Then the light winked out. The cracks sealed. And Hades laughed.
“A valiant effort,” he acknowledged. “But ultimately futile.”
I slumped against the wall, utterly spent. The bow faded from my grip, the magic sustaining it nearly exhausted. I couldn’t even stand, my legs trembling with fatigue. The claiming mark still burned, but the energy it provided couldn’t match what I’d expended.
Hades advanced on me, no longer bothering with magical attacks. One clawed hand reached for my throat, lifting me as if I weighed nothing. His grip tightened, cutting off my air.
“Your blood will complete my manifestation,” he said, his face inches from mine. “The half-divine essence that flows through your veins, the last ingredient Enid could never provide.”
My vision began to darken at the edges as I struggled for breath. I clawed at his hand, but my fingers passed through the semi-solid shadow as if through smoke. The claiming mark flared in desperation, my mates sensing my peril, but they were still too far, the barrier still too strong.
“My Lord,” Enid spoke, her voice stronger than I’d heard it before. “Perhaps we should save her. Use her power rather than consume it. She could be an asset.”
Hades didn’t turn, but I saw his lips curve in amusement. “Having second thoughts, little witch? Remembering your sister after all these decades?”
“She is my blood,” Enid said, taking a step forward. Both halves of her face seemed to be working in concert now, the internal battle momentarily suspended.
“Your blood,” Hades sneered. “The same blood you spilled to seal our bargain. Too late for familial sentiment, I think.”
He tossed me aside like discarded trash. I hit the floor hard, rolling until my back slammed against the cauldron’s base. Pain exploded across my shoulders and spine as his claws lashed out, tearing through fabric and flesh in one vicious swipe. I screamed, the sound ripping from my throat before I could stop it.
Blood, hot and wet, soaked the back of my dress. I tried to crawl away, but my limbs wouldn’t obey. Everything was pain, bright and pulsing. The claiming mark throbbed in sympathetic agony, my mates feeling my pain across the barrier.
“You see?” Hades said to Enid, gesturing at my crumpled form. “She’s nothing. A failed experiment. Your sister’s desperate attempt to create a loophole in our curse.”
“My sister,” Enid murmured, and something in her voice made me look up despite the pain.
She was changing. The division in her face was shifting, the younger half expanding, reclaiming territory from the withered crone. Her eyes—both of them now—glowed with amber light identical to mine.
“My sister’s daughter,” she continued, moving toward me with a grace that belied her earlier shuffling gait. “My niece.”
Before Hades could react, Enid dropped to her knees beside me. Her hands were no longer gnarled on one side but both youthful, strong, cupping my face. She pressed a kiss to my forehead, and warmth spread from the contact point, dulling the pain of my wounds.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and I felt her tears fall onto my skin. “I didn’t know she was pregnant with you. I didn’t know she was my toll. I didn’t know you existed until I found you in that castle. She shielded your magic so we couldn’t find you to save you.”
“Enough!” Hades roared, darkness swirling around him in agitation. “Remember your place, witch! Remember our bargain!”
Enid ignored him, her focus entirely on me. “Look at you,” she said, wonder in her voice. “So like her. The same eyes. The same stubborn chin.” Her hands stroked my hair back from my face. “The same power flowing in your veins.”
“What are you doing?” I managed, my voice weak even to my own ears.
“What I should have done from the beginning,” she replied. “Artemis created the loophole through you, through the blood we share. But you’re not ready to face him alone. You haven’t had centuries to master your gifts. But I have…”
The hut around us began to tremble, dust and debris raining down from the ceiling. Something was happening outside. The earth itself seemed to be shaking, responding to some massive shift in the magical balance.
“We need to get out,” I gasped, trying to rise despite the pain.
Enid helped me to my feet, supporting my weight as we staggered toward the door. Hades moved to block our path, his form now almost completely solid, horns gleaming like polished obsidian.
“You betray me?” he demanded, towering over us. “After everything I gave you?”
“After everything you took from me,” Enid corrected, her voice steady. “My sister. My youth. My connection to the forest. My very soul.” She straightened, facing him without fear. “No more.”
With a gesture of her free hand, Enid sent a blast of amber light directly into Hades’ face. He recoiled, more in surprise than pain, giving us the moment we needed to slip past him and through the door.
Outside, chaos reigned. The bog was transforming, deep cracks splitting the earth to reveal glimpses of another realm below—not the hell dimension where my beasts had been trapped, but someplace darker, more primordial. The underworld itself, opening its maw like it had when it claimed my beasts.
Near the forest’s edge, I could see Alain standing over Gaspard’s fallen body. Golden light surrounded him, emanating from the claiming mark we now shared. Around him, the king’s men had retreated, watching in bewilderment as creatures of myth and legend battled shadow-wolves that had emerged from the trees.
