“How was something put into her soul?”
But one boomed above all the others. “Remove it. Now.” Sabin’s hands were clenched at his sides, his knuckles already white.
“You really don’t want to take that tone with me, warrior,” Keeley replied evenly.
If anyone other than Torin heard her response, he couldn’t tell, because everyone just kept talking.
“Out,” he finally shouted at them all. “Now.” They’d get nothing done this way.
Quiet descended.
“Out,” he repeated. “Let her work. You’re only distracting her.”
There were protests. Of course there were protests. These alpha boys and girls were used to taking orders from no one. But in the end they filed out of the room, wanting Cameo better more than they wanted control of the situation.
He stayed put. He wasn’t going to leave his woman, and the others would just have to deal.
All business, Keeley said, “Prop her up.”
“You know I can’t touch her.”
“I see.” The wounds in Keeley’s eyes seemed to bleed.
What the hell? “Princess,” he said.
She stopped him with a snapped, “You won’t sicken her. Your shirt and gloves will protect her.”
True, but he wouldn’t risk it, especially while Cameo’s condition was so unstable.
Wanting this over with so that he and Keys could talk, he opened the door, and found everyone congregated in the hall, just as he’d expected. “Sabin,” he called. “You’re needed.”
Conversations tapered to a quiet as the warrior pushed his way through the crowd. Torin allowed the brute into the room, but when he tried to shut the door, William pounded his way inside.
Fine. Whatever. “Prop Cameo up,” he told Sabin.
Sabin asked no questions, just moved forward and gently situated himself behind the girl, his back pressing against the headboard.
Keeley crouched between Cameo’s legs, flattened her hand against Cameo’s heart. The girl jerked, but that was it, her only reaction.
“What are you doing?” Sabin asked.
“Are you always this chatty?” William leaned a shoulder against the wall. “And yes, by that I mean are you always this irritating.”
Keeley ignored them both. She moved her hand up and down the girl’s chest, side to side, slowly, so slowly—until Cameo’s back arched, her scream of agony echoing from the walls.
Sabin snarled, “Whatever you’re doing, stop.”
“Trust me,” William said. “Or don’t. Probably don’t. But you really don’t want her to stop. If it’ll make you feel better, pretend they’re getting it on. I am.”
The color leached from Keeley’s cheeks, and her breath began to emerge shallowly. Whatever she was doing clearly hurt her as much as it did Cameo, and Torin did not like that. Did not like that at all. He was reaching for her, determined to pull her away, when she fell back, panting.
“Are you okay?” he demanded.
“Will...be...soon.” Keeley opened her hand, revealing a—
What the hell was that?
It was the same length and width of an ink pen and as black as the darkest night. Tendrils of inky mist curled from it.
“We don’t want you having to deal with that ugly ole thing.” Relish layered William’s tone as he snatched up the septa, wrapped it in a handkerchief and stored it in his pocket. “Let me do you a huge favor, totally put myself out, and take care of it for you.”
“Hades makes them,” Keeley said, and Torin got real still real fast.
He’d seen the male only once, but that had been enough. Hades traveled within a black cloud, the screams of his victims echoing from within. When he looked at you, you felt as though you were already trapped in the deepest, hottest pits of hell. He did nothing without ensuring he would receive something in return, and it was quite clear he would betray his own mother for whatever he wanted in return.
Planned to take him out anyway. This just cinches it.
Cameo’s eyelids flipped open, and she muttered, “They came...dark cloud...”
Torin crouched beside her and met her frenzied gaze. “Shhh. You’re safe.”
“Took me...tried to take Lazarus...failed.”
He and Sabin shared a confused look. Lazarus? The warrior Strider had beheaded?
“Must...save him...” She reached for Torin.
He reared backward at the same time Sabin yanked her to the side, barely managing to prevent a connection. She sagged against the bed as if the small movement had used up what little energy she had left.
“The they she spoke of are most likely Hades’s minions,” William said.
Torin straightened. “Why would Hades want Cameo and an undead warrior?”
“We’ll have to ask him,” Sabin said with a cold grin. He focused on Keeley. “He’s warded, right, and you can’t flash to him?”
“Right,” she replied stiffly.
“Can Danika open a portal directly to him?”
She frowned at him. “Yes, but opening a portal drains her. It’ll be days before she’s strong enough to do it. And do you really want Hades knowing what she can do? What we’re trying to do?”
“Keeley’s right. Forget him.” Torin scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Rescuing Viola and Baden, then finding the box are our top priorities.”
“Yes,” she said. “Baden will be tricky, though. He’s a spirit. I’m not. I can’t touch him and pull him through the portal unless one of us is wearing serpentine wreaths.”