“You keep your mouth shut!” Andrew slapped Kelly so hard her head snapped to the side, effectively removing her from Saska’s blade.
Lance charged Saska, his sword leading the way, hoping that Ariana would take his cue and head for Andrew.
Caught up in the moment, he was almost at Saska, his blade mere inches from her chest when the first bomb went off and Lance went flying backward to thud against a tree.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Locked In
I scrambled to my feet, Lance closely following, twirling around in the dust storm created by the bomb, trying to find my bearings.
I was expecting to hear shouts, war cries, bellows. But instead I heard grunts, groans, and not in the dying kind of way.
The dust cleared and panic hit.
There were beasts down, to be sure—eyes gaping, mouths open, blood coated and dying—but not as many as I’d hoped.
Out of the woods came my tribe, weapons in hand, ready for battle.
But that wasn’t the whole scene.
The pack came charging from all directions. More beasts than we ever would have guessed, double the numbers of those who lay dead. For every Huntress there were at least four, and they took advantage of the surprise.
Greer and the tribe were corralled between beasts and trees, facing Saska and Andrew. Greer caught my eye, gave a minute shake of her head as she gripped her sword tighter. Ready to fight despite the unfavorable odds. The air was thick with tension. Muscles twitching, fists clenching, fangs bared.
“Oh, Thia, you always do have to make a grand entrance, don’t you?” Saska cackled as one of the beasts pushed Ella forward. She’d been untied and ungagged, presumably on Greer’s orders before the attack. Now she stood facing her sister, no weapon in hand, looking pale, her body trembling.
Was she scared? I frowned. She was evidently weak, the shackling that Greer had given her hours earlier still in effect.
“You’ve gotten what you want, Saska. The Huntresses are trapped,” Ella growled, her voice hoarse. “And you’ve got Kelly. Your plan is playing out to perfection.”
Saska frowned, tilting her head to the side as she studied her sister. “You’ve betrayed me haven’t you, Thia?” Her tone was laced with poison but not surprise.
A chill skittered across my nerves.
“No matter, dear sister.” Saska stepped closer to Ella. “I’ve learned something since you’ve been gone.”
I snapped my gaze to Greer who flexed her fingers, raising her hand as if to tell me to hold for a moment, her eyes riveted to Saska.
“I’ve learned that what makes you a Huntress, gives me what I need to fuel my spells. Call it a soul, life essence, magic, whatever. When a Huntress dies, I have enough power to open a portal and release more beasts.”
One of the beasts moved in a flash, gripping Ella by the hair and yanking her head back as it ripped into her throat with its massive fangs. Blood jetted in an arc as the beast released her neck with a roar.
Saska moved in then, taking her sister’s face between her hands as the beast held her in its arms.
I made a move, a slight shift. I could mend that wound. I could save Ella from bleeding out. Why wasn’t Greer doing something?
I raised my sword, readying to launch.
Greer beat me to it. She hit the beast that was holding Ella with some kind of blast, a surge of power that boomed. Knocking it on its back, taking Ella down with it.
She was wielding power. Ella’s power. She must have taught Greer how to cast a spell.
The blast caught Saska off guard, pushing her back, her surprise making her wobble, undefended when Greer tossed another blast her way. The brunt of it appeared to hit Saska’s shoulder, burning her as it arced from Greer’s fingertips to Saska’s flesh.
The woman cried out, fury evident as she stumbled back a few more steps. Her other hand came up to touch the burning wound on her shoulder, the clothing frayed and blackened. She glared up at Greer, hatred burning in her eyes.
“That was not playing fair, Huntress,” Saska growled.
“If it’s a game you’re after, trust me, it’ll soon be over.” Greer lifted her hand as if to launch another spell, a nod in my direction at the same time.
Her voice was in my head. “Get to Ella, Ariana, stop the bleeding. I’ll take care of this bitch.”
In that moment of distraction, while Greer was talking to me, Saska swept her hand, fingers splayed and Greer went from standing to flying through the air like she weighed nothing. She landed with a hard thud and a groan against a nearby tree. She collapsed in a heap, eyes closed, body crumpled up. I could make out the rise and fall of her chest and breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn’t dead.
Saska smirked. “The game isn’t over until I say it is.”
She moved to her sister’s prone body. Kneeling next to her, Saska then pulled another blade from her waist sheath. “It’s a worthy sacrifice, Thia, trust me. You’ll be reunited with your beast once again.”
Ella’s eyes widened as Saska angled her blade against Ella’s neck, slicing deep, cutting through the wound that the beast had made.
“That was taking too long,” she mumbled before she rose.
I wanted to run to Ella, wanted to scream, to stop it but I knew it was no use. She was dead within a minute, the light from her eyes extinguishing as I watched. Anger burned within me. But one look at the scene made me hesitate again. Every Huntress had at least four beasts surrounding her, all with blood-thirst in their eyes, fangs dripping, claws raised. Lance glanced at me briefly, his eyes telling more than words could.
We’re fucked.
When Saska stood fully, she stretched her arms out wide, seeming to breathe in all the air around her. I felt the spark of magic there, felt it like a jolt in my blade, from tip to handle and coursing through my body. Ella was dead and Saska had taken a part of her essence… I looked down at my blade and saw a pulse of light, a subtle flash. Saska had taken Ella’s essence, but not all of it. I’d gotten some too. What that meant I didn’t know. Maybe we weren’t fucked after all.
“Retrieve the prophecy, Andrew. I have a date with Lazarus that I mean to keep,” Saska said.
“Kelly, my sweet,” Andrew coaxed. “Let me in, baby. Just like the old times, let me in.”
“Will you let Lance and the Huntresses go?” Kelly’s voice was shaky, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared into Andrew’s eyes.
“No, Kelly! Don’t make any deals!” Lance bellowed. “Don’t let him in! Whatever he agrees to is a lie!”
“Open the portal, Saska. I’ll get the prophecy one way or another.” Andrew nodded, a subtle gesture that was barely noticeable.
“Kelly!” Lance flung himself forward, intent on stopping Andrew.
With a cruel laugh, Saska spun, launching her blade so that it impaled Lance’s leg, halting him in his tracks as he crumpled down on one knee. As if it were on some kind of elastic string, Saska pulled the knife out, making it fly back to her hand in a spray of blood. Before I could get to him, the blade hit again, this time in the gut, only to be once again yanked back by that invisible thread. Lance groaned as he slid to the side, hands clutching his abdomen.
“I can do this for hours,” Saska laughed.
“It’s all a game to you.” Greer was on her feet, her own blade in her hand, and it seemed to be shimmering with power.
Saska let out an exaggerated sigh. “Will someone please take this bitch out for good?” She motioned to the beasts.
Greer raised her weapons, blade in one hand, sword in the other. “Bring it on, beasties.”
I ran to Lance, skidding on the dirt as I slid to my knees. “Fucking hell!” My T-shirt was filthy, and tangled up under my various sheaths and holsters. “I don’t have anything to tie this off with. I need to mend these wounds before you bleed t
o death.”
“No, save Kelly,” Lance said as he pulled his shirt off with a grunt. He ripped a strip, moving to tie off his leg wound. “I’ll mend myself. Go and get Kelly out of danger.” He nodded behind me.
I followed Lance’s line of sight and immediately made eye contact with Kelly. She shook her head and then turned back to face Andrew.
“The prophecy is there for the taking, Andrew, I can see it forming.” Kelly closed her eyes. “Come and get it.”
“Saska, sheath your blade and get that portal open,” Andrew shouted.
Lance shoved me back, forcing me to rise. With my sword still in hand, I was unsure what to do.
As Andrew placed his hands on Kelly’s head and closed his eyes, a glint of something caught my attention I turned my head, watching as something shimmered through the air. I trailed its arc, confusion making me question what I was seeing. It looked like a…water balloon? When it hit the ground, just at Greer’s feet, it shattered and a fine mist of liquid coated the beasts surrounding her.
The beasts screamed, clawing at their fur and flesh as the liquid dripped from their bodies, sizzling with whatever that ball had contained. It didn’t have the same impact on Greer, though. And with a wicked smile, she lifted her sword and brought it down on the beast in front of her. Poisoning it with the slash of her blade.
More glassy balloons began raining down. Greer caught my eye and motioned for me to go for Saska, to take her from the flank while Greer came at her from the front.
I looked at the woman, too busy with her spell to realize that she was in imminent danger. Too cocky to see what was going on around her. Oh yeah, that bitch was going down. I nodded back.
We launched ourselves in unison, swords in hand, and I was certain this battle would be wrapped up in seconds. Just as I was within a foot of Saska, my body hit a wall that seemed to envelop me like a cocoon before shooting me back out again. My ass hit the ground for the second time that night.
“What the fuck?” Greer and I both grunted at the same time.
Saska had cast some kind of protective cover over herself. No wonder she seemed unfazed by the raging battle.
“Greer!” I shouted, my eyes growing wide as a black hole opened just behind Saska, growing in size as she continued to wave her hands and mumble her spell.
Greer scrambled to her feet, taking another charge at Saska only to be halted mid-leap by the outstretched arm of another beast.
She cut it down just as Andrew stumbled away from Kelly, unable to keep himself upright as he moved toward Saska.
“I have the prophecy!” Andrew yelled triumphantly.
And with the portal open, Andrew on his way to Saska, I charged, pummeling Andrew with the full force of my body so that he staggered to the side, his balance precarious. I righted myself and then hit him again, pushing him right into that gaping maw of a black hole that Saska had opened.
Andrew’s eyes grew wide with shock and then, in a flash, he transformed into his beast, clawing desperately to stay out of the portal. I stepped back, lifted the sword and then slashed his paws away. He yelped, snarled, tried to bite, but it was too late—he was getting sucked in. The portal was apparently two-way and it was hungry for bodies. I stepped back a few more paces, not wanting to get sucked in as well.
In a blink he was gone, and then Kelly began to screech in terror.
There was too much, a frenzy of things going on.
Greer looked at me, sword in hand, and then dove for Saska once again. This time she burst through whatever protective bubble Saska had, knocking Saska back before embedding her sword right in the spot where Greer had burned her earlier. She screeched as she pulled back, removing herself from Greer’s sword and fell to the ground. The moment her chanting stopped the portal began to close and Kelly’s screams grew more frantic.
I cut her down from the pole.
“Stop!” she screamed. “Make it stop, make it stop!” She clenched her head, her eyes squeezed shut.
“What is it, Kelly? Make what stop? Tell me what to do!” I didn’t know if she could hear me, her screaming so frantic that she was hysterical.
“I can feel him, he’s trapped. He’s calling to me.” Kelly snapped her eyes open, seeming to choke on the last scream. “Andrew is pulling me in.”
And her body began to slide, like she was being yanked by an invisible rope, straight toward the portal.
“Cut the bond!” Greer shouted. “Use the sword and cut the damn bond, Ariana!”
I snapped my gaze from Kelly, her slide toward the portal slow but steady and then to Lance, who tried to stand, his sword in hand, only to be struck down by a beast that was taunting him.
No! I jumped up, took a step toward him.
“Ariana!” Greer yelled. “Save Kelly!”
With eyes wide I looked at Greer. Her order was clear. Save Kelly was the mandate. No matter what the cost.
And so this was my choice.
The time to decide is now. Sacrifice your heart. Choose between your tribe or your mate. Condemn someone to death.
I turned to Kelly, my feet moving so slowly, like they weighed a million pounds.
Sever the bond. Keep Kelly out of Tartarus.
Keep her away from Lazarus, who was no doubt waiting for her in his hell dimension with Andrew now at his side.
Be the champion.
Sacrifice.
Greer spun, cutting down the beast she fought, one who’d stepped in to protect Saska, unprepared for the second one at her back. I jumped forward and slashed it down the middle with my sword. The blade sliced through his flank like it was made of butter. I was a warrior, a Huntress made stronger by the bond of my Hunter.
Blood splattered over me. Washing my face in gore as Greer cut down yet another beast headed our way.
Greer met my gaze. “You know what the right choice is.”
I gave a hard nod. “I’ve made the choice.” I held the sword up, offering the hilt to her. “You are the champion, Greer, not me. This role was meant for you.”
Greer stared down at the weapon, eyes blazing as she curled her fingers around the hilt.
“You make the choice,” I said before turning away, moving toward Lance as if in a daze.
I could be an Amazon Huntress and bonded to Lance. I could be the beacon of unity. I could do these things but only if Lance was at my side.
I pulled my sickle once again. My old familiar weapon of choice. The one that had served me well for decades.
“Hands off, beastie!” I screamed as I dove, slashing the monster back, tearing open a gaping wound as I hooked my sickle into its chest and spun it to face me. “You wanna fight?” I snarled. “Come and fight me.”
By the time I’d dispatched the beast, Lance was on the ground, bleeding out despite his crude tourniquet.
I knelt at his side and pulled his pants back to assess the damage.
He opened his eyes, pain and fear riding just there for me to see. “Where’s Kelly?”
“She is being saved, Lance.” I nodded behind me, knowing that Greer was taking up the challenge that I couldn’t.
His eyes grew wide, whether from what he was witnessing or because I’d slipped my fingertips in his wound, blasting it with my powers to stop the bleeding. He slumped into unconsciousness a moment later, his expression one of peace.
And my choice locked firmly into place.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Where the Heart Belongs
Lance couldn’t have been out for more than a few minutes, the pain of his leg wound subsiding as Ariana’s power took hold. He frowned at her; what was he missing? He looked past her to see Greer standing over Kelly as if she was going to…
“Holy fuck! Ariana, stop her!” He tried to move, tried to jump up to save Kelly from Greer’s sword, but it was too late. In a sweeping arc, Greer dr
opped the sword, swiping it across her chest. “No!”
Ariana shoved him back, forcing him down despite his efforts to rise again.
“She killed Kelly!” he growled, fury unleashing on Ariana as he struggled against her hand.
“No, Lance, she didn’t.” Ariana nailed him with a hard look. “Greer would never hurt Kelly. She’s too important.”
Lance paused, her words catching him off guard. Movement caught his eye and he watched in awe as Kelly started to rise. With the helping hand of Greer, she sat up, only a soft moan escaping her lips.
“What the fuck?” Lance could see that there was no wound on Kelly’s chest, nothing to indicate Greer had struck her.
“It’s the sword, Lance,” Ariana whispered as she tended to his side wound, pushing his shirt away so she could get a better look.
“The sword?” Lance squinted at the blade in Greer’s hand, then snapped his eyes back to Ariana. “You gave her your sword?”
Ariana gulped, nodded slowly, but didn’t speak.
She’d given up her sword. She hadn’t chosen it over him.
Overwhelmed with emotion, he gripped her face in both of his hands and pulled her toward him. Ignoring the yelp of surprise and the pain of his remaining wound, he sucked on her lips good and proper.
She pulled away from him on a gasp. “I—”
“I what?” he teased, “‘I want you more than some stupid sword? I realized what a stubborn woman I was being and finally came to my senses?’”
Ariana pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes and then jabbed her fingers straight into his wound.
It was his turn to yelp.
“I have to heal this.”
“Where’s Saska?” Greer asked as she helped Kelly walk over to them.
Ariana glanced up with a shrug. “I didn’t see what happened after I pushed Andrew into the portal.”
“She left with a handful of beasts,” Melonie said as she ambled into the small clearing, a satchel hanging from her shoulder. “I saw her get carried off when Greer severed Kelly’s bond.”
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