‘Death walks upon my shore,’ it said. ‘And not one, but two daughters of Hades. How curious. How strange. You come to ask something of me…’
‘A name,’ Mal called out, her spine held straight, her voice like steel wrapped in silk. She would not show fear, not to this beast, not to anyone.
Livyatan loomed ever closer, the yawning cavern of its monstrous mouth casting a shadow over them like an eclipse. Yet Mal did not flinch. She stood unmoved, as if carved from the very stone of defiance.
‘Which name would that be?’ the sea-king rumbled, its voice a low tremor across the waves.
‘A witch,’ Mal answered, lifting her chin. ‘Her name is Allegra.’
‘Ah, yes... She lingers within this ring of mine. The realm of envy,’ the creature intoned, its great bulk shifting as though the weight of ages rested upon it.
‘Why?’ Mal asked, unable to stifle the question that burnt at her lips. She caught the warning in Thanatos’ eyes but ignored it.
‘Who is to say, Goddess of Shadows?’ the beast replied, its tone woven with amusement. ‘Those who perish with envy coiled within their hearts, who lived their days with the green sickness threading their blood find themselves here, prisoners to their own desires. And now, you would steal one away.’
‘I need her help,’ Mal said, voice unwavering.
‘Then you may have her,’ the sea creature declared, with a ripple of dark humour that made the skies above shudder. ‘But there is, of course, a price.’
Naturally. There always was.
‘What is it?’ Mal asked tightly.
‘A soul, for a soul.’ She could almost hear the grin in its voice, wicked and vast. ‘I shall lend you Allegra, the witch you seek, for whatever time you desire. In return, you will offer me another soul, one I may bind to my ring until the witch is returned.’
Mal’s breath hitched. Her fists clenched as fury flared within her. ‘No,’ she said sharply. ‘I will not condemn another to such a fate.’
‘There must be another way,’ Thanatos cut in, his voice a low warning, edged with desperation.
‘There is not,’ came the thunderous reply. The beast began to retreat, the sea folding over its great body like a shroud. ‘That is the bargain. Take it, or be gone.’
Mal turned to Thanatos, her heart pounding. She needed Allegra’s magic, her knowledge was essential. But she would not trade a soul to earn it. She would find another way. Another witch.
Something soft brushed against Mal’s hand, a whisper of movement that sent a chill racing up her spine. She turned and froze.
Makaria stood at her side, silent as moonlight, her mismatched eyes aglow with a terrible and unfathomable calm.
‘No,’ Mal said firmly, her voice trembling with fury and grief.
‘I don’t mind,’ Makaria replied, a soft smile curving her lips. ‘It’s only until you’ve learnt the craft. Then you’ll return for me.’ A flicker of something darker passed through her eyes.Uncertainty, perhaps the quiet fear that no one ever would. That she might be left behind, forgotten in this cursed place.
‘We’ll find another way,’ Mal insisted, tightening her grip on her sister’s hand as if sheer will alone could anchor her to the shore. ‘There are other witches.’
Makaria exhaled, her breath a feather’s sigh. ‘You’re running out of time, Melinoe. And witches willing to help a god-killer are not easy to come by.’ She smiled a small, wistful, almost shy smile. ‘Let me do this. I never had the chance to be your sister, not truly. Let me be one now. Let me help you.’
Mal’s fingers clamped around Makaria’s arm the moment she moved. But it was too late. The great beast laughed, a rumble that churned the sea itself.
‘A daughter of Hades, offering herself for the good of another?’ the sea king mused, clearly delighted. ‘What a delicious little twist of fate.’
Its massive head descended, mouth yawning wide like a chasm ready to swallow the world.
‘Makaria…’ Mal surged forward, panic rising in her throat, but Thanatos caught her, arms like iron as he held her back.
Makaria stood, waist-deep in the water, her black dress soaked and clinging to her like a shroud. Yet she looked regal, unshaken, a true goddess of the Underworld.
‘Don’t forget to come back for me,’ she said, casting one last look over her shoulder, her voice soft and steady.
And then she stepped into the gaping maw of the beast.
