Chapter 25
Don’t look back, swore Fay, just keep running.
All around them demons fought viciously with Andromeda’s shadow creatures. Ravenous roars filled the air, choked screams puncturing through. The shredded bodies of demons lay strewn across the ground, not dissolving like they ought to. Instead, they just…remained. Fay didn’t want to think about what that might mean if Ben or she caught a bad blow.
They snaked through a labyrinth of tents and fire bits, barely dodging the carnage that unfurled around them. Ben shoved into her without warning, knocking her clear as a minotaur barrelled through. She straightened up, nodded at him in thanks.
“Come on. The quicker we’re out of this camp, the better,” he said, taking her hand.
She didn’t pull her hand from his. It felt nice, right even and suddenly the thought of facing Andromeda didn’t seem so terrifying. That somehow, she’d come out still herself. That she might just survive.
Hand in hand, they were off.
“How long do you think Andromeda can hold this attack?” Fay shouted as they rounded a corner, stopping at a dead end.
Ben glanced at her, looked uneasy. “As long as we need.”
She nodded and they stepped forward to take off again, only to have their path blocked. A minotaur stood before them, all eight feet of him, blood dripping from his horns. Without hesitating Fay stepped forward, one hand out in front of her. Ben didn’t fight her as she pulled away. The minotaur launched at her.
She felt a cold chill settle within her. “Stop.”
The minotaur stopped dead but strained against her control. He pawed at the ground, trying to push forward but her command kept him to heel. A feral snarl tore through his razor-sharp teeth as he gave another push. His mind surged against her.
She kept her hand up, trying to bear down on his mind, break him down.
“Ben-“
A dark shadow surged past her. Ben in his hellhound form. He launched up, clamping his jaw around the throat of the minotaur. Blood sprayed. He dug his paws into his chest and leapt back, taking with it the minotaur’s throat. As he landed, he spat out the bloodied mess on the ground.
The pressure on her mind eased at once and she dropped her hand, flashing him a grateful smile. He bowed his head and shifted back, the uniform unblemished from blood. His gaze flickered to the minotaur’s corpse.
“Demon officially tastes disgusting,” he muttered, then looked to her. “Cool talent. Can I learn that?”
“Maybe,” she said with a smile. “Come on.”
She held out her hand. Ben stared at it for a second, as if it was another thing entirely for her to willingly hold out hers, rather than accept his. He finally took it, gave it a firm squeeze.
They made it little further beyond the minotaur as several small demons appeared, momentarily surprised at seeing two people. Their shock wore off as they attacked. Fay and Ben split off. She darted out of the way as a small demon came at her, teeth bared. Dropping low, she spun out the way and threw her hands up, hurling bolts of energy. The demons exploded, blood spraying over her. She quickly wiped it clear of her eyes and threw herself to the side as another came at her, a harpy. In a flash, the harpy slammed into her, slamming into the ground. Sharp teeth gnashed near Fay’s throat but she had both hands up, summoning another bolt to her hands. The power surged and she threw everything she had upwards – a wave of black exploded from her, disintegrating the harpy as if it hadn’t existed at all.
Trembling, she dragged herself to her feet and looked around. Ben was a few feet away, his taloned hands tearing out the throat of a demon. As it fell to the ground he turned and froze, shock plastering his face.
“Fay – Fay, you’re glowing!” He exclaimed, rushing over.
He didn’t touch her however, though he did reach. She looked down at her hands. Sure enough, waves of shadow magic were rolling off her skin, as if it was bursting at the seams within her. With a deep breath, she tried to funnel it back inside.
“Better?” She asked Ben.
“Little bit. You feel okay though?”
“I feel…good,” she said carefully. “Look, it’s probably Andromeda.”
As if that was meant to make either of them feel any better, she thought.
Ben’s face twisted. “I don’t like how much control she has on you.”
“As opposed to Hades? Abe? I’m used to masters. She’s just one more I have to get rid of,” said Fay determinedly.
Deep down, she knew that severing the ties between her and Andromeda, that claiming her freedom wouldn’t be as simple as she wanted. There were deep ties binding her to Andromeda, far more than Hades.
“You really believe that?” He asked.
“I won’t stop fighting until I’m free, until I bow to no one,” she vowed vehemently. “That’s what I believe.”
“There room for another on that mission?” He asked suddenly. “I’m real sick of bowing to one master after another. After Ryan-“
She kissed him, then stepped back. “I’d like that.”
He gave a crooked smile.
The smile fell as he saw something behind her. Before she could turn, he grabbed her and threw her to the side, something flashing past her. She scrambled to get her footing and spun around only to watch Ben stagger back, clutching his shoulder. Blood dribbled between his fingers. Pain twisting his face.
She spun to where the attack had come from and stopped dead.
Nadia.
“What the hell?” Fay snarled, storming over, stopping again a few feet away.
Her eyes froze on the mark tattooed on Nadia’s forehead. A set of ancient scales, wreathed by fire.
The mark of Eris.
“Fay!” Ben shouted.
She spun around as Ben crumpled to the ground, Diana standing over him. Empty eyes stared at Fay, kindling a surge of fury. She stepped forward, summoning her energy when something slammed into the back of her head. Pain exploded through her. Darkness rushed up and swallowed her whole.
She felt nothing but the cold embrace of the darkness.
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