Héctor had lagged far behind. He no longer had a demigod’s strength or power, and now survived under human limitations. It hadn’t occurred to me that he couldn’t run as fast as we could anymore, and I’d left him behind.
I watched in terror as the first wave of the monsters reached him in a blink of an eye. I couldn’t—none of us could make it to him in time.
“Héctor!” I screamed, hot fury and icy fear warring inside me. I dashed toward him, throwing my hands up at the horde, wishing with everything in me that my magic could save my beloved mate from the monsters.
Only tiny flames twirled in my palms, then winked out.
“No! No!” I shrieked.
Héctor faced the sea of enraged, hungry monsters, posing for battle, his sword thrusting into the first beast coming toward him. A tide of the beasts passed by him and hustled toward us, wanting to get to my other mates.
“Leave me!” Héctor roared. “Just fucking go!” A ring of crimson formed in his sapphire eyes. “Do your fucking job and protect my Lamb!”
“I won’t leave you!” I snarled, bolting toward him,swinging my demon sword, hoping the fierce display and my resolve could intimidate the monsters and halt their onslaught on Héctor.
Let me reach him in time, please. Let me reach him!!
Two strong arms caught me, wrapping around my waist in a vice-like grip and hauling me away from Héctor.
“No!” I cried. “I won’t leave him! I’ll never leave him!”
“I’m sorry, Rosebud,” Zak said ruefully, pulling me backward toward the top of the valley with Paxton. Still murmuring a string of apologies, the Demigod of Sky wrapped his large hand around the back of my neck and applied sharp pressure, rendering me half-conscious.
He knew I’d never abandon Héctor if he didn’t incapacitate me.
I whimpered and pleaded. I wasn’t left with enough strength to fight my other mates and go to Héctor.
“Don’t… do this…to me…to him,” I begged, hot tears running down my cheeks as my mates hauled me toward the only open side of the valley.
Héctor crashed into rows of the horde, all alone, and vanished amid the ferocious behemoths.
Ares crowed and scampered while he looked over his shoulder at the brutal sight. “It’s a befitting ending for the Demigod of Death—in the insatiate bellies of the beasts of the Void. I never thought I’d see this day come.”
I struggled to lift a hand, willing that I still had some magic left and burn the god to a crisp.
Ares guffawed at my failure and anguish.
I marked him for death.
My hellhound growled at the god, baring his fangs.
“You’re dead, Ares,” Axel hissed with white-hot hatred. “I’ll slay you at the first chance.”
“Try, my bastard son,” Ares snickered. “You should meet your pureblood brothers and learn a thing or two from Deimos and Phobos. The God of Fear and God of Terror are your betters. They’re the sons suitable to accompany me to war.” He no longer spared us a glance as he sprinted to the top of the valley.
“Héctor…” I struggled in vain as tears wetted my face. “Go…back. He…needs me.”
“Then we’ll all be dead, Rosebud,” Zak said in a broken voice. “He saved me. I owe him a life debt I can never pay, but our priority is you.”
“You…run, please.” I fought to get words out. “Let … me die … with him.”
“It’s beyond our capacity to see you hurt, love,” Paxton said in a thick emotion. “You aren’t thinking right. Rest and don’t think, Buttercup. We’ll carry you to the end. We’ll get you to safety.”
And then I was on Zak’s broad shoulder since my feet had refused to move another inch.
Paxton and Axel guarded my back and raced with Zak. Angel dashed ahead of us.
I sobbed, trying to lift a hand and stretch it in Héctor’s direction. I called his name unintelligibly, not caring that a string of saliva was dripping from the corner of my mouth while I had a hard time forming words.