief.
But my relief is short-lived. Bastian’s ears twitch and suddenly he breaks off into a faster sprint, giving it all he has left.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“They know.”
I furrow my brow. “How do you - ”
An arrow pierces into the sand beside us. I whip around. A group of at least twenty or thirty creatures chase after us.
Shit.
We had quite the headstart, and they’re still managing to catch up. At this rate, Bastian will tire. He is carrying two people on his back and running through unforgiving sand. His muscles will be aching and eventually, whether he wants to or not, his body will give out and we will be recaptured.
I’ll die first. I internally promise myself.
Bastian dodges three more arrows, a few close calls zing by. I shield Nyx with my body, praying he’s not struck.
But I should have been praying for Bastian’s safety because he’s the one who is struck twice. One in his right shoulder, the second in his left leg. We’re going down.
Bastian roars in pain. He tumbles to the ground with a great thud. Nyx and I fly off. Nyx groans the second he crumples in the sand, the only sign he's still alive.
Screams erupt from me when the sand rubs my burns. It clings to me, to my sweat, and I bite my back teeth to compose myself. I look up at Bastian, there’s blood seeping into the sand beneath him. I crawl to him, despite the agony.
"Bas,” I stroke his snout, “are you ok?"
Tears fill his eyes. He swallows hard. “I'm sorry. Shaye, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt.”
The creatures are gaining on us. I feel their feet tremoring in the sand.
I glance down at Bastian, his eyes are wide. “Your hair.”
I slide my locks in front of me and nearly yelp when I see white. “My magic is back,” I whisper in wonder but then furrow my brows.
“Shaye,” his voice comes out as a wheeze, “what are you doing?”
“They will feel my wrath.” I drag myself to my feet. I’m weak, bleeding, hungry, and exhausted. But more importantly, I am angry. And I won’t be going down without a fight. I lift my hands and with the waning strength I possess, blast light at the creatures.
It shoots out so fast, they don’t have time to dodge my attack. Some of them are killed by the blast, but most of them survive. Sweat pours down my back, and sand scrapes my burns. I refuse to give up now.
I scream, clutching to all the power humming beneath my fingers, and launch the largest blast I’ve ever procured at the creatures. None escape my wrath. The desert is littered with dead bodies.
My knees give out and I drop to the sand. My eyes are heavy, my muscles ache.
Hoots over the dune draw my gaze. A second wave is coming and I don’t have anything left to give. I’m drained.
I glance at Nyx, then Bastian. They need me right now. I shakily stand, my knees rattling beneath me.
I hold my hands up. This might be my final stand. Stars above and seas below. Let me fight until my dying breath.
They’re close. But I might only have one good blast left in me. They’ll have to be right on us for me to make it count.
Arrows launch, stabbing into the sand inches in front of me. They’re still out of range, but not for long.
Screeches from beyond the sandy dunes behind me echo. I twist to find what made the sound. The underlings stop, staring into the pitch-black sky.
Suddenly, two gold dragons spear over the horizon with alarming speed. One roars and blows through Drogon's forces, clutching creatures in its claws and ripping them in half.
The second dragon follows suit, but the rider slides off the beast's back and lands in the middle of the creatures.
A beige hood falls from her head and I watch in awe as the strange woman whips her arms in a circular motion over her head, causing the sand around her to funnel like a tornado.
It envelopes the creatures who remain, tearing them to shreds, scattering their limbs across the sand.
Just as quickly as the sand tornado appeared, it disappears, leaving the sand wielder in the middle of dead bodies.
My mouth drops. “They’re alive." The sand wielders and dragons Atlas told me about – they did survive after the Great War.
The first dragon and its rider, a male, come back around after destroying the creatures attempting to escape back to the portal.
His dragon lands near us, whirling sand like smoke.
He slides down the dragon's back as I fall to my knees in exhaustion and relief.
The strange man walks up to me and pulls his hood over his head to reveal a warm face.
He kneels before me. "Are you friend or foe?” His voice is husky, but not one to fear.
"That entirely depends on who you are,” I narrow my eyes, silently holding my ground.
He smirks. “I like a woman with spirit.” He reaches for me but I flinch and he retracts his hand. His brown eyes soften, as if he can see into my thoughts and feel exactly what I endured. "I mean you no harm. Come with me so we can get you to safety and tend to your wounds.”
The woman joins us, but when she takes in the three of us, her eyes stay trained on Bastian in his beast form and she frowns. She grabs the man’s arm, preventing him from helping me up. "Helios."
Helios glances over my shoulder. I twist and find Bastian shifting from his beast form back to his human form. Arrows still pierce his body, but I avert my gaze when I realize he’s lying naked in the sand.
“Please, we don’t have much time,” I mumble, feeling sick from the energy I exerted. “My friends are dying.”
Helios frowns at me. "You are friends with the Beast of Midori?"
Shit.
I swallow hard. Glancing at the woman doesn’t help my case. She’s more pissed than he is. “He helped me and my friend escape Malvolio –”
“The portal is open?” The woman’s eyes widen. “How is this possible?”
I lift my palm for her to see the slice. “My blood opened it.”
"But that would mean…" she exchanges a look with Helios.
I tilt my chin a bit higher. “My name is Aurelia Basilius Sol. I'm Enver Sol's heir.”
"They come with us,” Helios says matter of fact, scooping me into his broad and muscular arms.
"What of the Beast?" The woman crows, pointing at Bastian with the tip of her knife.
Helios stares into my pleading gaze and then back at Bastian bleeding out. “We will bring them all with us, Hagar. Let father judge the Beast.”