I lurch forward with a cry, pulling out of Roman’s and Koda’s hold, but then I see that Tyrus’s wound is barely bleeding where he lies on the ground. It appears that Esta hasn’t had enough practice using her claws to kill because she merely scratched him. I’m sure she’ll learn, but it looks like Tyrus got lucky.
I hope that he will stay down and, when he opens his eyes to glare at Esta’s back, I give him a short shake of my head.
Don’t get up.
His forehead creases as if he disagrees, but he remains where he is. Possibly because my father is also glaring at him around Roman’s tall form.
There’s no need for Tyrus to die.
Esta stops ten paces away from us and holds out both of her hands to Koda and me like we’re old friends. “Come with me sister, brother. We have a fight to finish. Join me in the arena and let’s get this over with. Unless you’d like to die right here and now.”
This time, I’m ready to pull out of Roman and Koda’s hold, but I’m suddenly aware of Roman and my father exchanging glares.
From the corner of my eye, I note the unspoken communication passing between them and then, I’m a little thrown when Roman releases me to barrel his way toward Esta, drawing her full attention.
His form shifts as he moves, his height increases, his claws extend, and his armor adjusts to accommodate the changes.
“Where is Crone?” Roman bellows. “Where the fuck is she?”
As he charges toward Esta, she takes a quick step back before she rallies and stands her ground. “Back off!” she screams at him. “This fight is between me and my siblings. We’re bound!”
She slaps her hand against his chest and he lurches to a stop. But now he’s standing right in front of her, blocking my view. I can’t see her face, only hear her snarl. “The Elimination must go on, Lord Rune, and you can’t do a fucking thing about it. Or will I see if I can take your soul? The soul of the great and fearsome Lord Rune. Imagine what I could do with all that power.”
“You could not control it,” Roman growls, muscling his way into Esta’s path when she huffs and tries to stalk around him.
I don’t hear what she says in reply because my father wraps his hand around my arm and pulls me back toward the prison wall.
His touch is startling, and not only because it’s the first time he’s breached the gap between us.
The temperature of his skin is well below what I would call normal. For all I know, it could be in the regular range for him, but the gray pallor of his skin tells me otherwise.
He leans against the prison’s outer surface, and I suddenly realize that he didn’t deliberately pull me toward it—hefellagainst it—and now it’s keeping him standing.
“Dad? What’s wrong?” I thought he was exhausted from walking through the energy storm, but now I’m concerned it’s more than that.
“I didn’t want to tell you… My life fades, Nova,” he says. “I knew this could be a risk once I returned to Mortem’s environment. I am a demon without power or soul. I am… practically human, and no human can set foot in this world and live more than a few seconds. It’s only because of the sliver of power I still control, and my demon essence, that I’m still alive, but my body and my remaining energy can’t survive long in this environment. Without my soul, I will soon perish.”
His grip hardens as my shock deepens. Close beside me, I sense Koda leaning in, listening, and hear the catch in his breath. Shocked like I am.
“Do you remember what I told you about souls and power?” my father asks.
I struggle to process what he just said, let alone recall anything in this moment, but I take a deep breath and scream at myself to focus. If he doesn’t have long, then everything he tells me is important.
“I remember,” I say, running through it quickly in my mind. We need to make Esta take her true form. Only then can we kill her original soul. And only then will all of the other souls she controls be released.
My eyes widen as I realize… That includes my father’s soul.
I also remember what he said about provoking Esta’s fear.
“Fight her in front of an audience,” I whisper.
I meet Koda’s determined gaze. “She wants to fight in the arena,” he says. “Let’s give her what she wants.”
“Good,” my father says, closing his pale eyes. “That’s good.”
“Esta!” I shout as Koda and I step away from our father. “If you want to be Mortem’s Queen, you’ll need to kill us both.”
Ahead of us, Roman finally steps aside and lets Esta through. His stormy eyes meet mine. His job of running interference is over and now he’ll watch my back once more, but the sadness in his expression also tells me…
