At this point, I don't fucking blame him.
I swear and rub my face, moving to Maven's side to feel her arm. She's freezing and pale, her hair a dark mess around her face, and she remains unbreathing.
Everett mutters a quiet prayer to Galene, the goddess of life and healing. When he speaks to me, his voice is hollow.
“That was the Entity.”
I gently check Maven's pulse. It's still missing.
“As she anticipated, he's threatening her,” I mutter, anger slowly replacing the lingering fear.
A dragon roar from somewhere far outside the cottage briefly draws our attention before Crypt reappears with a groan, slumping into one of the dining room chairs. He's covered in burns that are quickly healing as his clothing smokes slightly.
“How is she?” he rasps, gaze on Maven.
“Expired.” I rub my face.
He swears. “I fucking hate this.”
“We all do,” Everett mutters. Then he pins us with a look. “Maven has her plans. She's driven and does whatever it takes to get shit done, but right now, she's doing it on her own. What have we done for her besides tag along and try not to get killed?”
“Very little,” I agree, glowering out the window. “She's no longer fighting us, yet she does everything necessary for her plan entirely on her own. If we could just contribute something,anything…”
We all consider it until Crypt tips his head.
“Suppose Maven succeeds, and the humans in the Nether manage to make it into this plane of existence. I assume our clever keeper has a thorough plan to help them out of hell, but what then?”
Everett frowns. “So many humans arriving out of nowhere will cause mass hysteria, especially because it was thought impossible. The media will run rampant, the human government will be scrambling…and you know what? There may be more than just humans slipping into this world. The weaker the Divide gets, the more surges of shadow fiends will escape.”
“The Nether humans will need somewhere to go, not to mention supplies and healing. Knowing what little we do of their lives there, it’s safe to assume they will be in dire condition,” I muse, casting the Frost a long look. “If only we knew someone with deep pockets and shady connections who could fund suitable aid in preparation for their arrival.”
He nods slowly, thinking. “Although, it will be a pain in the ass to keep my connections from stirring up rumors.”
“Leave that to me,” Crypt smiles darkly. “It's amazing how tight-lipped people become when their sanity is on the line.”
We're all quiet again for a moment, considering this new pursuit.
“When it's all over—when the humans are safe and Maven has fulfilled her blood oath…” Everett sighs. “What happens if she doesn't fulfill her purpose as a revenant?”
That question has been weighing on my mind, too. Guessing by Crypt's unusually somber expression and the way Everett can't stop rolling and unrolling one of his sleeves, we're all equally dreading the answer she hasn’t given us.
We're such a morose trio that I startle when Maven speaks.
“Gods. You guys look like someone died or something,” she jokes.
Crypt immediately moves to the bed, pulling her into his arms. She peers over his shoulder at me, appearing exhausted.
“How long was I out?”
“Not long. But,imasangfluir…we need to talk.”
21
MAVEN
“Something troubles you,”the Garnet Wizard notes.
That's a fucking understatement.
