“We’re going to lose him!” Yue shouts.
“Keep on him,” I say. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She nods and dashes off, leaving the Maskmaker no time for reprieve. My heart worries for her, but I know she’s capable.
“Where’s the rest of your family?” I ask hastily, shoving my mask to the side. Wen breathes a sigh of relief when he recognizes me.
“Sooah saw them out to the jungle’s edge. Lost my little one and stayed behind to find him.”
“Get in the water,” I command. “And tell anyone else you come across. It’s too late to evacuate now. Climb into the canals, and the water will protect you until the worst is over.”
“But what are you going to do?” Wen asks, already making his way to the edge of the canal wall. The water is deep and murky, but he knows how to swim.
“I have to help Yue,” I say.
But the unspoken question lingers over our heads:How?To believe we can kill a god is both arrogant and foolish. And with enemies on all sides, how can we ever hope to gain the upper hand?
Behind us, a vicious growl. I turn just in time to see two demons disguised as humans, their hideous faces blistered and contorted by the very fire their master set alight. They must have brute-forced their way through the flames, driven only by their insatiable appetite. They dash toward us, eyeing the little boy in Wen’s arms with keen interest, but I’ll have none of it.
Drawing a dagger from my belt, I whip it toward them. It meets its mark, driving into the demon’s chest directly in the heart. The second one doesn’t so much as blink at the loss of his comrade. He comes for me, attacks me with his bare hands, but I rear back and land a flying kick. His neck cracks as his head twists nearly the whole way around before he slumps to the ground in a limp heap.
“When it’s safe, get the boy out of here,” I tell Wen. “Come back to help if you’re able.”
No sooner does Wen nod that I bring my own finished mask to my face and feel the transformation take hold. This—this is the only thing we have to turn the tide.
“Go help her,” Wen says.
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. Digging my claws into the ground for traction, I run off, leaving thoughts of the burning city behind me.
47Sonam
They haven’t gone far.Just a few city blocks and then around a sharp corner. She has him trapped in a dead end. With my newfound strength, I barrel toward Yue, swiping away errant demons with my razor-sharp claws.
The moment our eyes connect, I sense it.
A fiery determination. We’re capable apart, but together we’re unstoppable.
This ends once and for all.
The Maskmaker’s lip curls into a sneer. I can’t tell if his face is red and swollen with anger, or if his own fire is what’s painting his skin such a vibrant crimson. “Having fun with what’s mine, thief? I’m going to kill you both.”
Yue’s body is a coil, tightening like a spring about to burst forth. “No wonder the Heavens wouldn’t take you,” she says venomously. “No one could ever love such a wrathful god.”
“That’s rich, coming from you,” the Maskmaker says darkly. “Don’t tell me you actually care for these pitiful creatures.”
“I respect them. Something you’ll forever be incapable of.”
The Maskmaker laughs maniacally. “They’ll never let you forgetwhat you truly are, you know. They’ll turn on you the moment they have the chance.”
I take a step forward. “I won’t let that happen.”
He scoffs indignantly. “Two fools. Fine. Come to me and die.”
Yue charges first. I’m right behind her. We lunge at the Maskmaker just as he burns brighter and hotter, the flames consuming his body so scalding they appear blue. We come to a screeching halt. There’s no way we can get close enough. Even if we do, he’s ensured that we’ll suffer for it. The Maskmaker isn’t looking for a fair fight. Honor means nothing to him. The only way we’re going to stand a chance is if we stoop to his level.
I take a deep breath and let out a howl so loud it seems to shake the city itself.
“What are you doing?” the Maskmaker snaps. “Crying for mercy already?”
