The Dead and the Dusk (The Nightmare Court Book 2)

by Val Saintcrowe

  She kicked out a leg, obviously trying to spill the liquid, but her foot came into the light cast from the jar, and she cried out, halting immediately, pulling her leg back and moaning. “Oh, what does it matter? This wound might kill me anyway. Everything hurts.”

  He grabbed her and pulled her close.

  She slapped at his face.

  He had to let go of her to get at her hands.

  She bucked and squirmed away from the light, away from his body.

  It wasn’t easy getting the liquid into her mouth. Too much of it sloshed onto the ground. But eventually, he managed it, and she screamed when it touched her lips, screamed and smoke came from her lips and her face turned red.

  He let go of her, and she ran from him like a madwoman, shrieking in pain.

  He went after her. He caught her by the waist and hauled her through the portal, into the sunlight.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Xenia was trying to figure out how to make her door close when Eithan came back. His hair was pasted to his forehead with sweat and he didn’t offer a greeting when he came into her room.

  She backed away from him. “What…? Why are you back?”

  He shut the door and leaned his back against it, then his head, exposing his neck to her. He was quiet, standing there, gazing up at her ceiling.

  “Sir Eithan? Is there something I can do for you?” Her voice was shaking. She was almost entirely sure his presence could mean nothing good. “I’m sorry. I should never have trusted Revel—”

  “I went to find her,” said Eithan, lowering his head, leveling his gaze with Xenia’s. “I was angry. She was right, though. She taunted me. She said she didn’t have a choice, that she had to serve Ciaska’s whims, and it’s true. I am caught in the same web, but I wanted someone to pay, and I was angry, so…”

  “What did you do?” Xenia’s voice shook.

  “I don’t think she wanted to hurt you,” said Eithan. “Even though she was playing a part at the behest of Ciaska, I think Revel still cared about you.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I forced her to drink the sunlight and I threw her through the portal,” said Eithan.

  “You killed her?” Xenia was aghast. “You… are you here to apologize? Because you should know, I’m not going to forgive you for that.”

  “She’s not dead.” Eithan dragged a hand over his face. “It works.” He reached into his pocket and light filled the room.

  Xenia squinted at it, shying away from it. The light hurt.

  “She’s waiting for you on the other side of the portal,” said Eithan. “I am sorry. To make it up to her, I said I’d bring you to her. I think she wants to apologize.”

  Xenia’s lips parted.

  “Come on, then.” Eithan shoved the jar back into his pocket. “I’ll escort you through the guards.”

  * * *

  Nicce would have hidden under the bed as Eithan had told her to do if anyone had knocked.

  But when Ciaska came into Eithan’s room, she didn’t knock. Her mist didn’t come under the door. There was none of that. She just burst in, gesturing and talking. “I heard you brought her body in here, Eithan, but you’re not going to keep her here, decaying in the palace. I know you liked her, and you’re going to be pouting about it for a while, but—” Ciaska saw Nicce standing in the middle of the room. She cocked her head to one side.

  Nicce wasn’t sure what to do. It was too late to hide. Besides, it was past time she had a chance to fight the goddess. She couldn’t help but smile. She wished she had a sword, though. A sword would be nice. She’d left her sword back in the knights’ fortress on the other side of the portal. She had come in as a prisoner and hadn’t been allowed weapons.

  “You’re not dead,” said Ciaska.

  “No,” said Nicce.

  “Well, I really wasn’t expecting that,” said Ciaska. She closed the distance between them, putting her fingers on Nicce’s neck. “It’s completely healed. I wouldn’t even know I stabbed you through the throat. What are you?”

  Nicce’s smile widened. It looked like she was going to have to do this on her own. She reached inside herself and turned that knob she envisioned, and the heat of the sun flooded her. She opened her mouth and the light poured out of her, hitting Ciaska straight in the face.

  Ciaska staggered backwards. “Ouch. That hurts. What is wrong with you? We were just having a conversation.”

  Nicce needed a weapon. What could she use?

  Ciaska thudded against the wall. She whimpered. “You know, I’ve never liked you. You’re rude, really rude, and I don’t see what Eithan sees in you at all. Anyone could see that you are a step down from me. Men. They’re so fickle.”

  Nicce’s eyes fell on the bed. Well, that might have to do. She kicked at the bed post. It meant that she turned her attention from the goddess for a minute.

  It was all Ciaska needed.

  Her mist surrounded Nicce, wrapping tightly around her entire body, pinning her arms to her sides and making it impossible to move her legs. And then the mist tightened around Nicce’s neck. First, it cut off the sunlight streaming out Nicce’s mouth. Then it tightened even further.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  When Eithan came back through the gates for the second time, the guards crossed their spears in front of him.

  “What are you doing?” said one of them. “Where are the women you had?”

  Eithan shrugged. “None of your business.”

  “We heard about what Ciaska did to that one you like,” said the other guard. “We know you’re angry. What’s the plan? To take the brides out one by one and kill them, steal away every woman Ciaska has?”

  “Nah,” said the other guard. “I think he’s gathering them up someplace and he’s going to fuck every one of them in succession, right in front of the Exalted One, so that she gets so jealous she loses it.”

  “Whatever you’re doing, you should stop,” said the first one. “Because if Ciaska finds out we stood by while you did it, she’ll hurt us.”

  “Just keep your mouths shut, both of you,” said Eithan. “The time has come to pick sides. You’re either on the side of the bitch goddess or you’re on our side. Choose.”

  The guards exchanged a look.

  “Well, no offense, Eithan,” said the first guard. “But she’s a goddess. You’re no match for her.”

  The second guard pulled his spear back. “You’re upset. You really liked that girl. We get it. Go take a bath, calm down. We’ll forget we had this conversation.”

  The other guard pulled his spear back too. “That’s a very kind offer. I suggest you take it.”

  Eithan decided it wasn’t worth saying anything else to them. He probably shouldn’t have let Revel and Xenia go like that. He’d left the both of them standing in the sun, eyeing each other. They obviously had things to discuss, so he’d left them to it. Now, he needed to see Ciaska, do whatever he could to calm her. Then he had to find the knights and make sure they knew to stand down. Finally, he could return to his room, where Nicce was waiting for him.

  They could be alone there.

  No, not for that, he told himself. There’s no time for that.

  He stalked into the palace and sought Ciaska in her chambers and then the throne room, and then each and every one of the torture rooms. She was nowhere to be found.

  He sighed.

  Then he remembered that Nicce hadn’t eaten, and she’d probably be hungry. He would go to the kitchens, find her some food, bring it to her, and then go and find Ciaska.

  But in the kitchens, he found Absalom and Lian, hiding in the pantry.

  “What are you doing in here?” said Eithan.

  Absalom had the boy in his arms. He gave Lian a quick squeeze and then set him down. “I’m just going to go with Eithan to that door there, all right?” He pointed to the doorway to the pantry. “I’ll be back in a moment. You’ll be able to see me the whole time.” Absalom led Eithan to the door, and he lowered h
is voice. “I can’t let her put Lian back in the crystal.”

  “No,” said Eithan quietly. “I suppose I hadn’t thought about that. Perhaps we can convince her to go forward with the play.”

  “No, I am done,” said Absalom. “I want to take him through the portal. Now.”

  “Once she realizes he’s gone, she’ll come after him,” said Eithan. “We don’t have time to—”

  “Eithan, I’m taking him,” said Absalom.

  Eithan’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, all right. Why not? Everything’s gone to the pit, anyway.” He turned to look at the small boy, who seemed so frightened. He didn’t deserve to have to live in this horrible place any longer. “Listen, I was going to find Ciaska, so I’ll do that, and I’ll distract her. But the guards are going to be a problem. They gave me flack coming in. You won’t want to engage in a fight, not with the boy there. The jewels that we got from the Guild, you’ll want to use those.”

  Absalom grimaced. “That’s a pain I don’t relish reliving.”

  “And it’s daylight on the other side of the portal, so expect to be drained once you cross,” said Eithan. “We also don’t know how sunlight will affect Lian. We know Ciaska isn’t fond of it. It would stand to reason that her son might not be either.”

  Absalom swallowed.

  “Are you still determined to go?”

  “I am,” said Absalom.

  “Well, then I can only hope this works,” said Eithan, grasping the other man’s hand. “But you understand, this means I have to try to find Nicce and kill Ciaska now, or else she’ll be coming after you.”

  Absalom turned back to look at Lian. “Eithan, I have to get him free.”

  “I know,” Eithan murmured. He half-wanted to try to talk Absalom out of it, but he didn’t have a plan, and without one, he didn’t know how to be convincing.

  If he and Nicce confronted Ciaska, surely they could kill her.

  Hadn’t Nicce said there was no reason to wait?

  They could do this.

  He took a deep breath.

  He had to believe that if he had any hope of making it work.

  * * *

  Ciaska’s mist cut into Nicce’s skin, and blood spilled out, but it wasn’t blood. It was sunlight, and wherever it touched the mist, the mist retreated, as if it could not exist in the sun.

  Nicce burst free of the mist and kicked the bed post again. The wood splintered. She kicked once more and she wrenched the bed post free. Bent nails protruded from the end of it. Nicce swung her new weapon around and it collided with Ciaska’s face.

  “Ow!” said Ciaska, annoyed.

  Nicce yanked the bed post out.

  White light, like the light from the melting crystal, poured out of the wounds on Ciaska’s face. Ciaska touched her wounds, and her lower lip trembled. “That really hurt. You need to stop hurting me, right now.”

  “You were just trying to strangle me to death,” said Nicce.

  “So?” said Ciaska, spreading her hands. She reached out and seized the bed post.

  The two fought over it for several moments, yanking it back and forth between them.

  But Nicce’s hands were slippery, and Ciaska was just a bit stronger. The goddess tugged the bed post away.

  Ciaska swung it over her head, burying the nails into Nicce’s skull.

  Nicce screamed in pain, concentrating her sunlight to go to the place where her body was broken.

  Even as Ciaska dragged the nails out of Nicce’s body, Nicce’s sunlight knitted her skin and bone back together.

  Ciaska gaped at her. “You’re really kind of annoying, do you know that? Why don’t you die?”

  Nicce opened her mouth wide, roaring out sunlight. She urged it out of her mouth, splashing it all over Ciaska’s face.

  The goddess sputtered, stumbling backwards, throwing up both of her hands to protect herself. “Stop it. I mean it. You’re really starting to upset me.”

  At that moment, the door opened.

  It was Eithan. His eyes widened as he took in the scene, but to his credit, it didn’t take him more than a second to react. He pulled his sword out of its scabbard and brought it up.

  With one swipe, he cut into Ciaska’s shoulder, drawing the sword down in a diagonal line across her body, slicing through her rib cage, her stomach, and then her hip.

  But Ciaska’s body bled white light and knitted itself back together again, just the way that Nicce’s did.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Eithan stood motionless, his lips parted, his sword at his side. It hadn’t worked. The room was bathed in Nicce’s sunlight, and the liquid light was spattered all over Ciaska’s face, but it hadn’t weakened her.

  Maybe it was because she hadn’t drunk it.

  Possibly if the goddess had ingested the light, it would have made a difference.

  But staring at her there in front of him, holding the tatters of her clothes in place as her nostrils flared, her eyes leaking bright light, he began to wonder if he hadn’t just been wrong.

  Maybe Ciaska wasn’t nearly as killable as he’d hoped.

  The goddess took long, slow breaths. “Eithan?” she said, her voice very, very even. “Was this your game?”

  He lifted his sword.

  She raised her hand. “Please don’t.”

  Nicce ran into Ciaska full force, knocking the goddess to the ground. Nicce drove a fist into the back of Ciaska’s skull. “A weapon, Eithan?”

  “You saw what just happened,” Eithan said. “I don’t know if a weapon’s going to help.”

  Ciaska squirmed around underneath Nicce, baring her teeth. She pushed her fist into Nicce’s mouth, and the goddess’s fist glowed bright white. Power gathered, so much that the room whited out and Eithan put up a hand to cover his eyes.

  There was a booming sound, almost like thunder, and Nicce’s body flew through the air, hit the back wall of the bedroom, and slid down motionless, like a broken toy.

  Eithan let out a cry.

  Ciaska got to her feet. Tears were leaking out of her eyes, and her fist was still glowing. She was shaking. “You’re my Eithan. How could you do this?”

  Eithan went past her, pushing her out of the way, rushing to Nicce. He threw himself to his knees and pulled her into his arms.

  “You can’t be serious,” said Ciaska. She raised her voice. “I need a guard. Take Eithan to the dungeons. Get him out of my sight. Now.” Her voice collapsed into a sob at the end.

  Nicce’s eyes fluttered. She was alive.

  Eithan touched her face and then got to his feet, brandishing his sword.

  He ran at Ciaska.

  She turned and saw him. She brought up her glowing fist.

  Dark.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Absalom was carrying Lian through the hallways when he heard the commotion. He ducked into a darkened room, putting his finger to his lips to let Lian know to be quiet.

  He listened as people hurried through the halls, and they spoke, and it didn’t take long for Absalom to put it all together.

  Eithan had failed.

  He and Nicce were both being taken to the dungeons. They were alive but only barely so, and in the dungeons, the nightmares roamed free. Neither were in any position to face those damned creatures. They were both as good as dead.

  Absalom’s heart felt as if it was being wrung out to dry. He clutched Lian, trying to think. What did he do now? Eithan was right that Ciaska would come after them.

  But she’d also be very likely to put Lian back in the crystal, both to establish her dominance over the remaining knights and to focus them on her instead of on the boy. The loss of Eithan would devastate Ciaska. Gods, it would devastate all of them. What did that even mean? Eithan had been their leader. What would they do without him?

  This is your fault, spoke up a voice in the back of his head. You pushed for this. You said that you wouldn’t stand by while another girl was sacrificed. Eithan didn’t want to do this, but you pushed him.

/>   “Absalom?” came the tremulous voice of Lian.

  “What, sweet boy?” Absalom touched the boy’s face.

  “What happened to Eithan?”

  “I don’t know yet,” said Absalom.

  “Are we still leaving the palace?”

  “I… I don’t know. Let me think.” He gazed into Lian’s eyes. This boy was depending on him. And regardless of who had contributed the other half of the boy, Lian was his son. He was the son of all of them. Lian was what was important now.

  Absalom took a breath.

  What would Eithan do?

  If Eithan were in this position, he would find a way to keep Lian safe, no matter the cost to himself.

  Yes, maybe if Absalom were here, in the palace, he could make this all work. Ciaska would need to be led. She’d need to be consoled, and who better to do that than her favorite?

  Absalom gave Lian a smile. “Okay, then, little man, let’s go and find Philo, hmm?”

  “Philo?” Lian looked worried.

  “You like Philo. You love Philo.”

  “We play fun games, but if we need to fight—”

  “Philo can fight,” said Absalom, giving Lian a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about that.”

  Lian didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. “Are we staying, then?”

  “No, we’re leaving,” said Absalom.

  Lian smiled. “Good.”

  Absalom smiled. “Good.”

  * * *

  When Philo opened the door to Absalom and Lian, his face was drawn and he looked ashen.

  “Come with me now,” said Absalom. “Bring your sword if you don’t have it.”

  Philo shook his head. “Eithan went to the dragon’s cave. He shouldn’t have gone there.”

  “Don’t you worry about Eithan,” said Absalom. “Come on, you’re coming with me. Lian’s going to need you.”

  Philo looked at Lian and then back at Absalom.

  “Bring your godsforsaken sword, and let’s go,” said Absalom.

  Philo swallowed, looking confused, but Philo was always confused. Finally, he nodded. He strapped his sword on and joined Absalom in the hallway.