Blood War (Book 1, the Halfblood Chronicles)

30.2 | Fouler Shades

Mine, mine, mine.

It was a ballad inside replica-Ren's bones, the crooked chorus of a dark melody that flooded every molecule and thought.

Yours, yours, yours, Asteroth echoed.

Ren ignored the sting of belabane as he tightened his grip on the tether and yanked. Nika lurched forward, digging her heels into the dirt and grunting. It was a tug of war, but Ren wasn't even trying.

He toyed with her, letting her gain an inch only to rip it away. And when he pulled harder and she stumbled closer, he—or the thing possessing him—savored the terrified panic flashing across her face.

Nika twisted and tugged at the manacles around her wrists. It came to no avail. Growing bored with the game, replica-Ren heaved on the chain, throwing her off balance. She skidded to a halt before crashing into his chest.

"Please," she whispered, arms pulled taut and exposing her torso.

Maybe it was the strain in her voice, or perhaps the tremor running through her small body, but something gave real-Ren the strength to pierce out of the darkness and roar in protest. A monster shredded the corners of his mind, eating him away. Bite by bite, piece by piece.

He threw every ounce of inner power against it, fortifying his mental shield with the might of volcanoes, earthquakes, and howling winter winds. But it was no match for the beast within.

Asteroth seized control of his body, a puppet master playing with strings, and before Ren could stop himself, he threw a fist into Nika's stomach. Real-Ren shrank into a far-off corner of his mind, forced to watch as Nika crashed to the ground, gasping for air.

Stop this, he yelled at himself. You're supposed to be her keeper!

Replica-Ren hauled Nika back up, and he was about to strike again when she dove beneath his fist. Ren's body was clumsier than usual, as if it was too big for Asteroth to handle. So when she spun, and the chain yanked him along with her, his feet got tangled. The next thing he knew was a twinge of pain as he slammed into the nearby tree.

With feline movements, Nika distanced herself, assessing him. Burning rage devoured Ren, mixed with humiliation.

Pathetic, Asteroth hissed. Bested by a pixie-sized child.

With an unrestrained fury, real-Ren pounded against the invisible beast that had plundered his mind and hijacked his body. And just like that, the demonic force was gone. His head felt clear, his body belonged to him again, and the world was no longer soaked in blood.

Nika blinked, relief rippling across her features. "Ren?"

His only answer was to whirl around and locate Tatiana. The witch drew a symbol onto one of the trees surrounding the clearing, then tossed the chalk away. When she held out her arms and began reciting a chant, he stepped toward her.

Blinding pain tore through him. It came from inside and surged outward. A roar of agony exploded from his mouth, and then he shrank back down inside himself.

Look at her! Asteroth growled.

Ren obeyed the order, turning around. The moment his eyes met Nika's, she swore, and Ren only saw a glint of silvery light before the chain thwacked his jaw. Blood, hot and coppery, filled his mouth, and anger filled his heart.

Once again, he lunged for her. But Nika sprinted toward the opposite tree, running up the trunk and flipping over Ren's head.

The crunch of bone, followed by Nika's agonized scream. She landed sloppily, her left shoulder ripped from its socket by the chain. She raised a shaking hand to the injury, her breaths shallow and uneven.

Replica-Ren didn't waste a second. He tackled her to the ground, triumphing at another pained scream, and pinned her in place. Nika writhed and squirmed beneath him, but he was too heavy, too big.

Tears sprang into her eyes, but they had no effect on him. He felt nothing but a call to violence, the need to sate a savage thirst.

In a blur, he took the loose chain and drew it over her larynx. Nika fought with her remaining good arm, tugging at the fetter, pushing Ren away. Her features twisted with desperation. Incoherent pleas fell from her lips.

He was about to crush her windpipe when Asteroth's voice slithered into his mind again: You've shared blood with her.

Ren didn't know how he'd detected it, but he instantly felt the demon's intentions, and none of them were good.

You lussst for her. A cruel laugh. Then you shall have her, flesh and all.

A murderous calm washed over real-Ren as Asteroth forced his gaze downward, soaking up every supple curve and fine angle of Nika's body. Heinous thoughts surfaced, and Ren grew sick at the idea of being shoved away and made to watch as this sinister creature took advantage of her.

Something billowed inside him like a column of smoke. Not rage, not shame, not guilt. It was worse than all those things combined, a fouler shade of darkness born from the depths of his soul.

As it rose, higher and stronger, Ren returned to himself. He smelled the grass, heard Tatiana's chanting voice, felt Nika's palm pressed against his chest. And with it came another force, bright and ancient as a star. It bade him to release her, and so he did.

Ren closed his eyes, welcoming that inner darkness, but it was light that filled him instead. And lost inside that radiant glow was a familiar gaze, green and wild.

It almost sucked him in, but a phantom hand touched his heart, igniting him, mind and body. He was burning from the inside out. The fire cast its light on things he'd never seen before, on things he'd tried to forget.

It cast its light on Asteroth, who screamed and hissed and writhed. A pest drowning in flame, a parasite purged from its host. And after he fled from Ren's body, there was only smoke and silence in his wake.

With a gasp, Ren threw his body off of Nika's. He barely allowed himself a heartbeat to make sure she was still alive before surging toward the demon-witch. Tatiana merely watched, gaping, as he charged for her.

He was an arm's length away when he felt it—the wall. It was invisible. Magical. The collision should've knocked him off his feet, but he only staggered back, assessing, then pounded the barrier with a fist.

The air rippled and shimmered in the fading sunlight. Ren threw an onslaught against it, but no matter how much he gave, he couldn't get through. All that was left to do was scream in frustration as Tatiana slowly retreated into the forest. And until she vanished completely, her gaze never once fell away from them.