Page 97 of Villains and Vengeance
I put everything into opening my hands and my fingers brush the silk of the cocoon I’m wrapped in.
I keep trying as I watch Siggy and Dante struggle to kill each other.
Dante drops the second sword. It clatters to the floor and Siggy pushes closer, forcing Dante’s chest to the floor. He reaches for something at his belt.
‘Siggy, look out!’ I yell, but it only comes out as a whisper.
Dante strikes with something I can’t see and Siggy makes the same scream as Gargantua did.
No!
My blood freezes in my veins at the sound, but my heart is beating faster and faster, my body warming up.
My arms rise and I begin to tear at the silk, opening the bag, but my movements are feeble and slow.
Siggy retreats a few steps and I see a trail of black fluid on the ground.
She’s hurt.
Dante jumps to his feet, a grin on his red, scaled face and a short, sharp dagger in his grip. He throws it down and takes his longsword in both hands.
Siggy is backing up towards the wall, her steps slow and her legs falling out from under her.
She’s hurt bad.
I try to stand myself but fall back. I need to get to her, but my legs just won’t move.
‘No,’ I cry, and my voice works, but Dante doesn’t even turn.
I start crawling across the floor towards them as Dante stalks towards Siggy, looking like a demonic Gaston fixing to kill the Beast who isn’t fighting back.
Siggy tries to stand, but collapses, her legs not able to keep her up. Her eyes home in on me for a second and mine begin to flow with tears.
Why can’t I get to her? Why did I take that fucking venom? This wouldn’t be happening if I’d just sucked it up and stayed silent as I endured the torture. Instead, I’d taken the easy way out and now my friend …
She focuses back on Dante just as the demon king raises his sword.
He looks back at me on the floor just a few feet away trying desperately to get to her and he smiles at me.
‘You did this.’
Then he plunges it into Siggy’s head.
‘NOOOOO!’ I cry as Siggy shrieks.
My flesh and body burn and I’m suddenly on my feet, my body feeling different. Stronger.
I’m on Dante inside a second and I register shock visible on his face as I take hold of his two, black, bull-like horns and twist his head sharply. Pain radiates through my broken arm, but I ignore it. I hear a crack, but, even then, I don’t stop twisting until his head is backwards and resembles Linda Blair’s.
I tear off his Rolex and drop him, resolving never to think of the late demon king ever again.
I kneel by Siggy, but she’s already gone, her legs slowly curling under her in the death pose.
‘Why did you come? Why did you put yourself at risk for me?’ I ask her brokenly. ‘I was never worth it.’
I stroke her pedipalps.
‘I’m so sorry,’ I whisper. ‘I’m so sorry, Siggy.’
