Pyromancers launched out of the smoke, hands wrapping around Kai’s arms, feet kicking the backs of his knees, a torrent of fire poised to slam into him.Kai grunted in pain and exertion, and then the dirty water spiralled, lifted, freezing into curved blades that shredded through the pyromancers’ bodies.They fell into tattered lumps on either side of him.
Kai remained on his hands and knees after, coughing.
“I don’t, but thanks for asking,” said Castor.“Will you stay there for me?I’m trying to summon Menon.”
“Oh – ” Kai spat into the water and fought to stand.“Please do.”
“I mean,” Castor added, “you might not like what I do to Her.”
That was enough to get Kai moving again, reaching for the small knife he kept sheathed behind him.He hurled himself at Castor, who merely thrust Ione in front of him, but Kai curved at the last moment and drove the knife into Castor’s side.Castor roared and struggled, but Kai did not release him.
“Let go,” Kai whispered into Castor’s ear, Ione still pinned between them, “of my fucking wife.”
Unbelievably, Castor complied, letting Kai push Ione behind him.“Oh,thisis the other half of the happy couple,” he exclaimed, a hand pressed against his wound.A healing spell glimmered, slower now.He caught Lina’s eyes and smirked.“Seems she’s two-timing you.You still want her?”
Kai lunged again, but without Ione to hinder him, Castor flitted easily out of the way and wrapped a hand around half of Kai’s face.Sizzling, a howl of pain; Castor let go, revealing melted skin, one eye welded shut.He jammed a knee into Kai’s stomach and the knife flew from Kai’s hand, landing somewhere near Ione with a muted splash.
Castor watched Kai fall and sighed, throwing an arm into the air.Bright sparks sprayed from his fingertips and up into the sky.An alert.
Please, Menon.Lina’s arms trembled under her own weight, her knee on fire, her head heavy.More members of Castor’s team emerged; they swept Ione towards Castor and flanked Kai, held him still.A pair of them marched to Lina, tore her arms back, her shoulders protesting.Some even hauled River up onto his knees, and Kai, finally noticing him through the smoke and chaos, struggled to free himself, to go to him.
“River,” he called, and more desperately, his voice straining, when River didn’t move, “Riv.”
Only Ione was left standing, pushed to the centre of them all, her energy flagging.She clutched her hands together over her chest, making her appear smaller, younger, and watched helplessly as Castor sauntered up to her.
“So which of you is it?”he asked, striding before them one by one.“Not the guard.Not Lina, gods, no.”He hesitated at Ione.“Menon is here,” Castor declared.“You said you possess Her.So where is She?”
Ione shook her head, seething, hands clasped tight over her heart.
“It would really behoove you to just come out with it,” he warned, circling Ione like a vulture.“You’re not protecting Her, nor Her vessel.You’ll all die by the end, sure, but you understand I have to be mindful.If Menon’s vessel dies before She manifests, then this is all very pointless.And you don’t want it all to be pointless, do you?”
A hissing curse distracted him – one of his men, grappling to keep Kai still.Castor followed Kai’s gaze to River, drifting in and out of consciousness.
“Oh, let him,” Castor called.“He’s harmless enough now.”A laugh.“Especially with his brothers busy protecting their Archpriest.”
The man released Kai, grinning as he dragged himself to River, held his face, commanded him to wake up, to forgive him.Healing water twisted around his fingertips, seeped into the gaping wound in River’s abdomen, the crushed, bleeding nose.
Too weak.Not enough.
Castor glanced at Lina, pointed at each of them in turn.“I’m noticing a… quadrangle?”He waved a hand.“Anyway.You, Artem.”His teeth flashed.“Ready to cooperate?”
“You claim to have come to summon Menon,” Ione whispered, deathly quiet, “And if you at all knew what you were doing, you would have done so by now.”
Castor snorted.“By all means, show me.Let me see a god with my own eyes before I snuff Her out forever.”He threw his shoulders back, grinning madly.“And become a god in my own right.”
Ione turned, looking to River, to Kai.To Lina.Her eyes shimmered and Castor clicked his tongue with faux sympathy.
“I thought Menon would come if I called for Her,” Ione murmured, her gaze still on Lina.“Saros was right.Menon wouldn’t heed me just because I prayed very hard or asked very nicely.”
She smiled, tears falling in twin rivulets down her cheeks.“I’m sorry,” she said to them all.She opened her hands, revealing Kai’s knife.“Thank you.”
Kai stirred, his head whipping from River to Ione and back.Deciding who to save.Even Castor started, one hand shooting out to grab the knife from her, but Ione twisted out of his grasp, slashing, carving a jagged gash across Castor’s face.She leapt back with a laugh, feral and effervescent, and lifted the blade to her throat.
“Ione– ” Lina shouted, straining.She loosed one arm, felt her elbow connecting with something, heard a cry of pain.She was free, crawling, screaming Ione’s name.
Don’t take her.Please, gods, don’t take her.
It was so quick.So quiet.Blood spilled down Ione’s front, her arms dropping, the knife falling from her fingertips.She bowed forward, clawing at her neck, before crashing to her knees.
