“Fuck!” I hissed and worked faster.
I had him free in a few minutes. Dal took a single step and stumbled. With a deft dive, I caught him and swung his arm around my shoulders. He groaned and I heard a wet plop. I looked down and saw a blob of flesh on the floor.
“Shit,” I whispered.
“Keep going,” he groaned. “I'll be fine. Don't look at me, just get us out of here, Ravyn.”
“Yeah. Okay,” I said a little breathlessly.
We had to go slowly but luck was with us and most of the Farungal were absent from the corridors. At one point, we heard the cacophony of raucous voices and chitters echoing down a corridor.
“They're celebrating,” Dal whispered. “Just get me to the entry hall and open the door. I'll fly us out.”
“Are you sure you can?”
“I will fly us out,” he repeated firmly.
“Okay, okay.” I grabbed his waist and took more of his weight so I could speed our progress.
We made it to the entry hall in seconds, leaving a trail of Hawk Lord goo behind us. When I set him down and got a good look at him, I nearly vomited. One side of his waist was oozing pus and half his face was gone. But he shifted with a shimmer of magic, and then his enormous hawk body towered over me. I tried not to look at the rotted half of his head and its missing eye as I ran for the doors. The Farungal had removed the bar. With their prisoners locked up below, there was no need for it.
As soon as the doors were open, Dal stumbled out, his claws sliding on the steps. I ran after him. Farungal guards started to shout. They sprinted for us, but I latched onto Dalsharan's leg, and he jumped into the air. His wings pounded hard, taking us higher and over the walls even as bloody feathers rained down upon the monsters.
Chapter Ten
We made it to another cave, this one much too close to Gremara's stronghold for my comfort. But Dal was losing pieces of himself too fast to make it any further. He shifted to Sidhe, and I caught him as he stumbled.
We had made a short stop for the satchel that Dal left on the muddy hill outside the fortress. He refused to leave it behind since it had the Lion Soul Stone inside it. Now, I was glad that he'd insisted because I didn't want to lay his bleeding body on the dirty cave floor. I propped him against the wall and dug out a pallet, then helped him onto it.
“Give me my amulet,” he murmured.
“Oh, of course! It will help, won't it?” I pulled the Hawk Soul out of my pocket. The clasp was broken so I couldn't fasten it, but I laid it on his chest. His bloody chest.
Dalsharan let out a sigh of relief, but nothing else happened.
“Okay, should I... do you want me to...” I waved a hand at his cock. Thankfully, it was untouched by the rot. “You'll have to remove your spell.”
“It's too late, Ravyn,” he whispered.
“What the fuck are you talking about? I don't care how you look, I can just suck your cock or something.”
Dal smiled wanly. “I won't recover from this. The Fae cannot heal damage caused by wild-rot. I can already feel it entering my brain. I'll be a...” he swallowed hard and started again, “I'll be senseless in a few hours, so I'm asking you now. I need you to—”
“No!” I lurched to my feet. “Fuck, no. I'm not killing you.”
“I'm so sorry, sweetheart. You're going to have to try to find a boat and row home alone. I can't help you. I failed at protecting you.”
“You shut the fuck up, asshole!” I snarled at him.
But he didn't hear me. Dalsharan had passed out from the pain. Frankly, I was amazed that he'd lasted so long. His chest was one big wound and his hands were nothing but bones with sinew holding them together. I wanted to vomit. I wanted to scream. I wanted to bawl like a fucking baby. But then I heard the strangest thing—the cry of a hawk.
I hadn't realized that I was weeping until I looked down at Dal's chest. Among the blood and gore, something glowed gold. I heard a whisper but couldn't make out the words. My hand reached for the Hawk Soul as if someone else were controlling me. I picked it up, its chain dripping blood. Once in my hand and the jewel touched my skin, the voice became clear.
Listen to me carefully, human.
I flinched and nearly dropped it.
Do not drop me!
My hand tightened into a fist.
I can feel your soul, Ravyn Ravellar, and it is pure. It is strong, as is your will. You can survive.
“Survive what?” I whispered.
Do not interrupt me!
“For fuck's sake, you sound like him,” I muttered.
I sound like magic. I'm not really speaking words to you. I'm touching your mind.
“Great. A soul stone is—”
Shut up and listen!
I went silent.
Gather the other stones.
“The other... you mean the Lion and Coyote Souls?”
Yes, of course! Are there other soul stones here?
“You don't have to be so rude,” I grumbled as I went to the satchel and pulled out the Lion Soul. The Coyote was still in my pocket where I'd shoved it hours earlier after taking it from Gremara's treasure room.
Lay the Lion beside me so that our sides touch.
I laid the lion pendant beside the Hawk in my palm. The stones started to glow, and then they adhered together, the gold of their settings melting into one.
Now, the Coyote!
I pulled out the Coyote Soul just as a lion began to roar in my mind. The roar startled me. I fumbled the cloth-wrapped stone and dropped it.
Don't drop it!
I groaned as I bent to pick it up. Something was pressing against my mind. Clawing at it.
Hurry! Place it along the Lion's edge. Form us into a half-moon. Then prepare yourself, Ravyn. You must be strong. Be strong for him or my lord will not survive. Do you understand? Focus on him. Focus on healing him! See him as he was.
I couldn't speak, my teeth were clenched too tightly, but I did what the Hawk Soul ordered me to do. The Coyote Soul Stone melded to the Lion and the three amulets became one, wedged together like half a pie. For a second, nothing happened, nothing but the easing of pressure on my mind. And then light flared from my palm—three shades of gold blending into one. The merged stones pulsed, and my hand closed around them, clenching into a fist. Their chains dangled and clinked together, but that soft sound was lost to the three voices that filled my head, echoing with roars and shrieks and growls. In the primal cacophony I heard music, music so beautiful that I wept.