Page 59 of Queen of the Wicked
Alessia stared up at him with pure astonishment.
“What?” he prodded.
“Where was this version of you when we trekked miles across the forest to Allegra’s? I didn’t see you offering me any helpthen.”
He smiled, and just for a second, she forgot they were in the most feared place in the realm. “I was angry at you for stealing my powers, so I did everything I could to push you away.”
“And now you’ve suddenly forgiven me?” She shuddered as the group ventured into a tunnel of sorts that hardly allowed room for Erebos and her to stand next to each other. The lord and Eryx had to dip their heads due to their height, Alessia not far behind them. The top of her head brushed against the stones while Izara strode ahead freely, small but mighty as she led the pack. “I thought the Lord of Hell was supposed to be someone who terrified those he came into contact with, not offer to hold their bags for them.”
Eryx chuckled, but his eyes never strayed from his surroundings. He continued to rest a hand on the hilt ofhis sword. “You receive a much different version of the lord than other demons in Hell,” he said.
“Eryx,” Erebos warned, but Alessia wouldn’t let him off the hook that easily.
“Why?” she pressed. “If you resented me for stealing your powers when we first met, what changed?”
“Would you all bequiet?” The three of them collided into Izara’s back when she drew up short at the opening of the narrow tunnel. They all held their breath, straining their ears for the sudden abruption. “I heard something.”
Panic latched onto Alessia’s heart with a tight fist, the hair along her arms standing on end. She didn’t miss when Erebos stepped closer to her, the heat of his body like a furnace against her back. Still, it did nothing to stop her anxiety from running wild.
And then she heard it.
Aslitheringechoing within the walls.
“That sounds promising,” Eryx muttered under his breath. Entering into full-blown general mode, he unsheathed his sword and stood before Erebos, attempting to block him from view even though he was a few inches shorter. The hard lines of his face were set in stone as he assessed the area, searching for the source of the danger.
“It’s coming from the right,” Izara murmured. They were at a crossroads at the end of the tunnel. “Is that where we’re headed?”
Erebos took the map from Eryx’s free hand. “It’s where wewereheaded.”
“We can’t stray from the route,” Izara protested. “We’ll never find ourway back.”
The slithering intensified, shaking the walls and causing debris to drift from the ceiling. Alessia covered her mouth and nose with her arm, eyes watering amid the dust particles. “If we keep standing here, we’re dead people walking,” she said in a muffled voice. “We need to move.”
“She’s right,” Erebos agreed. “There’s no telling what?—”
Suddenly, the source of the slithering revealed itself, bursting through the stone partition in front of them before they could brace themselves.
Rocks and stones spewed in every direction, and what emerged was a creature straight out of Alessia’s nightmares.
A hulking serpent onlegstowered to the arched ceilings of the cave, showcasing sharp rows of teeth and a tongue dripping with the same goo Eryx sported on his boot. It was the length of a football field, with a sweeping tail covered in black scales sharp enough to cut glass.
Alessia craned her neck to view the entirety of its body, stricken with fear before Eryx shouted, “ALESSIA, MOVE!”
Adrenaline replaced her fear as she rolled to the right of the cave, where a rock had been seconds from smothering her. Izara called upon her power, like the absolute badass she was, flinging balls of fire at the creature, which was a mix of serpent and lizard with glowing green eyes. The snake hissed, but Alessia didn’t think it was because the Godzilla-like creature was hurt. It was more of an annoyance before it shot out green venominto the soul seeker’s path, its acidicness sizzling against the stone.
For whatever reason, that shook the sense into Alessia that she needed. She’d be damned if that acid venom made contact with her skin. It’d probably melt through to the bone.
Legs with talons the length of Alessia’s body slammed beside her, rumbling the cave walls. Eryx and Erebos had their swords drawn, swiping wherever they could get an opening before seeking shelter when the venom spewed.
With a deep breath, Alessia called upon the smoke, more than relieved when it responded to her summons immediately, as if sensing the danger swarming her. It coiled around her wrists, waiting for her cue to strike.
Come on,she whispered.Focus.
Attempting to ignore the thrashing creature, she sent tendrils along its torso, snaking around the scales until they reached the throat. Her magic seemed repelled by it, forced to remain in the serpent’s proximity. It was as if her powers were at war with herself.
“It’s a python!” Erebos screamed, jabbing his sword into one of its legs. Blood spilled to the stone beneath, encircling him like a target.
“On crack!” Eryx retorted. “Do you see the size of this thing?” He grunted when the python kicked its leg out, barely dodging the blow.
