“If I bring Verus here with my igni, she won’t be able to leave. Ever.”
“Oh my, that would be the case, wouldn’t it?” Armageddon bares his teeth. “How someone with your feeble mind evaded me for so long is a mystery.” His eyes glow a brighter shade of red. “Bring me Verus. Now.”
My heart sinks. If I deliver Verus to Armageddon, he could use her to foresee any plots against him. My eyes bead with warm tears. I look to Lincoln, seeing the despair on his face as well. He shakes his head once again. I know we’re thinking the same thing.
“I can’t do that,” I say quietly. “Ask for someone else.”
“Verus only.” Armageddon grinds his palm onto Maxon’s box; the metal turns bright red. Maxon screams in terror.
“Mommy, Daddy, no!”
I writhe in my chair, trying to pull free of my bindings. “Stop it, now. Leave him alone.”
“Give me what I want, then!” Armageddon howls. “Look, it’s only a matter of time. I can see it in your eyes. You’re so close to giving in and I haven’t even started on lover boy yet.” His mouth winds into another impossibly large grin. “I think he’d look better without ears and a nose, don’t you?”
Maxon’s tiny hands pound on the metal walls. “Help!”
My chest tightens. Tears stream down my face. This can’t be happening.
“Help me! Daddy, please!”
Armageddon kicks the side of the metal box. “Pipe down, you little fool, or I’ll kill your Daddy right now.”
Maxon starts screaming hysterically. “Leave my Daddy alone!”
Armageddon rolls his eyes. “I’ve never had a way with children.” He stalks over to Lincoln and grabs his hair, pulling his head back. Armageddon leans in, his long shiny face inches away from Lincoln’s. “Such bright eyes. How about we pluck those out? Fancy eternal darkness, King of the Thrax?”
Maxon’s voice turns deadly low. “I don’t like the dark,” he snarls. “Daddy doesn’t like it, either.”
I look over to Maxon’s box. Tiny lightning flashes are visible through the slits we cut in the top. A memory appears in my mind. Nanny Rowena. I can’t control my igni, but Maxon? It’s worth a shot. My heart beats even faster in my chest.
Please, let this work.
“Remember Nanny Rowena, baby? Remember what you did when she kept you in the dark?”
Armageddon opens his mouth and his long tongue snakes out, the end burning brightly as a red-hot poker. My stomach churns as the broiling tip heads straight toward Lincoln’s right eye. Every muscle in my body contacts with fear.
“Maxon, baby. Do it! Do it now!”
Armageddon stands up; his long tongue retracts into his mouth. “What do you think this child can possibly accomplish?” He chuckles. “You didn’t come into your powers until you were eighteen. My son didn’t see a spark of ability until he was fifty.” The King of Hell stalks over to Maxon’s prison box and raps on the top panel. “Is the little-wittle prince afraid of the dark?” He leans in, his voice a snarl. “Because I’ll leave you in eternal darkness, too. How would you like that, you—”
Suddenly, massive bolts of lightning zoom in from every direction, the web of crackling light instantly converging on Maxon’s prison box. With an eardrum-shattering clang, the metal explodes, sending red-hot shards whipping out in every direction.
On reflex, I twist in my chair, trying to protect my body from the worst of the blast. Shards embed into my fighting suit, tearing it. A Leech Guard leaps onto me at the sight of my blood, and latches its stinger onto my neck. I struggle against my bonds; I’m still locked in place. My body turns cold as the life is literally sucked out of me.
The force of the blast sends Lincoln toppling over onto his side. Thankfully the worst of the shrapnel speeds over him. My vision wavers. At the bottom of the stairs, Anubis rips open the prison boxes holding Nefer and Kiya. They both leap free, looking relatively unharmed. I search for Armageddon, but it suddenly becomes a chore to stay awake. I’m aware that the Leech Guard is about to kill me, but all my attempts to fight back result in little more than body twitches.
My vision goes in and out of focus. Is that Kiya scrambling up the throne room steps? My sleepy mind tries to process what’s happening, but there isn’t enough energy left in my body.
In a dream-like haze, I see Kiya grab a sharp piece of shrapnel and hands it to Lincoln, who uses the knife-like bit of metal to cut away his bonds. Then, Kiya scrambles onto my shoulder. With a loud screech, he bites down hard onto the long needle-mouth of the Leech Guard. The demon stumbles back, its mouth detaching from my neck at last.
My mind instantly clears. Fuck that fucking leech! I’ll kill it with my bare hands. Lincoln hops to his feet, having used the shrapnel to cut himself free. In one smooth movement, he grabs Dad’s baculum, ignites it into a long-sword, and skewers the Leech Guard through the throat.