Covenant

by Sabrina Benulis

  Troy’s wings tensed. Her stomach fluttered nervously. Nina’s injury could be helped, but where was Juno? Troy straightened as much as the surrounding rocks would allow and sniffed the air, letting her ears do their work. Her keen eyes searched the darkness. Finally, she spied a tiny form huddled beneath a rock, its ragged black wings wrapped tightly around a body layered with little cuts.

  Watch Nina, Troy said inwardly to Fury.

  Juno’s gaze locked with Troy’s, her infantile eyes wide and moist. But she didn’t move.

  Troy neared her cautiously, and then settled down by Juno’s side with her own wings folded tightly against her back.

  Juno was bleeding, but otherwise she just seemed to be in shock. Troy tried to remember how her sister Hecate behaved when the other chicks were hurt. She tried to think back to the care her own mother desperately gave her. Leaning over, she clasped one of Juno’s arms and slowly began to lick away the blood.

  Juno whimpered and curled into Troy’s side, trembling. Her little fingers clutched one of the Hounds’ teeth, fallen from one of the corpses.

  “You did well,” Troy said. “Hecate would have been proud of you.”

  Juno took a little courage from the words and tried to show a braver face. They both knew that it was a miracle she had survived. Juno may have been the heir to the Underworld throne, but she was weak and a poor hunter. “Look, Auntie,” she said with a hiss, holding out the tooth.

  Troy broke away from her cleaning regimen and took the tooth from Juno, using one of her nails to dig out a hole. Troy then tied the tooth into Juno’s hair, settling it next to the chick’s much smaller trophies. Juno shook her head, and her eyes brightened at the sound of the bones and teeth rattling together.

  “Clean yourself,” Troy snapped at her, shoving Juno aside as the chick clambered back toward her.

  Juno took on a wounded expression but settled into licking at the blood on her arms and wings.

  “Now stay here,” Troy said, and she wandered back to where Nina rested.

  This time Nina noticed Troy creeping closer. The girl scrabbled backward despite her pain, rocks flying everywhere, momentarily horrified by Troy coming so near to her when she was so vulnerable. Fury screeched in distress. Then Nina seemed to remember where she was and why, and she slumped against the stone, completely exhausted by the pain. “Where’s Angela?” she croaked pathetically.

  Troy growled. “The demon must have taken her. We are now on our own.”

  Nina’s face showed her fear, but she overcame her agony and tried to sit up to talk better, maybe even stand. Fury hopped nearer to Nina and clucked in displeasure.

  Troy clamped a hand on Nina’s shoulder and shoved her back down. “Not yet. It is too soon for you to move.”

  Nina slumped down again and rubbed at her tears. “How long will we have to stay here?”

  “Until you can actually walk again,” Troy said. “Perhaps a day. It is all we can afford. The only other solution would be to cut off your leg and carry you. Either way, you will lose the limb eventually.”

  “Cut it off with what?” Nina shouted.

  Troy showed her teeth.

  Nina shook her head violently. “I’ll wait a day then.”

  “Of course,” Troy said, not unsympathetic.

  She sat on her haunches by Nina’s side and tore some of the hem of Nina’s dress. Slowly, Troy bandaged the wound. Nina gritted her teeth and sometimes screamed, but overall she sucked back the pain with admirable bravery. At the end of the process she was left sweaty and gasping, but the worst was now over. Her adrenaline would give her the painkillers she needed to keep going. That, and perhaps her concern for the Archon.

  “I think that giant snake interfering was too convenient. And the rocks falling . . . Do you think it was a trap, to separate us from one another?” Nina said after a short silence.

  Troy grunted. “You would be a fool to think otherwise.”

  “Will that snake demon kill Angela?” Nina said even more desperately.

  “No,” Troy said. “It is clear enough that he needs her alive. It is us he doesn’t want here. Me especially.”

  Rocks tumbled nearby. Nina flinched, but Troy already recognized the familiar scrabble of little nails on stone. Juno’s head popped up over a boulder, and then the Jinn chick climbed down the stone and over to Nina to curiously examine her injury. Troy held Juno back when she came too close. The chick was hungry too and couldn’t be trusted around a weak human’s wounds without supervision.

  “But,” Troy continued, “he will know eventually that this attempt to destroy us has failed.”

  “What next?” Nina said, coughing with pain. “We have to get out of here then—”

  “Not yet,” Troy snapped. “You are too weak.”

  “Then leave me,” Nina shouted. “Angela needs you . . . not me.”

  Troy stared at her. “Never question why you exist and why you are where you happen to be. There is always a reason.”

  Nina looked at her wound and sighed.

  Troy examined the shadows, her ears flicking nervously. “It is far from ideal. But we have no choice but to remain here for at least a few more hours. You must gather your strength. Juno and I must sleep. Even hunters like me cannot work miracles . . .”

  Despite another glare from Troy, Juno curled next to Nina searching for warmth.

  Nina stiffened, but when it became clear Juno wouldn’t hurt her, she visibly relaxed. She stroked Juno’s wings, tears of pain still rolling down her cheeks.

  “Are you going to join us, Auntie?” Juno whispered with a little hiss.

  “Yes,” Troy growled at her. “Now be quiet and sleep. I will make sure to feed you when you awaken.”

  Juno watched her suspiciously, but eventually her golden eyes sealed shut. Fury returned with a strip of meat and swallowed it hastily before Juno could notice, then fluffed into a black ball on top of the little Jinn’s warm back.

  Troy settled beside them both in silence, but even when Fury and Nina also finally fell asleep, Troy did not stay completely true to her word and remained awake as long as she could, gazing out into the misty blackness, listening to the interrupted cascade of the Styx, searching for danger that could arrive at any moment.

  For the first time in a long while, Troy broke down and let her wings shiver violently. Troy was afraid of few things but failure. Right now, she could not fail.

  More than life depended on it.

  Troy awakened to the noise of movement against rock.

  She cursed herself inwardly for falling asleep, then cracked open an eyelid, searching the fog for signs of danger.

  Their surroundings hadn’t changed. Nina, Fury, and Juno slept curled together, their breathing timed to one another, the rise and fall of their chests slow and even. Troy watched them, swiveling her ears to catch the slightest sound. Nothing. It wasn’t until her eyes had started to close again that she heard it.

  A low and deep hiss. The sound of scales rubbing smoothly against stone.

  Troy pushed up onto her hands and feet and peered into the shadows. There was the flicker of orange eyes, and then they blinked out. Faintly purplish glowing mist filled the air. A chilly breeze swept from nowhere and played with Troy’s hair and feathers. She tensed her muscles, completely on the alert.

  Abruptly, Python stepped out of the darkness and nearer to her field of vision. He was far enough away to stay out of immediate danger, but still close enough to keep Troy ready for the worst.

  “What do you want?” she hissed lethally.

  “A ludicrous question,” Python said softly. “You knew I would return.”

  Troy flexed her fingers, rubbing her nails together. “Where is the Archon?”

  “Safe,” Python whispered. “And that’s all you need to know.”

  “Liar.”

  “Not at all,” Python said. “You also know it is in my best interests to keep her alive.”

  Troy snarled angrily. “Alive doesn�
�t mean safe.”

  Python smiled.

  The hair began to rise along Troy’s neck. Rage bubbled up within her. “Why not come closer so that I can rip into your face again? If you want to play, play with me. Leave the human and the chick out of it.”

  “You see”—Python shook his head—“that is where you’re wrong. I didn’t come to fight. I came to talk.”

  Troy snorted in amusement. “You do enough of that already.”

  Python’s eyes flashed with irritation, but he regained his smooth composure quickly. “Troy, I have a pronounced aversion to your kind. You know that well. After all, am I not a legend to your ragged little race? And I’ll admit, one of the crowning achievements of my life was to watch your namesake city fall, to see you all dispersed like vermin to every corner of the Underworld.”

  Troy clenched her nails into the ground so hard one of them snapped.

  Python’s snake eyes bored into her. “But you are a different one, Troy. I have taken interest in you since I first heard the tales of a Jinn hunter that was so feared, some of the rival Jinn Clans begged the demons to exterminate you. Seeing you in person like this is almost an honor. Despite what I had to suffer for it.” Python rubbed the wound on his cheek. “But I am not like my mother. I can let the past go, even if you cannot.”

  Troy stretched her wings. “You are testing my patience with your incessant flattery.”

  “Not flattery,” Python retorted. “The truth. You are different from most of your kind. Smarter, better senses, and dare I say somewhat more attractive on your own pitiful level. Perhaps I am not going too far in saying you are the epitome of what the Jinn can be, but most are not. Such a pity about your sister . . .”

  Troy stiffened. “You know of her death?”

  “Not just me. All of Hell. And from what I’ve heard, you are now an exile, abandoned by your own Clan because you chose to protect the Archon and Hecate’s runt. Correct?”

  Troy said nothing.

  Python sat down on a rock and leaned back, crossing his legs. “But that isn’t the only reason you’re here, is it? You don’t just want to protect the Archon. You want to return home. You want not only the safety of your world, but to enter it again as a hero. I suppose you think the death of your half-bred cousin will give you that.”

  He knew about Sariel? Troy shivered, her ears pressing back against her skull.

  “I know where he is,” Python whispered. “I can lead you right to him.”

  Troy froze.

  Python’s thin lips took on another smile. “Come with me, Troy. You and I can do each other much good.”

  “Why would you help me?” Troy snarled.

  “It does seem quite the mystery, doesn’t it?” Python laughed. “But if you need to know, I believe in you, Troy. Your sister was a pain to deal with and was frankly a weak and ineffective ruler for your people. You—on the other hand—I see as much more powerful and wise. You, I know, would put aside the old prejudices to keep your people alive. Yes, the runt is in the way. But what would it cost you to leave her and the human behind? Even better, kill the chick and you will automatically be Queen of the Jinn, correct? And I would make certain that your people would acknowledge the fact.”

  Troy stared at Juno, sleeping peacefully with one ear twitching. Juno was much like Hecate—impulsive, clumsy at hunting, and regrettably weak at the worst times.

  Troy had suffered much to keep her alive. But would Juno be enough to keep the Jinn as a whole from going extinct?

  Her heart began to race. Troy licked her lips.

  “How easy it would be to just snap the chick’s little neck,” Python whispered. “She’d never even know. The same with the human. And, after all, what is she worth? No more than a walking pile of meat. Meat that could keep you alive, healthy, satisfied. It would only take seconds to make life easier for yourself . . .”

  Troy breathed harder. Her vision swam.

  “It must be so hard,” Python continued, “to always live at the service of others. Keeping them happy and alive at your own expense. How much better to be Queen and turn the tables for a change.”

  Troy leaned over Juno. She saw Hecate dying. She saw her own mother starving to keep her alive. She didn’t want the cycle of death to continue on and on, pitifully unchecked. And worse still, Sariel continued to escape her. Troy reached out and touched Juno’s neck.

  “All it takes,” Python said, “is one twist of the wrist. Just one.”

  Juno rustled in her sleep. Her legs shuffled. “Auntie,” she hissed softly.

  The word scorched like lightning through Troy. She snatched her hand away from Juno and rounded on Python.

  “No deal, snake,” she growled and flapped her wings violently.

  Troy leaped for Python’s neck. He dodged out of the way, leaving the nails of her hands and feet to scratch powerfully into the rock. Troy unhitched her nails from the stone.

  She dropped back to the ground and raced for Python.

  “You’ll be sorry for your arrogance, you ragged crow,” Python spat at her. “An idiot’s refusal demands an idiot’s reward.”

  Before Troy could slice into his face like last time, the purple mist surrounded Python’s body and he disappeared. His orange eyes were the last thing to vanish.

  Troy skidded to a stop among the jagged pebbles.

  Fury had awakened and flew to Troy’s shoulder, screeching in anger. Behind her, Troy could hear Juno and Nina awakening. They began to shout and begged to know what was happening. Juno galloped to Troy’s side and growled out into the darkness, her miniature hackles raised, and her wings stiff.

  “The snake returned, just as I warned,” Troy said, turning to face Nina.

  Nina stared at Troy with wide eyes. “And?”

  Troy breathed hard. “And I told him he wasn’t wanted here.” Troy growled furiously at her. “Enough questions!”

  “But—”

  “Silence,” Troy hissed dangerously. She slumped to the ground, folding in her wings. She gasped for breath as if she’d fought for hours, gritting her teeth and staring into the darkness. Her wings shivered, then her entire body. No one dared to come near her for a while. At last, Juno crept closer.

  “Auntie,” she whispered.

  Troy ached to swat her away. Sariel had been so close yet again. Now that chance was gone. Troy’s people were at the brink of disaster, and here she was stuck in a cavern with an injured Revenant human and a Jinn chick who couldn’t catch a spider properly. She clenched her teeth and tried to keep herself from doing something rash.

  “Auntie,” Juno hissed, “whatever happened, it is over now. You are safe.”

  Troy relaxed a little, still shivering with anger.

  “Thank you,” Juno said. “For whatever you did.” She clasped Troy’s leg.

  Troy grabbed Juno’s arm and made to fling her violently aside. She relaxed and let go at the last second. “Come,” Troy said to no one in particular. “We will leave now and go forward. It is no longer wise to stay here.”

  No one spoke. But they obeyed and either hobbled behind or followed Troy to the only opening available to them in the cavern. The path was extremely dark, lit only by a few embers every one hundred feet. Nina would have immense difficulty in seeing, but she never complained. Troy led them in silence and refused to answer tentative questions put to her about what had happened. Yet the more she walked with Juno by her side, the stronger she felt, and the more a pride she’d never experienced before worked its way down to her soul.

  It would be difficult. But there was no doubt inside her anymore.

  Troy had made the right decision.

  Nina read signs when they appeared, Troy did her best to catch and follow her cousin’s scent, and after a while the journey settled into some kind of odd routine as they wound down, deeper into the labyrinth, probably closer to Lucifel with every step. Juno and Fury knew enough to stay in the background and communicate with each other through silence rather than words.r />
  That left Troy and Nina to walk side by side through the long darkness.

  Troy couldn’t express the fear she felt inside. There was no proof, but she knew that Angela was in trouble and that they had to hurry. But the pace couldn’t grow any faster with Nina injured and weak.

  Nina often fell silent, her face taking on a grim expression that could have foreshadowed tragedy.

  The lack of any other living presence in the labyrinth was troubling.

  The demon who had lured them inside enjoyed the cruel game of seeing his victims struggle in his maze. Any period of relative quiet now seemed like the prelude to a grand trap. Troy’s wings quivered nervously as they exited a low and excruciatingly narrow passage. It dumped them into a cave that was more like a room with smoothly carved walls. The ceiling was so high that the torches set in its reaches resembled the stars. Troy knew that the labyrinth had to be connected at some point to the demon city of Babylon, and now she and the others appeared to be coming closer. Hieroglyphs covered the walls.

  Nina ran her hand along the carvings, her face pale in the flicker of unearthly light. She muttered the passages, reading them to herself until she stopped, visibly afraid.

  “We’re trapped,” she whispered.

  Troy stared at her, her ears trying to catch any suspicious noise. “This entire maze is a trap. Do not speak unless you have something more useful to say.”

  Nina shook her head violently. “The writing says there’s no way out. We’ve reached a dead end.”

  “Impossible.” Troy stomped over and shoved Nina out of the way, attempting to read the demonic script herself. Juno hovered by Troy’s side, glancing from Troy to the wall and back again.

  The words were hardly legible. Surely Nina had made a mistake.

  “Stay here,” Troy ordered everyone. She escaped into the blackness surrounding the flickering light and tried to inspect the fringes of the chamber. It was long and rectangular, the walls covered in writing that appeared ancient. Yet besides the narrow passage they’d used to enter, there seemed to be no real door out. Fury soared overhead, examining the areas Troy hadn’t bothered flying to reach.

  After a few minutes, Troy returned and Nina heaved a sigh of relief.