Page 90 of Hex
“You can’t. Listen to your mother.” Patronizing prick. Samhain watches as Hack and Pierce do everything they can to save Slash. I swear he’d break out the popcorn if he could.
“What the fuck am I supposed to do then? Just stand here and watch the love of my life break in front of my eyes?” I slam my hands onto my hips and stare both Hekate and Samhain down. I give exactly zero shits that they are more powerful than me.
“You hold more power than even Grandei Atlantis. You should never have been able to break free of his magic. But you did…just like I knew you would.” Hekate smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes that dart behind me toward Pierce healing Slash.
“Well that’s irrelevant, but also, if I have more power than him, why can’t I heal Slash?” Angry tears are burning the corners of my eyes, but I blink them back.
“There is strength in destruction, daughter mine.” The way she elegantly raises her head tells me she isn’t about to elaborate on that, and it just makes me angrier.
I never knew what powers or magic felt like before I became what I am, but now I don’t think I can live without it. I feel like I’ve lost a vital limb with this cuff on.
“The destruction of Slash isn’t going to strengthen anyone.” If looks could kill, both Samhain and Hekate would be six-feet under. Just saying.
“The Horsemen or his chosen are the only ones who can bring him back. There has to be balance, and you are not it for him.” Okay, so she does look genuinely saddened by that fact. It doesn’t help a great deal, but it does alleviate some of the guilt I’m harboring for being stuck over here rather than with them.
“I can’t just stand here and do nothing!” Losing my battle, the hot tears begin sliding down my cheeks.
“You have to. If you interfere, the Grandei will take back his decision to keep you alive.” Her brows are raised now, like she’s silently pleading with me to be compliant.
“He decided already?” I’m not complaining, of course, but I am curious about why he’s letting me go.
“To make the final decision of execution, he would need to clear it with the Moirai. He said you’re not worth that kind of visit, but if you ask him why, it’s because he feels that for such a young kyn, you have a lot of potential, and Rafi should have been executed years ago.” Hekate steps closer. “If you ask me, it’s because you’re his daughter and, as much as he hates the fact, he can’t deny it. Requesting and ordering the death of his daughter would not look good for the king of angels.”
“Noooo!” Roars of pain so loud they make the room shake almost make my eardrums burst. The look Hekate gives me—her brows creased together, her lips downturned—says what I know in my gut to be true, and yet I so wish it wasn’t.
“No…” Shaking my head, tears stream down my face now as I still try to hold them back. I’m determined to turn around and realize they’re pointless because Slash is going to be sitting up, that silly smirk on his face, and he’s going to call me something ridiculous like Sageypoo.
“I’m sorry.” Hekate tilts her head, her eyes projecting a sympathy I want to reject.
“No.” I don’t want to turn around, but I choke on the single word, knowing I have to. The cries, the yells, the outright pain emanating from the two demons behind me is thick and heavy.
Hekate doesn’t speak again, she doesn’t offer a hug either, but the cuff does evaporate from my wrist and I slowly turn.
Pierce and Hack are both covered in Slash’s blood, the marble flooring splattered too, but it’s the paleness of Slash’s skin that breaks me.
I fall to my knees beside Hack, who grabs me instantly and squeezes me like his life depends on it. And it just might, because Slash is gone. He’s dead. Just like that.
I don’t know how the brothers are going to come back from this. It hurts me so fucking much I can barely breathe, the tears and sobs unstoppable, but the other Horsemen…?
Fuck.
Even Samhain is angry, flames licking across his skin as he growls, clasping and unclasping his fists.
“I hope Slay fucking kills that djinn cunt, because if he doesn’t, I fucking will.”
“Sage…”
I shift my eyes to look up over Hack’s shoulder, finding Hekate holding a rectangle of glass. She blows on it, making it expand, and it becomes clear what this is. Things aren’t shaped like coffins for no reason.
“Use this. To hold some kind of balance, the Four Horsemen must exist as a unit. His body is all we have. This can be used to create a shrine in his honor, and therefore, hopefully, ensure balance isn’t lost. It will keep his body in a stasis, but his soul is no longer with us.”
“What good is a fucking body without a soul?” Hack sneers at her, his breathing deep, heavy, and growlier than I’ve ever heardbefore. Vines are crawling up the rotted walls, twisting and curling, snapping anything that isn’t already damaged.
“The question you should be asking, Liege Hack, is what good is a soul without a body?”
Chapter Thirty-One
Hack
