Page 61 of Damned and Broken Gods (Labyrinth of Gods #2)

Is This The Last Goodbye?

LEELA

I hit the ground and rolled in time to avoid the serpent’s strike, but when I tried to stand, my leg gave way, skin burning where its fang had scraped me. Was there venom in my blood now?

A gust of wind hit me in the face as the serpent exhaled then inhaled, preparing to lunge again.

This time I swerved and ran toward it, getting under it, axes out, ready to swipe and slice.

Its underbelly was the soft spot, where the metal plates didn’t quite meet. Where it was more flesh than machine.

It screamed and twisted as my blades cut through it, and I managed to get out from under it a mere second before it dropped its body to the ground, crushing the earth in the spot I’d just stood.

My leg buckled, slowing me down, but I pushed on, willing it to hold, to not give out on me, but fuck, why wasn’t I clotting?

It had to be some kind of venom or toxin.

I couldn’t do this for much longer.

My lungs burned, my muscles ached, and I knew with a gut-wrenching certainty that this wasn’t part of the test.

This wasn’t part of the plan.

This was the Authority wanting me dead.

“You bastards!” My scream rose above the rumble of earth.

There was movement to my left, and before I could check it out, something slammed into my legs, knocking them out from under me. I flew forward, hitting the ground hard enough to jar bones. Blood flooded my mouth, and pain radiated across my jaw.

I rolled on instinct, desperate to put distance between me and the beast, but a barrier coiled around me—metal glinting, steel plates whispering over each other. I sat up, palms braced at my sides as the serpent wound me in its snare.

Where the fuck were my axes?

The serpent reared up, glowing red eyes fixed on me, secure now that it had me trapped. It studied me, wavering, crimson eyes flaring bright then dimming.

Hope flickered in my chest. Maybe it didn’t want to kill me. Maybe it had changed its mind.

It let out a hiss and struck.

My heart shot into my throat, bowels going liquid as the serpent’s maw rushed toward me, ivory fangs gleaming in a mouth that was part metal, part pulsing organic material.

Whump!

The serpent’s head whipped to the side, the coil around me coming loose as its head hit the ground.

A figure landed on it, all gleaming, golden skin, and dark hair threaded with gold flying like a flag in a breeze that seemed to blow only for him.

Araz!

Tears blurred my vision.

He was free.

He was here.

The serpent turned its head to look up at its attacker, and I expected Araz to punch it or grab its jaws and rip them open, but instead he placed his hand on its metallic head, then leaned in to press his forehead to its scaly flesh.

Golden light rushed out from Araz, spilling over the serpent’s body. It glowed so brightly I had to look away and close my eyes until the world beyond my eyelids dimmed.

“Leela?” Araz called.

I turned toward him. The serpent was gone, and he was alone, glowing softly from within.

“Araz!” I ran into his arms, and he crushed me to him, his chest heaving with emotion that matched mine.

“You’re safe,” he said. “You’ll always be safe. Don’t be afraid. Promise me you won’t be afraid.”

I tipped my face up to his. “I won’t. I promise. I have you back now, and we?—”

“Listen to me.” He cupped my face like it was a fragile offering. “I love you. I love you with every aspect of my being, and I would have come back for you. I would have loved you for eternity as Araz. As me. Remember that. Remember me .” He shook his head and winced. “No, I need more time, I…”

My stomach trembled. “Araz, what’s going on? Who are you talking to?”

His eyes flared with orange flame, and he kissed me, soft and tender, filled with a yearning and longing that tugged at the heart of me.

The flame inside me flared, searing heat spreading across my torso and climbing up my throat, into my mouth, into him.

His heat answered, spilling into me and twining with mine.

I couldn’t breathe.

I didn’t need to.

There was only his mouth. His lips. His tongue.

Him.

His fingers threaded into my hair and made a fist, anchoring me as he deepened the kiss, the intensity shifting to hunger. A low moan crawled up my throat while a hum vibrated in my chest echoing his name. Araz, Araz, Araz.

“Get away from her!”

I was suddenly kissing air with Araz standing several feet away.

Someone grabbed me and pulled me back. I twisted and looked up at Chandra.

His wings were out, flared and glowing white. His eyes burned like cold fire, and his gold-armored suit radiated light that hurt my eyes.

“What are you doing?” I tried to break free of him. “Let me go!” I wanted to be with Araz. “Araz!” I reached for him, our gazes locking across a distance that Chandra had enforced. “Get off me!” I tried to break free again, but he squeezed my arm hard enough to hurt.

“You will not have her!” he yelled at Araz.

Araz tore his gaze from me and fixed it on Chandra. He tipped his head to one side, a smirk painting his lips.

“Oh, you think you can keep her from me?”

The voice was an echoing sound, deep and gravelly, overlaid with a drawl that I recognized. But it wasn’t Araz…

I stilled, goosebumps pricking my arms.

Araz sighed. “I’ll let you keep her. For now.” He fixed his gaze on me, topaz eyes flaring to orange. “Blood of Vijayroodra.” His lips curled in disgust. “You owe me a debt, and I will collect.”

Light burst from his body—flame and fire consuming him, remaking him. Larger, taller, his face still Araz, and yet…not. And his eyes. His beautiful topaz eyes burned orange, then settled to a midnight hue filled with starlight.

Something inside me fractured and fell away. An emptiness expanding beneath my ribs.

I caught movement around us, silvery nets descending toward Araz. “Watch out!”

His gaze whipped up, and wings of flame burst from his back. He shot up into the sky, burning through the sliver nets and vanishing like a comet in reverse.

“Get him!” Chandra cried. “Don’t let him escape or we’re all doomed.”

Shadow figures materialized out of thin air and rocketed into the sky after Araz.

I turned to Chandra and grabbed hold of his shirt. “What’s happening? What did you do to Araz?”

Chandra’s expression softened, his eyes filling with pity. “Araz is dead.”

“What? What are you talking about? He was just here. The Authority sent a serpent to kill me, and they…they changed him. They did something to him.” A sickly feeling spread in my belly.

“The Authority did send the serpent, but they didn’t hurt Araz. Something else got to him. Something ancient.”

The nausea climbed up my throat. “No…” I tried to back away from him, but he gripped my shoulders and held me firm.

“He’s gone, Leela.”

“No.” I blinked back tears, trying to ignore the burgeoning panic in my chest.

“The being that just escaped from the labyrinth, the thing wearing Araz like a pretty suit, that…” He took a shuddering breath. “That’s the being that controls the devouring force.”

“No…” He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was saying.

“Yes, Leela. That was the primordial evil. And now that it’s free, we’re all doomed.”