Chapter 25
“You stay with me,” ordered Aello as Fay relaxed on surging her bond with Abe.
“As you wish, my Queen.”
For a terrifying moment there was nothing – from his end all was quiet, too quiet. Then, the feint flutter of energy. He was alive, just barely. His immortality gave him resistance to time and disease, though a serious enough wound would end him, send him straight to Tartarus. She sent a pulse down the bond, praying it was enough to stir him. Nothing echoed back.
She withdrew and found her eyes settling on one of the smaller cabins, right next to the central one. Two wolves, despite the fray before them, remained obediently sitting there. She glanced to Tash but she was gone. Amanda was in front of the main cabin, battling off a series of smaller demons. She shredded them with her claws and teeth, leaving a pile of carnage around her. Yet the more she obliterated the more that flocked to her, drawn by her dark energy.
Reluctantly, Fay tore her gaze away and bled through the fray to the shadows of the cabin. She followed the invisible thread binding her to Abe and carefully passed inside. It was similar to the main cabin; smaller, just two rooms off the main area. Only one door was locked. Fay stepped back and kicked the door – it shattered beneath her kick, shards flying back. She hurried inside.
A wounded figure was chained in one corner. Her heart froze. The thread tightened.
“Abe?”
Slowly, he lifted his head and blinked blearily, disbelieving she was standing there. “Fay? You’re here?”
In a flash she was kneeling in front of him, her hands on his chain – pain burst up her arm. She yanked away with a startled cry, clutching at her stinging hand.
“What the hell?”
Enchanted Olympian steel, said Andromeda thoughtfully. I have an idea but, I have to ask, are you ready for me to break what remains of your bond with this man?
To save him? Fay asked quietly. Yes.
Hold out your hand and let me take over. It will be brief, I swear, said Andromeda.
Fay did as she was told and closed her eyes, relinquishing to Andromeda reluctantly. In a flash she felt it, that rush of power and her own spirit being pushed aside. Her hand no longer hurt but there was something in it. Then, as quickly as it had come, Andromeda retreated, a little too quickly – as if she was hurt somehow. Fay looked to the sword that appeared in her hand. It looked like…
“Oh, my gods – is that what I think it is?”
Yes, that is the sword of Hades. I bound myself to it long ago. I can call it but it’s second master will call it soon enough, she said quietly, her voice fading with each word.
Fay tightened her grip instinctively on the sword and it didn’t burn her. rumours had always said the sword would destroy the soul of anyone who dared to touch it. Yet, in her hand, it felt right…and Andromeda acted as if it was her sword.
It’s second master, Andromeda had told her. So, did she think of it’s master, too?
“That sword,” whispered Abe, startled. He looked up sharply, critically eyeing Fay, as if she saw both souls inside. “Andromeda?”
Fay stared back, the words frozen in her mouth. After a moment that stretched seemingly into eternity she nodded, slowly. Within her, she felt Andromeda’s anguish at seeing him. Whatever tangled past lay between Andromeda and him part of her still loved him, just like Fay, even if it was still a small part.
“She’s…helping,” said Fay awkwardly as she swung the sword down onto the chains, shattering them into dust.
Abe slumped forward, catching himself. She reached for him to help. He flinched away and stood.
“Andromeda does what she wants for her own gain,” he said with a surprising edge to her voice. His hard eyes softened, just a little, though likely only for Fay’s benefit. “I’m grateful, really. It’s just complicated.”
“I’m here now. You won’t order me away – you can’t.”
He met her stormy eyes and nodded, slowly. It burned him not to send her away, to do what he felt he had to do to keep herself. She only hoped that he saw he’d only do more damage if he tried.
He won’t risk it whilst I’m here. I am the thing he cannot control, the force he cannot predict – it’s what drove us apart. I am the storm and he is the walls that tried to hold me in. In the end, I destroyed him. It is my nature, mused Andromeda. I loved him as a human but I am not a human anymore…I am…more.
Maybe he sensed the presence of Andromeda inside Fay. She eyed him closely for a minute, as if daring him to stop her and she recoiled from within. Once, she trusted his word, his actions but that was gone, now. In truth, it’d been shattered long before they came to Lake Elysium.
As he opened his mouth to speak a thunderous explosion ripped through the air. The shockwave sent Fay stumbling forward, straight into Abe’s arms. Another tore through the air before silence fell sharply. Fay stepped quickly from his arms, though she caught sight of his hands reaching for her, just for a moment. His arms fell heavily back to his side. She turned sharply to the door, her hand firm on the sword.
A heavy silence smothered the room, punctuated only by the steady breaths of Fay and Abe. She opened her mouth to speak.
“Fay Childers, I know you’re out there. Come along now!”
Ice rushed down Fay’s spine. She’d run out of time.
“You can’t confront her,” said Abe, though there was no Command in his words.
She didn’t stop as her hand closed around the handle and she yanked the door open. “This ends now.”
Abe could only stride after her as she went to the front door, dissolving into shadow as she drifted through and out into the fray. Aello was beside her in shadow, glancing her an arch look.
“Can I come out and play now?” She asked mockingly.
With a snap of her fingers Fay summoned only herself into the light. In the corner of her eye Abe appeared at the front of the cabin, two Immortal wolves, both heavily wounded but equally dangerous, whom had him cornered. He hesitated, met her gaze. Through the bond she sensed his weakened state, which meant he wasn’t going to save her.
She dragged her gaze from him across the carnage where Amanda and Tash stood, the former’s eyes icy blue. They stared back, unflinching, no emotion betrayed. Unlike her mistress, whom grinned from ear to ear, as if she’d finally caught her prize.
She wants me, mused Andromeda, as if the fact was little more than a small joke to her. Fay wished she shared the feeling.
“Where are the others?”
Tash whistled. Two wolves nearby her parted, a couple more appearing, dragging up an unconscious Mel and Ben in their mouths. Ben was still in wolf form, his fur matted with dark blood. Her heart squeezed. Schooling her face she looked up, slowly, calmly.
“Why are you doing this?” She asked.
“You know why. The reason is in you – literally,” she laughed at her own little joke.
Fay drew a deep breath. “I know you’re after Andromeda. Honestly, she’s so bloody chatty in my head right now. I don’t blame you but why you? I thought-“
“I was human?” Tash mocked. “God, I thought you, of all people, would see right through me. I thought, great! A hellhound in town. I thought you could join me, help me in my mission, help me claim our place amongst the Gods.”
She wants to kill me and use it to make Zeus reward her, said Andromeda. Fool.
“You’re not helping,” muttered Fay.
“What?” Tash snapped.
Fay waved a hand. “Not you. As I said, she’s chatty.”
Tash’s eyes narrowed. The fiery student was gone, the mask having fallen away. Whatever Athena had stripped her down to was on display; that cold, determined expression on a hard, unforgiving face. She was determined to prove Athena wrong, make the Goddess see she was capable of destroying Andromeda. Of doing what Zeus couldn’t do apparently.
“So, your plan was, what? Make an army, go after Andromeda in Tartarus and what? Become a Goddess? You have to know Zeus won’t let you live, not after what you did with the Elixir,” argued Fay. “You’re as much of a dead girl walking as I am.”
Tash merely smiled. Whatever her plan was she wasn’t going to disclose much more to Fay. It seemed, as far as Tash was concerned, Fay was right where she wanted her to be.
“Oh, I’m not dead and not out of little surprises. This one isn’t for you, however,” she said with a snap of her fingers.
Amanda vanished for a split second, returning with a sword in hand. Fay felt Andromeda go eerily silent within, her shock bleeding through Fay like a dousing of icy water. Fay wanted to ask what it was when she felt Andromeda snap; power surged through her limbs as she ripped control violently from Fay, hurling her into the passenger seat. Andromeda stepped into control and took a step forward.
“Where did you get that?” Andromeda’s hardened voice bled through Fay’s, thick with rage.
“Oh, this little thing? It wasn’t easy but it was worth it. After all, you’re a person with very few weaknesses and he was your biggest one, wasn’t he? What happened to him again? I’ve heard so many stories.”
Andromeda trembled with fury, her focus solely on the sword. Fay tried to dig around the connection, see if she could draw on a vision – or even peer into Andromeda’s memories. No luck. Whatever it was Andromeda had that sealed up tight.
“You were a nuisance before, a threat to this girl before but you just made a mistake. You’re mine.”
Amanda glanced to Tash, awaiting an order. With a nod from her mistress Amanda tightened her grip on the sword and glanced back to Andromeda, whom was already surging forward. She barely had time to react before Andromeda swung her sword. Metal collided in sparks. Andromeda shoved hard, sending Amanda staggering back. She steadied herself and rolled to the side, surging to her feet as Andromeda swung her sword again.
“That sword is mine,” snarled Andromeda. “You have no right to touch it.”
Andromeda parried off her blows, though just barely. “Then take it but I won’t let you kill my mistress. I won’t go to Hades, I won’t lose my soul.”
“Then I’ll send you to Tartarus myself,” spat Andromeda.
“You can try.”
“Gladly.”
They fought on but Andromeda was too fast, too experienced. Amanda was on the defensive, battling to deflect blows. She was getting tired – fast. With each minute that passed she slowed, her blocks getting sloppy. Andromeda was relentless, bearing down on her ruthlessly.
Don’t kill her Andromeda. She’s only doing this because Tash is making her, urged Fay but it fell on deaf ears.
All Andromeda wanted was that bloody sword and Amanda wasn’t going to give it up, not whilst she was still breathing. It was a fight of wills, one that she felt Amanda had no chance to win. Not as Andromeda dropped low and swept her leg out beneath Amanda. The girl had barely any time to react before she was on her back, pinned by a rush of energy from Andromeda, a sword at her throat. She froze, staring back with unflinching eyes.
Andromeda’s wild eyes locked on the sword, still firmly held. Without speaking she swung the sword.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
