“Don’t talk to the mortal,” Panos-Orion hissed. “She’s mine.”
Without any other idea of what to do, I laughed.
Panos stiffened, and Eryx looked at me like I was insane. “Shut up!”
I laughed even harder. “I can’t believe you truly thought I hadn’t sussed you out. All this time, you thought you were tricking me when really, you were the one being tricked.”
“No,” Panos said, flicking his long fingers against my shoulder. “Stop that. I said be quiet. You’re not to talk.”
“You don’t want me to talk because I know exactly what you’ve been trying to do all this time.”
Obviously, I was bluffing, but Panos didn’t know that. Hopefully, he wouldn’t take the time to scent the lie.
Panos snorted.
Eryx was staring at me. Confusion furrowed his brows. He gave me a slight shake of his head, as if in question. I flicked my gaze down to his sword and then back up again. His eyes widened, just slightly. I had no idea if he understood what I’d tried to tell him, but I had to trust him either way. He was the only hope I had.
“How did you figure it out?” Panos hissed into my ear.
“Remember when you trapped me in that cage? That’s when I realized.” I swallowed hard, barrelling forward. “Honestly, there are some things you’re never going to notice as a grand, immortal, all-seeing fae. That’s why you had Valin around, isn’t it? He could tell you when the illusions were wrong.
“Now, don’t get me wrong. You were close. It’s impressive, really. And it’s far more than any of these dragons could ever hope to do. Coming here today was my idea. I thought I’d lead them straight to you. In exchange, well...I hoped you’d let me join you.”
“Lies,” he hissed, tightening his grip on me. “Everything you speak is a lie.”
My heart thumped. Had he scented the truth?
I met Eryx’s gaze.
“Aradia, how could you?” Eryx asked in what sounded like genuine pain. “After everything we’ve done for you, how could you betray us like this?”
I bit back a smile. Good.
“Your dragon powers are nothing compared to what this fae can do,” I whispered. “He’ll keep me safe. I mean, look at all of you. Callista is dead. Aleka looks like she is, too. Yuto won’t be too far behind. You never had a chance at beating Panos, and you never will.”
The look on Eryx’s face was utter devastation. He was so convincing that I couldn’t help but worry that he thought I spoke true. But there was no signs I could give him now. Panos’s attention had zeroed in on me. If I even blinked in the wrong direction, he’d be onto my little plot in an instant.
“Huh.” Panos giggled. “Well, at least one of you seems to have a head on her shoulders.”
It had worked. He believed me. Hope surged in my heart, even though it made no sense at all. The last time I’d lied to Panos, he’d sniffed the truth. He would remember that, wouldn’t he? Why wouldn’t he try that again now?
Didn’t matter. I just had to keep the lie going as long as I could.
“The dragons aren’t as smart as they want you to think,” I said. “Please, let me join your side.”
“You have to prove it to me first,” Panos said, and then giggled some more. “Oh yes. That’s the game. Take your little dagger and shove it into this dragon’s heart. When his blood spills, I want you to drink it. You will gain so much power, power no other mortal girl has ever had.”
I swallowed down my sudden nausea. “Wonderful. I have been wanting to drink some blood.”
My sarcasm was lost on Panos. He loosened his grip, releasing the blade from my throat. Squeezing my fists, I ducked down and flattened myself to the ground, trusting that Eryx had read my unspoken code.
Steel sliced through the air. The sound of breaking bones filled my ears, along with a half-gurgled scream that died in an instant. Something thunked heavily to the ground before my eyes. I stared in horror at the gruesome scene. Panos’s head sank into the ash, his shocked eyes wide and unseeing.
I jumped to my feet and raced across the field just as Yuto sliced through another Panos’s neck with the scythe. His head thundered to the ground. Heaving, Yuto turned my way, wiping blood from his brow.
“Aradia,” he murmured.
I leapt into his arms and buried my face in his shoulder. We’d done it. Against all odds, and with two enemies instead of just the one, we had done it together. All of us.
