I take up Lena’s side. “The dark priest is gone,” I shout.
She grunts and lunges, throwing her spear into the side of the monster. “Then I’m out of here, protector.” She bows her head to me, and says, “It was an honor to know you.” Then she breaks for the open chamber door.
I manage to evade the tail as it lashes the ground and meet the other contenders forming an arc before the beast. “Leave!” I shout to Whip and Kaide. “Bax is taking a convoy out of the Otherworld.”
Whip gives me a sidelong glance, but takes her chance at escape. Kaide hesitates.
“I’ll not abandon you,” he tells me. “For my brother, I’ll end this with honor.”
“Kaide . . .” I just dodge the monster’s leg as it comes down between us. I stumble back, and Kaide puts more distance between him and the Grimmal.
“Look after my friends,” I yell out to him. “That would be an honor to both your brother and me.”
He hesitates a moment longer, then bows his head to me before he follows Whip’s path past the Grimmal. I swipe my ax at the monster’s head and it retreats back. I glance once more at the contenders leaving the Cage and the Grimmal screeches. It opens its mouth and goes to strike Kaide.
I fling my battle ax at the Grimmal’s leg, calling its attention, and Kaide passes through the chamber door.
“Caben, get the hell out of here!” I fan the ax before me as I take measured steps backward. The beast advances, its spindly legs stomping the ground as its body slithers.
Caben attacks its belly, drawing green blood. He’s doing minimal damage. This is an Otherworld mutation. Something created with Bale’s power—only severing the head controlled by the dark goddess will kill it. Caben’s trying to give me time to leave. But I’m not going before he does.
Caben rushes to my side. “We go together,” he says, his breaths coming hard.
“All right,” I say, a smile forming on my face for the first time. “Together.”
He matches my smile, and we attack the beast full on, beating it back toward the hole in the Cage as we inch our way to the chamber.
The open door is right there—a few feet from Caben. “Go! I’m right behind you.”
He nods and launches his sword at the Grimmal. Then he turns to escape through the door. My heart hammers against my chest as he gets closer. I can feel the freedom—
The Grimmal lashes its tail out, knocking Caben to the ground.
“No!” I barrel toward him, my ax pressed to my body.
It lowers its head, tongue flicking at Caben, and sinks one of its fangs into his thigh.
Goddess.
Anger coils in my stomach. The mercury races through my body. A deep laugh sounds in my mind, spreading through my being as the heated tendrils snap and lash inside me. I scream as I draw my battle ax above my head.
Caben’s eyes meet mine as the Grimmal releases its bite and turns its snake head toward me. I hold his gaze a moment longer before jumping onto the beast’s back.
“Kal—No!”
Caben’s warning is muted as the rage seethes through my soul. With every bit I strength I possess, I bring the ax down and drive the blade into the Grimmal’s scaly neck. It hisses, a high-pitched rattle that thrums through my limbs.
I hack at the Grimmal’s neck again, and it slices open. A seam tears across its scales, ripping the beast’s neck in two as the head lops off. I’m flung off as its body thrashes. Green blood pools around me, and I kick backward, away from the gore floating atop the mercury.
Caben groans, and I look over as he tries to pick himself up. His eyes snap to the cuff on my wrist.
Panic flares in my chest. I look down at the three moonstones as they blink on. One for Cannon. The second for Primal. And last for the Grimmal. The stones glow a strong, shimmery blue. The ground rumbles.
“Caben,” I say, my words lost as I try to gather courage. “You have to get out of here. Find Bax—you promised to get the relic to Empress Iana.”
“You promised me!” he shouts.
“That doesn’t matter now. I swore my oath first. I kept my first vow and made sure my charge is safe.” I hold his stare, his blue eyes gleaming as the Cage dims and a blood-red hue overtakes the realm. I want his beautiful eyes to be the last thing I see before Bale possesses me. “Please,” I beg him. “Please, go now. You have to get far away from Bale.”