When he opened his mouth, it was not his voice entirely that came out. “I know the way.”
20
HECTOR
This nameless dimension Bahmet created and controlled was his own personal twisted playground. And we, the contestants, were his toys. Scattered and misused. Promised to be broken.
Bahmet could create and conjure anything to his own will. This meant, theoretically, I could do it to.
Reality was not a concept that I could wrap my head around. Nor did I think I ever would. But between Arwyn’s encouragement, Romy’s heartbroken wails and Kai’sverydead body, I had to do something.
For them, my coven.
I closed my eyes and pictured… well, I didn’t actually know what I was supposed to imagine. My heart raced a million beats a second, and so much sweat soaked my back that my T-shirt was stuck to my spine. All I knew, deep down in my heart, was I needed a place that was safe. Somewhere sheltered, with warm rooms and supplies. It was hard to focus on what exactly that was supposed to be when Romy’s crying had reached new heights. The sound of grief, the familiarity of its song, cut me deep.
Giving up on my belief that I was going to be able to make a difference, I opened my eyes. But the moment I did, it was like a rush of a forceful wave came and swept me up, dragging my legs out from under me.
“I know the way,” I said, although it wasn’t really me speaking. It was something else in control, a power slowly inching its way over every one of my senses. “Follow. Me.”
Arwyn’s expression faltered as he took me in. Whatever he saw scared him. His bright eyes flickered over my face; even Romy’s crying quietened momentarily. She gathered Kai up to her, protectively bowing her strong body over his still frame, like a lioness to her cub.
“Do I repulse you?” the voice, which was mine and yet not, asked.
Arwyn stepped in, lifting hesitant fingers up to my face.
“Your eyes,” he answered, “they’re completely…”
I blinked instinctively at the mention of my eyes, as if something was in them that I had to get rid of. Like an elastic band being drawn out and snapped, I was thrust back in control over myself. When I opened my eyes, the lines of worry across Arwyn’s brow softened, a slight sigh escaping pursed lips.
“Completely what?” I snapped, wanting to reach up and claw them out of my skull.
“Beautiful,” Arwyn said.
My skin bristled, gooseflesh rupturing beneath my long sleeves. “It wasn’t me who was speaking,” I said. “It was Bahmet, or the part of him that lives inside of me.”
Arwyn took a moment to take that admission in, whilst Romy raised her voice and shouted. “But it worked. Lead the way… I’ll be right behind you.”
For a second I forgot what my purpose was, until Romy’s cries of anguish drew my attention back down to the corpse in her arms. Reminded of my focus, I looked around, spinning likethe needle in a compass, searching for something unseen but close.
“Yes,” I breathed, unsure how I knew. “Okay.”
Arwyn got to work gathering Kai back in his arms. I helped him, whilst Romy reminded us to be careful. Kai’s skin was as cold as fresh snow, and as hard as glass. And yet there was something fragile about him. A vessel without a host.
As one, we moved away from the cliff’s edge, not bothering to see how many Hunters had survived Arwyn’s avalanche, and what became of Tomin or Verena. Instead we pushed through grass that rose to my knees, kicking out to make a path.
Every minute that passed had me believing I had no idea where I was leading my coven. But something in me told me to keep going.
Ahead of us stretched fields and glades for as far as I could see. In the distance was the promise of a great forest bathed in shadow. I continued in that direction, kicking through the long grass until suddenly the resistance around my legs ceased.
My boots kicked over a loose stone of a path.
Quite literally materialising out of thin air, a crossroad revealed itself before us. Large, weathered stones rested at each of the four leading directions, marked with the telltale sign of north, east, south and west. I tried to focus on which route to take, knowing the decision was for me to make, but that dark needle in my gut wouldn’t stop spinning.
“Which way now?” Romy exhaled, wild eyes searching for anything that could help us make a decision.
I hated to admit defeat, but I was at a loss. “I don’t know.”
“You made this,” Arwyn said, not really a question but not a statement either. “Of course you know. Focus. Keep reaching out.”
