Page 55 of Rise of the Witch
But the instant it became clearNoxhad a connection to the god—that they perhaps were a common enemy—I was on my feet, claws extending as I spun on the man behind me, fixated on drenching the ground beneath us with his blood.
I should have killed Nox the day we met!
“Easy, Yaga!” Veles chortled, infuriating amusement dancing over his face as Tan and Asa tore me away from their friend. “The deal Nox and I made happened long before you met. But how interesting, thesesecretsyou all hold so dear…” Running his thumb along his lips, his hungry gaze swept over our group as if he could see into our very souls. Suddenly, he clapped his hands together, smiling broadly, his fangs catching the light. “I know! Why don’t you all join me in the Nav, and we can discuss your sins over dinner.”
I shot one last glare at Nox before turning my full attention back to Veles. The adrenaline coursing through me made me bold as I haughtily replied, “I would be interested to hear what you know about the destruction in my forest beforewe consider going anywhere with you!”
The amusement on Veles’ face was instantly replaced with molten rage as he landed on the ground in front of me with an impact that shook the earth. “YouDAREto question my invitation, witch?!” He towered over me, his powerful voice echoing off the canyon walls as I shrank from the lashing waves of his fury. My Riders protectively pressed around me from all sides, our collective power thrumming in my veins, flowing between us as we readied for a fight.
Although, I have no idea if what we share is enough to defeat a god.
Veles abruptly brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache, all traces of his terrifying anger gone. “Sorry,sorry,”he sighed heavily.“We simply don’t havetimefor this, Vasi. Just come to the Nav, and I’ll explain everything once we get there.”
I was too overloaded with my Riders’ incoming emotions to tap into my own intuition, but something still feltoffabout Veles. Not only his extreme mood swings but his insistence we join him in the Nav immediately, no questions asked.
What secrets is Veles hiding?
Perhaps I was strengthened by the presence of my men, or I was simply tired of others deciding my fate. Lifting my gaze to steadily meet Veles’, I calmly replied, “No.”
The god of the underworld fixed those burning eyes on me, although I saw intelligent calculation in their depths instead of rage. A tense moment passed before he shifted his gaze to Asa, his expression turning benevolent. “Would you like to see your mother again, boy?”
A strange euphoria suddenly clouded Asa’s face. “Yes...” he rasped, pale blue eyes fixed on Veles as he took a step toward the god. I tried to reach for him but found my arms immobilized at my sides, just as my feet were suddenly rooted to the ground. Tan and Nox seemed to be experiencing the same unnatural paralysis, as I could feel the panic and anger radiating off of them from where they stood behind me.
“I can reunite you with her,” Veles gently ran a finger down Asa’s jawline, walking backward to further coax my Rider away from the rest of the group. “Would you like that?” Asa nodded dreamily, obviously under the god’s control as he followed Veles closer to the crack in the earth.
Don’t let him take you away!
Unable to move or even call Asa back to me, I was forced to watch helplessly as Veles drew my Beautiful Sun into his arms. Claws suddenly extended from the god’s fingertips with a metallic scrape, the look of them so similar to mine I suspected he was mimicking me on purpose. He carefully raked those deadly points down the front of Asa’s shirt, tearing cloth and scratching his skin just enough for my Rider to shudder in pleasure.
“Yesssss, you like the pain your witch delivers, don’t you?” Veles purred, gaze sweeping to Tan as he smirked knowingly. “It’s all you’veneededsince your mother died. A way to forget the sorrow of her loss…”
Asa’s shirt fell in tatters to the ground as Veles slowly backed them toward the chasm he’d emerged from, running his claws along Asa’s chest and neck with the intimacy of a lover. Tan was vibrating rage next to me, his white light flashing and sizzling as he fought against the hold he was under.
Veles paused with a claw poised at Asa’s throat. “Now, this may sting a little, beautiful boy, but one must die to enter the Nav.” His fiery gaze met mine. “And if Vasi won’t venture to my realm forme,perhaps she’ll come for one of her playthings…” He started to slice across Asa’s throat, blood rushing from the cut as horrified lucidity suddenly returned to my Rider’s perfect face.
“Get your fucking hands off of him!”Tan shouted, somehow breaking away from Veles’ supernatural hold to barrel toward the pair. The god’s eyes widened in surprise as Tan collided with him, knocking Asa to safety and causing Veles to stumble perilously close to the edge of the rift.
Quickly recovering, Veles laughed and easily blocked Tan’s next attack, spinning him around to wrap a massive arm around his throat, pulling my Bright Dawn back against his chest. “Oh, I love a fiery spirit,” he hissed in his ear, tightening his hold as Tan fought to free himself. Tears of frustration pricked my vision as I struggled to reach him, trying to utilize any power available to me through our bond, but still unable to move from where Veles held me fast.
I need to save him!
Asa managed to fight his way to standing, his red glow pulsing in anger as he took a determined step toward his love. Before he could join the fight, Veles suddenly plunged his claws deep into Tan’s abdomen, copious amounts of blood instantly soaked my Rider’s shirt, spraying the ground at his feet. Tan roared in agony, and Asa and I collapsed, pain ripping through my stomach as if Veles’ claws had gutted me instead.
Countenance transformed into something otherworldly and monstrous, Veles addressed Tan, although my Bright Dawn’s hazel eyes had already rolled back into his head, his beautiful olive skin lifeless and ashen. “Don’t worry, Taneer,” he cooed, gaze flickering in Asa’s direction. “Your love’s good enough for me.”
Falling backward off the edge of the chasm, Veles disappeared into the darkness with Tan in his arms, the crack in the earth instantly sealing over as if it had never existed. The spell holding me in place immediately lifted, but before I could stand, Asa had thrown himself into the mud where Veles had vanished.
“TAN!Oh, fuck, oh, fuck...” Asa was panicking, desperately clawing at the ground, blood still leaking from his neck to the earth below.
He took him.
Nox helped me to my feet, but all I could do was cling to him, violently shaking in the aftermath of what had occurred.
I’ve lost him.
“Come back...come back to me...Tan,please….”Asa was facedown now, howling into the muck, back muscles rippling with every sob, his red light blasting outward to scorch the surrounding earth.
No.We’velost him.
