The trees pulled themselves out of the earth. Mighty oaks and pines, even a weeping willow tree, which made me think of our nearly sentient tree at Elysium. Their branches turned to arms as they moved faster than trees should move, attacking me as one unit.
I stretched my wings, lifting myself into the sky, but one branch shot out like a whip, grabbing me and yanking me to the ground as roots sprouted through the earth around me, caging me and pulling me into the ground.
Using my new super strength, I pushed through, but more roots formed, keeping me trapped.
Something shot out of the sky, falling at an alarming rate. Beleth hit the trees, body and sword one as it tore through the branches and roots, freeing me and leaving a destroyed forest in his wake.
"I will hold off the trees. Kill the Beast." The tree Beleth destroyed to save me was already reforming, but I trusted him to handle it as I sought the Beast, charging him with sword ready, flying into the attack with all my speed.
Claw met sword as we attacked, circled, dodged. I couldn't get an in. He moved with a speed even my Nephilim blood couldn't counter. I lunged again, spotting an opening, when a root grabbed my leg, stopping me.
I cut the roots away with my sword, hurting the monster attacking me. Beleth lunged at it, stabbing what looked like the tree’s head, and it collapsed.
All the tree creatures had been ripped apart, shredded and no longer moving. With Beleth by my side, we flanked the Beast, coordinating our attack instinctually, as if we'd done this before. As if we'd done this forever.
For once, the Beast hesitated, a look of panic in its eyes. It howled a different kind of howl, sharper and higher pitched than before, and mist gathered around it, obscuring it from view as it ran into the night, disappearing.
I leapt into the sky, gaining a vantage point over the now-fading mist, flying high enough to spot the Beast. He stood on the hill, bent over—
Rage.
Power.
Speed.
I pushed harder than I ever had before.
Flying faster than I knew I could, my wings nearly ripping my back apart.
Landing hard, I smashed into the Beast, plunging my sword into its back as we both rolled on the ground.
I righted myself and reached for my sword, only to see the Beast running away, sword stuck in its back. I moved to follow when a sound stopped me.
Gasping.
Dying.
I turned, all the air rushing out of my lungs as I collapsed to my knees next to Sam, who lay dying where the Beast had just been, her body covered in bites.
The ground around her soaking up her tainted blood.
EIGHTEEN
Fury In Your Words
DRAKE
I understand a fury in your words But not your words.
— William Shakespeare, Othello
BLOOD.
So much blood.
And in a moment of total and complete self-hate, I craved that blood, the blood that covered my wife, the mother of my child. The life blood that could mean her death.
But I didn't have time for that descent into my own personal hell, because I could sense her heartbeat, quivering but there. I leaned down to her and could see her chest rising, slow and shallow, hitching and stopping, but always starting again.
Beleth landed by me, his own body covered in scratches and wounds that were quickly healing. Did he crave my wife's blood, as I did? The thought made me want to tear his heart out.
And mine.
"You need to help her. We have to save her, like you saved me." My voice stuck in my throat. "She's dying."
Beleth, who seldom showed any emotion on his face, looked pained. Sad even. Regretful. "We can't."
"What do you mean? You said some are turned rather than born this way. The Court of Nightfall, right? So we do that."
Beleth shook his head. "That is not what I mean. The Emzara would never approve Sam. They tolerated your transformation because you are of Nephilim blood and my son, but this, they won't allow it. The Twilight Queen guards her position fiercely, as do all who preceded her. Creating new Nephilim is a process that must be approved by her, as she must weigh the benefit with the risk. If Nephilim were allowed to change others at will, a rival could form a Nephilim order and overthrow the Twilight Court, causing political chaos that would never stabilize. So she, like all past Reigning Monarchs, is unrelenting with the punishments of those who break this sacred law."
"I couldn't give a shit about Nephilim politics right now." Sam's body convulsed in my arms, and I nearly died right there. "I won't let her die, Beleth."
"The Emzara will come for you. You will both have to pay. Your baby, Ana, will pay. It will destroy your family."
I bit my own wrist and held it over Sam's mouth. Beleth made no move to stop me.
"If she dies, my family is already destroyed."
NINETEEN
She Chose Me
THE TWILIGHT QUEEN
For she had eyes and chose me.
— William Shakespeare, Othello