Something that never would have happened before the Reveal.
Almost as if I’m not the only one who would prefer to make this new world we have into something that’s reallyoursrather than descend into something darker and grimmer. I tell myself it’s worth the creeping horde of nightmares crawling up the length of my body.It’s worth it.
If we make this work. If we end up somewhere brighter.
The moon above knows thateverythingis brighter than what Vinca has planned. It’s right there in her title.Death goddessdoesn’t exactly conjure up a relaxing beach vacation of a future for anyone.
Though really, I think as I watch the swaying red cloaks in front of me and the approaching Kind army inside my head, what I’m most interested in right now is any future at all.
Savi and Winter tense beside me. Winter is muttering what sounds likecome on come on come on.
Deep inside me, I can feel that link I have to Ty begin to hum.
Then they’re here, charging out of the lava tubes with a loud roar. They’re barreling across the parched floor of the crater, heading straight for the cone of light.
And us.
The roaring gets the acolytes’ attention. They turn to look in waves, and they all start shouting themselves. Then they all begin running—straight toward the approaching wave of the Kind.
Here on our rocky altar, we three remained bound, with Vinca’s little pets wriggling and crawling and pinching as they climb higher and higher.
Vinca herself is still up above in Briar’s poor body, deep in the throes of some macabre dance.
Run,I think at the Kind as they come.Run as fast as you can.
Then I think I’m having an understandable mental break when I feel water splash on my head. I ignore it the first time. I tell myself it’s probably something disgusting. Another insect coming for the horrible paste on me or Vinca’s blood or—
It’s really a choose-your-own horror show at this point.
Another drop lands. Then another. Then a few at a time, and I can see when they hit my legs that it’s nothing upsetting. In fact, it looks like—
She’s doing it, I realize. Savi is making it rain.
“Rain,” is all I can manage to say. I sound reverent. Ifeelreverent.
“This is a decent start,” she says. “That should grow. And continue. And in time, refill this crater.” She sits up straighter. “Hopefully it will soon be as if Vinca was never here in the first place.”
“It’s also washing this disgusting shit off of me,” I grit out as the rain picks up. “Which is all I care about right now, Savi.”
“Hard agree,” Winter pants.
The rain is a game changer. As the paste washes off, the things on me stop all their creeping and crawling. I may have to tear all the skin they touched off my body later, but that’s a privilege of survival.
We’re not there yet.
On the screen in my head, I can see the battle is engaged, and already hideously bloody—though the red cloaks confuse the issue.
“What is ...?” I shake my head, but I’m still seeing the same thing. “Where did these fuckinggiantscome from?”
As I ask the question, however, I see the answer. Two acolytes run toward each other, chanting wildly. When they collide, there’s a sickeningsuckingsound. Then everything is gristle and sinew, a rough and wet explosion of viscera and blood.
When it’s done, there’s one larger, scarier acolyte in the place of two.
Vinca is making giants.
These oversize fighters roar at the moon up above, just peeking over the lip of the crater, sending its light cascading down the still-damp sides. They roar and then they attack, and their weapons involve picking up their foes and crushing them in their hands, mashing them up like fruit.
Everywhere I look, it’s a bloodbath.
