Chapter 56
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
She couldn’t move. The man that plagued her memories had returned just as he promised. But he was never a man at all. He was something else, something sinister.
Dolion Creed.
No, not Creed. He had stolen that surname from Glen. She had destroyed a family, father and son caught in the cross fire.
Just like Krysta.
Like Adriel.
She should have known there was something else amiss. Adriel wouldn’t have spiraled like that. He wouldn’t have abandoned her. But she never would have suspected their uncle Fessyk had sold them out to Dolion for her father’s throne.
Dolion, who manipulated Adriel into those nightly stupors.
Dolion, who held the blade the night Krysta died.
But it was Helaina who set it all in motion. Everything that had come to pass had been her fault.
Foolish. Selfish.
She had been the catalyst for everything.
Murderer. Coward.
The words rang in her head like a bell. He was right that night—she was so desperate for contact with anyone, she fell headfirst in love with a monster, causing so many innocent deaths in the process.
And now he would take Callum’s life right before her eyes. Please, not again. She could not allow another to sacrifice their life for her. All she had to do was go with him. She could—
The ground convulsed from underneath her boots as something massive thundered behind her.
Theo. Horns pointed high, sword in hand, fangs bared in a snarl. Theo swaggered forward, fully encased in his midnight armor.
Dolion couldn’t look more unimpressed at his entrance. He glared at Theo for a fraction of a second before he returned his attention to Helaina.
“You’re going to get your friends killed, love. Be reasonable—”
“You don’t talk to her,” Theodon ground out. “I want them alive, Callum.”
Callum sighed in annoyance at his captain’s order.
The sky turned impossibly darker. Storm clouds gathered. Theo’s pale face reflected the flash of lightning as rain began to fall.
“Nice trick, Captain, but a little rain won’t keep me from taking what I came for.”
The bizarre veins spider-webbing up Theo’s neck pulsed with his power. Spirals of smoke spread all around his legs, like hands keeping him tethered to the earth.
This time she had no fear of his demon form. Between Dolion and Theo, it was clear who the real monster was. The fact that she had ever let her mind blend the two was shameful.
Dolion rolled his eyes. “Must we do this? My queen is very eager; she’s waited long enough.”
“Queen?” Callum asked, palming daggers at his sides.
“Drayella,” Dolion replied arrogantly. “I brought her back.”
There was a palpable silence in the air as they all considered that name.
Drayella, Goddess of Nightmares. The host of incubus beings.
Legendary for her torturous and murderous demeanor toward not only the gods’ creations but her fellow immortals.
If a soul went to the six, you were doomed for eternal suffering, that was certain.
But the prospect of entering Drayella’s hell realm, the terror realm, frightened mortals more than anything.
“You lie,” Theodon hissed between those razor teeth. His calm was cracking, she could hear it.
“You had to know this day was coming. Why do you think we’ve been sending these damned beasts through your mountains, Theodon? Throughout all of Lynor? Why do you think there were never any bodies to find? It wasn’t just to satisfy our own hunger.”
Theo tightened the grip on his sword, a weapon almost as long as Helaina’s whole body. “You found it.” Not a question—but a revelation.
Dolion confirmed with a knowing smile. “There’s just one thing missing. So if you’ll be so kind, hand it over.”
Theo’s black eyes flared. “She’s destined to be a Divine. She belongs here. She stays with me.”
Dolion laughed. “You know that’s not her destiny, Theo.”
“she stays.”
Rain turned to hail. Trees groaned, fighting against the terrible wind. Theo’s raw power was like nothing Helaina had ever seen or felt. The world around him bent to his energy. The stars above shifted within the clouds as bursts of lightning crackled in the sky and thunder boomed.
As swift as an osprey plucking a trout from a lake, Callum vanished in a billow of thick smoke and became visible again behind one of the hideous brothers. Callum’s dagger found Balor’s jugular, spilling wine-red blood. Balor gurgled and strained.
His twin was fast. Before Callum could finish his work, his dagger was twisted out of his hand with brute strength.
Callum let go of the bloody brother and launched his curled fist into Benon’s face, sending his head craning backward with a loud crunch of his nose.
But Benon wouldn’t release his grip on the teleporter, keeping him close while they both landed blow after blow.
Callum didn’t seem to mind the proximity. He wore a fiendish grin as he began his unrelenting assault, his fury at what they’d done to Aaron clearly fueling him.
In the chaos, Dolion made a sprint for Helaina. He was unbelievably swift.
Before he could reach her, Theo’s blade swung high, aiming straight for his neck. Dolion ducked and rolled, drawing his own weapon. He twisted in time so that their steel clashed together in a mighty sound that coincided with a roar of thunder. The two swords met time and time again.
Their difference in size suggested this should be an easy victory for the captain. But Dolion was matching him in speed and strength with surprising ease. Theo would bring his blade down in an overhead strike, and Dolion would be right there to meet him.
“She imbued you,” Theo accused his opponent mid-strike.
Dolion wiggled that iron ring in answer. “She’s a generous queen.”
The sight of that ring drove Helaina into a cripplingly frozen state. It drove Theo into a raging fury. He sent his elbow flying into Dolion’s nose. The bone shattered. Seconds later, the injury repaired itself.
Panic had Helaina glued on all fours, her knuckles blanching white as she clutched the thin blades of grass. It was pitiful how much influence Dolion had on her, the memories he brought to the surface.
Callum landed a headbutt against Benon as their grunts and sounds of struggle grew louder.
Balor was still clutching his throat, but the blood was slowing. He was healing.
Dolion was thrashing, meeting Theodon’s sword blow for blow.
“Is she really worth all this? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’d grown feelings for the troublesome whore.” Dolion heaved out the insult as Theo kicked him square in the gut.
Dolion rolled and recovered, laughing through his teeth as he gritted them in pain. “You do feel for her. You’ve grown soft. Drayella will be so disappointed.”
Theo’s shouts of rage rippled through the field as he forced Dolion to shut his mouth with another onslaught of strikes.
Benon managed to wrap his arm around Callum’s neck in a headlock as Balor became well enough to stand.
Balor picked up Callum’s discarded blade, gnarled pointed teeth bared as he skulked over.
Callum thrashed against the hold. He couldn’t teleport with someone touching him; he would drain all his power again. He was a sitting duck out here.
Helaina’s terror turned furious. She curled her hands around the blades of grass and squeezed.
Not again.
Standing idly by, weak and helpless, that wasn’t her anymore. It wouldn’t be her anymore.
She closed her eyes, letting rage bleed out the panic. Then she ripped off the fae gems, tearing the piece in two. Jewels scattered every which way. She reached up to the sky and screamed to the heavens, willing something, anything, to come.
Save them.
Her power was low, hungry for rest. The daily training had taken its toll. Still, her shadows answered.
They billowed down from the night sky, darkness enveloped in some sort of shimmer ripped down from the heavens. They had never looked that way before. So dark, yet full of light somehow. For an instant, those shimmering shadows gripped the necks of all three assailants and squeezed.
Dolion clutched his neck; the twins did the same. It lasted two seconds, maybe three, before the shadows died as Helaina’s scream faded. It’s all she had left, all she could give them.
It was all Callum and Theo needed. Callum got loose. As soon as their skin was no longer in contact, he bolted in a plume of smoke and appeared behind Balor, slicing his neck and reopening the same wound. “Stay down, you ugly fuck.”
Theo’s hand struck out, finding Dolion’s throat.
Dolion froze, suddenly speechless. Something . . . something was happening to him.
“Is she worth it?” Theo snarled in his petrified face. “I would massacre entire kingdoms to keep you from her.” His eyes went wild. “I’m glad she imbued you. Your torture will be more pleasurable. Rotting in the six will be a reprieve once I’m through with you.”
Dolion began screaming, wild and frantic, like a psychotic break was filling every corner of his mind. Theo’s nightmares seemed to be invading Dolion’s very soul, evoking unrelenting and unforgiving terror.
“I’m going to make you pay in pain for marking her. Before this is over, you’ll beg for death at my feet.” Theo’s black eyes bore deep, focusing all his energy on Dolion.
She watched Theo bring Dolion to his knees. He was an angel of death delivering justice. A righteous messenger of the gods. Theo’s demonic form now possessed a disturbing beauty she couldn’t turn away from.
When Theo finally tossed him in the dirt, Dolion stumbled backward, scratching and tearing at his face as terrible cries left his throat. His breathing was strained as his red eyes bulged out of their sockets.
“I’ll fucking kill you!” Dolion shrieked. “You’re all fucking dead. Keles will burn first because of you!” He pulled a gem from under his long sleeve.
Theo raised his sword overhead.
Benon scrambled to his feet and leaped to grab Dolion’s outstretched hand. In a flash of violet light, they were gone. Theo’s massive blade crashed into the grass where Dolion’s body had been just a moment before.
They’d left Balor behind. He bled still, but his wound was closing as he struggled for breath on the cool grass.
Theo drew closer, kicking him in the stomach to flip him onto his back as he coughed and hacked up more blood.
He placed his boot on Balor’s neck, making him squirm and hiss beneath the pressure.
She hadn’t thought one of those twins could actually look small.
Beneath Theo he was laughable, a rabbit begging a wolf for mercy.
Theo slashed his sword across his gut, an odd version of a warning as the helpless twin howled, clutching entrails before they flopped out from the deep incision.
Helaina didn’t look away; she found pleasure in the suffering.
She imagined Agatha had died in similar pain. She wanted Theo to cut him again.
Instead, Theo spoke in that low guttural voice of his. “You are going to tell us everything.”