Youre not dying. Not this time. Ill die first.
Thats what she feared most. Justlet him have a go at me, she pleaded. You heard him. He wants his demon back, and hes not leaving without it.
He wont be leaving, anyway.
Oh, Amun. Stubborn to his core. Somethings changed. Always before, he kept his distance when he found me, afraid to touch me. This time, I dont think hes afraid.
He is. A little.
But not enough. Good, she forced herself to say. I can work with that. Youll stay here, and I can No!
She knew shed just insulted Amuns warrior core, but she didnt want to risk his life. She would come back. He would not. Amun, just listen to me. I dont want you to fight him, either. Hes a freaking god.
Demigod. And you cant stop me.
Whatever. You know the outcome. We both know the outcome. Your demon is not
Haideeminemine, you have whats mine, that despised voice from her past said. Hate didnt sweep through the caves only opening. He simply walked through the wall to stand in front of her and Amun. Together again, at long last. The thief will finally have her due. You took whats mine. I want it back.
Repeat ourselves much? As the past collided with present, she wanted to vomit. As always, he wore a hooded black robe, his face cast in thick, impenetrable shadows. His feet floated just above the ground, a wind she couldnt feel ghosting around him.
Dont approach him, Amun growled, inching away from her, severing contact. And dont touch me. Okay? We need to engage him verbally if were to learn how to best him without engaging him physically.
Okay, she said. Lied. Maybe. She wasnt sure. And why couldnt she touch Amun? When his shoulder had pressed into her, shed read his mind, his demon. Now, there wasnothing.
Amun gave a jerky nod to let her know hed heard her reply before their connection had been severed.
Hate hadnt spoken during the byplay, had merely watched them. Now a low growl erupted from his throat. Youve been together. Demon and Hunter. The words carried a hint of fire. You do not deserve pleasure, Haidee my girl. Mine. After what you did to me, you deserve only pain.
What happened here is none of your business, she said, raising her chin.
Haidee, watch your words. I said engage him, not infuriate him.
Good, they could still talk to each other. And just what can I say to make him want to stick around and chat, rather than do what he came to do?
I dont know.
Before she could respond, Hates growl sharpened like the deadliest of blades. I want whats mine, and you will give it to me.
Amuns arm stretched out, a hard block that prevented her from moving forwardor Hate from launching at her directly. She almost pushed that arm aside, but remembered his command not to touch him. Damn it. She wanted to save him, not offer him up as a replacement dinner.
Do you have no response, little Haidee? Dead Haidee?
Even as Amun warned her to keep quiet, she said, What if I decide to keep it? She didnt want the bastards attention riveted on her man. Hate could move too quickly, kill before his victim could even blink. Hell, Hate could walk through walls, as hed already proven, and simply attack Amun from behind. Forever.
Damn it, Amun cursed. Are you trying to ring the starting bell? I just need a little more time. Im having trouble reading him.
Clawed hands curled into fists, peeking out of the long sleeves of that dark robe. You will give me whats mine. Give it now.
No, she said with false calm, I dont think I will.
The wind whipped up, agitating the hem of his robe. Ill make you.
Will you really? Then why havent you already?
Wind, wind, so much wind.
If she wasnt careful, the bastard would attack no matter what she did or said. Will I die if I do give you what you want? she asked, pretending she was thinking it over.
Good. Thats good.
Give. Me.
He hadnt answered her question, she noticed. You know what? If you want that piece of the demon back so badly, you come over here and take it.
What? Amun shouted, the wind rocking through the entire cavern.
Like I said, he cant do it on his own or he would have already. He has to have my cooperation. Im just reminding him of that.
Dark tension pulsed from that floating body. Now, Haidee. Is that any way to speak to your lover? For the first time in their sporadic, centuries-long acquaintance, Hate flipped back the hood of his robe, freeing his features from those too-thick shadows.
She gaped, horrified. He was grotesque. His skin was rotted, pitted, and most of his hair was missing. The few patches there were were thin and coarse, frizzed. Rather than eyes, he watched her through two black holes of despair.
You have never been my lover, she spat.
Are you sure? Before her eyes, his skin smoothed out, darkened. His hair grew, thick and black, glossy like silk. Beautiful brown eyes appeared in those fathomless holes.
Soon, beautiful Micah stood before her. Nearly identical to Amun, but without the sizzle of awareness.
No, she said, shaking her head violently. No! She would have known. Would have sensed. There would have been a clue. Something, anything. Right? Like the fact that hed gotten it wrong. She and Micah had never been lovers. Not really.
He wasnt the Micah you were with, sweetheart. Amuns voice soothed her rising disgust.
Yes, Hate said. I know you better than you know yourself, and knew you wanted this face. Therefore I gave you this face.
Hes lying, I swear to you. But keep him talking. My demon is still rooting through his head and were close, so close to discovering how to defeat him.
How did you find me? she growled.
Hate glared at her, but he said, The phone call, how else? Once I locked onto your voice, it was only a matter of hours before I found you, wherever you happened to be. I admit, I didnt expect to find you here, reeking of another demon.
So how do you have Micahs face? How long have you been Micah? Where is the real Micah?
Familiar lips curled into a smile. Perhaps I was your Micah all along.
No, Amun said. He became Micah a few days after Strider grabbed you.
Was Secrets revealing the truth to him? Because she believed Amun. Always. Which meant she hadnt kissed this creature, hadnt completed missions with this creature. Only Micah. Her relief was palpable. And now the human is?
Dead? Yes. I killed him. And do you know what? While he lay dying, I showed him your face. For a split second, she saw her own face staring over at her. Then he returned to Micahs image. I told him how much you despised him.
That is the truth. Im sorry.
Dead. Micah was dead. And hed been killed so cruelly, thinking she loathed him. Even though she had never truly loved Micah, she found that she mourned his loss. Hed had many flaws, but he had fought for what hed believed in.
Have you nothing more to say, dead Haidee, before I kill this warrior, too? And I will, you know. I will force you to watchunless you give me what I seek. Now, now, now.
He would, too, which meant theyd run out of time. Her gaze shot to Amun. Have you learned the way to kill him without fighting him yet? Please, please, please.
A muscle jumped in Amuns jaw, and several seconds ticked away. No.
That hesitation He was lying. And suddenly, even without touching him, she knew what he was keeping from her, what hed tried so hard to prevent, so desperate to find another way. And she couldnt believe she hadnt thought of it before. Removing his demon completely will kill him the same way it would kill you. Wont it?
His head whipped in her direction, his eyes giving the briefest flare before he refocused on Hate. Haidee. You cannot do that. Because there are only two possible outcomes. Youll be stuck with all of Hate, perhaps losing yourself to him, or, when Hate is finally put back together, youll expunge him and die.
I dont care. If I die, Ill come back.
And I dont want your hands on him.
She didnt want her hands on him, either. Didnt want to touch the being that had slaughtered her family. For Amun, thoughanything.
All right. Im willing to give you what you want, she said to Hate.
Haidee, Amun warned.
She continued anyway. For me to return your demon to you, youll have to let me touch you. And as you know, I cant touch you without hurting you. That tiny piece of the demon hurt you coming out, right, so it stands to reason itll hurt going back into you. So dont fight me, okay? Because she wasnt going to give him the demon. She was going to take it. All of it.
No matter the consequences to herself.
A long while passed in silence, Hate rigid as he pondered whether or not to trust her. Finally, perhaps realizing he could not have what he wanted any other way, he nodded. I will let you touch me.
She experienced another beat of hope. Until
After I ensure your cooperation, he finished. Betray me, and your warrior dies. See?
Hope, completely dashed. And there was no more time to think, to prepare. One second Hate was in front of them, the next he was behind them, just as shed feared. He shoved her out of the way, careful not to connect with her skin, and slammed a mighty fist into Amuns head. Her warrior stumbled to the side but was quick to right himselfand just as quick to spin, blade slashing out.
Hate anticipated the move and dematerialized, reappearing behind Amun. Again. The creature had no weapons, but then, hed never needed them before, so why would he now? He always used his claws. He slashed those claws at Amun, scraping the back of the warriors neck.
Amun howled inside his head, no sound escaping his lips. He spun, launched himself at Hate a second time. That black robe swished as the creature danced out of the way, and an eerie laugh filled the cave.
You are stronger than the others I killed on Haidees behalf, but like them, you will fall. I wont slay you, though. No, Ill just keep you close to the brink. And afterward, when I have all of my demon, Ill let you go.
A lie. She knew that soul-deep. He had no plans to let either of them go.
Haidee narrowed her eyes on the creature responsible for so much of her pain. He was Hate in its purest form. And she had a piece of him inside her. She had Hate. She drew on the emotion now, letting it fill her, consume her. The ice always churning inside her blossomed in her veins, turning her blood to sludge. Good. Yes. This was her purpose, after all. This was what the goddess had wanted her to do.
Destroy.
The warriors continued to fight, lashing out, connecting, blood spraying. Amun was faster than shed realized and managed to land several blows. In fact, the more he fought, the faster he became, until he seemed to anticipate exactly where Hate would reappear. Soon Amun was landing more punches and slices than his enemy.
Still. That wouldnt stop her from doing what needed to be done. Finally, she would end this.
The two slammed into the rocky walls of the cave, dust pluming around them. One would throw the other, and they would spring apart, only to fly at each other again. Snarls and growls reverberated, followed by the crack of broken bones, the sick whisper of flesh splitting apart.
She would have to jump into their midst.
A strange turn of events, one shed never seen coming. Shed fought all her life to stay alive, to avoid the sting of death and rebirth. Not this time, though. Better to die herself than to allow Hate to live. Better to die herself than to allow Amun to be hurt. Shed hurt him enough. She loved him more than her own life. More than that, she owed him. Hell, she owed his friends. Theyd lost one brother because of her. She wouldnt be the cause of Amuns loss.
Though she trembled, knowing deep down that this was going to hurt her more than it would hurt Hate, Haidee focused on Amun. On his thoughts. They werent touching, but he was too busy to block her and soon she heard a whirl of commands, absorbed his knowledge and his fury, all the while sifting though the massive influx to find what she neededthe urgings of his demon.
There! Suddenly she knew what Hate planned, three moves in advance. She watched. Waited. Amun was so focused on his opponent, he paid her invasionand her intentionsno heed. She counted downstill watchingstill waitingfinally launching herself into the fray. She plowed into Hate just as he reappeared, her head connecting with his middle and her hands wrapping around his neck. They were skin to skin as they plummeted to the ground. Better yet, they were out of Amuns range.
The moment they hit, she unleashed the cold. Hate screamed as ice formed on his heated body, connecting them, and he was unable to jerk away.
Haidee, she heard Amun scream inside her head.
She tuned him out, concentrating fully on her task. When shed taken those demons from Amun, shed had to lower her guard. Shed had to stop fighting him and let him in. Welcome him. She did that now, with Hate. Lowered her guard. Fighting him no longer.
She wanted his demon, and she would have it.
At first, the demonthat hot, hot darkness inside him, scaled, with glowing red eyesran from her as the demons shed absorbed had done. She was having none of that, however, and gave chase, the ice spreading. Soon there was nowhere else for the terrified demon to run. She had consumed Hates entire body.
She latched on to a sharpened claw. At the first moment of contact, pain exploded through her. She wanted to balk, to jump as far away as she could, but she merely held on tighter, heaving the being from Hates body into hers. Tug-of-war, and she would win.
Despite the ice, Hate thrashed against her, pushed against her. Still she held on, still she tugged. Then that ice began to melt, leaving her. Just as before, fire bloomed in its place, spreading, and acid started flowing through her veins. Spiderwebs winked through her vision, and dizziness bombarded her.
The darkness that had been a part of her for centuries cried out in welcome as the demon High Lord slipped into her little by little. No longer did she have to tug. The demon wanted inside her now, was even aiding her, desperate to crawl in, to be whole again.