Page 19 of Monsters of Midnight

“Rumor has it there’s an ancient well in Machu Picchu,” Ratchet said.

“The top of a mountain is an odd place to have a well,” I murmured. “You think it’d be more rainfall that they would capture.”

“We just came from a volcano,” Ratchet said, “and there were plenty of monsters there.”

“The strongest group seems to be over there.” I pointed toward the highest peak on the other side of the mountain. Which rose steeply, almost like the forgotten remnants of a volcanic core.

“Well, we can’t exactly just go waltzing over there,” Ratchet grumbled.

“We need to defeat Cade,” I said. And the joy and chaos that rippled beneath my skin at the thought of it made me smile with a thousand sharpened teeth.

I know I wasn’t supposed to be quite that joyful about the idea of killing someone. It wasn’t truly in my nature, but this man had taken Caroline from me, and at some point, he was going to pay for it. If that day was today, then all the better.

“Do you think you’re really going to get past his legion of demons?” Ratchet asked, motioning toward the monsters covering the hillside. The place was abandoned by tourists. Even though the humans wouldn’t be able to see the monsters, their energy would’ve been so great it would’ve stopped anyone from coming. They must think it was some sort of natural disaster up here.

“No, I don’t have any intention of getting past legions of monsters.”

“What are you going to do, try to get him to come to you?” Ratchet asked.

“No, I don’t intend for that at all,” I said. “I think we take him by surprise. Give me a portal just to the side of him.”

“You take the brother. He’s the newest, so he’ll still be the weakest. And I’ll take Cade.”

“Didn’t you already lose to Cade?” Ratchet argued.

I glared at him for a moment. Irritated even more because the last time I came across Cade, Caroline died.

I was hovering in my monster form over the mountains, and Ratchet hovered next to me in his demon form.

“Just put me next to him,” I growled.

Ratchet created a burning portal and without hesitation, I leapt through it, trusting completely that Ratchet had put the portal in the safe place like he always did. Someplace easy to navigate. However, when I jumped out of the portal, I found myself on a narrow ledge surrounded by monsters, nowhere near Cade.

I looked up the hillside and saw a second portal next to Cade. He was looking down at me, laughter in his face as we both realized I was surrounded by his monsters in a no-win situation. Only he didn’t see the portal appear behind him. Suddenly Ratchet came through the portal, and I saw him attacking Cade from behind, just before I felt a sharp clip to the side of my head.

The monsters were attacking me.

One was using my head like a punching bag. Another was biting at my legs. I had to fight them off. It was a blur of teeth and fists and fury. And I was grossly outnumbered, with them holding my arms and punching at me; their maniacal laughter overwhelmed me.

I could feel their grip strengthen on me, and there was nothing I could do. I was being held down by more monsters. Had Ratchet done this to me on purpose? With every punch in the face I was taking, I couldn’t help but think he was in league with my brother for some reason I would never guess, some old wound I had placed there in a moment of chaos and not even realized it. Maybe this was his opportunity to challenge me. I could feel the light coming out of me, even though I was a demigod. I could take a punch, but there would come some point where they would have bled me dry. I would be drained and I would have the right to go to Undirheim.

I would have the right to die.

If I just did not fight them if I just let the monsters take over, let Cade and his brother be the gods of monsters. I could let it all go and have it not be what it was now…living in misery. I couldn’t imagine spending century after century without Caroline. It sounded so miserable. Going to Undirheim was a better option.

I lowered my head, loosened my muscles and gave into the attacks.

The incessant beating, the stabbing, the bleeding. All of it.

I gave into it. I was ready for it to consume me, and to end a miserable life I had found myself in.

“Let go of my brother,” Ratchet shouted, burning the monsters around me to a crisp, looking like the most magnificent demon from hell I’d ever seen. His fists were aimed like rocket ships and directed punches of fiery fuel, setting the monsters alight as he landed in their midst.

“There’s too many,” I groaned, my body limp, my blood puddled all around the pathway.

“I don’t have any intention of fighting them,” Ratchet said, grabbing me by the shoulder and yanking me through a burning portal until I fell forward, lying flat on the ground in the command center on top of Mount Diablo.

“What’s wrong with him!” I heard Laney cry as she came rushing toward me. Worry soaked into every part of her voice.

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