Page 162 of Her Blood Revenge

‘Why would I return those who imprisoned me?’ Ashe replies. It sounds like her. Her voice. Her tone. But it’s not. ‘Why would I ever share my magic with vermin who trapped me in hell and stole my connection to death and blood for themselves? It took me years to slaughter enoughof you to create this beautiful arch of blood witch bones. To collect enough of the blood of your victims to give me back the strength I needed to break my chains. To give myself a form. My Shadow Master did exactly as I wanted and saw to your slaughter. With some help, of course.’ She looks at Archie. ‘Little wolf with such a big bite. I can understand why that sweet smile of yours so enthralled Sinthia.’

Archie outwardly shudders as she addresses him directly. Hel looks back at Neve.

‘Speaking to you through my grimoire was easy enough. You, mortals, were always so desperate for power and willing to sell your soul for the slightest piece. Just as those mortals were when they betrayed me, stole my grimoire, and locked me up. So I thank you,blood queen,for allowing Athir to plant his seed inside you. I thank you for killing your child. I thank you for slaughtering your kind. And I thank you for killing Athir. Now, I am free. You have served your purpose. Be happy.’ She runs her hands up Ashe’s body. I hate that she touches her like that. How she feels her curves and breasts. ‘This vessel is strong.’ She looks at her hand, and blood swirls between her fingers as if dancing. She laughs deeply as all the blood around us starts to rise. Droplets swarm over the battlefield and form the shape of arrowheads. Then they glisten like glass. ‘Very strong indeed.’

She twitches her fingers, and all around us are screams of pain. Below, every human falls, leaving behind only witch, creature, and unseelie still alive.

‘You swore you would return my sisters!’ Neve screams once more. ‘You will do as you promised and return my coven! Do notdare think I am to betrayed. You are free because I made it so.’

Neve reaches out her hand, ready to use her blood magic.

Nothing happens.

She tries again.

Nothing.

Hel’s smile turns cruel and I guide Archie even further back as she faces Neve.

‘Your magic only came to you when I was bound and trapped. You can not drain me anymore, witch. So your magic is no more.’

‘You… you took my magic?’

‘And I keep your sisters’ souls, too. I make them suffer beyond all others. Would you like to hear them?’

She opens her mouth wide, her jaw clicking as it dislocates. Her cheeks stretch, and her mouth becomes a gaping hole. From within it comes the most harrowing screams imaginable. Screams of despair and complete agony.

The screams of Dhalia and Sinthia.

The sound has the hairs on my neck standing on end.

Neve loses it entirely, hearing her beloved sisters suffering so. She goes to attack. But Hel grips her with her blood magic and forces her to her knees.

‘It was a woman like you who lured me into my prison. A pretty little thing with endless eyes and a smile I coveted. She was weak. A human. Exiled and alone. I took her in and taught her much. I even shared my grimoire with her. I even shared my bed. But she was no mere mortal. She was a war queen. Her people travelled the world and destroyedand claimed and raided and burnt all who stood in their way.’ She lets out a longing sigh. ‘She was a woman to worship. And I did. She loved death almost as much as I. But I had magic. And she wanted it for her own. She stole my grimoire, and it took all her people to harness its power. To shackle me. It was my only mistake. To fall in love with a heartless woman. With your ancestor. You are the daughter’s daughter a hundred times over of the woman who became the very first blood witch. Her blood runs through your veins. It runs through me now, too. I have her soul. It’s kept safe with all the other little witches who dared take my power from me.’

Neve starts to burn from within as Hel boils her blood. As Neve screams, Hel gently takes the crown of bones from her head and places it upon herself.

Neve goes flying backwards, slamming into the frozen ground.

The crown of bones grows and seeps blood into her hair. Dark power emanates from her. It thrums.

But she sighs in bliss before settling her gaze on me.

‘My Shadow Master,’ she breathes happily. Even though I am in this form, she sees me. She always could. ‘Oh. How I have missed you. You are different. Not your former, glorious self.’ She steps forward, and I guide Archie behind me. He is nothing to her. Ending him would be as easy as swatting a fly. ‘Your current form is unpleasing. And you are so small without all those souls you once carried. So weak. So…’ She smells the air between us, and her expression turns sour. ‘In love. How disgusting.’

She knows I left her rule under the pretence of a lie. She knows I have done nothing to free her. To help her.

I never planned to, and I never will.

I would kill her if I could. But she’s inside my girl. And I may be strong. I may be cold and unfeeling. But for her, I am weak and warm.

I couldn’t hurt my poppet doll. So, all that remains is getting Hel out of her. I don’t know how they got Athir out. I died before they managed it. But whatever they did, they can do it again.

‘You disobeyed me, Shadow Master. And you must pay. You will kill your friends first and claim their souls. Then you and I will sweep land to land and fatten you up until you are mad with rage and death. Just how I like you.’

She doesn’t see that below, Shaw has abandoned Sathick and turned his attention to us instead. He firms his grip on his sword and heads our way.

He runs swiftly. Silently, he leaps, ready to grab her.

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