Page 40

The Bones of the Wicked

Grace

“Did you kill her?” A woman chuckles. “I guess we don’t have to worry about keeping her alive anymore. Ro will lose his mind from the mate sickness, and he will still break the Veil.”

I rouse to voices around me. My head pounds louder than a barrage of cannons. I’m lying flat on some sort of table. My head is in debilitating pain as the blackness spins inside. I do not dare open my eyes as I eavesdrop.

“Yes, but keeping her alive was quicker. I need her in just the right amount of health that he will break the Veil, but not kill me,” the icy man speaks.

“Acteem.” She laughs. “If you think he won’t try and kill you for this, you are delusional.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt her this badly. I forgot how fragile the fucking things are. Her head bled the whole way here. Tell me the truth, Meadow, is she going to die?” Acteem’s deep voice whines.

Meadow giggles. “I think we’ll have to go with plan B. Go feed her body to a Malmog and be done with her.”

“Fuck.” Acteem sighs. I feel sturdy hands scoop me up and cradle me to a hard chest. His heavy steps clunking against wood below.

“There is a Malmog nest to the east of here; drop her and get the fuck out of there!” Meadow calls after him.

I feel a light breeze of wind caress my face, the surrounding air is hot and humid. This place is so different than home. Where did he take me? Acteem walks me across planks of wood, our bodies swaying in light motion. There are dozens of different birds calling out around us, a constant chitter of animals.

Acteem must be the one that grabbed me, the shapeshifting God. He thinks I am going to die, but luckily, I am healing now as we walk. If I can get away from him before he throws me into the Malmog’s den, I can make a run for it. I really do not want the pleasure of seeing one of those horrible creatures.

“Such a fucking waste,” Acteem mutters. “What mortal dies from a punch in the head? Ro should be thanking me for getting rid of such a weak little human. I’ll just find a nice Goddess for him to stick his dick in while he slowly loses his mind. I know Megala has been dying to try him out.” He chuckles darkly.

It takes all my willpower to keep my face and muscles relaxed, but inside, fire burns in my veins. I want nothing more than to take my dagger and stick it into his fucking eyes—Huh, maybe Ro is right, perhaps I am a little too stab happy.

I feel him crouch before we are taking off into the warm air. We fly through the humid atmosphere, but the flight is anything but smooth as we dip suddenly and often. The sudden drops make my stomach turn as an angry growl escapes Acteem’s lips. “Stupid little mutt, takes a bite out of my wing, and it still hasn’t fucking healed. She is full of little germs, probably infected me with her nasty bite. If I get my hands on that mongrel, I am going to tear her to fucking shreds. Just as I did with her dirty brothers,” he growls, his hands tightening on my body.

He is talking about Pearl, my Pearl. Oh, I just fucking dare him to go after her. I would love to watch her rip him apart. Pearl is one of the toughest warriors I’ve ever seen. Tai, the War God, has even said Pearl can kick his ass. I would love to see a fight with Acteem and Pearl, just to see his ass get served to him.

“This must be it, looks like a Malmog nest from up here,” Acteem mutters.

I feel us descend into the hot landscape. I do not dare peek my eyes open until he goes away. The air is quiet here as we gently touch the ground.

Acteem sighs loudly, caressing my hair. “You are going to be a crunchy little snack, baby human. I did mean to return you to Ro, I just needed you briefly. Now we are going to have a mad God with the power of Death running loose. No, this was not ideal.” He sounds almost sorry.

The ground under me starts to rumble, vibrating my legs to my arms.

“Well, they’re here. Happy Death, little one.” He chuckles, dropping my head to the ground and flying off. Once I feel the burst of air dust the dirt, I open my eyes.

Fear lashes through me as my heart pounds. The ground is now shaking violently as I take in my surroundings. It’s dark here. It must be the evening, but the sky is blocked by dense trees. How long have I been knocked out? Thick towering trunks with massive leaves and trailing vines are packed tightly together. High fan-like bushes spread along the ground and climb up the trees in ample numbers. There are flowers of many bright colors, glowing brightly in the bushes, illuminating the ground in patches. Some hang from the vines like long, curled snakes. A bright zap of lightning surges, passing through the flowers. They connect like spiderwebs, zipping from plant to plant in quick flashes. The charged blossoms dot the darkness like bright stars in an endless night. Lightning flows freely in this complex clutter of growth. It’s harnessed within the very plants.

What kind of forest is this?

I look over to watch a giant piece of earth lift off the ground like a cellar door. A massive beast with a dozen black eyes and matching shelled armor thunders out from the hole. The creature has an aura gleaming around it, a purple that makes my eyes feel fuzzy. Blurry teal glowing dots curl up the armor and into four massive pinchers that look like giant crab claws. I watch in horror as his three extendable poisonous barbed tails reach into the air, poised to strike. Pearl made this creature sound horrifying, but even she did not do it justice. A terrifying screech comes from the monster’s mandibles like nails scratching down a chalkboard. A war cry for an animal that has found its feast.

I am frozen in terror.

“ Run !”

I hear Ro as I hyperventilate on the ground, the creature slamming its large legs closer to me.

“ Grace, fucking run! ”

Ro’s voice breaks me out of my trance, and I get up, running for my life. My head is still light and dizzy from my injury, but I try my hardest to run through this crazy place. There is no light coming through the trees. I do not know where to run as I scramble through the dark, following the sea of glowing stars. My vision blurs as the flowers shine, making it harder to decipher where I’m going. I notice a blue gleam emanating from the back of my head, following me as I run. I feel behind my head frantically with shaky hands, touching sticky old blood until I feel a cool metal sticking from my hair. I rip it out, revealing my glowing hair comb. A sob comes from my throat as I thrust it forward, letting the bright light of the gem illuminate the path before me. I feel the multiple legs shooting into the ground behind me as I feel more shaking coming from nearby. I look over to see more trapdoors opening as I run, letting out glowing eight-legged creatures, and I scream.

“Ro, there are so many. I am not going to make it!”

I watch in horror as more beasts start chasing after me, competing for their prey. I have no idea where I am going. I have almost run into multiple trees. I listen as the giant beasts trample the bushes and push down trees, the loud snaps and pounding thuds hitting my sides.

“Ro, I love you, I’m sorry!”

I scream as a pincher snaps at me, a barbed tail slamming into the ground next to me.

“Do not fucking dare say that to me now. You fucking run, Grace, and tell me to my face.”

His voice spurs me on, my legs pumping faster as leaves whip my face into little cuts. Electric zaps sting me as I sprint through the flowers. I clench my jaw, each pass of lightning eliciting a whimper from my chest. Another tail hits next to me, digging into the ground behind me. I scream, covering my head as rocks and branches fall over me. I have no way of getting out of this. There will be no saying goodbye. I will never see Ro again or any of my friends. I won’t see Kai and his goofy smile. Tai, my older brother in my time of need. Pearl, my friend who has brought back my strength and confidence. Fallon, my best friend. Ro, the love of my life. I am going to die out here.

I hear the strong pounding of wings above me over the crashing close behind me. I chance a glance up to see a dark shadow with powerful wings coming closer. Oh my Gods, he made it. Ro found me, he came after me. He must have been following Acteem and found me. I feel strong hands from above lift under my arms, dragging me into the sky as we pull up higher and higher. I laugh excitedly, tears falling from my eyes as I watch the swarm of beasts below me become smaller. Ro saved me from the Malmogs. “Ro!” I laugh. “Thank you. You came for me.”

A dark chuckle comes from above, and my heart stops. “You are a tricky little human, but I accept your thanks. I debated leaving you down there for trying to deceive me.”

My heart thunders and drops from my chest. I clench my teeth, my body shaking in fury.

“Let me go! I’d rather take my chances with those ugly beasts than be with you!” I scream, thrashing in his arms.

“Alright,” Acteem says, singsong, dropping me into the open air.

I scream as I flail into the warm night air, my gaze coming to the ever-closer foliage under me. Will I survive the fall? Maybe the trees will break my fall. The leaves were large and soft looking, and if I do get hurt, maybe I will heal. I watch as I come close to the jungle under me, gaining speed. My heart is beating rapidly, louder than horses racing.

Acteem flies under me. “You really think your mate is some hero, don’t you?”

“Fuck you!” I yell into the muffled air.

“Ro is just as big of a monster as the rest of us.” He grins sadistically, watching me flail. “You’re coming pretty close to the ground, mortal. If you think you’ll survive this, let me just warn you, you won’t. Your broken body will feed the Malmog young.”

“Fine!” I scream.

Acteem grabs me and pulls up, just in time for his feet to grace the tops of the smooth trees. He pumps his wings, gaining space away from the screeching creatures under us.

“I must say, I’m surprised the Malmogs were the only things chasing you down there. The jungle is full of naughty creatures that would love to eat you as a snack. I’m tempted myself if I’m honest, you smell delicious. Do you think Ro would mind if I had a little taste? ”

“You better hope Ro doesn’t find you.” I seethe.

“You are a brazen little human, I will give you that. We Gods were condemned for how we treated you mortals, but I’m guessing your little friends didn’t tell you what they had done to your kind in the war.”

I grind my teeth. “They stopped you assholes.”

“They used your kind just as we did. Tai set them as bait to draw us in. He would stick them on spears and plant them into the ground to waft their blood. He sent thousands upon thousands across realms to their pointless deaths in battles. They were like chess moves, practically games among us.

“And his twin, Kai, made them go absolutely mad. The man brought darkness into their minds to keep them from serving us. Do you want to know what happened to the ones he made crazy? They killed families and innocent people before being killed by the sane. They were like little bombs.

“Finally, Ro, he was the worst. He killed every single mortal he came into contact with, even just messengers and the healthy. You think we were bad? Your little mate killed men, women, and children; he had no mercy. He gripped their souls with his ice-cold hands and ripped them from their bodies. He roamed kingdoms, weeping darkness into their lands, claiming their innocent souls. Millions and millions across the realms were taken while he left his shadows to spread rot into the leftover lands. Do you know how long it took for your kind to come back? Have you ever wondered where they all went? Do you think they all went to the Blessed Isles? Because I don’t. Have you ever thought about what he does to the souls in the Infernal Realm? Your hero is just as twisted as us, make no mistake.”

“You’re a liar,” I say through gritted teeth.

Acteem laughs. “I wish I was. They were so deviant and fucked up, we had no choice but to concede to them. They were worse than us, little Grace. We hurt a few servants every now and then, I get it, we were wrong to do so. But them, they wiped out humanity and magic. There are some creatures that are still extinct, they have never recovered. Worlds are dying, Grace. And we all owe thanks to your precious King .”

“I don’t believe you,” I whisper.

“It really doesn’t matter if you believe me, little one, because it already happened. I saw it happen. We all did. Ro may say he’s protecting souls or doing this for the good of your kind, but I want you to remember what he did to those poor souls the next time you see him. I want you to know that they begged for their lives, and he granted death. Those poor mortals begged for their children’s souls, and he gave them Darkness. But please, if you don’t believe me, just chance a trip into the Infernal Realm at some point and ask around. I’m sure there are millions in there that would love a word with Death’s mate.”

“Why are you doing this to us?” My whisper is carried into the wind.

“Curiosity, boredom, hunger, power. You mortals need strict leadership; you’re just one giant herd of cattle waiting to be told what to do. Your mate gave you all too much free rein. He was disgraceful as King. He had so much potential and just wasted it away to protect your darling little souls.” He sneers in disgust. “Ro and his brothers were stuck in the old ways, waiting for sacrifices to be bestowed upon them for a taste of blood. They had no ambition to rule or change. But I saw the use in your kind, so I gathered the others, and we revolted. It was time for a new future for the Gods, a new regime.”

I stay silent.

“It is ok, little one, we are going to fix it. Once your mate comes for you, we will make a simple trade. You for the Veil,” Acteem explains.

I guffaw. “Why would you think this outcome will be different? They beat you in the last war.”

“He only beat us because he killed you all. I am betting he won’t do it again. I am betting a little human girl would not let him do it again.”

He is right. I could never let him kill all of mankind and rot the world.

“Ro isn’t going to do it, he won’t take down the Veil. He values their souls above all else, even me. He won’t trade my soul for millions of others,” I argue.

“You’re his mate. He will trade,” Acteem says confidently.

I laugh. “No, you don’t understand, he won’t. He has told me himself. When it comes down to it, he won’t trade for me.”

Acteem doesn’t say anything after that; he is silent for the rest of the trip. I smile as I stare into the dark night, the warm wind cradling my body. Their little plan to use me to take down the Veil won’t succeed. Ro would never trade me for the millions of other people counting on him for safety. But I couldn’t stop that nagging in my head, that Ro is not the man I thought. Did they really torture and use people so horribly in the war? No, I cannot let Acteem get into my head. He will say anything to turn me against my friends.

Right?