With just a thought, three sharp tendrils slither down from the tree poised to strike. I release the branches wrapped around his neck and as soon as the reddened skin is revealed the tendrils dart towards him. Impaling his throat in three places. He lets out a gargled cry as blood spits from his mouth. They remain in place pinning his neck to the tree. Alistair’s breathing is ragged and I become aware of a tightness in my throat. I swallow to try and clear it but as Alistair coughs making blood run down his chin the tightness becomes an ache. I manage to keep my expression blank as I turn back to Hades.
“Free my father and his pack.” I command. “Or would you like to see your son choke on his own blood before I rip his throat apart?”
“Gaia will not grant you the power to kill him. Your threats are meaningless.” His callous tone would be convincing if not for the slight narrowing of his eyes.
“Gaia has given me more than enough power. She will not stand for your sick games any longer!” My desperation is fuelled by anger and frustration. I don’t want to torture Alistair further but I have no choice. The quicker this is done the quicker I can let him go.
The tendril going through the centre of his neck pulls out and points at his chest. He takes a desperate breath in as his airways clear and winces as he pulls at the two spines still embedded through him. The wound in his neck starts to heal again but slightly slower than before.
I encourage the thin tendril to grow into a branch. Strengthening it. Then smaller branches grow from the very end creating a claw. Alistair’s eyes widen when he sees it reaching towards him. I glance past Hades face to my mum and she is white as a sheet but stoic.
Turning my back on Hades, I look at Alistair and slowly move the clawed branch towards him. It reaches his chest directly over his heart. He stiffens as he strains his eyes to watch it. I pull open his shirt revealing his bare chest. I can’t look him in the eyes as it pierces his skin. He groans in anguish and the sound resonates in my ears. Once its deep enough to almost touch his heart, I strengthen it as much as I can. It hooks under his skin, bone and muscle. I force it to pull apart, ripping a hole in his chest. His shouts become deafening screams as tears leak from the corners of his eyes. Its blood-curdling and debilitating. Blood spits from his mouth and nose and joins with the cascade pouring from his mangled chest. The ground at his feet turns crimson.
The pain in my chest makes me want to double over in agony but somehow, I keep myself standing straight. I feel aspray of blood hit my face and bile swirls in my gut. I wince as bones pop and crack as the branch rips his ribs in half. I feel sick and my head spins at the immense power I’m pulling from the earth. It’s almost too much to contain. My entire body feels like it’s shaking from the effort. I can’t let myself feel anything about what I’m putting him through. The only way I can continue is if I try not to care. I wipe the sweat and blood from my face.
Alistair’s cries bring tears to my eyes. There’s so much blood pouring from the giant, gaping wound held open by dripping, bloodstained wood. Through it, beating frantically in the sunlight is his heart. I stare at it transfixed and horrified at what I am capable off.
As Alistair’s cries turn to strained moans, I force my poker face back on and turn back to Hades. His eyes are wide and frozen with blackness swirling around the icy silver. His laughs are gone and, in their place, utter shocked silence. His mouth is a grim, tight line.
I reach my arm into the cavity of Alistair’s mangled chest and wrap my fist around his heart. It’s hot, wet and strong as a rock, yet smooth, slippery and soft at the same time. The constant rapid thumps pulse against my hand. Alistair’s head lolls as he fades in and out of consciousness. Exhausted from the torture I’ve enacted upon him.
“Free my father and his pack.” I repeat. “Or I swear I will end his putrid life.” My voice is empty and calm. Void of any remorse or sympathy. The beats of Alistair’s heart weaken in my hand. Please let this be over soon.
There is a heavy silence between us as I stare unblinking into the eyes of the God of the Underworld. Bluffing the Devil. Daring him to call me a liar. Will he risk it? Will he risk his sons’ life? Surely my father and his pack can’t be worth it to him? Or is his pride too much to give up?
“Dad… Please...” Alistair’s plea is a faint whisper. Desperate and scared.
Those two words are almost my undoing. His barely beating heart thuds feebly in my hand. I never imagined Alistair could be this vulnerable. One move of my hand and I could end his long, heinous life. I realise that it would destroy me. Whether I wish it or not our lives are welded together. If he were to die, I would never be the same. I would never forgive myself. I don’t think I could do it if I tried. If this doesn’t convince Hades then I don’t know what will. I’m done. I can’t do anything more. I can’t bear to hurt him anymore, or ever again for that matter. Please don’t let what I’ve put him through be in vain.
Hades voice penetrates the deafening silence. “Fine. Deal.” He looks past the phone and nods at someone unseen. “Your father and his pathetic pack will walk out of here free. Unharmed and unfollowed.” His eyes narrow threateningly. “You will do the same with my son.”
I nod but don’t move my hand. “I will let him go as soon as we have confirmation of their release.”
“If you harm him further, I will kill everyone you love. That I promise.” He snarls before ending the call.
I release a shaky breath through the bile in my throat. Then I gently remove my hand from Alistair’s chest. The tendrils slowly slide out from his flesh and I release all his constraints.
His body slumps away from the trunk. We deftly catch him, but the wreckage of his chest makes it hard to know where to hold him. He moans in pain as we try to lower him to the floor, but it’s drenched in a pool of glistening blood. We manage to get him to his car and lay him across the back seat. He’s unconscious but his face is still twisted in pain. I look at his neck and the three wounds there have stopped bleeding, but I can’t see them knitting together the way I’ve seen him heal before. I hazard a glance at his destroyed chest and instantly feel sick.
I run to a nearby bush before bringing up what little food I have eaten. Even once there’s nothing left but bile I still heave and gag. There’s a ringing in my ears and as the minuets pass my stomach settles.
I did that to him. Me. It’s terrifying what I’m capable of doing now. I hated doing it, but I did it all the same. For my father. For his pack. It was worth it, wasn’t it? I didn’t kill him and he will heal from it. The images of the pain on his face and his agonised screams are on repeat in my mind. There was so much blood. I shiver and try to push it from my mind. Though I think this is something that will tarnish my soul forever.
I go back to the car and see my mum a little way away lost in thought. Her shoulders visibly relax. I guess that means my dad and the pack are free. We did it! I look at Alistair and all joy and celebration leaves me. Am I a monster too? Seeing his body struggling to heal itself makes me feel like I am. Will he ever forgive me?
He lays there perfectly still. Too still… His heart isn’t beating. There is no rise and fall of his chest, just a mangled, gaping hole into the centre of his body. Panic wraps around me as I lean in closer to him.
“Alistair?” I hold his face and it feels as cold as ice. “Alistair, wake up!” I don’t know what to do. Have I killed him?! “Mum!”
She’s there in a second. “What is it?” She assesses his shredded body. Her eyes linger on his still heart and her brow furrows. “His heart isn’t damaged, he’ll heal. Now we need to go. Hades’ forces could be here any minute.”
I stare at her in shock. “We can’t leave him like this!”
“We must.” She’s scanning the sky around us. “We can’t delay. We’ll leave him for Hades to find. You can’t heal him. They’ll see the sympathy and it’ll open up questions we don’twant to answer.” She gets up and goes to the car. Starting the engine. I don’t move. “Krista now!”
I look at him one last time. “I’m sorry.” I whisper, before closing his car door and joining my mum.
Chapter 13
