Page 37 of The Demigod

“It packed too much punch,” Daemon said, shaking his head.

“A spell, maybe?”

“Maybe. I don’t really know enough about magic to say if that’s possible. All I can say was it would kill anyone who wasn’t immortal.”

“Damnit,” I grumbled, looking up at my half-sister, wondering what she was thinking, if she was as furious as I was on her behalf. “Do you think she can hear me?”

“I have no idea. Wouldn’t hurt to talk to her, though.”

“Can you hear me?” I asked, looking up at her, suddenly wondering how much she looked like our mother, how much I might. “I know they did this to you. I’ve been looking for you for so long,” I added, surprised when my voice got thick, and I needed to blink back tears again. “I’m going to get you out of here,” I told her.

I could have sworn I saw a spark in her eyes at that.

“I just… don’t know how,” I admitted. “But I am going to figure it out,” I assured her, looking over at Daemon. “Do you have any ideas?”

Daemon rocked on his heels for a moment.

“I do. But you’re not going to like it.”

“Why?”

“Because it involves leaving here.Both of usleaving here.”

He was right. I didn’t like that. Without him, the gods would turn back to abusing humans. Killing them because they couldn’t withstand the abuse Daemon could.

That said, if we couldn’t free my sister, how many humans would die as the gods continued to wreak havoc on the mortal world? Wars and pettiness; the books were full of their schemes and selfishness. Left unchecked, without the good or neutral gods to balance the antics of the more wicked of them, the world could descend into a dystopian hellscape.

It was horrific to believe any human lives were expendable, that their sacrifice would be acceptable.

But if this was war, the humans against the gods, then there were bound to be casualties in their quest for freedom.

“We can be quick,” Daemon said, sensing my inner battle.

“Where do we need to go? To see your… demon friends?”

“No. They don’t really know anything more than we do. And while there is a witch there, she’s not this sort of powerful,” he said, waving his hand closer to the glass, and I could hear the sizzle of the charge that kept people away and Nemesis contained.

“Where then?”

“A friend of mine. He’s a warlock. A really powerful warlock. If anyone will know what this magic is, and how to get through it, it’s him.”

“How long would it take?”

“Two days?”

Two days.

That could be two human lives, possibly more.

But if it meant we could free Nemesis so she could balance the wickedness of our siblings, it might be worth it.

“There’s no situation in which everyone gets to live,” Daemon said.

That was a harsh truth.

One I needed to hear.

“Okay,” I agreed, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach.

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