Chapter 42 Asher #2
"Still can," Zak points out, also vindictive.
Ian stands, wiping more blood off his chin. "I didn't know it was Crypt. The bitch in here made me think it was Veld I was killing."
Shit. If Nivarrah had him attack Crypt, it means she's flighty and didn't trust the Nightmare Prince, even though he brought her here to off Veld like she wanted. That also means her mind isn't made up about what to do, so we're more or less at her mercy in here.
"Nivarrah has Heidi," Kaenon says, looking around this confusing maze again. He sniffs the air and then scowls. "I keep catching her scent, but then it changes."
"I'm having the same damn problem," Zak grits. "I can't pin down her merit."
When Veld speaks again, his tone has changed into something between irritation and sweetness.
“Irascis mihi. Num ris a-incipitha, unum fatis? Finiamus crìoch a riutha ath-aonachadh.”
Kaenon tenses, looking at us with urgency as he translates. "He said, I see you are angry with me. Shall we start anew, fated one? Let us end this game together through them and be one."
He's barely finished speaking before a figure drops out of nowhere, landing on his back.
The incubus's claws slash up Kaenon's chest. He starts to cry out, but it cuts off when Veld's claws drag across his neck.
I pull my knife from its sheath, but I'm not going to risk throwing it and hitting one of the others—especially not when this could also be Nivarrah twisting our minds.
Kaenon drops to the ground, bleeding profusely from his neck too quickly for shifter healing to fix it.
Veld is already lurching toward Zak next as I dive out of their way, rolling to get to Kaenon's side.
Calling healing magic to my hands, I begin using it to close his slashed throat as he gurgles and struggles for air.
Heidi mentioned that Zak was in the Nether with her.
Still, his having been an arena fighter for the fucking Entity doesn't set in until I glance up and see him in the midst of fighting.
Each of his movements is agile and precise as he dodges Veld, knocks his arm aside when the incubus tries to claw his neck next—and then Zak ducks under Veld's next blow, turns, and rips one of the incubus's wings.
Veld roars in pain and whips around as Zak makes a sharp motion with his hand. A metal cell bar of whatever dungeons are actually down here wraps itself around Veld's neck, squeezing tight. He's going to pop the incubus's head clean off.
The incubus disappears into Limbo just before that can happen, and the metal loop clangs to the ground.
For a moment, we're all panting, looking around warily for the next sign of the monster.
Then, although his voice is hoarse thanks to his recently healed neck, Kaenon calls out, "Wait. Listen to me, Nivarrah."
When it comes out in English, he grips the metal cuff around his ear, looking at me. Stepping forward, I carefully click three tiny buttons at once to release it, as Jada taught me to. Now that he's able to speak his tongue, Kaenon tries again.
His voice is kind as he says a few things to her that we don't understand as we stand in this hellhole of mirrors. For a long moment, there's no answer.
Until gradually, the mirrors begin to fade. The shimmering, mind-bending magic around us gives way to the dark, familiar dungeons of the castle that Everett had rebuilt during the Upheaval.
And at the end of this long dungeon full of rows of cells, Heidi is still deeply asleep behind metal bars, lying at the feet of the ancient fae woman contriving all of this.
Nivarrah's is dressed in regular jeans and a T-shirt as if she's been blending in with humans since escaping. The purple gaze she's watching us with is both insane and full of sadness.
Kaenon says something else, entreating her—but my attention is entirely on Heidi.
She's breathing. She's not bleeding out. Veld hasn't gotten his slimy, putrid hands all over her. She's just asleep.
Breathe. Keep your head level. She's fine.
I know I'm not the only one dying to scoop her up and check that she's really okay, because Zak takes a step forward, making a sound of distress.
We all watch, quiet as Nivarrah stands and exits the metal cell, the door squeaking as she moves at the slowest pace I've ever fucking seen. But as she moves closer to us, Veld drops out of Limbo within the cell behind her, smirking at Nivarrah's back as he leans to scoop up Heidi once again.
"No!" I shout.
He's going to take her away from us again.
The others are shouting, too, horrified—
Until Heidi moves suddenly, a sword suddenly in her hand that plunges straight through Veld's heart. He cries out in shock, stumbling. Before he can drop into Limbo, Heidi rips the sword back out and swings her arm wide, lopping off the incubus's head in one harsh swipe.
Blood sprays everywhere as Veld's body drops to the ground. Even though she falls to the ground with him, Heidi isn't stopping. She's screaming and screaming, cutting and chopping at what's left of the incubus as blood continues to splatter.
Shock and nausea curl in my throat at this bizarre, morbid, hellish sight.
Until I realize my eyes are still glowing.
When Ian panics and starts to step toward what looks like Heidi gone completely insane, I grip his arm.
"Wait."
A moment later, the last traces of Nivarrah's magic finally fall away. The magic signature, like white noise in my head, dies off as Heidi transforms between our eyes until it's a fae girl with blond hair, pointed ears, and tears dripping from her face.
The illusion of the fae woman standing outside the cell dissipates.
Nivarrah finally drops the sword. She's still screaming and wailing, though, covered in the blood of her fated tormentor, whom she's finally done with. I've heard it hurts like hell when someone bonded to you dies, and she's clearly in pain, but it's not only physical.
"Thank khaos. Heidi," Zak breathes, rushing away from us.
I turn to see that all along, Heidi was in a different cell down here, unharmed but utterly motionless on the ground.
We must have passed less than two feet away from her while Nivarrah's magic was still messing with our heads.
Crypt is nowhere to be seen on the floor of the dungeon now, so I assume he's conscious again and in Limbo, healing from his neck wound.
Soon, we're all gathered around as Zak cradles our girl. As Zak and I check her pulse, Ian helps Kaenon get the translator back on his ear. The shifter hisses at the pain of getting it on again before all our focus is on her.
“Heidi?” I rasp.
Wake up. I really need you to smile at me right about now.
"Here," Zak says, passing her to me as gently as possible. Then he takes a significant step back. "Okay, use your nasty-ass magic to wake her up."
I focus, summoning Arati's armored blessing once again. Usually, I can't summon it back to back, and it already took a slight toll, waking up the others earlier. But I dig deep into my magic reserves until a soft white glow surrounds us.
Heidi's beautiful brown eyes open. She blinks dreamily up at me, confused. Then she remembers everything and gasps, going pale as she tenses.
"Oh, my gods. Veld had me. What—"
When she cranes her neck to look around and figure out where we are, Ian moves swiftly to stand in front of her view of Veld's dismembered body, ensuring she won't have to see all the gore or the still-wailing fae woman.
He reaches out to cup her chin, frowning slightly at whatever emotions he's picking up from her.
At this point, I'm getting really fucking jealous that the others can do that with her.
"Everything is fine," Ian promises Heidi. "It's over. We've got you."
"Veld is…" She looks at all of us with wide eyes. "Dead?"
"Very," Kaenon answers.
"So I just took a nap, and now everything is fine? Gods, I feel useless but also well-rested." Then her brow furrows in the most adorable way. "That's Nivarrah crying, isn't it? Set me down, please. I know she's been through a lot, but I want to try to comfort her—"
"No need. I'll do it," Maven's voice says.
I glance over and scowl when I see her striding into the dungeon.
Ian is irritated, too. "Took you fucking long enough. Did you know about this shit plan? Why didn't Crypt get you here sooner to—"
She moves too fast to see, stopping directly in front of Ian—and the look she gives him is death incarnate. When she takes another step toward him, the thrall takes two steps back until he bumps into one of the cells, eyes wide.
I abruptly realize Maven Amato must have inherited something from her mother, the goddess of reaping and fear, because shit, she is scary as hell when she's mad. Even Heidi flinches in my arms when she speaks.
"You don't get to even think his name right now. Apologize for feeding on my incubus."
As if that summoned him, Crypt appears behind Maven. "So vicious on my account, darling?”
The brief glare she sends him over her shoulder makes it clear he's also in the doghouse for getting hurt. The fucker just smiles and blows her a kiss before she's back to scaring the shit out of Ian.
"I didn't know it was—" The thrall cuts off, apparently choosing life over whatever the demigoddess would do to him for giving an excuse. "I'm sorry."
"No. You're not. But dare to taste his blood ever again, and you will be. I don't care if you're with Heidi and Asher—"
"He's not with me," I clarify.
Shit, now I'm in the line of fire as Maven looks at me.
"Do I look like I give a fuck either way?” she asks menacingly.
With her damned poker face, does she ever look like she gives a fuck?
I consider pointing that out to her before I also choose life.
Her attention snaps back to Ian when he tries to take a step sideways. "Touch what's mine ever again, and I will keep you impaled on a Nether obelisk, watching my ravens peck your ossifying body to pieces every day until you can't fucking regenerate anymore. Got it?"
Ian clears his throat hard, still subtly trying to sidestep so he's not cornered by the pissed-off demigoddess anymore. "G—got it. Yep."
"It was an accident. You can't be a little merciful to Everett's best friend?" I grumble.
"That was more than merciful." Maven's gaze shifts to Heidi, her features softening to something almost pleasant.
"I didn't figure out that Crypt asked for your help until you guys disappeared from the Seeking.
I would have come sooner, but I didn't realize things had escalated until after Crypt went quiet, thanks to someone," she adds, glaring at Ian once again.
He must have survival instincts, because he's quickly blurred several paces away.
"You're brave," Maven tells Heidi softly. "Also, that old priest is taking fucking forever to officially start the Seeking. So thanks for the excuse to get away from all the staring up there."
"You're welcome, except I actually can't take credit for anything ever again for the rest of my life," Heidi sighs. "Because apparently, I just…nap. I'm a badass like that."
Maven fights a smile at Heidi's rare use of a swear word. Then she moves past us, into the cell where Nivarrah is still sobbing, quietly rocking herself next to her dead tormentor.
The demigoddess takes in the scene without any surprise before she removes a glove and reaches out to lightly touch one of Nivarrah's arms.
Immediately, the fae woman stops crying. She looks at Maven with wide purple eyes, her expression transforming into one of relief and wonder.
Crypt joins them in the cell, gently removing Maven's hand from the comforted fae woman, as if he's decided she's had enough of the touching. Then he puts the fae woman to sleep so she's resting peacefully on the dungeon's stone ground.
"Nivarrah needs help," Heidi tells Maven. "And some seriously extensive therapy."
"She'll have whatever help she needs," Maven promises quietly.
Zak startles before making a face at me. "Hells—why the fuck're you using more of that shitty magic again?"
I'm confused about what he means until I glance down and realize I'm covered in a soft light, all over. Heidi isn't glowing in my arms, though, and I'm not using magic right now.
"The fuck?" I frown. "What is this?"
Maven Amato straightens, looking at me. "It means the Seeking just started. That's the glow of the priests' magic identifying keepers."