Neferet's full, red lips were beginning to turn up when the raven croaked its dismay. Neferet's eyes narrowed and her attention shifted to the bird, still perched on the balustrade, a clear target in the morning sunlight. She pointed one slender finger at the bird and commanded,

"With immortal blood you've been fed.

Now make the Rephaim bird dead!"

The tendrils that had been wrapped around her body released and shot like black arrows at the raven.

Kalona did not hesitate. He hurled himself between the raven and death, absorbing the blow meant for his son.

The force of the impact lifted him from the penthouse and flung him out onto the balcony, throwing him against the stone balustrade. As pain exploded in his chest, Kalona shouted at the unmoving bird, "Rephaim, fly!"

He had little time to feel relief as the raven obeyed his command. Neferet advanced, tendrils of Darkness slithering in her wake. Kalona stood. He ignored the terrible pain in his chest. He spread his arms and wings.

"Betrayer! Liar! Thief!" Neferet shrieked at him. She, too, spread her arms wide fingers splayed. She combed the air and gathered the sticky tendrils that multiplied around her.

"You think to battle me using Darkness? Do you not remember you attempted to do so not long ago, and I commanded them away? You are as foolish as you are mad, Neferet," Kalona said.

Neferet's answer was in the singsong words of a spell:

"Children, you know my need!

Make this immortal bleed!

Then you may feed and feed and feed!"

She hurled the tendrils of Darkness at him. Kalona brought his hands forward and spoke directly to the snake-like minions the same words he'd used mere weeks before when Neferet had first dared to challenge him when he was whole, undamaged, and free from the suffocating confines of the earth. "Halt! I've long allied with Darkness. Obey my command. This is not your battle. Begone!

Shock hit him at the same time the tendrils sliced into his body. The tendrils did not obey him! Instead they cut his flesh, ripping and tearing and drinking-like toxic leeches. The immortal pulled one of the pulsing creatures from his chest and hurled it to the balcony floor. There it shattered, only to re-form into dozens more of the razor-teethed horrors.

Neferet's laughter was manic. "It seems only one of us is allied with Darkness, and that would not be you, my lost love!"

Kalona whirled, ripping the creatures of Darkness from his body and as he fought his mind became very clear. He realized Neferet was correct. The tendrils did not obey his commands anymore because he had truly chosen another path. Kalona no longer trafficked with Darkness.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Kalona

It came back to him swiftly, like a lost friend returning to break bread once again. Kalona had been Nyx's chosen Warrior. He had spent lifetimes battling Darkness more fierce than this.

Yes, they multiplied when shattered, but break their necks and they could not instantly regenerate. They were lesser minions.

Kalona laughed as he whirled and struck and fought. It felt so good to be doing what he'd been created for again! In the midst of battle, he saw Neferet silently watching.

"You think to defeat me with puppets? For centuries I battled such as these in the Otherworld. You shall see that I can battle them for centuries once more."

"Oh, I am quite certain you can, betrayer. But she cannot." Neferet pointed her long finger at Sylvia Redbird who was still trapped and suffering within the cage of Darkness.

"With Kalona's blood filling you

Obey me, be faithful and true

The turquoise will no longer save her life

His power will be my avenging knife!"

The tendrils instantly obeyed Neferet. They released their suction-like hold on him and, bloated with his immortal blood, swarmed Sylvia Redbird. She screamed and lifted her arms, attempting to block their onslaught. The stones she wore still slowed them, that was obvious, but not enough. Through power stolen from Kalona's immortal blood, several tendrils were able to withstand the protection of the turquoise. They sliced into the old woman's flesh. Then, as the tendrils weakened and smoked, they slithered back to him to feed. Kalona fought them anew, but for every two he stopped two more broke through his defenses long enough to cut his flesh and drink his blood. Refortified, they returned to attack Sylvia.

Sylvia Redbird began to sing. Kalona did not know the words, but he heard the intent clearly. She was singing her death song.

"Yes, Kalona. Please do remain and battle Darkness. You serve only to feed Zoey's grandmother's tormentors. They will eventually break through her protection, but with your help her end will happen sooner rather than later. Or, perhaps, once the protection of the turquoise is broken, I won't kill her. Perhaps I will keep her and make her truly my pet. How long do you believe one old woman's sanity will withstand the torments of Darkness?"