Horsemen's War (The Rebellion Chronicles #3) - Steve McHugh Page 0,77

did this to me.”

“I do not believe that my sister could have done this,” Judgement said, more to herself.

“Well, fucking believe it,” Chloe snapped, before turning to Mordred. “Save her. Please.”

Mordred turned back to Chloe. “I’m going to give it my best, but I need to know what did this. And I’m guessing it’s the same thing that cut open Medusa’s cheek.”

Medusa nodded. “She has a dagger, white wooden handle.”

“I remember it,” Mordred said.

“Basilisk-tooth blade,” Medusa said.

“Are you sure?” Mordred asked, flashing back to the memory of Elaine’s murder with the same type of black-bladed weapon at the hands of Lancelot. “They’re one-shot-and-done knives. The blade dissolves after use.”

“Only if it kills the victim with the first strike,” Medusa said. “The blade needs to enter the body totally for the poison to be injected. Athena only used the edges of the weapon; the poison is weaker there, but obviously opening up her neck with a blade designed to not let her heal will eventually kill her.”

“Piper will die if someone doesn’t do something,” Chloe snapped.

Layla placed a hand on Chloe’s shoulder and squeezed.

“Right, well, we know what we’re dealing with,” Mordred said. He had been unable to save his aunt, the wounds already too grave, the poison inside the blade already injected into her body. He’d held her as she’d died, and there had been nothing he could do about it. He would be damned before he let that happen again.

Mordred picked up a dagger from the ground and passed it over the palm of his hand. He placed his hands together and ignited the blood magic, feeling the swirl of power, of need, that hit him. Blood magic was addictive, and a long time ago Mordred’s dependence on it had been one of many reasons that he hadn’t been of sound mind. He no longer needed blood magic, he no longer craved it, but whenever he used it, he still felt that rush of desire.

“This might not feel great,” Mordred said. “In fact, this is going to suck.”

Piper looked at him and placed a bloody hand on his. She was ready.

“You’re braver than I am,” Mordred told her and placed his hands against her neck.

Piper’s eyes rolled up into her head, and her body began to convulse.

“Mordred,” Chloe shouted. “You’re killing her.”

Mordred ignored her and continued to use his blood magic to pour power into the wound. Layla grabbed hold of Chloe, dragging her away as she screamed at Mordred. Mordred was lost in the maelstrom of sound that reverberated inside his head. He looked down at Piper, who continued to shake as pain racked his hands, traveling up his arms.

Hel arrived with Brynhildr and two dozen soldiers. Mordred wanted to say something, to make this stop, but he couldn’t find the words. All he had was pain that traveled up his arms into his chest, his breathing labored and slow, his mind foggy. And like the crack of a whip, he jolted to one side and vomited all over the ground.

“Get out of my fucking way,” Chloe snapped. Tego stayed away from the group but watched intently, ready to involve herself should it become necessary.

“Enough!” Mordred’s voice boomed around them all, reverberating off every surface as his air magic pushed the words out hard enough that it forced anyone around him to take a step away.

Mordred’s light magic ignited, and he placed his hands on a weak Piper, healing the wound in moments. She opened her eyes at Mordred and took his hand in hers.

“Do not try to move,” he said. “You are weak, and there is nothing I can do about that.”

Mordred got to his feet and looked down at the black vomit that had left him. “The poison is gone, so I could heal the wound. Do you need something similar, Medusa?”

Medusa stared at Mordred for several seconds before shaking her head. “No, I’m not in danger. Venom hurts, but it won’t kill me. The wounds have stopped bleeding; they just hurt. Besides, I don’t want what you just did. No offense.”

“Blood magic doesn’t play nice,” Mordred said as Hel grabbed hold of him.

“You’re swaying,” Hel told him.

“That’s nice,” Mordred said with a smile. “I need a sandwich. With meat. Lots of meat. And beer. I need beer and a meat sandwich.”

“We can do that,” Hel said with a warm laugh.

Chloe had rushed back to Piper’s side and was kneeling beside her. She looked up at Mordred with tears in her eyes. “Thank you. I’m so