Page 105 of Seized to Sacrifice
She glanced back to find the men still staring at what the window was showing, not paying her any mind. She took the lamp in her hand gingerly and took off the lid. Her body was held rigid as if caught in a spider’s web and she gritted her teeth, stifling a gasp as her body spasmed, sensations of pins and needles crawling over her skin.
‘You’re here.’
Elle glanced around. She was still in the same room, but the men were gone. In their place was a woman who could be her double, standing in front of the window. She wore a white dress that looked the same as the one Elle had woken in the forest with, but this one was pristine and unspoiled with silver flowers augmenting the bodice. Her long, red hair was loose.
‘Gaila?’
The goddess gave her a small smile.
‘Where are the others?’
Gaila came to stand in front of her. ‘Still exactly where you left them. This moment is in your mind. You must have found the vessel, or you wouldn’t have been able to come here.’ Gaila canted her head. ‘You should know that I’m not really here either. I’m just a shadow now. Gaila the First is no more. I used the last of my power to conserve a piece of myself in a human body so that perhaps the Light Realm and everything else I hold dear might be saved from Ceres’ little tantrum.’
Elle’s mouth fell open. ‘Tantrum? That’s what you’d call it?’
Gaila shrugged. ‘We were timeless beings, he and I.’ She stepped closer. ‘Listen to me now. There’s not much time. You’re human, but you still have the blood of a god in your veins. You can wield the power of the Light Realm without breaking the bargain, without Rye, Thorne, and Nyx paying with their lives. Although I was cut off from my realm, the power continued to accumulate. There’s finally enough to destroy Ceres once and for all.’
‘But how will I—’
‘I already gave you knowledge. It will come to you when the time is right. Take care of Rye, Nyx, and Thorne the way that they will you.’ Gaila looked away sadly. ‘I wish that I’d been able to see them one last time, but at least in you some piece of me lives on. Take care of the babe,’ she said. ‘She’s theirs. I couldn’t have her here. Ceres would have taken her from me as well, so I kept her unborn until she would be safe.’
Elle opened her eyes, the men were talking behind her and Gaila was gone. She stood on shaky legs, pretending that nothing had happened. She didn’t want the others to know. Not yet. She had to protect them. She had to protect the babe. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Light Realm in the window. She would save that too if she could, the fae as well. She hoped that Gaila was right about her already knowing what to do, because at the moment she had no idea how to go about wielding Light Realm power to kill a god.
She dropped the second lamp on the bed and hid it under the coverlet before she turned.
Fear began to prickle at her skin.
She glanced at Nyx who was looking around him, feeling it first as usual.
‘Liathmor are coming,’ he said, drawing his sword.
* * *
Thorne
‘We needto get the fuck out of here,’ Thorne said, pulling a dagger from its scabbard.
‘But there’s no portal!’
‘Go back to where we came in. There will be a way,’ Thorne said. ‘I’ve fought them before. I’ll buy you time.’
‘Come on,’ Elle said, running from the room and back down the corridor to where they’d appeared.
Thorne stayed at their backs. The Liathmor was close, and he hoped there was just one. He’d not stand a chance if there were more than that.
He felt a slight rush of wind in the air and stopped in the hallway. A breach had opened close by. He brandished his weapon, looking all around. They could make themselves tiny if they wished. It could slip right by him if he wasn't careful.
Seeing something from the corner of his eye, he threw his dagger. It hit the wall with a thud, and he heard a hiss.
‘That's right, you ancient cunt,’ he murmured. ‘You're not in the Light Realm now. I can fucking see you.’
A dark shadow loomed up in front of him as he grabbed his knife out of the wall. Tentacles with razor sharp edges lashed out at him, slashing at his face, and he remembered how much he hated these fucking things. He pushed his dagger though one of the thickest tentacles, into its rough hide, and it screamed, spitting at him. He dodged the steaming spray, but a droplet fell on his outstretched hand, searing the skin. It continued to burn even after he wiped it away and he cursed aloud.
The Beast was in his mind, trying to tell him how to fight.
I’m not strong enough. I can't hold it off. The last time I fought one of these, we were whole.
He heard Elle scream turned towards the sound. That was all the opportunity the Liathmor needed. Thorne found himself pinned against the wall, staring into its black, pitiless eyes that bore into him. The thing didn’t have a face to speak of, but Thorne could see the wisp of a smirk nonetheless as it drew back one tentacle and speared him through the chest. He bellowed in pain as held him to the wall, gritting his teeth, trying to take a breath. He could hear his Brothers battling another one of the creatures in the other room and Elle screamed again, a pained cry that made his heart clench and dread pool in his belly.
