The Entity’s presence is too corrupted and familiar to mistake. Instead of killing the basilisk in front of me, I let Crypt cut through it with his lighter sword as I turn. I don’t even have to look for him—my gaze immediately finds the immortal being who called me his.
He just entered his arena from a side entrance. Towering over the grey-draped necromancers and liches that surround him, Amadeus is exactly how I remember. Wearing the attire of ancient kings, sapped of all color, he’s an imposing skeletal figure with pitch black, whiteless eyes set in an emotionless face that would otherwise seem almost kind.
Like the rest of the necromancers in his court, his bald head is decorated with countless necromantic runes, but right now, he’s wearing his intricate crown that is still missing the piece of etherium I stole years ago.
The sight of him brings back more memories. Things I’ve forgotten on purpose, like my so-called father ordering two of his necromancers to force-feed me meat once he learned Irefused to eat it anymore. When I killed them, he locked me in the dungeons I was conditioned in and left me there for three days to fend off the Undead until I expired.
He had me fight in this arena every day for the last two years of my life in the Nether, threatening to feed Lillian to his court if I lost.
He molded me. Trained me. Called me daughter and gave me a purpose. He punished me severely when I wasn’t measuring up to his expectations of histelum,and offered the barest of acknowledgment if I ever exceeded those expectations.
In a sick way, I do have Amadeus to thank for the way I turned out.
I also have him to thank for taking away Lillian.
That thought makes me turn to face Amadeus more fully as I grip the handles of my blades. Cuttrina extends into my scythe, the etherium curve gleaming in the faint light of the green fires burning around this arena. My heart pounds in a rhythm that tells me either something big is about to happen, or it really is malfunctioning this time.
Holy fucking shit,Baelfire says through the bond when his attention finally falls on the king of the Undead now entering the arena.Fake Daddy’s here and he’s horrifying.
That has each and every member of my quintet snapping to attention as they get their first glimpse of the being who has ruled and corrupted the Nether for thousands of years.
Silas scowls from his spot near my left as he wipes enemy blood off his face.You’ll have trouble getting to him through all those casters,sangfluir. I can take them out for you.
Quit trying to be a hero. We’ll all take those assholes out,Everett says, flinging another spike of ice that impales two demons together with ease. He moves to my other side.
I could just roast all these fuckers,Bael suggests, already swiveling his neck as a royal blue glow starts to rise up the scales on his neck.
Don’t,I warn as the group of liches and necromancers draws closer through the battle, demolishing everything in their path.I recognize some of those necromancers. They’re marked withvita lathantiemcharms.
What the fuck is a feet alot than TM charm?my dragon shifter asks.
My gods, that was rough to listen to,Crypt cringes.
When an enemy swarm of half-rotted Undead see their cruel master in their midst, they panic and bolt towards my quintet in pure fear. Silas whispers a necromantic incantation, and dark magic consumes the Undead at once, eating away their rotting skin and insides until their bones clatter to the ground.
Silas’s nose starts bleeding slightly. He pretends not to see my scowl of frustration at the sight of his strain as he wipes the blood away, replying through the bond.The charm Maven mentioned is also called a life force link. Whichever necomancers carry the charm can revive each other—all it takes is one to survive for the rest to rise again.
You’re saying they all have to be killed at the same time,Everett summarizes.Great.
Lighting them on fire would work, then,Bael points out as his wings flare out, his throat glowing once again as he crushes a nearby ghoul under one big, clawed hand.
They wouldn’t send all of the linked necromancers out at once,I explain as I finally start toward Amadeus’s slowly moving group.
Right. I’ll hunt down the missing link,Crypt says as he drops into Limbo.
Don’t let it become a fight, or Amadeus will see it and know our plan,I warn.
Easy as pie, darling.
The rest of my quintet moves to flank my sides as I stride to meet Amadeus on the floor of his arena. I reap a few newly dead spirits as we walk, the hollow whistle of my scythe barely audible as the battle shifts. Allies and enemies alike are quick to move out of the Entity’s way, but they don’t want to be near my advance, so a clearing is starting to form.
With every step I take forward, all I can think about is the first time Lillian heard the mantras that were being drilled into me.
I had recited them to her.“I feel nothing. I’m on my own. I need no one. I am but a weapon who is one with death. I am nothing but deadly calm.”
“What? None of that is true!”she’d snapped, so upset that she accidentally knocked over several chess pieces before swearing in fae.“Thatscútráche.No, Maven. You are so much more than that.”
She was right all along.
