I back away from her, the heartstone pulsing in my hands.“In the world out there?No one’s perfect.So I know there are devils in here, but there are devils everywhere.Keeping them penned up?It didn’t fix anything.”
Freya collapses to her knees.“You’ve just brought my prophecy to fruition.”She coughs again, covering my one decent tunic with even more red splatter.“You’ll save Hyperion, but the blessed will be doomed in return.”
“Good thing I’m bonded to their savior, then,” I say.“And if you’d be a doll, could you give your son his memories back before you die?”I toss my head.“Because it has reallysuckedfor him not to know who I am.”
“Only he can retrieve those,” Freya whispers.“But, old friend, I have one last thing to share.”She grabs my wrist and pulls me closer.“The one thing you truly desire, it’s always been in your grasp.”Her smile—I can’t tell whether it’s kind or smug.Before I can ask her what the heck she means, her eyes close and she gasps.
“You couldn’t have told me how to use this to heal Hyperion first?Really?”I stand.
I should probably be sad, but I barely know Freya, and let’s be real.She lived a long freaking time.It’s tragic she had to die, but she had it coming.
Before I’ve even figured out where the door is, the white-but-not-substantial walls around me start to literally crumble.Azar!I push the call as hard as I can.Where are you?We need to get out of here,now!
23
Axel
The last time I entered the lava, it wasn’t by choice.
I think that makes a difference here.
My last experience, I forgot as soon as I left.It was part of Liz’s deal with Freya, and while I hate that she did it, I understand why.Here, with my memories intact, I understand entirely.Liz has been the one suffering, really, not me.I’m sure it’s been harder on her than I can even imagine, especially knowing how angry I was with her when she was trying to do the right thing.
More than any being I’ve ever met, Liz always wants to do the right thing.She’s as opposite the monster she fears as anyone I’ve ever met.And all she does for her bravery, for her self-sacrifice, is suffer more.I’m standing in my human form for the first time since, well, since right before I was hurled into the lava by the very brother we’re here trying to save.
Hyperion always meant well.
Hemeanswell, I repeat, because I’m still holding out hope that Liz might somehow save him.She’ll do anything to save him now,because Coral’s life’s hanging in the balance.Losing that little spitfire wouldwreckmy warrior queen.
I wish I knew where Liz was.
Instead of writhing in lava while creatures come at me, I’m floating in a room that isn’t a room.It’s somehow an overlook—like I’m standing on a balcony overlooking a courtyard, only the courtyard’s lava, and the overlook doesn’t actually exist.When I focus on my feet, it’s especially strange, because while itfeelssolid, there’s nothing underneath them.
I hope Liz found Freya, because I’ve got nothing.
The creatures who look distorted in the lava are sharp and clear here.They are humanoid, sort of, but they have horns, and massive underbites with protruding, bestial teeth.Some have small horns and some large.Some have teeth the size of my thumb, but much taller, sharper, and they’re stained dark yellow and orange.Others barely have incisors at all.They’re sitting, standing, milling around, arguing, snapping, and snarling.
Not a one of them looks happy.
But they aren’t burning, either.Most of them are walking around in what appears to be relative comfort, wearing only bizarrely shredded loincloths, metal-studded leather strips, and various rags.But when I look out a little farther, the lava looks hotter, brighter, andmeanerin a way I can’t quite explain.The creatures out there are watching something.
I have to assume that’s the entrance of the volcano.
The closer they are to the outside world, the hotter and more miserable it becomes?It’s an ingenious kind of trap—stay away from the exit, or you suffer even more.If this Freya is my mother, she’s at least clever.I can’t tell quite what I’m doing here, though.As I watch more closely, I realize that some of the creatures are male, and some are vaguely female.They’re all so unattractive and deformed in appearance that it’s hard to differentiate at first.
I lean over the nonexistent ledge and call out.“Hey, beasties.Can you see me?”
Their heads snap sideways and they rush toward me, climbing on top of one another, clawing their way toward me.
Whoops.
“Food,” one of them snarls—in our language, not the English I’ve almost grown accustomed to using in this form.
As if the others just needed a little encouragement, more come from seemingly nowhere.At this rate, they’ll reach me in the next two to three minutes by flinging themselves on top of one another and rising to my level from sheer mass.They seem to be limitless in number, coming from I can’t tell where, and I’m regretting drawing attention to myself.
I cast around for any sort of weapon.In this weak, useless form, I can’t use my claws, my teeth, or my tail—honestly, it’s a miracle the earth children have survived like this at all.They do use their brains well, sometimes.Every interaction I have with that cursed Gideon makes me wish I’d eaten him the first day we met.
I’m not sure Liz would ever have forgiven me, but otherwise we’d all be way happier...
