Page 38 of Monster Song
I gave her a curt nod as she disappeared. Demos finally flew down with Pavlina and gently laid her down on the rocks. He transformed back to human so he could check on her.
“I can’t stay long, River. Where the fuck did Solron go?”
“To get help for Pavlina.”
Just then, Solron reappeared in the shadows with Charley. Charley rushed to Pavlina to check on her. I looked back at the fight. Demeter was killing anyone who got close and turning weapons to flowers. No one would be able to get close to her. Unless…
“Demos, can you stay here for a minute?” I asked.
“Just a minute. I’m needed in the fight.”
I pulled Solron aside, where Demos couldn’t hear us. I could see Charley doing a spell over Pavlina. I indicated the temple with my head.
“No one will get close unless they surprise her,” I said.
“I know.”
“Do you see that shadow behind her at the entrance to the temple? Can you bring me there?”
“Your father would kill me.”
“Someone could kill my father, and he’s way more valuable in Hell than I am.”
“You’re crazy.”
“That means a lot coming from you.”
Solron grabbed my arm, and we disappeared into the shadows. When we reappeared, we were behind Demeter, and she hadn’t even noticed us. I snuck up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled around and raised her arm like she intended to curse me.
“Hey, bitch,” I said.
I drove the dagger into her chest.
Chapter 21
Pavlina
O
f all the fucked up ways to get sent to the pits of Tartarus in the Underworld, toppling over a cliff wasn’t how I thought I’d go out. As I was falling and trying to come to terms with it, I didn’t think Demos would be the one to save me either. I wouldn’t even call us frenemies. I’d never been nice to him a single day since he confronted me about sleeping with his girlfriend. Ilikedbeing mean to him because he got so butt hurt about it.
Demos was standing over me like he was guarding me.
“Why did you save me?” I asked.
“Because you’re a member of my team, and even if I don’t like it, River cares about you.”
Huh. Maybe there was more to the pigeon than just a pretentious, snobbish asshole. I shared part of the blame. I could have told him the truth about what happened with that nymph way before now. And he was right. He saved me partly because River cared about me. She cared about him too. If I kept poking at him because his reaction was so much fun, I could lose River. And I now owed him a life debt for saving mine.
I held out my hand.
“Truce? I’m sorry I lied about your girl and for being a bitch to you for so long.”
“Truce, but we have bigger problems than our feud and the fact that you’re injured. River appears to have disappeared with Solron while we were distracted.”
Charley was still with us with her hands over my shoulder, whispering a chant. I could feel my wound knitting together. She finally spoke to both of us.
“Oh, yes. She went to kill Demeter. She found an opening. Solron will protect her.”
