Page 43 of Damned and Broken Gods (Labyrinth of Gods #2)

“Leela!” Araz’s bellow cut through the thunder of blood in my ears, but all I saw were teeth.

The next moment, I was underwater, hands pushing me down. I twisted, looking up at Priti’s face, her eyes wide as she shoved me under, out of harm’s way. But she was in danger now.

Our gazes locked as I reached for her, fingers grazing her hand. The water broke around her—ivory teeth and crimson scales. And she was gone. Leaving nothing but a red stain where she’d been a moment ago.

Blood.

Her blood.

No…

No…

Arms wrapped around me and tugged me away.

I thrashed, but the grip was steel, pulling me away and bringing me to the surface, into the middle of a low keening scream.

Keyton, oh gods.

The wind whipped up, fueling the waves.

“Leela!” Araz shook me. “Get to the fucking boat!”

The water erupted to our far right, and the crimson serpent raised its head again. Keyton bellowed and swam toward it.

“Leela, move!” Araz ordered before going after Keyton.

I swam for the boat, blocking out everything else, because Priti had given her life to save mine, and I wouldn’t let it be in vain.

Rajnanga’s body loomed, and I grabbed the rope dangling in the water and hauled myself up. The Shattiraksha turned sharply, throwing me into an arch that slammed me into his shell, jarring my arm.

If there was pain, I didn’t feel it.

I climbed, bracing my boots on the shell and hauling myself up until I was at the hull, then over it. I hit the deck with a whump , rope burning a path across my palm, and forced myself to stand.

I had to see what was happening.

“Leela!” Vick came running over, tackling me in a hug, weeping and saying Priti’s name over and over.

I clung to the rope, clung to him, as the ship swayed, as Rajnanga attacked the crimson serpent while Keyton held it in the grip of a vortex of air.

Araz stood atop it, aflame, the air feeding his fire.

Rajnanga ripped out the serpent’s throat.

The beast toppled, and as Araz leapt off it, something burst out of the water behind him, fins spread, a sword-like nose aimed at Araz. It pierced his abdomen, snapping him out of the air and taking him into the sea with it.

“Araz!” I shook off Vick and threw myself at the hull, ready to leap into the sea once more, but a gust of air knocked me on my ass, and a voice whispered on the wind.

“Stay back, I have him.”

Keyton?

I scrambled up, scanning the waves for Keyton or Araz, my heart in my mouth, my pulse humming as heat pressed against the back of my eyes.

Long seconds passed before a scream bubbled past the constriction in my throat, ready to kiss the air.

“There!” Vick grabbed my arm and pointed.

I followed his gaze to two figures floating in the air above the sea, held aloft by a mini vortex—Keyton with Araz in his arms.

I hugged the barrier, leaning over it as if I could reach them, as if I could get to Araz.

Keyton floated closer, and my wet hair whipped against my face. I raked it back, eyes watering. But I refused to close them, needing to see how badly Araz was injured.

Oh gods, so much blood. Too much blood.

The vortex slowed, shrinking to allow Keyton to step onto the boat.

He lowered Araz onto the deck and stepped back.

Araz was still. Silent.

Pale…

I dropped to my knees, the motion jerky. I reached out to touch his cheek, gasping at the chill. Araz was never cold. He was flame. He was inferno.

“Leela…I think he’s?—”

“Shut up!” I didn’t want to hear it. I wouldn’t, because…He was still here. I could feel him humming beneath my ribs. The vibration was weak, but it was there. He was still there. But he needed something…something to warm him, to bring him back to me.

Heat flickered in my chest. My flame…the one I’d earned from the fire trial. It was waking. Stretching. Offering.

Yes.

I pressed my palm to his chest, working on instinct as the flame inside me expanded.

“Please, please, please…Don’t die. Please don’t die.” Heat bloomed inside me, filling my torso then spilling down my arm to settle in my hand like a hot coal. I pressed it to the spot below his ribs, and my hand began to glow.

“What are you doing?” Vick asked. “How are you?—”

“Shut up!” Keyton growled. “Just shut up.”

I kept my attention on Araz and my focus on the heat and glow until tendrils of flame slipped from my fingers and seeped into his skin.

“Come on. Come on. Please…”

He sucked in a breath, his eyes snapping open for a beat, but his gaze was glazed, and he sank back into unconsciousness.

“Why isn’t he waking up?” I pressed my palm onto his chest harder, but the glow flickered and went out, and my muscles trembled with sudden weakness. I sagged, tears blurring my vision.

“Wait.” Keyton crouched and lightly touched Araz’s cheek then checked his pulse. He nodded. “His pulse is strong. His skin has warmth. He will survive if we can get him back to the island and treat his wounds quickly.”

“He was wounded by a revenant,” Vick said. “Doesn’t that mean that he’ll?—”

“Drohi do not turn,” Keyton snapped. “But we can die. We need to get back fast.”

“Rajnanga doesn’t look like he’s in any shape to go anywhere fast,” Vick said. “He’s pretty beat up.”

The wound in Araz’s side was still bleeding. I tore off my shirt and pressed it to his abdomen. “I need something to wrap it tightly.”

“Rope!” Vick grabbed some and brought it over, and we set to work, binding the wound the best we could.

But binding wouldn’t do much if we didn’t start moving soon.

I left Araz and hurried to the bow where Rajnanga’s head bobbed just above water.

Blood dripped from the many lacerations to his neck and head.

He cracked open an eye and looked at me, inky pupils reflecting my desperate expression.

A low moan rattled his frame. An apology. A plea.

My heart squeezed. “Oh…Rajnanga, I’m so sorry. So fucking sorry.” He’d trusted us and slumbered, and we’d steered him into danger.

A sonic wail filled the air.

“Shattiraksha!” Vick yelled. “Two of them.”

Two Shattiraksha were indeed headed our way, both loaded with drohi warriors, and upfront was Bhartina, her hair flying behind her like a flag.

Help was here, in time for Araz and Rajnanga but not for Priti.

Keyton’s and Vick’s faces echoed my thoughts.

Keyton’s lip trembled, but he set his jaw and crouched to pick up Araz and then looked at me. “Let’s get you to safety.”