60

60

Death Behind And Before

Dragons mean fire, and fire in a field of tall, dead grass is a death trap.

Somewhere close by, Neve screams again, then streaks by in a blaze of color, plowing a path through the field, and in her wake, I see them. The sources of those hands that took my Mind flag.

Leimakids. Nymphs of meadows.

Not trying to harm, just get those flags. They dance and flit and disappear into the tall grasses themselves.

As I pull out my axe, the confusion creeps back in, and my head swims.

Then fire erupts overhead.

The blast of heat is so unbearable, I drop to my stomach and wrap my arms over my head. It feels like my clothes just got singed off my back. Pain rends me, and I shake so much my teeth are chattering despite the heat. My heart pumps so hard, I can hear it in my head. This has to be the end.

There’s an unmistakable crackle of flames behind me. Fire in the fields. Fear clears the confusion again, and without bothering to think, I’m running. Another hand reaches from the grasses, and I whack it with the flat side of my axe. It disappears with a yelp.

I should have thought of that earlier.

Thought of what? I stumble but don’t fall. Where am I?

A nearby blast clears my mind enough to remember and keep going. With no warning, I burst into a wide-open field. A thick layer of hazy smoke sits above the ground like a dense fog. The grasses are short here—nothing to hide in. Still brown, though. Tinder waiting for…

What? What needs tinder? Where am I?

A thump sounds behind me, then another, and a shadow falls over me.

That’s right. A fucking dragon.

I don’t even look. I don’t want to look. If I do, I know the fear will paralyze me and it’s over.

Run!

I take off. The dragon’s roar is so loud and close, it rattles my bones. The smoke is so thick, I can’t see and I can’t breathe. It clogs and burns my throat and the inside of my nose until I’m coughing with every breath. I keep running.

Fire scorches a wide swath of grass to my right. My eyes water like faucets, and I have to squint. But at least my pain and fear are holding the confusion in check.

Up ahead, Charon’s face is visible for just a second, and my heart plummets to my feet. Charon is here, not Hades. Will that work to end the Labor?

A massive claw lands to my left, and the ground vibrates. I swear I can feel the dragon breathing down my neck. The terror ricocheting through my insides is trying to drag me to the ground.

I grit my teeth and pick up speed.

Any second now, that fucking fire lizard is going to roast me alive or snap me in half with the giant teeth I’m sure are in its fire-breathing mouth.

Hades.

I see his face. Just a glimpse in a swirl of smoke. Directly ahead. Or am I imagining things?

I scream in agony as a blast of fire grazes my arm.

Please, gods, let it be Hades.

That one thought is enough to keep me on my feet, and I run through the pain.

I still can’t see him, and the fear rips holes in the hope that he’s here at all.

“Hades.” His name escapes my lips on a puff. Almost a grunt.

A plea.

“I’m here.” His voice surrounds me in the smoke, like he’s everywhere. Like he’s touching me. But he’s not.

Fear urges me forward despite my body’s violent protests. Whimpers pour from my lips. Tears roll down my cheeks. And out of the smoke that billows away in the wake of the flames, I see Hades.

All of him.

Can’t he run to me?

Obviously not. His lean body is rigid as he remains firmly in place.

His eyes lock on mine.

I can’t hear his voice, but his mouth forms the words, “Come on, my star.”

Then his gaze jerks up, right above me, eyes widening slightly before shooting back to mine, and he gives the tiniest jerk of his head to the left.

I dodge that way without hesitation, just as the dragon’s mouth chomps down on empty air where I was a second ago. The monster jerks back with a frustrated roar.

And I know it’s coming again.

I’m not going to make it.

Hades’ gaze shoots above me once more, and I know this is my last chance.

I put on an extra burst of speed.

And Hades’ arms snap closed around me.

In an instant, the dragon and smoke and the overwhelming doses of fear, confusion, and pain all disappear. Lightheaded, I’m vaguely aware that we’re now standing in a field of lush, green grass with the most beautiful blue skies above. My arms wrap around Hades’ neck, and he holds me so that my feet dangle off the ground, his face buried in my hair.

He’s breathing hard, like he ran that race with me. “Fuck, Lyra. You scared the shit out of me.”

A laugh tumbles out of me, more from shock than anything. It cuts off, and I realize I’m shaking. “I thought you wouldn’t be here.” The words come out as a harsh whisper. “I was so scared.”

He runs a soothing hand over my hair. “They couldn’t keep me away.”

Eyes still closed, I breathe him in. Bitter chocolate. I might associate that smell with safety for the rest of my life after this. “I only have my Heart left to give you,” I tell him. I’m talking about the flag.

He makes a sound that might be a laugh or a groan. “I know,” he says. “That’s all I need.”