“Cam—”
“Dagon… Shala’s dead. You know she is. Noir killed her long ago. Use your powers and ask your mother. Look into your heart and tap the Source yourself. You know I speak the truth, honey.”
Shaking his head in denial, he staggered back. “No. She lives. She has to. I gave up my freedom… my life for hers. That was the bargain I made with them.”
“They lied to you and I’m sorry. A part of her essence still exists in Eleos, but the Shala you knew… they destroyed her centuries ago.”
Dagon stood frozen, as if the words were so much more than he could bear to hear.
Tears welled in Kody’s eyes as she saw the raw pain in his. She felt terrible for the ancient god.
A tic started in his jaw as a single tear slid down his cheek. “I should have known better than to trust my father when he swore to me that he’d never harm her. I should have known he’d never keep his word to me.” His lips trembled as he met Menyara’s gaze. “Did she suffer?”
“No.”
But they all knew she was lying, too.
Placing his hand on Dagon’s shoulder, Xev ground his teeth. “I’m so sorry.”
Fire rolled over his shoulders, forcing Xev to jerk his hand back with a grimace. Dagon pulled a small, ornate bottle from his sleeve. “They wanted me to give this to the woman so that Azura could be reborn into her body.”
Menyara shook her head. “Don’t do what you’re thinking, Dagon.”
An evil smile spread across his handsome face. “Why not? A little divine retribution might go a long way in making all of us feel better.”
“Do I want to know what you’re thinking?” Xev asked.
“Not if you wish to remain in one piece. I’m sure your mother would rip you to shreds should you participate in my plans to have Azura reborn as a pig.”
Suddenly, there was a deep, dark crash of thunder followed by lightning so bright, it was blinding. It shook the entire building.
Nick grabbed the back of the couch to steady himself. “What the hell-monkey visits us now?”
His features pale, Xev went to the window and opened the curtains so that Nick could see that it wasn’t just the Memitim on the street. The sky was now filled with more birds than he’d ever seen in his life.
At least to human eyes they appeared as birds. With his perspicacity, Nick saw them for what they really were.
Soldiers in an army that was here to kill Nick and everyone who stood with him.
Nick sighed heavily. “I really shouldn’t have said hell-monkey.”
CHAPTER 10
X
ev turned on Dagon. “Claim a side to die for.”
Dagon frowned as his gaze went from Simi to Kody to Menyara and Nick. “Fine, but I’m not sure what side this is. Are you?”
“Meaning?”
He scowled at Nick’s hand on Kody’s. “Since when does the Malachai fight beside Cam and the daughter of Bathymaas?”
Nick flashed him a devilish grin. “I’m not your average Malachai.”
“So it’s true, then. There is a Malachai born of the light?”
Xev hesitated about confirming it in so many words. “He fights against Noir and Azura.”
“And the u?umgallu?” Dagon asked. Not that Nick blamed him for being suspicious. Before picking a side in a war this deadly and scary, it paid to ask a few questions and do some homework. Once a flag was chosen, it was hard to surrender it. “Where do they and their allies stand in this?”
“Mostly undeclared. Malphas is temporarily down, but fights with us, unequivocally. Livia is with us. Bane undecided. We know nothing of Grim or Laguerre. We assume Yrre is against us, but we don’t know for certain.”
Nick grimaced as he realized his allies were even fewer than he’d thought.
Ouch.
Dagon’s gaze went to the window, where it narrowed sharply. “I’d say they’ve declared enmity. Those carrions are seeking Malachai blood. Once they have it, you’ll have no choice. You either ride with Death and War. Or die.” He scowled at Nick. “Why didn’t you drain your ?arras while you could?”
In retrospect?
Stupidity.
But that wasn’t what he said out loud. He answered with the truth. “I didn’t think I had to. Caleb said all I had to do was confront them, show them who’s boss, and seal the gate. We did that. Yrre was never released. Only Livia and Xev, and they relented to me. At least that’s what I was told.”
“Someone lied to you. Yrre made it through to this side, and is roaming free.”
Nick searched his memory as he tried to remember who’d told him that Yrre had stayed sealed in. For his life, he couldn’t recall who’d said that.
Crap. Where had that come from? He knew he hadn’t imagined it. Someone had told him that. Had they set him up intentionally? Could they have meant to betray him or was it a misunderstanding or mistake?
And if it was intentional…
I’m so screwed.