Page 93 of Hex
I grin wider at this fucking djinn because he knows that nothing he says can help him.
“The tribrid, you piece of shit. Goddess from Hekate, witch from Baba Yaga, and angel from Grandei Atlantis. Don’t you wish you’d kept your fucking mouth shut?” I can taste his fear and it’s feeding my hunger for violence.
“In accordance with the will of the Moirai, Interim Dei Reilly of the royal djinn of Faloria, you are hereby condemned to death. May the balance of our universe be restored. Demons, you have carte blanche.”
Fucking music to my ears.
“Thank you, Grandei.” No sooner have I spoken than Slay has let loose his smoke, creeping up along the djinn’s body until it reaches his face.
Pierce and I wait. This needs to be satisfying, it needs to have substance and poetic justice.
Wrapping his shadows around the djinn’s face, Slay speaks low as though reciting an enchantment until I listen closely and I swear to fuck my chest burns from the ache.
“With these shadows, I offer you death in return for death. You shall be avenged, my brother. You shall be missed, my brother. You shall be with us, my brother.” The djinn can barely breathe and that’s my cue.
Extending my arms, I let loose the vines that are an integral part of me and watch them entwine around the djinn’s blue form. They squeeze and squeeze, so hard that even while suffocating, I can hear his moans of pain.
“With these vines, I offer you conquest in return for death. You shall be avenged, my brother. You shall be missed, my brother. You shall be with us, my brother.” My voice hitches at the last mention of Slash. It fucking hurts too much.
Keeping my vines tightly wound, I watch as Pierce takes one step closer to the djinn, his palms out and ready to do his own brand of damage.
Just over the heart, Pierce releases his healing magic, but instead of infusing the djinn with it, he’s extracting it, effectively depriving him of any and all processes, magical or otherwise, that might allow him to stay alive.
“With these powers, I offer you famine in return for death. You shall be avenged, my brother. You shall be missed, my brother. You shall be with us, my brother.” Pierce speaks through his teeth and I can’t remember a single time where I’ve seen him so fucking livid.
It’s warranted, that’s for fucking sure.
Holding our powers in place as we slowly and painfully kill the djinn, we give our final goodbyes.
“With trust we stand. In love we conquer.” We recite as one, and as one, we honor Slash.
The final squeeze from my vines while Pierce continues to suck out the life force and Slay blocks all the air out of the djinn’s mouth and nose, tears the djinn in at least ten different pieces that fall to the ground with a satisfyingthud. All but his arms, still attached by the cuffs. His head, much like Slash’s the other day, lies detached from his body.
Good fucking riddance.
We stand together, taking in the view, and I realize in that moment that nothing, not even vengeance, will ever fill the void Slash has left in our hearts.
But the time for grief will have to wait. Atlantis’s next words get my full fucking attention.
“Daughter, we need to speak.” He looks at me, his eyes travelling from my head to my vines, still dancing around me, to my feet, before giving Sage his full attention. “In private.”
Over my dead body, motherfucker.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Sage
Most days I can read the room using my Hack growl-o-meter. There’s the short, warning growl usually aimed at his brothers, then there’s the pleasure growl that announces he’s about to rock my lady parts’ world, but the one he just used with my father—yup, still weird—as he summoned me for a meeting was long and guttural. I’ve only ever heard that one right before he goes all pumpkin murder rage on anyone trying to hurt me.
I’m aware that it’s neither the time nor place, but that’s the growl that makes me wetter than a slip-n-slide hooked up to a fire hydrant. I may be a strong, independent, badass woman, but I like knowing my chosen has my back.
Shaking away my inappropriate thoughts, I shrug and walk out of the dungeon, only answering Atlantis once I reach the damp hallway.
“Let’s speak then.”
There’s probably a protocol about walking beside or behind the Grandei but I’m cashing in my joker card since no one’s given me the handbook to kyn rules.
“What did your mother say about this?” Hack asks as his body inches so close to mine we’re practically one.
