I stared in disbelief as Riven’s face warped. Morphing into the same features as the man pinning him to the ground. His hair shortened and changed, mirroring the male that pinned him to the ground. They looked identical. It was as if he had made himself into an exact replica. Taking advantage of the distraction, Riven grabbed a fistful of snow and threw it into his face. He pushed his hips up, throwing the initiate off balance. In a tangle of limbs, somehow Riven now straddled him, spinning his knife away from his body and squeezing his throat with his other hand.
His face returned to his own as he squeezed the life out of his attacker. The initiate struggled, legs thrashing against the ground, but Riven’s grip only tightened. The initiate’s eyes were glassy. He stilled, arm dropping limply to the side. Riven rose slowly, the lifeless body sprawled beneath him, its neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
“I think you just received your Sanctum!” Dreya said excitedly.
Riven grinned at her before searching the dead body. “No medallion,” he said as he came up empty handed.
“But where is the rest of his squad?” Roman crossed his arms, looking around the small clearing.
Hadley was facing a dark alleyway. She exhaled sharply, flexing her hands. The air shifted around us.
I pivoted, my hair whipping me with the sudden movement. Two initiates were running towards us, swords raised. Hadley threw out her arms and wind roared. An invisible blast of air sent the initiates flying, slamming into the stone wall. The bodies crumpled against the ground, eyes fixed and unmoving.
Hadley laughed, staring down at her hands with open delight. “I did that?—”
Her words cut off mid-breath.
A dagger tore through the dark and sliced into her throat, blood spraying as the blade sunk to the hilt. Her eyes went wide with shock, mouth opening in a soundless, wet gasp. She staggered, hands flying to her neck as blood spilled through her fingers and splashed against the snow-dusted cobblestone.
I hadn’t realised I’d moved until I was there, catching Hadley as she crumpled forward. Her weight collapsed into me, slick and heavy, her breath gurgling against my ear.
Panic crawled up my spine as I looked past her into the darkness.
“You’re okay. It’s okay,” I whispered, feeling the weight of the lie on my tongue.
Where had it come from?
The shadows stretched deep and unmoving. Too thick to see through. But I couldfeelthem.
“Dreya,” I whispered, my voice breaking as I tightened my grip on Hadley. She didn’t hear me. No one did. Her attention was fixed on Riven as he rifled through a fallen initiate’s pockets. “Riven?—”
“Got one!” Riven yelled, his voice slicing through the eerie quiet as he yanked free a medallion and held it up with a triumphant grin.
Roman returned his smile from where he was crouched over the other body, searching for anything useful.
“Riven!” I shouted, panic tore through me as Hadley gasped violently.
Their heads snapped towards me.
Dreya’s hands flew to her mouth.
Roman grimaced, turning away as if he couldn’t bear to look.
“It came from that way,” I whispered, my gaze locked on the darkness. “They are there. I can feel it.”
The mist pressed close, swallowing the scent of blood sharp in the air.
Hadley’s fear-filled eyes stared up at me, her breath slowing as she gurgled and choked on her own blood.
“You’re free now,” I whispered as I wrapped my hand around the dagger protruding from her throat.
A sound slipped from me before I knew what I was doing. Low and soft. A melody drawn up from somewhere deep within me, vibrating through my chest and into my bones.
I pulled the blade free with a wet squelch. Blood flooded down her neck and spread across my leg. Hadley’s body shuddered once and went still. My song threaded through the rush of blood, through the roar of my pulse pounding in my ears, steady and consuming.
I did not recognise the tune, but it belonged here.
I hadn’t liked her. But she didn’t deserve to die in a game for Gods who had turned their backs on us.
