Sweet Ruin (Immortals After Dark 16)

That bat screeched as it swooped and played among the bolts.

Jo ignored all the weirdness, focusing on the Valkyrie who stood between her and Thad. “You’ll give me answers, Nïx!” She traced behind the woman, drawing her fist back on the way. Just as Jo solidified to land a blow, Nïx twirled around. Her own fist shot out, connecting with Jo’s chest.

Bone snapped; Jo’s body soared upward, the heat from the crisscrossed bolts scalding her. Her control wavered. She landed fully embodied, crashing into the cement. Pavement sanded her face.

A man’s bellow sounded in the distance. Rune?

“Stay down, child,” Nïx said. “This isn’t my first cage fight. Won’t be my last.”

“Fuck that!” Jo traced through the air to tackle Nïx. The Valkyrie dodged her again.

“No one’s taught you to fight like an immortal.” Her tone was singsong, even more enraging.

Jo hurtled forward, ducking under Nïx’s swing—

Just a feint. The Valkyrie’s knee shot up to catch Jo in the face. Her cheekbone cracked; she flew across the cement again.

Nïx chuckled. “It’s all about prediction.”

Jo spat blood, attacking, but Nïx was too fast. She punted Jo like a kickball.

Zooming. Speed. Pain. Jo crashed down on the other edge of the cage, landing on her side. Her ribs were toast.

In an instant, Nïx stood over her. “Stay down, little girl.”

Little girl? “Ahh!” Jo lurched to her feet, facing off once more.

“You don’t know half of your talents. You fear one of your greatest. The ground should be your best friend.”

She vaulted toward Nïx, tackling her!

The Valkyrie turned them in midair to pin her to the ground.

Jo tried to ghost. Failed. Pain robbed her of even more control. She struggled to get free, but Nïx was too fast, too strong.

More lightning bolts jagged down around them. One struck behind Nïx. Without looking, the Valkyrie snared it.

The light fried Jo’s eyes, but she could make out Nïx molding the bolt—into a blade. “Why would you ever become tangible in a fight?” the Valkyrie asked, pressing that crackling heat against her throat.

Jo couldn’t wrestle for the blazing weapon, could only endure it. For once, she wasn’t the predator in the night. She was prey.

“Why embody?” Nïx shoved the blade harder, searing skin away. “Answer me.”

She’s going to take my head. Bet that would kill me. “Only w-way to strike.”

“Your information is erroneous. I’ll give you a tip about your powers. Your mind is your greatest weapon. Use it to strike; use it to defend. As the woman once did.”

“Wh-what woman?” Another flash of memory arose, the lighthouse’s beam. . . .

“It’s worldend!” someone screamed. The sky was falling. Failing. Wounded stars plummeted to their deaths, as bright as sparks from a flint.

Jo clung to the edge of a vortex, her claws digging into the ground. All around her, more black holes hissed open, a wall of them, black upon black upon black.

Like spiders’ eyes.

No idea where those sucking chasms would lead—taking one was their only chance at survival.

Some relentless force was crushing their dimension. They’d heard rumors of a being who could crumble realms using naught but his will.

But a pale woman with dark-smudged eyes fought back, trying to shore up the world—her delicate hand was raised to emit power. “I can’t falter!”

Pain erupted, wrenching Jo back to the present. Nïx had broken her arm!

She screamed, “Why?”

“Ah, I have your attention once more.” Nïx smiled. “Let’s not forget that breaking bones was your idea. I’m merely paying homage.”

Jo felt trapped in her solid body, yet out of her mind. She imagined she heard Rune yelling again. “Who is the . . . woman? From my dream. Where . . . ?”

“She played her part, just as you will,” Nïx said. “They believe they know my role. They think I hasten the apocalypse. They think to Nïx is to destroy. They think Nïx means nothing.”

Jo bit out, “Wh-who?”

“The Møriør. The Bringers of Doom. They’re bogeymen, ones you never even knew to be terrified of. Nightmares made flesh. Imagine having one’s bones pulverized. It’d probably hurt something like this—”

SNAP. Jo screamed when Nïx broke her other arm. “STOP!”

“Their wasteland realm approaches,” the Valkyrie continued, oblivious to Jo’s pain. “Inside their castle . . . monsters and devils. A dragon who could burn the world. A poisonous bane who slips into your secret fantasies. A malevolent demon risen from hell. They’re bent on enslaving us all.” She laughed. “Though it sounds terribly fun and exciting, the Undoing is anything but. He’ll soon have us all in the palm of his hand.”

Nïx loomed over her with that crackling dagger-bolt, her face twisted but beautiful. “He says worlds are like glass spheres. When he handles them, he leaves his mark. Sometimes only the faintest smudge.” Her expression grew vicious, her voice rising to a shriek: “Other times, he obliterates—them—back—to—sand !”

Lightning speared down. Cement exploded; the river boiled. Grit blasted Jo’s eyes, and steam scorched her face.

Nïx tossed away her dagger and leaned down to murmur at Jo’s ear, “Each has such fabled abilities. Together they attain synchronicity. On a battlefield, if interconnected, they will win. But if we can’t defeat them, we can appease them.”