I was supposed to stop the Empty.
But when it mattered most, I failed.
17
Chapter 17
Rain drizzled from the heavens. Maybe the gods mourned the tragic loss of life. Drops traced down the sharp cliffs, like tears falling down a cheek.
If others had survived the catastrophe at the outpost, Seth and I had yet to encounter them. We’d ridden into unfamiliar territory, a valley tucked in the mountains through which no roads crossed. The underbrush grew thick, tangling around jagged boulders and red-leafed trees.
I could see the Empty behind us, a speck of black against the dreary sky, where the bounds of the abyss rose to touch the sun. Placing a hand on a tree, I pulled my foot from the tangled vines growing beneath it. Something snapped behind me—a person stepping over fallen leaves and branches, but I paid them no mind.
An assassin come to slit my throat would be welcome.
Seth joined my side. “I don’t see anything or anyone. My best guess is we’re east of the road.”
“Are you any good with maps?” I asked.
“Yes.” He took the blonde mare’s reins. “But Eleos had them.”
Ice shot through my heart at the sound of his name. I touched my cheek, remembering the panic and despair I’d felt when he hadnot answered my call.
I’d tried to reach him a few times, shouting into the void, hoping he’d hear me, or read my mind like he always did. Nobody answered.
“Let’s get moving.” Seth yanked the reins and walked away. Whisper followed him, pausing to sniff my hand before plodding on.
Running a finger across my palm, I remained frozen, unable to rip my eyes from the Empty.
“Are you coming?” Seth barked. “Or are you determined to be a burden?”
His sharp words snapped me out of my reverie. Turning on my heel, I trudged after him.
Seraphim had the Maiden’s Bloodstone. Maybe. . . maybe she and Percy were alright. They would’ve shielded Eleos, too. After all, the two had only been across the street from us, a mere twenty paces away.
We walked in silence. Anger bristled off Seth like waves of heat, and I kept my distance. Well-deserving of his ire, I kept my head bowed and stared at the rocky path, looking up only when my horse struggled to cross the mountainous terrain.
The clouds in the sky darkened as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed above. Heavy raindrops plummeted over the mountain, picking up in speed and intensity as a storm swept over us.
A bolt lanced through the air, striking the mountains ahead of us. The blonde mare reared, and Whisper ducked between my feet, trembling. Reaching down to soothe the hound, I wiped rain from my eyes, but the relentless wind only blew more into my face.
Seth halted, cursing, head whipping around. “We should find shelter.”
“It’s just a storm,” I shouted over the howling gales.
He glanced back at me, flinching as another lightning bolt struck the ground behind us. Whisper shot out from between myfeet, disappearing into a shadow painted across the mountainside.
“Maybeyou’rebrave enough,” Seth calmed the horse and guided her to the cavern Whisper had found. “But the dog isn’t.”
Cavern proved too strong a word. The entrance was barely large enough for the horse to fit through, and by the time she’d fled into its safety, there was scarcely enough space for one person, let alone two.
Darkness closed around me as I ducked inside, pressing myself against the cold wall. Seth sidled in across from me, chest a mere inch from mine. I watched the pounding rain and flashing lightning for a few moments before noticing him staring at me.
His jaw tautened, and his eyes twitched. He looked primed to explode.
“I thought,” he snarled. “You were supposed to control the Empty. The Maiden’s chosen, or some rot.”
“I. . .” I trailed off, looking down.
