Page 118 of Of Spindles and Nightfall
Zarathos’s lips trembled as he tried to smile, but it was faint, fleeting. “You… you found me…”
“Always.”Emotion gripped her as she realized she’d do whatever it took to find him, and not simply because of some bargain.
His hand reached for hers, his touch weak but warm. “You are a warrior beyond compare, Vampress.” His eyes were heavy with gratitude and something deeper.
Now that the creature was dead, the arena’s bloodthirsty spectators were creating a boisterous din. Were they cheering for them? For her? She registered the sound of the trump marking the conclusion of the trial. And as Aryana knelt next to Zarathos, bloodied andrelieved, she knew that whatever horrors lay ahead, they would face it together. And nothing—nothing—could break them.
Chapter 38
Aryana
Aryana helped Zarathos through the maze and off the arena field. He’d told her that they’d raised them up through the floor for the trial, but they hadn’t been allowed to exit that way. Xaphoron, before flying off, looked as if he’d prefer nothing more than to take a swipe at them, but then his eyes landed on the chimera and he’d paused. He finally understood who he was dealing with.
Still, he had also come out victorious. Whatever puzzle they had been trying to solve, he had made it to the crown first.
Aryana frowned. The kalators may be whittled down to only her and Pohan, but there were two extra champions left over going into the final round: Noctyssa from Inferna, and the formicidra fromEspiritu Malignos. What did that mean? Were they just out of the competition? This was the Demon Trials. It was unlikely they’d let a champion walk away unscathed.
And Neri—what had inspired her to turn so suddenly on Aryana? It must have been something about the meeting with Tigon, and yet she couldn’t imagine that Neri would actually be conspiring with the half-giant, not after all he’d done to her. Aryana would probably never find out the answers now that Neri was dead.
The moment the wall shut behind them, Zarathos pulled the shadows close, and they appeared outside his room. She pushed the door wide, and they entered. He sank into the vanity chair, spent, and shaking. His skin held a bluish quality to it that set her on high alert. The snake venom was in his system.
Almost immediately, a pounding came at their door. Both Aryana and Zarathos stiffened.
“It's me, open up,” Marbas said, his voice muffled.
“Come in,” Aryana said in a tension-filled voice.
Marbas burst into the room.
After snapping the door shut, Marbas faced the pair of them, his gaze blazing. “Well, that was a shit show. What the hell were you thinking?”
“Marbas…” Zarathos said.
But the other demon paced, rage and panic lacing his movements at once. “You’ve given everything away, and for what? To protecther?”
Aryana flinched.
“Marbas…” Zarathos’s voice held a low threat.
He gestured with his hands in frustration. “Wonderful, you’re both dead. And the rest of us that are relying on your bargains—”
“Silence!”Zarathos seethed, his nails digging into the wood of the vanity. “Another word and I’ll cut out your tongue. I won’t have you questioning my decisions.” He stretched out a hand. “Now, I expect you possess something to counteract this poison?”
Marbas snorted. His eyes turned on Aryana, filled with resentment, but he reached into his robes and pulled out what appeared to be a root. “Yarrow. Chew on it and it will neutralize the poison in your system almost instantly.”
Zarathos accepted the plant and stuck it in his mouth. “Go. You shouldn’t be here.”
Marbas turned to leave. But then paused. “Sabious has sent word. They say it’s ready.”
Aryana’s eyes darted between them, not knowing what they were talking about, but not wanting to interrupt.
“Tell them I will be there shortly.”
With one last worried glance at Zarathos, Marbas nodded, then departed, closing the door behind him.
“Why did you do that?” Aryana asked him, the question tumbling out of her like a breaking dam as soon as they were alone.
He eyed her warily as he chewed on the yarrow root. “You’ll need to be more specific.”
