“No!”
The golem spun with his claws, raking her across the neck.
“Momma!” yelled her daughter, falling on top of her.
Leifkyn and Brohm sprinted across the clearing as two more descended out of the skies. I had to help them, leaving the half conscious Selestos to launch over the dead golems to get to them. Another one dropped from the skies, shrieking like a ghost from the underworld.
“Where the fuck are they coming from!” yelled Leifkyn as he decapitated one and spun toward another.
Glancing to see that Jessamine was safely off to the side with the children, having pulled Tylok’s daughter away from her mother sprawled across the tree roots, I spun to kill the enemies that were descending on us like insects. It was like they knew their brothers were in need and flocked to us, like a hive mind.
Lorelyn’s words returned to me.There are two voices.They must hear their master, guiding them where to go.
If we killed them all, there would only be one left to deal with—the master who made them. And that fucker needed to die.
We assembled as one as we did in battle, corralling our enemies toward the center, giving them no way out. I leaped into the air toward one of them, clawing out his throat before we fell to the ground. We were making quick work of them when the children began to scream and cry, Jessamine yelling, “No! No!”
When I turned, all I saw was a fleeting glimpse of Jessamine, Saralyn held tightly against her chest, being grabbed around the waist by Selestos. He faced me and grinned right before he took a step back and disappeared into the earth with them.
JESSAMINE
Selestos spokean ancient word as he gripped me from behind. Suddenly, a giant hole opened in the earth, filled with unnaturally dark water sluicing over the edges as if it was alive. Then Selestos leaped inside of it with me and Saralyn in his grasp. Icy water swallowed us whole as he held me around the waist with one arm and swam deeper into the abyss with the other.
By the gods, we were descending into hell.
I had always been able to hold my breath longer as a skald fae, but Saralyn was a babe. I covered her mouth and nose lightly, hoping with all that was in me that this underground channel he’d created with old magick opened up into a chamber of air. She kicked her tiny legs, her eyes wide and frightened, and that was the last thing I saw clearly as we descended deeperinto this subterranean channel of dark water. And where was he leading us? Down into the chamber of hells of the afterworld?
The dim light above us grew distant.
I had not prayed to our goddess for many years, not since my parents had told me that the goddess had given me the gift of destroying and killing. I had been furious with Nemia for bestowing on me this body that my family and the courtiers thought vulgar and good for only one purpose—to seduce others as a whore, to murder and kill.
I abandoned Nemia, but now, in this abyss leading farther into darkness, knowing Saralyn would die soon, I opened my heart and I prayed to her.
Nemia, I beg you, help us survive. Help me find a way.
As the light faded from above, I heard a regal, powerful voice clear as the bright light of day ricochet inside my head.
I’ve given you all that you need. Use it! Do not be a quivering coward. Use your gift. Save the child. Save yourself!
Saralyn bucked in my arms, then went limp.
No!She couldn’t die. I couldn’t allow it!
Selestos had a grip around my waist as he let our bodies fall into this watery pit in the earth he had opened with dark magick. My upper body began to drift to the side of him then he gripped me tight by the arm as we descended further into darkness.
I pressed my forehead to the babe and thought, ‘Please don’t die, Saralyn.’
Then I removed my hand from her nose and mouth, reached down with my claws and scraped a deep gash across Selestos’ cheek. A gargling scream bubbled up as he let go of my arm.
That brief instant was all I needed. Using my strength as a skald fae, I shoved him in the head with my foot, propelling myself upward, kicking my webbed feet and scooping the water with my free webbed hand. My lungs squeezed, beginning to fail,the babe still and unmoving in my arm as I rocketed toward the surface with all my might.
Don’t die, Saralyn, sweetheart. Please, little love, don’t die.
I swam faster than I ever had, the gray light of the forest coming closer and closer, someone leaning over the ledge and reaching into the dark waters frantically. There was muffled shouting, one of the voices was Redvyr for certain. Two muscular arms and hands I recognized reached down. He pulled me out before I breached the surface of water and laid me across his lap.
“Saralyn,” I croaked, spluttering out water.
Her tiny body was pale blue, her lips purple.
