Golden beams of light ripple up and out from her fingertips, arcing over our heads. We crouch low as the waves spread through the hazy air, and at first, fear races through me that she’s about to drag the souls from every demon sitting in the stands, but the golden light washes toward the jagged gap in the arena’s side.
Forms appear within the opening. They are misshapen but horribly familiar, a patchwork of green leaves and charcoal dust clinging in a humanoid form.
They whisper a single word, and it chills me to the bone. “Hungry.”
They’re discarded souls, starving and wretched. Hundreds of them.
CHAPTERFORTY-FOUR
The souls spill through the gap in the arena, their number splitting and pouring down each side of the battlefield close to the imprisoned demons.
I fought a single hungry soul in the Forbidden Lands, and it was nearly impossible to kill. It wrapped its hands around my neck and tried to siphon off my energy, starving for the vitality it needed to make itself whole again.
Only my nightmare power ended it.
All of these souls should be in the prison, not pouring onto the battlefield, where thousands of defenseless demons will become their source of energy.
“What a shame you’ll be too busy fighting me to save those poor demons,” Esta says with a smile.
My instinct is to run to the demons and defend them—and I’m aware of Koda bouncing on the spot, as if he can’t decide which opponent to face. It’s a cruel choice that Esta is forcing us to make, but the sooner we end her, the sooner we can deal with the souls and protect our people.
Without warning, Esta strikes out, her power shooting toward my chest, but I’m ready for it. Freezing-cold energy screams through my arms and into my hands, streaking across the space between us and meeting her golden light, the two powers colliding and flaring before they spread like shields, pushing against each other.
Koda’s cobalt power strikes like lightning as it joins with mine and we extend our arms, our entwined powers gaining ground until the cobalt-streaked darkness glints in Esta’s panicked eyes.
Koda warned her that we were at our full strength this time, and we will use it.
Behind us, I’m aware of Roman’s battle with Crone, the explosions of power between them building at the other end of the arena, a new kind of energy storm forming that reflects across the ground at our feet. I can’t tell who’s winning, only sense that Roman is still alive, and for now, that’s what matters.
But up in the stands, demons are screaming, and from the corner of my eye I see a demon fall, their lifeless body drained to the bone, discarded onto the battlefield. Another lifeless demon follows, their body falling into the dirt as the souls finish feeding on them.
Angry, frustrated tears burn down my cheeks.
I can’t help them. Can’t turn away from Esta.
“Fuck!” I scream, which only makes Esta laugh despite the strain on her arms as she digs in her heels.
The red, leathery patches on her skin spread farther up her face as dark whorls drift from her chest and strengthen the glow of her golden light. Like us, she can combine two powers, and my father’s strength now gives her the traction she needs to start pushing back.
As another body falls from the stadium, a second scream of frustration forms on my lips, but suddenly, a growl sounds within my mind. A beautiful, fierce growl.
“We’re here, Nova.”
I gasp as an enormous swarm of bats soars through the opening in the stadium, their shrieks filling the air as they split into two groups and shoot down each side of the arena.
A dark-furred beast and a silver mare race along the ground below them.
Reaper and Wild Girl!
My heart leaps with renewed hope to see the ferocious demon wolf and the horse with the silver mane.
“Destroy Esta,” Reaper growls. “We’ll stop the souls.”
Nightmare energy can kill the souls, and demon wolves are creatures of nightmares. So is Wild Girl. So are the bats. It is the images of these very beasts that adorn the outer wall of this arena. They are creatures to be feared. Creatures I trust with my life.
I focus back on Esta and what I need to do.
“Esta!” I shout, drawing her attention away from the bats before she can be tempted to attack them. “Is this the extent of your power? Is this all you can do? The demons of Pyra-Mortem could never love someone as pathetic as this.”
