Chapter 35
Chapter
Thirty-Five
Isunk all my power into my voice. Stop.
It was instant, like someone pressed pause on the remote control of the whole realm. Everyone froze. Even my friends behind me.
Oops. Too much.
I pulled back, feeling the tendrils of power as they extended through every atom and molecule in this place, removing the command from behind me. Thank goodness, it only extended a few feet.
A loud cackle sounded, echoing through the eerily silent realm. “Bitch, I can’t believe you would try that on me again.”
“Sorry,” I called out, aiming my apology towards the water behind—and above me. “I didn’t mean to.” I glanced back.
The sea witch reared out of the ocean. Somehow, she looked bigger than when I’d seen her last, at least five times my size now.
Her terrifying silver-blue tentacles branched out like boa constrictors from her thick waist, splashing and writhing in the water.
An enormous grin split her human-ish face in two, a full circle of razor-sharp triangular teeth on display, and her tangled stringy-green seaweed hair was now brushed and scooped up in a sensible bun.
Her new grooming habits didn’t extend to wearing a bra. Two huge, bare breasts floated out from her chest, waving gently from side to side as she splashed in the upside-down ocean.
She giggled. “I like this view. It’s different. Unusual. Thanks for the invite, Candy.”
Candice, standing on the observation deck, gave her a wave. “No problem, Jen.”
Donovan unfroze first and turned around. His eyes widened.
“Go on, then.” The sea witch giggled. “Bring them here. I’m starving.”
Cress spun around. Her face went even paler.
I turned towards the Devourer’s army, frozen before me.
It was just a fraction of the faces I’d seen in my nightmare in the Under—it could have been much, much worse—but it was exactly the same.
Twisted furry faces, frozen screams, brandished teeth and claws.
Pale-skinned creatures with red eyes and bared fangs.
Gaunt soldiers with hollow cheeks stood motionless, still holding fireballs in their palms, ready to hurl them.
Not just individuals, they were one. A collective, united by one command. To kill us all.
The original plan was for me to throw them one-by-one into the ocean, where, according to our intelligence, a good number would drown.
Candice said that it was almost impossible to get out of the water, since they’d put it upside-down.
Vamps avoided water in general, not having any way of knowing whether it was holy or not, and apparently, it wasn’t considered “manly” in shifter circles to learn how to swim.
This was better.
I sank power into my limbs and raised my hand. “Up.”
The whole army lifted into the air. My siren command dissolved, and they started to writhe and bellow, flinging their arms around and screaming.
The sea witch cackled behind me.
I dug deep and pushed. It was easier than I expected; the magic leapt to my command. But it took all my reserves of energy.
“Come on!” The sea witch howled. “Death to the patriarchy!”
I strained. The remainder of Connor’s army rolled over our heads, spinning in the air…
And splashed into the waiting tentacles of the sea-witch.