“They remember a time before the Asteri—when Parthos still stood?” Bryce ventured.
“Yes. One of my tutors, Palania, taught mathematics and science at its academy. She was born in the city surrounding it, and died there, too. So did generations of her family.”
“The Asteri don’t like people talking about these things. That humans accomplished so much before their arrival.”
“They are classic conquerors.” Hypaxia gazed toward the Bone Quarter. “They have conquered even death in this world. Spirits that once rested peacefully are now herded into these … zones.”
Bryce started. “You know about that?”
“The dead speak to me of their horrors. When my mother died, I had to do some things that … Let’s say my mother’s coven was not happy that I found a way for my mother to avoid going to an eternal resting place. Even if doing so sacrificed my ability to speak with her forever.” Shadows darkened her eyes. “But I could not send her to a zone like the Bone Quarter. Not when I knew what would become of her.”
“Why not tell everyone? Why not tell the whole world?”
“Who would believe me? Do you know what the Asteri would do to me? To my people? They would slaughter every single witch to punish me. My mother knew it as well—and also chose not to say anything. If you are wise, you will not, either. I shall help Ithan Holstrom and his kin as best I can on the equinox, but there are limits.”
Bryce halted by the rail overlooking the night-dark river. “Where did the dead go before the Asteri arrived? Did your tutors ever tell you that?”
Her mouth softened into a smile. “No. But they told me it was … good. Peaceful.”
“Do you think the souls that are harvested here ever wind up there?”
“I don’t know.”
Bryce blew out a breath. “Well, this is the most depressing girl talk I’ve ever had.”
“It’s the first girl talk I’ve ever had.”
“Normal girls dish about normal shit.”
“You and I are not normal girls.”
No, they weren’t. They were … a queen and a princess. Meeting as equals. Talking about things that could get them killed.
“It can be very lonely, to wear a crown,” Hypaxia said quietly, as if reading her thoughts. “But I’m glad to have you to speak with, Bryce.”
“Me too.” And she might not be anywhere near done fighting her father’s bullshit, but … it was a comfort to know that she had the witch-queen on her side, at least. And other allies.
Ithan stood guard twenty feet behind. His stare met hers, bright in the dimness. She opened her mouth to call him over, to ask how much he’d heard.
But at that moment, a massive, scaled gray beast leapt over the quay railing.
And before Bryce could shout, it barreled into Ithan and closed its jaws around his throat.
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Bryce didn’t have time to scream. Didn’t have time to do anything but fall back on her ass, scrambling away from Ithan, his blood spraying, gurgling as his throat—
The beast—the demon—ripped out Ithan’s throat.
Tipped back its broad, flat head and swallowed the chunk of flesh between black, curved fangs.
“Get up,” Hypaxia ordered from where she stood above Bryce, a knife in her hand. Where it’d come from, Bryce had no idea.
Ithan—
She couldn’t do this again. Couldn’t endure it.
The demon stepped away from Ithan’s twitching, dying body. Would he survive that kind of a blow? If the demon had poison on its fangs like the kristallos—
This thing might have been some relative. Its matte gray scales flowed over a muscular, low-slung body; a tail as long as Bryce whipped back and forth, its spiked end carving grooves in the stone. People along the quay, the streets beyond, started fleeing.
Her body couldn’t move. Shock—she knew this was shock, and yet—
Help would come soon. Someone, either in the Aux or the 33rd, would arrive. Hunt—
“Get up,” Hypaxia said, gripping Bryce under a shoulder to haul her to her feet. Slowly, the witch-queen dragged Bryce back—
A snarl reverberated through the stones behind them.
Bryce twisted to find a second demon, twin to the one that had ripped out Ithan’s throat, approaching at their rear. The two of them were closing in on the prey now trapped between them.
Fear, cold and sharp, sliced through her. Shattered the shock rooting her into uselessness. Clarified her fogged, bloody vision.
“Back-to-back,” Hypaxia ordered, voice low and calm. One knife—that’s all they had. Why the fuck didn’t she carry a gun?
But Ithan had a gun. On his lifeless body, Bryce could make out the gun he hadn’t had a chance to draw. How many rounds did it hold? If the demon was fast enough to sneak up on him, though, she didn’t stand a chance. Not unless …
“What kind of magic do you have?” Bryce murmured, pressing her back to Hypaxia as she eyed the second demon. She’d kill these fuckers. Rip them apart piece by piece for this.
“Does it matter?” Hypaxia asked, angling her knife at the first demon.
“Is it energy? Like lightning?”
“Healing and wind—and the necromancy, which I can’t even begin to explain.”
“Can you pinpoint it? Shoot it into me?”
“What?”
“I need a charge. Like a battery,” Bryce said, the scar on her chest glowing faintly.
The demon before her bayed to the night sky. Her ears rang.
“To do what?”
“Just—do it now, or we are going to be royally fucked.”
The first demon howled. Like so many beings from the Pit, their eyes were milky—blind. As if they’d been in the dark so long they’d ceased to need them. So blinding wasn’t an option. But a bullet … “You think a knife is going to work on them?” Bryce demanded.
“I …” Hypaxia guided them toward the quay railing. Three feet remained until there was nowhere to go but the water. Bryce shuddered, remembering the sobeks that had attacked them that day fleeing the Bone Quarter.
“Use your healing power and hit my fucking chest,” Bryce snarled. “Trust me.” They had no other choice. If Hunt’s power had charged her up, maybe …
The creature nearest the witch-queen lunged, snapping. The two females slammed into the railing.
“Now!” Bryce shouted, and Hypaxia whirled, shoving a shining palm to Bryce’s chest. Warmth flowed into her, soft and gentle, and—
Stars erupted in Bryce’s mind. Supernovas.
Ithan.
It was as easy as taking a step.
One breath, Bryce stood against the quay. The next, she was beside Ithan’s body, behind the creatures, who pivoted toward her, sensing that her scent had shifted away.
Hypaxia tapped the golden brooch on the lapel of her jacket. With a woomph of air, her broom appeared before her, and the queen leapt onto it, shooting skyward—
Bryce grabbed the gun from Ithan’s waistband, clicked off the safety, and fired at the closest demon. Brain matter splattered as the bullet plowed between its sightless eyes.
The second demon charged at her, Hypaxia forgotten as she hovered on her broom in the air above. Bryce fired, and the beast dodged the blow—as if it could feel the air itself parting for the bullet. It was onto her, aware of what weapon she bore—