ago, the veil bordering my world cracked again.” Phanes paused to smile. “I knew it had to be you, and this time, I vowed to let nothing stop me from finding you and convincing you to open the veil. It was easier than I thought. I only had to tell you that your father was trapped here for you to insist on entering the netherworld. I even pretended to want to stay behind to further lull you into trusting me. Now, finally, I have freed my friends. You gave me that gift, so for that, I thank you.”
Thank you? What did the fucker think I was going to say to that? You’re welcome?
“You come off like the misunderstood hero, but you’re full of shit,” I said coldly. “You’re not here to save your friends so they can live quiet, peaceful lives. If that were the case, you could have asked for my help. But no. You’ve got bigger plans, don’t you? Let me guess: these two are the gods that your circle-jerk play showed you defeating?”
I didn’t need to see his expression to know I was right. His silence confirmed it since Phanes was so rarely silent.
I let out a contemptuous laugh. “What, you think now that you’ve busted them out of their eternal jail, they’ll let you back into their conquer-Earth club? Is that why Helena tried to kill me? Because she knew what you were up to? Now her last words make sense. She said, ‘Can’t let you,’ but you killed her before she could finish the sentence, didn’t you?”
“Soon, you’ll be dead, too,” Phanes said in silky tone. “Pity. You’ll never see the good that can come from real rulers assuming control. Humans have wrecked your world almost beyond saving, but now the gods are back, and mortal rule is over.”
I dropped my hand. No matter the additional burning from the acid wall that spun around me like a hollow geyser, I wanted Phanes to see every bit of my expression when I spoke.
“It’ll never happen, Phanes. I will get out of here, and when I do, I will come for you.”
He only snorted. “That sort of disagreeable attitude is why I’m leaving you behind. If you would have been more biddable, I would have honored our betrothal and taken you for my wife.”
Biddable? “I would rather bathe in this acid lake than become your wife.”
“You will bathe in it once your power falters.”
Rage made the walls swirling around me shoot high enough to almost reach Phanes. He flew away at once.
“Until then, thank you as well for the bodies you and Ian left in my world,” he tossed down to me. “If it’s any comfort, they will live on even though you won’t. My friends will make good use of them since they need new vessels for their souls.”
“You won’t get away with this!” I shouted, which wasn’t the most original response, but I was too furious to be creative.
He continued flying away, soon becoming only a dark speck against an even darker background.
“Yes I will,” I heard him reply. “I’m closing the veil behind me, and in case you haven’t realized, your father was never imprisoned down here. That was only an illusion. No one knows where he is.”
Sonofabitch! No one since Dagon had fucked me over this thoroughly. My power blasted out, but then had nowhere to go, so it flooded back into me hard enough to knock me over.
My most fearsome abilities were useless. I couldn’t pull someone into the netherworld when we were already here.
“I’ll find a way out, and I will come for you!” I shouted again, although I doubted he could hear me anymore.
Then again, maybe he could. Laughter faintly drifted back down to me. After that, I heard nothing at all.
Chapter 18
I allowed myself a moment to feel all the rage, frustration, and need for revenge boiling in me. Then, I forced it all down. I couldn’t get revenge until we got out of here, and we couldn’t do that until we figured out a plan. Good plans required thought, not raging emotions.
“Ian?” I called out when I felt calmer. “Where are you?”
“Here,” I heard him say in a strained tone above me.
I followed the sound. After a moment, I caught sight of him. Height-wise, he was about halfway between the acid lake and the ledge that Phanes had destroyed, but much farther left from where I’d landed. Phanes must have flown me away for a bit before he