Covenant (20 page)

The red light behind Lizbeth's eyes flickered and was gone.

Lizbeth stood in front of Israfel now, every trace of Mikel's soul and consciousness gone from her face. She blinked at Israfel as if she'd just awakened from some long and odd dream. She lifted her hand and examined it, seeming to remember that it might have struck an angel.

The surrounding priests had gone absolutely silent.

But the tension in the room had changed. They had witnessed Lizbeth's hand strike Israfel across the face.

The magical blood they sought trickled down the side of Israfel's cheek. He could be injured, maybe even killed. Israfel was a great angel, a legend, but he was still noticeably weak. They could follow through with their desperate act of sacrilege without any real repercussions. They might have casualties, but they could surely overpower Israfel with sheer numbers. Slowly, they closed in on him without saying a word.

Israfel knew better than to waste his strength just yet. It would take many cuts to kill him.

He looked at Father Schrader, who once again struggled with his captors.

The old priest's eyes were wide with horror.

Israfel unfurled his wings, silver light blazing around his body. He huddled on the ground and wrapped his pinions protectively around himself, knowing he had to at least keep the treasure inside of him from harm.

It didn't take much longer for the other priests to overcome their remaining fears.

With cries of triumph, they fell on him.

Twenty-three

I wanted to say with pride, that no matter how much time passed, or how much danger assaulted me, or how many temptations I met on my way, that my soul never changed.
—T
ROY

The labyrinth's great tunnel was even darker than before. The water of the Styx River trickled and coursed beneath boulders fallen from the cavern ceiling. Piles of jagged rock littered the ground in every direction, and every so often another chunk clunked powerfully to the earth.

Troy lay silent and still, just breathing for a while.

Eventually, she pushed up shakily onto her hands and feet, rolling rubble off her back. She unfurled her wings and tried to stretch them but found herself blocked by the piles of rock to her right and left. She leaned forward but jumped back hastily, hissing with pain. Troy had broken a finger on her left hand.

Well, she had traveled for days on end hunting with worse injuries many times in the past. Her ankle that had been slowly healing over the course of days had at least gotten through the ordeal unharmed. Blood dripped into her eyes from a gash stinging her forehead.

The smell of more blood and burning flesh met her nose.

Troy flicked her ears, straining to catch any sounds of life in the darkness. A low moan and the sound of flapping wings could be heard beneath the trickle of the water.

She began to pick her way under, over, and around the rocks toward the noise. Troy climbed over one of the adult Hounds' corpses, her nails snagging in its mats of black feathers and hair. Her stomach growled with incredible hunger, and the smell of meat tormented her, but she never stopped until she'd left the corpse behind, turned a corner around a large rock, and found Nina Willis lying on her side, clutching at her leg and groaning softly.

Nina didn't even notice Troy approach. Her eyes were shut tightly, and her face was red from weeping. Fury perched by her side, one yellow eye cocked at the girl in concern. The Vapor looked at Troy.

Fury's thoughts touched Troy's mind like gentle whispers.
She is in great pain
 . . .

Troy nudged Fury aside and sniffed at the steaming wound in Nina's flesh. The injury was bad. Surely the girl would eventually lose the leg.

Troy's wings tensed. Her stomach fluttered nervously. Nina's injury could be helped, but where was Juno? Troy straightened as much as the surrounding rocks would allow and sniffed the air, letting her ears do their work. Her keen eyes searched the darkness. Finally, she spied a tiny form huddled beneath a rock, its ragged black wings wrapped tightly around a body layered with little cuts.

Watch Nina,
Troy said inwardly to Fury.

Juno's gaze locked with Troy's, her infantile eyes wide and moist. But she didn't move.

Troy neared her cautiously, and then settled down by Juno's side with her own wings folded tightly against her back.

Juno was bleeding, but otherwise she just seemed to be in shock. Troy tried to remember how her sister Hecate behaved when the other chicks were hurt. She tried to think back to the care her own mother desperately gave her. Leaning over, she clasped one of Juno's arms and slowly began to lick away the blood.

Juno whimpered and curled into Troy's side, trembling. Her little fingers clutched one of the Hounds' teeth, fallen from one of the corpses.

“You did well,” Troy said. “Hecate would have been proud of you.”

Juno took a little courage from the words and tried to show a braver face. They both knew that it was a miracle she had survived. Juno may have been the heir to the Underworld throne, but she was weak and a poor hunter. “Look, Auntie,” she said with a hiss, holding out the tooth.

Troy broke away from her cleaning regimen and took the tooth from Juno, using one of her nails to dig out a hole. Troy then tied the tooth into Juno's hair, settling it next to the chick's much smaller trophies. Juno shook her head, and her eyes brightened at the sound of the bones and teeth rattling together.

“Clean yourself,” Troy snapped at her, shoving Juno aside as the chick clambered back toward her.

Juno took on a wounded expression but settled into licking at the blood on her arms and wings.

“Now stay here,” Troy said, and she wandered back to where Nina rested.

This time Nina noticed Troy creeping closer. The girl scrabbled backward despite her pain, rocks flying everywhere, momentarily horrified by Troy coming so near to her when she was so vulnerable. Fury screeched in distress. Then Nina seemed to remember where she was and why, and she slumped against the stone, completely exhausted by the pain. “Where's Angela?” she croaked pathetically.

Troy growled. “The demon must have taken her. We are now on our own.”

Nina's face showed her fear, but she overcame her agony and tried to sit up to talk better, maybe even stand. Fury hopped nearer to Nina and clucked in displeasure.

Troy clamped a hand on Nina's shoulder and shoved her back down. “Not yet. It is too soon for you to move.”

Nina slumped down again and rubbed at her tears. “How long will we have to stay here?”

“Until you can actually walk again,” Troy said. “Perhaps a day. It is all we can afford. The only other solution would be to cut off your leg and carry you. Either way, you will lose the limb eventually.”

“Cut it off with what?” Nina shouted.

Troy showed her teeth.

Nina shook her head violently. “I'll wait a day then.”

“Of course,” Troy said, not unsympathetic.

She sat on her haunches by Nina's side and tore some of the hem of Nina's dress. Slowly, Troy bandaged the wound. Nina gritted her teeth and sometimes screamed, but overall she sucked back the pain with admirable bravery. At the end of the process she was left sweaty and gasping, but the worst was now over. Her adrenaline would give her the painkillers she needed to keep going. That, and perhaps her concern for the Archon.

“I think that giant snake interfering was too convenient. And the rocks falling . . . Do you think it was a trap, to separate us from one another?” Nina said after a short silence.

Troy grunted. “You would be a fool to think otherwise.”

“Will that snake demon kill Angela?” Nina said even more desperately.

“
No,
” Troy said. “It is clear enough that he needs her alive. It is us he doesn't want here. Me especially.”

Rocks tumbled nearby. Nina flinched, but Troy already recognized the familiar scrabble of little nails on stone. Juno's head popped up over a boulder, and then the Jinn chick climbed down the stone and over to Nina to curiously examine her injury. Troy held Juno back when she came too close. The chick was hungry too and couldn't be trusted around a weak human's wounds without supervision.

“But,” Troy continued, “he will know eventually that this attempt to destroy us has failed.”

“What next?” Nina said, coughing with pain. “We have to get out of here then—”

“Not yet,” Troy snapped. “You are too weak.”

“Then leave me,” Nina shouted. “Angela needs you . . . not me.”

Troy stared at her. “Never question why you exist and why you are where you happen to be. There is
always
a reason.”

Nina looked at her wound and sighed.

Troy examined the shadows, her ears flicking nervously. “It is far from ideal. But we have no choice but to remain here for at least a few more hours. You must gather your strength. Juno and I must sleep. Even hunters like me cannot work miracles . . .”

Despite another glare from Troy, Juno curled next to Nina searching for warmth.

Nina stiffened, but when it became clear Juno wouldn't hurt her, she visibly relaxed. She stroked Juno's wings, tears of pain still rolling down her cheeks.

“Are you going to join us, Auntie?” Juno whispered with a little hiss.

“Yes,” Troy growled at her. “Now be quiet and sleep. I will make sure to feed you when you awaken.”

Juno watched her suspiciously, but eventually her golden eyes sealed shut. Fury returned with a strip of meat and swallowed it hastily before Juno could notice, then fluffed into a black ball on top of the little Jinn's warm back.

Troy settled beside them both in silence, but even when Fury and Nina also finally fell asleep, Troy did not stay completely true to her word and remained awake as long as she could, gazing out into the misty blackness, listening to the interrupted cascade of the Styx, searching for danger that could arrive at any moment.

For the first time in a long while, Troy broke down and let her wings shiver violently. Troy was afraid of few things but failure. Right now, she could not fail.

More than life depended on it.

 

Troy awakened to the noise of movement against rock.

She cursed herself inwardly for falling asleep, then cracked open an eyelid, searching the fog for signs of danger.

Their surroundings hadn't changed. Nina, Fury, and Juno slept curled together, their breathing timed to one another, the rise and fall of their chests slow and even. Troy watched them, swiveling her ears to catch the slightest sound. Nothing. It wasn't until her eyes had started to close again that she heard it.

A low and deep hiss. The sound of scales rubbing smoothly against stone.

Troy pushed up onto her hands and feet and peered into the shadows. There was the flicker of orange eyes, and then they blinked out. Faintly purplish glowing mist filled the air. A chilly breeze swept from nowhere and played with Troy's hair and feathers. She tensed her muscles, completely on the alert.

Abruptly, Python stepped out of the darkness and nearer to her field of vision. He was far enough away to stay out of immediate danger, but still close enough to keep Troy ready for the worst.

“What do you want?” she hissed lethally.

“A ludicrous question,” Python said softly. “You knew I would return.”

Troy flexed her fingers, rubbing her nails together. “Where is the Archon?”

“Safe,” Python whispered. “And that's all you need to know.”

“
Liar.
”

“Not at all,” Python said. “You
also
know it is in my best interests to keep her alive.”

Troy snarled angrily. “Alive doesn't mean safe.”

Python smiled.

The hair began to rise along Troy's neck. Rage bubbled up within her. “Why not come closer so that I can rip into your face again? If you want to play, play with me. Leave the human and the chick out of it.”

“You see”—Python shook his head—“that is where you're wrong. I didn't come to fight. I came to talk.”

Troy snorted in amusement. “You do enough of that already.”

Python's eyes flashed with irritation, but he regained his smooth composure quickly. “Troy, I have a pronounced aversion to your kind. You know that well. After all, am I not a legend to your ragged little race? And I'll admit, one of the crowning achievements of my life was to watch your namesake city fall, to see you all dispersed like vermin to every corner of the Underworld.”

Troy clenched her nails into the ground so hard one of them snapped.

Python's snake eyes bored into her. “But you are a different one, Troy. I have taken interest in you since I first heard the tales of a Jinn hunter that was so feared, some of the rival Jinn Clans begged the demons to exterminate you. Seeing you in person like this is almost an honor. Despite what I had to suffer for it.” Python rubbed the wound on his cheek. “But I am not like my mother. I can let the past go, even if you cannot.”

Troy stretched her wings. “You are testing my patience with your incessant flattery.”

“Not flattery,” Python retorted. “The truth. You are different from most of your kind. Smarter, better senses, and dare I say somewhat more attractive on your own pitiful level. Perhaps I am not going too far in saying you are the epitome of what the Jinn can be, but most are not. Such a pity about your sister . . .”

Troy stiffened. “You know of her death?”

“Not just me. All of Hell. And from what I've heard, you are now an exile, abandoned by your own Clan because you chose to protect the Archon and Hecate's runt. Correct?”

Troy said nothing.

Python sat down on a rock and leaned back, crossing his legs. “But that isn't the only reason you're here, is it? You don't just want to protect the Archon. You want to return home. You want not only the safety of your world, but to enter it again as a hero. I suppose you think the death of your half-bred cousin will give you that.”

He knew about Sariel? Troy shivered, her ears pressing back against her skull.

“I know where he is,” Python whispered. “I can lead you right to him.”

Troy froze.

Python's thin lips took on another smile. “Come with me, Troy. You and I can do each other much good.”

“Why would you help me?” Troy snarled.

“It does seem quite the mystery, doesn't it?” Python laughed. “But if you need to know, I believe in you, Troy. Your sister was a pain to deal with and was frankly a weak and ineffective ruler for your people. You—on the other hand—I see as much more powerful and wise. You, I know, would put aside the old prejudices to keep your people alive. Yes, the runt is in the way. But what would it cost you to leave her and the human behind? Even better, kill the chick and you will automatically be Queen of the Jinn, correct? And I would make certain that your people would acknowledge the fact.”

Troy stared at Juno, sleeping peacefully with one ear twitching. Juno was much like Hecate—impulsive, clumsy at hunting, and regrettably weak at the worst times.

Troy had suffered much to keep her alive. But would Juno be enough to keep the Jinn as a whole from going extinct?

Her heart began to race. Troy licked her lips.

“How easy it would be to just snap the chick's little neck,” Python whispered. “She'd never even know. The same with the human. And, after all, what is she worth? No more than a walking pile of meat. Meat that could keep you alive, healthy, satisfied. It would only take seconds to make life easier for yourself . . .”