Page 6 of Scorched Earth

Zaide leapt to his feet, a growl of anger that made Marcus’s skin crawl pouring from his lips. His eyes snapped to Marcus, and it was like staring into the darkest depths of night.

“Keep breathing, legatus,” he commanded. “He has purpose for you yet.”

Then without another word, Zaide raced out of the tent, leaving Marcus to sink down into darkness, his last thoughts for Teriana.

I’m sorry.

4KILLIAN

The weight of being in the presence of one of the Seven rendered Killian speechless, but he carried Lydia into the cottage, Hegeria shutting the door firmly behind him.

“You can put her there.” She gestured to a small bed made up neatly with a patchwork quilt. “Tea?”

“Do you have anything stronger?” he croaked, carefully settingLydia on the bed. Her eyes were still black pits, and she watched the goddess intently. He’d hoped she’d grasp at the chance that Hegeria could free her from the hunger, but those eyes suggested Lydia saw the goddess as a threat rather than salvation.

Hegeria sniffed in disgust, then shoved her long white braid over her shoulder. “Falling into the bottle during moments of adversity is a slippery slope, Killian. Especially when you need your wits about you.”

Feeling profoundly chastised, he said, “Tea would be lovely.”

“Help yourself to a biscuit.” She gestured to the plate sitting on the small table, then put the kettle on the stove. “You’ll feel better with something in your stomach.” When he hesitated, she added, “I made them myself while I waited for you.”

The last thing Killian wanted to do was be rude to a goddess, so he sat on one of the small chairs and took a biscuit, and swiftly discovered that Hegeria had the same feelings about sugar as she did about strong drink. Forcing himself to chew and swallow, he watched as she circled the table to kneel next to the bed. “Careful,” he warned, rising to his feet, but Hegeria waved him away.

Ignoring Lydia’s glare, the goddess curved a hand around her cheek, the gesture as tender as a grandmother’s touch. “Oh, dear one, he has his claws in deep.” She sighed. “I warned you this would be a hard road, but even I didn’t foresee this moment.”

Ice pooled in Killian’s stomach at her dismay. “Can you help her? Can you break the Corrupter’s hold on her?”

“Yes.” Hegeria dropped her hand from Lydia’s cheek. “And no.”

It felt suddenly very hard to breathe.

“I cannot take away her mark. But what she chooses to do with the powers she has is her choice.” Turning her head, she met his gaze. “As it isyourchoice, for do not believe for a heartbeat that my dark brother does not reach out his grasping hands to takeallof our chosen.”

Killian had felt that touch. Felt the compulsion. “She’s beyond choices. I don’t think she can see her way clear of him. I don’t think she even cares to try. The… thehungerfor what she takes is too overwhelming. It’s only getting worse.”

Lydia was watching them. Listening. Killian’s instincts flared a heartbeat before Lydia lunged at Hegeria, snapped bindings falling away from her reaching hands.

Hegeria had Lydia by the throat, though he hadn’t seen the goddess move. Not squeezing but holding her in place with the terrifying strength of a god.

Lydia clawed at her arms and tore the fabric of Hegeria’s dress, but the goddess’s face was impassive. “She is not yours,” she said, and it echoed through the cottage like thunder. “Release your hold and crawl back amongst the villains where you belong!”

There was nothing human in Lydia’s scream as she ripped away her gag. The sound was both fury and agony, and though it might be the death of him, Killian tried to go to her.

Only to find himself fixed in place, unable to move. Unable to do anything but watch in horror as the love of his life writhed in the grip of a god.

Hegeria’s eyes pooled into inhuman voids, all colors and none. “Release your hold!”

“She is mine!” a voice that sounded like breaking glass said from Lydia’s lips. “You have lost her to me, sister!”

“Not yet,” Hegeria said between her teeth. “Not ever!”

Lydia opened her mouth, and inky black smoke poured from her lips. The mass of smoke swirled around the room with a shriek of rage, then it exploded outwards.

The power holding Killian released him, and he fell to his knees as tiny pieces of the cottage rained down, slivers of wood slicing his exposed skin. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled upright. Lydia was limp in Hegeria’s arms, both of them panting in exhaustion. But the sight of her green eyes filled him with relief, even as his instincts screamed that it wasn’t over.

“He’s not going to let me go,” Lydia sobbed. “He’ll never let me go.”

Hegeria ignored Lydia, her focus beyond the ruin of her cottage. Killian looked upward, and his heart broke into a gallop. The sky was full of oily black smoke, circling in an ominous and vast cyclone above their heads.