A Beautiful Torment

49. Power

Georgina uttered a low curse under her breath. "Who's side is she on?" she muttered to me.

"Uh, the side that isn't ours," I responded angrily. "What are we going to do?!"

"I was gonna run her over, but obviously that's out." Georgina glanced behind her and reached for the sword she'd left strewn across the backseat. "Maybe this'll work."

"Can she even be killed?"

"Of course she can be killed." Georgina rolled her eyes. "Not easily," she conceded, "but it's possible."

"And that fact that she hasn't been killed in the last two thousand years has absolutely no bearing on your plan?" My heartbeat had reached an all-time high. Envy was taking her sweet time approaching the car, appreciating – I'm sure – our escalating terror as we realized there was nowhere to run. Behind her, I could see more of the Valkyrie vaulting over the wall, tall and fearsome.

Sparks erupted in the sky, followed by a female battle cry, and I flinched.

"We're doomed!" I cried.

"The Valkyrie bitches aren't attacking her, did you notice? Looks like your demons got the wrong traitor," Georgina muttered, her brows narrowed as she watched the scene unfolding outside the car.

She was right – the Valkyrie ignored Envy completely, sprinting toward the house at lightning speeds. I could hear the smash of windows, and then screams – whose, I wasn't sure – as they broke into the building. The second MagiNet must have been down. Surprise momentarily overrode my terror – Maera hadn't been the traitor?

No, I reasoned. I'd heard her voice in the memory. Maybe there were two?

"Follow my lead." Before I could stop her, Georgina hopped out of the car and strolled to meet Envy, sword clasped firmly in her hand. I stumbled out of the car after her, startled. What the hell was she doing?!

I saw surprise – and menace – flicker in Envy's eyes, and she raised her hand in Georgina's direction.

"N –" I began to scream, but then Georgina laughed.

"Same side, bitch," she said, gesturing toward me. "You just ruined my kidnapping plan."

Envy's brows rose. "Like I'd let an upstart like you steal all my glory," she hissed.

"You could always go for the more important half of the Doomed Duo," Georgina pointed out. She waved toward me impatiently. "She's just human, she's not that great a catch."

"The Valkyrie have him taken care of," Envy hissed, her eyes flicking toward me. "I want her."

My stomach sank and fear bloomed like ice in my veins. Something told me she wasn't just going to hand me over to Alair – and it wasn't like she needed to, anyway. As long as I wound up dead, her part would be fulfilled. It was the part before that I had to worry about. In the back of my mind, the memory of her cold, green eyes roving over me and her long, pointed fingers tilting my chin up to meet her gaze bloomed. The unsettling, covetous glint in her eyes, and the answering trepidation that dropped like a rock in my stomach. "Such a charming toy. Can I play with her?"

My eyes swerved in Georgina's direction. She was shrugging at Envy, as if my fate really didn't matter to her, and a sliver of doubt filled my veins. Please don't give me to her, please don't –

"Okay." Georgina started back toward the car. "You wanna turn this thing back on?"

With a wave of her hand, Envy turned the car back on, her eyes never leaving my face.