blistering.
She opened her mouth to whimper thanks to the Goddess for her life, but grit and pebbles slammed into her cheeks. The night tilted and roared as a fully formed tornado swept the ashes of the demon’s body east, digging a furrow through the park’s grass as it went. Bela groaned as she rubbed her palms against her stinging face.
The air around her howled all over again. Bela’s ears popped like she was landing in a jet. She grabbed the edges of the pavement and glued herself into the ground with what little earth energy she could muster—not fast enough. Another spinning funnel sucked up the remains of the demon’s head and rumbled across her back, bouncing her like a basketball and ripping her leathers open as it headed west.
Trees, bushes, buildings … she didn’t even want to know what kind of damage those twisters were doing to Manhattan.
Pierce it in the heart, take the head, disperse the ashes—okay, okay. I think we’re done now .
Bela lifted her own head.
A torrent of water hit her straight in her burning, stinging face. The swirling shower-blast washed her and the ground around her completely clean.
“Oh,” Andy said from somewhere nearby. “Um, sorry.”
Bela coughed and snorted out water as Camille helped her get to her feet. Bela’s knees were shaking. She heard herself swearing. A lot. And the wind was picking up again, with a totally different flavor. It was focused completely on Bela.
This time, Andy said, “Uh-oh.”
Bela shook herself free from Camille’s grip. “Andy, Camille—wait for me by the stone fence. This might take a second.”
“Not.” Andy shook her head, sending droplets raining down from her ears and cheeks. She jogged to Bela and took her hand. “If you go down, I’m going with you.”
Camille didn’t answer, but she didn’t head for the fence, either.
The pressure against Bela’s face and ears felt a lot like being fired off the Empire State Building by some giant slingshot. Her heart pounded, but more from anxiety than fear or anger. She had so few opportunities with Dio. Would this be a good one or a disaster?
I might as well say yes to joining your quad , she had told Bela after spending two hours trying to kill Bela out in Motherhouse Greece’s stone fighting arena. If I’m not fighting with you, I’ll spend all my time thinking about fighting against you. That’s not good for me or you or the Sisterhood. And neither is staying here when we’re so short on Sibyls .
Dio’s wind blew Andy dry and almost knocked Camille off her feet. Bela had to use a big dose of earth power to stay on her feet against the incredible force Dio was exerting as she stormed forward.
“You saved me.” Dio stopped in front of Bela, her blond hair free of its usual clasp and standing almost straight up in the swirling wind. Dio’s rage flowed through each word, through the air itself, into the earth, making Bela’s teeth rattle. It was all she could do to hold her ground, and if she hadn’t been gripping Andy’s hand, she might have blown even that simple goal.
Dio’s gray eyes snapped like they were full of lightning, and once more, thunder rumbled in the clear night sky. “You—you saved me.”
“Yeah, she did,” Andy shouted over the rush of air. “Saying thank you might be appropriate!”
“Piss off!” Dio roared, and it sounded like a brand-new tornado touching ground.
Bela took a wider stance and yelled, “I did what I could,” knowing Andy and Dio and Camille understood that she wasn’t talking about the moment in the fight when she’d kept the Rakshasa from choking Dio.
For a few seconds, stretching from yesterday into eternity, Dio just glared at Bela and let the wind blow.
Bela stood fast, and Andy and Camille gave no ground beside her.
The roar of the air died back enough for Dio’s next words to sound less lethal. “You’re good with that sword, and with the saw-toothed blade you used to carry.” Tears glistened in
She opened her mouth to whimper thanks to the Goddess for her life, but grit and pebbles slammed into her cheeks. The night tilted and roared as a fully formed tornado swept the ashes of the demon’s body east, digging a furrow through the park’s grass as it went. Bela groaned as she rubbed her palms against her stinging face.
The air around her howled all over again. Bela’s ears popped like she was landing in a jet. She grabbed the edges of the pavement and glued herself into the ground with what little earth energy she could muster—not fast enough. Another spinning funnel sucked up the remains of the demon’s head and rumbled across her back, bouncing her like a basketball and ripping her leathers open as it headed west.
Trees, bushes, buildings … she didn’t even want to know what kind of damage those twisters were doing to Manhattan.
Pierce it in the heart, take the head, disperse the ashes—okay, okay. I think we’re done now .
Bela lifted her own head.
A torrent of water hit her straight in her burning, stinging face. The swirling shower-blast washed her and the ground around her completely clean.
“Oh,” Andy said from somewhere nearby. “Um, sorry.”
Bela coughed and snorted out water as Camille helped her get to her feet. Bela’s knees were shaking. She heard herself swearing. A lot. And the wind was picking up again, with a totally different flavor. It was focused completely on Bela.
This time, Andy said, “Uh-oh.”
Bela shook herself free from Camille’s grip. “Andy, Camille—wait for me by the stone fence. This might take a second.”
“Not.” Andy shook her head, sending droplets raining down from her ears and cheeks. She jogged to Bela and took her hand. “If you go down, I’m going with you.”
Camille didn’t answer, but she didn’t head for the fence, either.
The pressure against Bela’s face and ears felt a lot like being fired off the Empire State Building by some giant slingshot. Her heart pounded, but more from anxiety than fear or anger. She had so few opportunities with Dio. Would this be a good one or a disaster?
I might as well say yes to joining your quad , she had told Bela after spending two hours trying to kill Bela out in Motherhouse Greece’s stone fighting arena. If I’m not fighting with you, I’ll spend all my time thinking about fighting against you. That’s not good for me or you or the Sisterhood. And neither is staying here when we’re so short on Sibyls .
Dio’s wind blew Andy dry and almost knocked Camille off her feet. Bela had to use a big dose of earth power to stay on her feet against the incredible force Dio was exerting as she stormed forward.
“You saved me.” Dio stopped in front of Bela, her blond hair free of its usual clasp and standing almost straight up in the swirling wind. Dio’s rage flowed through each word, through the air itself, into the earth, making Bela’s teeth rattle. It was all she could do to hold her ground, and if she hadn’t been gripping Andy’s hand, she might have blown even that simple goal.
Dio’s gray eyes snapped like they were full of lightning, and once more, thunder rumbled in the clear night sky. “You—you saved me.”
“Yeah, she did,” Andy shouted over the rush of air. “Saying thank you might be appropriate!”
“Piss off!” Dio roared, and it sounded like a brand-new tornado touching ground.
Bela took a wider stance and yelled, “I did what I could,” knowing Andy and Dio and Camille understood that she wasn’t talking about the moment in the fight when she’d kept the Rakshasa from choking Dio.
For a few seconds, stretching from yesterday into eternity, Dio just glared at Bela and let the wind blow.
Bela stood fast, and Andy and Camille gave no ground beside her.
The roar of the air died back enough for Dio’s next words to sound less lethal. “You’re good with that sword, and with the saw-toothed blade you used to carry.” Tears glistened in
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