10. Chapter 10

Dire consequences .

Elias said there would be consequences to bear if they broke the rules.

This poison was their punishment, the ominous, fatal repercussion of their decision to save me.

So much for it not being my concern.

"When were you going to tell me, huh?" I sounded angrier than I meant to, but my heart was shriveling in my chest. "How long did you think you could keep this a secret?"

"Forever, ideally." Cynthian holstered his cleaver and turned to me with a wide smile, but he couldn't hide the undercurrent of sorrow taking away its shine. "If you knew, you wouldn't have let us go through with our escape. You're so fucking stubborn, you would've wanted to leave alone. Find some way to protect us. We couldn't let you do that, Myna."

My mouth hung slack, weighed down by my wish to disagree battling with the impossibility of denying the facts. They knew me too well.

"How long do you have?" My voice was thin, squeezing past the tightness in my throat to carry words I never wanted to have to utter.

"It's a slow acting poison. We've seen the collars used on a failed test subject, a human boy driven insane by the bonding. With the antidote, Malachar brought the lad back from the brink of death before finishing him off. He said it was a demonstration to remind us who's in charge." Cyn sighed, eyes averting. "I don't know how long we got, Hellspark. Sorry."

"Perhaps half a day until a lethal dosage is reached and the effects are irreversible," Elias said, tilting his head. "Maybe a little more if we feed our Demons, sustain their powers. They don't want to die either, and they can't leave our bodies. There is no known method to separate our souls without both parties perishing."

I palmed my face, fingers sliding along the frown wrinkling my forehead as I forced myself to take slow breaths. Not all hope was lost, I would not cry yet.

There was one positive takeaway from our dilemma: an antidote existed.

"But you two have a plan beyond Malachar's promise, right? Because I don't believe him. He might not have lied to me when he claimed to know where you are, but he didn't reveal the full truth then, either. I doubt he's a paragon of honesty now."

My shoulders dropped as my mouth snapped shut with a toothy clack.

I hadn't meant to reveal the reason I'd ended up here. Especially not to Cyn, worrying he would completely lose his shit if he knew Malachar lured me into a trap. I didn't fear his anger, but I feared him making brash decisions because of it, getting himself hurt.

"No plan, nah. Doesn't change a damn thing, though. Our plan is to get you out of here at any cost, hadn't thought further than—" Cyn paused, eyes growing wide as if his brain had just caught up with my verbal misstep. "The bastard did what?!"

I set my hands onto his chest, stroking the tense muscles beneath his tunic, feeling his heart race. "Please, don't be mad. I didn't want you to get upset."

Cyn's gaze narrowed, the muscles along his jaw twitching. "Tell us. Right fucking now. What did Malachar do to you?"

"Some weeks ago, one of his messengers came to my shop. Offered me an exchange. Information about your whereabouts for some of my extra-strength potions and poisons. Made it pretty clear I couldn't say no. You know what happens to people who refuse Malachar," I mumbled. "When I arrived at the meeting, I was drugged. Then I woke up in your chamber."

"Hells," Cyn breathed, a quiver of rage in his voice.

"The Creators work in mysterious ways …" Elias said, placing a hand on Cyn's cheek. "Have faith, brother. Zerian and Dianya will steady our hands and steel our souls in battle. And we will be their tools when we bring down divine justice on Malachar."

"You know I'm not mad at you, Myna, right?" Cyn asked, looking at me.

"I know."

"Good, because I fucking love you. I'd never be mad at you, got it?" He leaned down and kissed me. "Well, not for more than five seconds or so."

"I love you, too," I whispered against his lips, smiling.

"And you, you stuck up prick." He glanced at Elias, favoring him with a smirk. "Same goes for you. I love you. Always."

"I love you, too," Eli said, his mouth curving upward the slightest bit before Cyn kissed him, patting his bald head.

"Let's do this then, I guess," Cyn grumbled. "Before I get all mushy and start crying or some shit."

Fine dirt crunched underfoot as we took the last few steps toward the door. He slid the same key he used for the latch into the keyhole, and the lock released.

"I'm surprised it works here, too," I said.

"In theory, prey may progress to the next room if they can take the hunter's key and find the exit. None brought to us ever succeeded or we would've been executed, deemed unfit to carry out our purpose. Yet the mere possibility of escape raises the stakes for the audience—and the bets placed," Elias explained. "But this is as far as this key will get us. We need the key from the inhabitant of the dungeon ahead to open the next exit and access the corridor beyond."

"Clever." I sighed.

"Clever my ass," Cyn spat, pocketing the key again. "I'll make him eat his lies." He pulled the door open, and a tiny avalanche of sand buried his boots. A vibrant glow framed his form, his broad body blocking the view outside. He walked on, and a beam of sun hit my face, blinding me.

"Creators, that's bright!" I cursed, shielding my eyes with my palm as I followed.

I immediately began to sweat. The sun burned down from a light-blue sky without a single cloud. Soft dunes of sand rose ahead of us, flaxen waves frozen in roiling motion, dappled with spots of green. Spiky plants with long, sharp leaves, thorny shrubs, and tall, flowering cacti made their homes in the relentless heat. Languid tumbleweeds crept along the horizon, moved by a torrid, earthy breeze.

"Denial," Elias said, his hand against my back, gently guiding me forward. He was sweating, too, but didn't seem all too bothered by the heat. "This chamber must belong to Denial. No other would request an environment simulating their homeland's desert."

"They're Xar'vathi?" I asked, fanning myself.

"Yes. The only one of us not Human or Elf. I only know this because the assistant mages in the laboratory share a fondness for gossip. Given how rare Xar'vathi are this side of the Dreamless Sea, having one among their test subjects stirred them to wag their pathetic tongues while they fitted us with the collars."

Curiosity swirled in my mind. I'd never met a Xar'vathi, but I knew of their firm stances on keeping up traditions, especially religious ones.

The reclusive Xar'vathi people had been worshipping the same Gods since their Empire's inception. Unlike us, they had a minor or major deity for everything, from love to healing to harvest, all supposed to reign over a different domain of their mortal followers. As a result, their priests were highly respected authority figures and cornerstones of their society.

"Unbearable …" Cynthian groaned, yanking at the sleeves of his tunic, rolling them up. Perhaps it was because his emotions burned like a furnace inside him, but he seemed to take the heat the worst. "And the last fucking thing I need is some preachy Xar'vathi piece of shit trying to convince us to worship their false Gods."

He trudged forward, stopping halfway up the nearest dune to kick a tumbleweed. Then he turned to us, raising both arms high before dropping them to his thighs.

"Are you two coming or not?"

Elias and I exchanged a look, his mouth twitching as if he was holding back a laugh. Together, we walked after Cyn.

The climb was steeper than it looked. My feet slipped, sinking into the sand, and despite regular physical training in the woods around Hedonfel, my legs ached after mere minutes. My tunic stuck to my back, tacked onto it by sweat, and I was winded. Cyn hooked my arm under his, pulling me along.

"These weather effects are far too realistic. How is this even possible?" I asked between shallow gasps of air.

"It's the head mage's doing, Sylva. She is a demonologist and a tempestarius. I'm unsure how her magic works, but without her, none of this would be happening. With assistance from the other mages, she performed the demonic summons and developed the binding spells, too. Malachar himself is useless, nothing but a swollen bag of coin with a head," Eli said.

"Impressive," I huffed. I'd heard of casters who could influence the weather for short periods, but never on this massive scale.

We reached the peak, and I leaned against Cyn for a brief rest. The walk hadn't been long, but wandering the desert turned out to be a challenging exercise.

A maze of sandy ridges stretched before us. Their highs and lows stirred the irrational fear I might drown on dry land if I got lost in their unmoving tides. I squinted, tilting my head as I peeked through the gap between two dunes.

Nestled against the edge of a sparkling lake and encircled by branchless trees with feathery, fan-shaped crowns, stood a building. The house blended with the surroundings, its limestone walls and terracotta roof matching the natural tones of the desert. Archways shielded a terrace leading around the u-shaped abode, affording a walk in the shade if one was so inclined.

"There," Elias said, pointing toward the oasis. "That is where we will find our key."

"I doubt this killer is much of a hunter." I sucked on my cheeks, thinking. "They want to lure their prey to them, driven into their clutches by the heat and void of the sands."

"What a loser," Cyn said before twisting toward me. "Now come here, Myna." He grinned as he wound one arm around my shoulders and his other pressed against the back of my knees, lifting me. I gave him a confused look, and he tsked.

"Don't glare at me like that, Hellspark. I know you don't need me to carry you. You're fine on your own and blah blah. Yes, true. But I can see you struggling to walk on the sand. Just fucking accept my help."

If it was anyone else, I wouldn't have allowed it. I could take care of myself, just as Cyn said.

But with my brothers, it was different.

Everything was different with them.

Around them, I didn't have to puff out my chest and act untouchable. They were my exception to the rule. I wanted to be sweet and soft with them, wanted to surrender to their affection and care.

"Thank you." I kissed his cheek, tasting salt on his blushing skin, a long strand of silver tickling my face.

Cyn grumbled as he moved on, Elias walking in silence at his side. With the cresting of each new dune, the building came a little closer, slowly allowing me to make out further details.

Wooden shutters, each painted a different color, framed the large windows, swirly, wrought-iron accents decorating the walls. Smaller trees with wispy leaves and purple blooms carried round, red fruits, a few fallen on patches of grass growing in the shade of their full crowns. When our destination was one more climb away, I glanced back over Cyn's shoulder, and my brows rose.

From here, it looked as if we were in the eye of a sandstorm, the walls of the dungeon obscured by orange dust. The desert seemed endless. Another illusion meant to steer prey toward the house.

"I have not seen a single body," Eli remarked, frowning. "How troublesome. It would have been useful to know our opponent's method of killing. And I could have raised them to fight alongside us."

"Pah, the Xar'vathi won't stand a damn chance, brother," Cyn said. "Their head will roll before they can try anything."

Eli's jaw clenched. "Promise me you will not lose your head and charge in mindlessly."

"I wouldn't—"

"You would and you have, Cyn." Eli's lips pursed. "I adore your enthusiasm, and it brings me great joy to watch you tear apart our enemies, blood specks across your skin like the red tears of Dianya. But this isn't one of the poor sods brought to us for slaughter. This is a foe forged the same way we were. They are a grave threat, more so because they are an unknown quantity."

"Fine, Creators damn it. I promise. Are you happy now?" Cynthian's eyes softened as he pressed me a little tighter against his chest. "I'm not that much of a lunatic. Of course, I wouldn't want to risk anything with Myna here. She's fragile. Pure mortal. I'm painfully fucking aware how dangerous this is for her."

I didn't enjoy being called fragile, but compared to them, it was true.

"What about the blood frenzy?" I asked. "I'm not concerned for myself. I know you'll keep me safe. But I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine, I tell you!" Cyn tongued his cheek. "Look, the sex … your blood … it helped. More than usual. I'm in control. No delusions. The Demon got what he wanted. Maybe not how he wanted it at first, your innards spilled across the floor like any other prey's. He takes pleasure in your living self."

I twined a strand of my hair around my fingers as I flushed, adding another layer of uncomfortable heat to the sun's burn on my features. "He said that he … likes me?"

Cyn barked a laugh. "I guess you could say that. We don't really talk. Hard to explain, but it's more like a tug in my soul, and I instinctively know what he means. I have drunk from Eli for pleasure, but it doesn't have the same effect—his blood is tainted with demonic essence. The Demon craves red, hot, spurting, sticky, delicious mortal blood."

Cyn giggled as a jerky shiver twitched through him, his eyes shuttering and his tongue flicking from between his lips. He quickly caught himself and took a deep breath. A frown flashed across his brow, flinty gaze darting as if he was at war with himself, unsure how much of the deviant thoughts shooting through his troubled mind he should tell me.

"You don't have to hide anything from me, Cyn." I kissed his neck, my lips mapping a road to his jaw, to his mouth. "Nothing can change the way I see you."

His head drooped in admission.

"The Demon makes me suck blood from dying flesh, lap it up from the dirty ground if I must. If I refuse, he makes me feel as if my guts are on fire. It hurts so bad, like claws ripping me open, bursting from my stomach. I mean, he wants to fuck as well. A lot. Eli and I found out sex feeds both of our Demons, strengthens them, too. Not that we've actually ever done it with any of the prey, only with each other. What I said to you, threatened you with … I-I just wanted to frighten you."

I smiled, briefly closing my eyes in relief. I never would have asked about their relations with other prey. That was in the past, and I wouldn't have blamed them for their coping mechanisms. But I was glad to know I had been the only one.

"Anyway, for my Demon, it always comes back down to blood. And your blood, it's … different," Cyn rambled.

I bit down on my thumb. "I don't understand. There's nothing special about my blood."

"It sates him for longer, more intensely," Cyn mumbled. His cheeks took on a shade of deep pink. "He's drawn to you. I can feel the bastard smile and purr whenever we touch. Maybe it's because he's seen you in my thoughts every day since we were forced into each other like two ill-fitting puzzle pieces. M-maybe he's so obsessed with you because he's just as head over heels for you as I am. Shit, I don't even know how I fucking feel about him wanting you. Don't really have a choice, do I? But I guess it's fine as long as it stops him from harming you …"

My ribs tightened with a tingle.

"I … sustain you."

"Your presence has always sustained me, Hellspark, even before this blood curse befell me."

Cyn rarely spoke so openly about his emotions, and the discomfort such vulnerability caused him was all too obvious. But his willingness to bear the embarrassment made me appreciate his confession more.

The thought that I could ease his suffering, that his love for me even swayed the monster inside him, made my heart race. And I couldn't deny the buzz rushing through me, a lick of arousal in my center as I remembered him biting my tender breasts.

I wondered how it would be if he properly drank from me. Not just small nips and little drops, but fangs sinking in deep, supping on my veins.

"My body is yours. My blood is yours," I said, grasping his chin, the back of my fingers against his throat as he swallowed hard. "I am yours whenever you need me. However you need me, brother."

His eyes were wide as he looked down at me, then they narrowed in cheeky mirth. "Pervert. Aren't you supposed to find that creepy or something?"

Now it was my turn to fluster and fidget. "I uh …"

"You're rock hard, Cyn," Eli remarked with unflappable nonchalance, gesturing idly at us. "I think you are both perverts."

Cyn clicked his tongue. "Says mister flesh—"

"Now is not the time." Eli's tone had an edge as he interrupted, stopping at the dune's peak. He squinted as he glanced at the building in the valley of sand below us. "Can you not hear that?"

We stilled, and I held my breath to listen more closely. First, I only heard my pulse, heightened from my interesting conversation with Cyn. But then, there was something else.

A sound. Muffled and distant.

Notjust any sound.

A harrowing wail. Agony given flight on invisible wings of thorn, the sound grating along my brain.

And it came directly from the house.