“Here’s to the hopes of staying alive,” Gage says, lifting a shot glass.
One appears in front of all of us. My stomach tries to ignore my human night when that was a really bad idea and it all came up.
“Here’s to ending this once and for all,” Chaz says, lifting his glass.
My immortal body doesn’t even flinch as I shoot the shot down.
Chapter 28
CHAZ
My stomach is in knots, and I’m also pissed that I let Ella leave. As much as I hate Slade, he’s right though. She shouldn’t be here. Not for this. It’s too risky in so many ways.
But we’d planned to let her down gently, not charge in and damn her feelings all to hell about it.
Kya’s fingers leave mine, and already I feel the dread. The beast inside me stirs restlessly as we silently take our positions. We’re almost a mile away from the center of the forest, close to the lake. I can see a lot of motion going on, but no Morgana.
All that’s there are a bunch of the creepy eyeless monsters.
An entire army waits at our back, people who are willing to die to ensure the world has a sun in the morning and air to breathe.
Kya crouches low, her eyes trained on anything and everything, searching for Morgana just as I am. It’s possible Hannah has found another body, but unlikely. Gage believes she’s been strengthening Morgana’s body for centuries, which would mean she’d have to start all over in a new body.
There’s also no sign of Gavin, which is one of our biggest concerns next to stopping the portal. The blood oath has been broken now, and he’s free. But free to do what?
The armored minions are watchful and ready, eyes trained on the land they’re encircling. But they’re guarding a vacant space in the middle.
“Wait for the signal,” I tell Kya, seeing her trigger-happy hands already wrapped around the handles of two daggers.
She wants blood, and I want it for her. But we can’t risk scaring off Morgana before we end this.
One conclusion has been drawn by everyone—Morgana can’t be saved.
She’s been stuffed into the darkest recess of an evil demon’s control for so long that she would come out insane or dangerous or both. Her body has been made more powerful, too powerful to exist, a shell of a person who may or may not wreak havoc on the immortal world as a result.
Finally, the moment we’ve been waiting for arrives. Hannah appears, wearing Morgana like a favorite suit and casting a wary glance in our direction. A dark cloak shrouds her, her head mostly covered, but I see it when her sinister grin appears.
She knows we’re here...
“Now!” Gage shouts before I can warn him.
A roar of motion slams from all sides, and I charge with them, spinning around Kya just as the first line of mutant knights attack us from all sides.
My hand smashes against the armor, but it barely dents. Holy shit! And Kya incinerated this armor... Fire...
My hands blaze up, and fire shoots across them, rolling into them and through them. Screams erupt, and the fire starts to melt the armor guarding their bodies.
Kya takes the cue and launches fireballs, as many as she possibly can. She can’t keep that up for long. Her last feeding—that she had after she shared with Karma—won’t supply her with enough energy to keep that up.
As I slam into a barrier, I curse, fighting myself away from it before I get pinned down. They knew we would come.
They were fucking waiting for us.
“You can’t stop me!” Hannah chides, laughing maniacally as something appears at her side.
As I fight, I only catch a glimpse, seeing a familiar man w
ithout the scars he adorns. But it’s not Slade. The elusive Alton is shackled and chained to the ground, his body contorted at an awkward angle, as his eyes stay closed.