Page 62 of The Demigod

“What do you think your sister is going to do once free?” Daemon asked as we started to eat the sandwiches he’d bought.

“Hopefully, swing right into action. I mean, she’s got to be pissed, right? Being imprisoned like that. I mean, she is the goddess of vengeance.”

“Can’t think of a more deserving group of assholes,” Daemon said. “I mean, I know they’re your siblings…”

“They’re awful,” I said, shaking off his worry about offending me. “I’ve seen firsthand all the awful things they’ve done.”

To others, of course.

And especially to him. The only creature they’d come across so far that they could torture endlessly.

“Do you think they’ve been abusing their warlock or witch?” I asked.

“I guess it depends on how powerful they are.”

“Well, they’re powerful enough to imprison a goddess.”

“Yeah. But there’s a hierarchy of power, right? Being able to fend off Zeus, for example, must require more power than keeping Nemesis trapped.”

“Yeah, that’s probably true.”

“I do think that some spells, though, continually drain the one who cast them. Arick was a shadow of his usual self. It’s draining him to keep himself and his house safe. So, I imagine that whatever witch or warlock your siblings have up there, they’re probably pretty weak.”

I knew that feeling far too well. Suddenly, I really wanted them free of that torment.

Determination did manage to bolster some of my power. But the glass jar was shaking in my hand in the car on the way back to the woods.

Some part of me was worried my shadows wouldn’t protect me inside the estate. Would it be dark enough? Might they see me? What would they do to me?

No.

Nope, I couldn’t go there.

I had to keep my mind on the mission.

Because suddenly, we were climbing out of the car.

And it was go time.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Daemon

I watched Nox’s back as she walked away from me toward the edge of the woods.

She was putting on a good show.

Of not being absolutely scared shitless. Of not feeling like complete and utter crap.

I wanted nothing more than to rush forward, to grab her, to pull her back, to take her to the house with me where we could just hide away from the world.

But I knew she could never stand for that. She wouldn’t want to hide away. She wanted to make a difference. To balance the scales in any way she could.

It was admirable.

And incredibly dangerous.

Even just the thought of Nox in danger had my horns pressing through my scalp, had my talons elongating. And, this one was new, my wings pressing out of my back.

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