Maia had reached the lowest level of the chamber and lowered her gaze. “I did not,” she answered, shaking her head. She approached the edge of the waters, which seemed to be boiling. The Myriad Ones surrounded her, drawn to the vortex of their mistress. “And yet you have had your revenge.”
A flicker of mirth crossed the angry countenance. “Men are so easy to deceive. They want to believe they are loved . . . adored. They want to be strong, but they are weak. They want to be seduced. I have used your emotions to twist men’s hearts. If only I had been a true hetaera then. Soon, mastons will fall before me.” She nearly purred as she spoke, and Maia felt her blood grow hot with rage. “They will always fall to us. When I have the true power of this brand, even the king will be forced to worship me.”
Maia felt a stab of hope at the words. “So you did not seduce my husband?”
Murer’s face twisted with contempt. “It was his younger brother, his duplicate. He was not there. But rest assured, Maia. He will succumb once I have achieved my full powers.”
Maia shook her head, feeling her love for Collier grow. “He is beyond your power now, Murer. He is dead. And he died a true maston.” She glowered at Murer. “He is beyond your reach, Queen of the Grave.” Maia lifted her hand in the maston sign. “I call you by your true name. You are Ereshkigal, the Unborn, and you will depart!”
With those words, the Medium surged inside her, a flaming torch against a windstorm.
Murer’s lips pulled back as if the command burned. Then she pressed her shoulder against the burning Leering. There was a sizzle of smoke, and purple light spilled from the Leering. Something in the dark recesses of Maia’s memory emerged. She had seen that light. She had experienced this moment—the fusing of Myriad One to host. The silver in the girl’s eyes darkened to hard round rings. Hatred filled the air, hatred so fierce and feral it was like a rabid dog.
“I name you!” Maia shouted. “You are Ereshkigal, the Unborn, and you will depart!”
Murer pulled away from the stone, the dress still sagging. There it was, burned into her skin, the black mark of the entwined serpents. Maia watched as the other girl slid a dagger from a sheath fixed to her girdle and started across the water toward her, her feet gliding over the surface of the water as if it were paved.
“You would cast me out of this body?” Murer said with chilling fury. “In my own domain? In the heart of my temple? You cannot speak the words if you cannot breathe!”
Murer raised her hands, and a curtain of steaming water bucked from the pool, drenching Maia in scalding, salty water. The wave pummeled her and knocked her to the ground before crashing into the far wall of the chamber. There was water in Maia’s ears, up her nose, and in her mouth as she gagged and spluttered, confused.
Turning on her back, choking, she saw the wave had parted and receded back into the pool. The dagger was poised in Murer’s hand, and she lunged forward to stab her.
Twisting to roll away, Maia raised her arms to defend herself and pain slit down her forearm as the dagger shredded her gown. Murer jerked her hand back and came down again, slicing Maia’s elbow next, each blow trying to find her heart.
On the ground, Maia felt the horror of a desperate situation growing steadily worse. She knocked Murer back with a kick to the stomach and scrambled to her feet, her gown sopping wet and heavy. Her arms were on fire, and blood dripped from her hands, mixing with the puddle on the floor.
Murer swung the dagger purposefully and jabbed it forward again, cutting at Maia’s ribs. Grabbing the girl’s wrists with both hands, Maia tried to use her weight to throw Murer off balance. Fingernails clawed at her.
Letting go with one hand, Maia grabbed at Murer’s bodice and felt the hard edges of the kystrel—her kystrel. Walraven had given it to her, and she recognized the particular feel of its power. She gripped the edges of the medallion and then tore the chain free.
Murer kneed Maia in the back, making her arch with pain, and wrestled her arms free again. But Maia had the kystrel, and she held it tight in her fist as she backed away.
“I do not need that to destroy you!” Murer hissed. Her eyes still glowed silver, and the waves from the pool were bobbing again, threatening to smash into Maia once more. The Leerings in the walls gushed out more water, and the whorl-shaped pool was no longer draining. The chamber was filling with seawater.
Maia silenced the Leerings with her mind, commanding them to end the onslaught of water. They obeyed her.
Murer bared her teeth and rushed forward again, slashing down at Maia, who turned and caught the dagger’s edge on her shoulder blade. Though blood dripped down her arm, she could not feel pain anymore. She felt power well up inside of her as she fought. The next time Murer rushed her, she caught the other girl’s wrist and grappled with her for the dagger.