Page 111 of Rescued

“I came for you—to rescue you, the way you rescued me,” she said, her voice carrying well in the large, round room.

“Bring them forward!” The AllFather gestured at the guards surrounding them. “Let them sssee the decimation of the onesss they love.”

At once, the huge Scourge guards began herding Sonya and Nate towards the dais. They prodded them up the broad stairs until they were standing side-by-side with the original four prisoners. Sonya grabbed for Davrik’s big hand but made sure to keep Nate on her other side.

The ex-Seal had drawn his mate—the girl with the purple skin—close to him. He had one long arm around her, but he had also managed to reach his little sister, who was standing huddled close to Lan’ara. Beside Nate’s sister was the still-defiant Xairna. The AllFather’s daughter was glaring at her father and Sonya could practically feel the hate radiating off her.

Apparently the AllFather could feel it too because he threw back his head and breathed deeply. This allowed Sonya to see his burning red eyes—a sight which made her stomach twist with terror.

“Yesss, that’s right—I can feel all your pain…all your fear…all your hatred!” the Scourge Overlord hissed. “I do not even have to taste you individually to take it in—you fill me with your horror and your agony and antipathy!” He sounded like a man enjoying an exquisite and nourishing banquet that had been laid just for him.

Sonya had been all ready to clamp a hand onto Nate’s arm and start singing, but now she hesitated.

The negative emotions—they’re feeding him—making him stronger, she realized. She’d been prepared to sing a high, drilling note that was filled with her disgust and loathing for the horrible nightmare creature standing before her on the dais, but now she realized that wasn’t going to work. In fact, sending out her hate and fear would almost certainly make the AllFather even more powerful!

“Baby girl, you shouldn’t have come here.” Davrik’s deep, rumbling voice broke into her train of thought and Sonya looked up at him. She saw worry for her—concern and anxiety shining in his pale blue eyes. But most of all, she saw love—he still cared for her, even after she had rejected him, she realized. She remembered the words that he’d said to her after she’d found out about the other Sonya—her double from the other universe. The words he had spoken after she asked why he had come after her.

“I came for you because I couldn’t not come. I came because you’re the other half of my soul and I can’t live without you!”

And she knew what she needed to sing about—she knew what would take the AllFather’s power and crumble it to dust.

She grabbed for Nate’s wrist with her free hand and felt the ex-Seal’s muscles tighten under her grip. Then she opened her mouth and sang a line from a musical she’d always loved.

“All I want is freedom,

A word with no more night!

And you, always beside me—

to hold me and to hide me…”

As she sang, Sonya felt as though the words were leaving her mouth like arrows and she could actually see them. They came from between her lips in streaks of dark pink light and struck the AllFather in the center of his shadowy robes.

“Ahh! What…what are you doing?” the evil creature hissed, taking a staggering step back.

But Davrik had already picked up on what was happening. Gripping Sonya’s hand more tightly in his, he sang the next lines back to her.

“Let me be your shelter…

Let me be your light.

I’m here, with you, beside you…

To hold you and to guide you.”

Dark blue streaks of light came from his lips and hit the AllFather right between his glowing red eyes. He staggered again, screeching in pain as he pinwheeled his arms, trying to stay on his feet.

“Stop—what are you doing? Ssstop!” he screeched. But by now Sonya and Davrik were singing the chorus together—their voices lifted and entwined in a harmony so close Sonya could feel it in her soul.

“Say you’ll share with me each night, each morning…

Say the word and I will follow you.

Say you need me with you now and always…

Anywhere you go, let me go too…

Love me, that’s all I ask of you!”

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