Page 141 of The Divine Lies We Weave

You have no idea, mortal. Furybeasts are born of fury. Why do you think they wedge themselves into flesh?

Leela refused to answer. She just wanted to get the fuck out of the mountains and survive so she could kill the Viperess herself.

A sad thought passed. How many of these beasts did Rajesh conjure? Which ones were made from his fury toward her? Toward his life? His curse?

The Viperess tripped and crashed into the ground. The seed cracked her ribcage and she screamed. Leela felt the pain explode everywhere.

The Viperess flipped onto her back as a furybeast stood over her, pincers clicking and snapping toward her face. Fear choked her, paralyzing her into submission.

MOVE!

I… I…

The furybeast shrieked, arching its giant front pincers back. The Viperess raised her arms to deflect the furybeast, but it was cut in half and disappeared into thin air.

Leela watched with bated breath as the Viperess opened her eyes.

“That was for Leela, not you!” Hema snapped. Blood was smeared across her right cheek and a long cut trailed down her side.

The Viperess nodded, muscles stiff.

Leela wanted to yell at Hema and thank her.

Hema extended her hand. “Funny, for a Flame, you’re scared of a few monsters?”

The Viperess accepted her help and got back on her shaky feet. “You don’t know the torture they put me through. The feeling of them under your skin. How thousands of them can dive into you, day in, day out,” the Viperess said, staring at the massacre. Her rebels were falling.

The Gilded Thorns summoned their Flames. Foxes took to the beasts, cutting them down. Tigers snapped their jaws. Bulls trampled them.

Hema returned to the fray, slicing the beasts open with each swing of her blade. Her Silver Fox jumped at her side, growling and snapping its teeth at anyone who came near.

Leela was thankful for Hema surviving and hoped she would make it out alive.

The Viperess eventually clenched her hands and stared at the beasts. She focused on something Leela didn’t understand. But whatever it was, she soaked in the entire chaos, trying to push out something from within.

What are you doing…?

Watch.

A blazing heat ran down Leela’s spine, and she felt it—no, the Viperess. The Flame rose and rose until she was standing beside Leela’s mortal form as a giant glistening golden snake. Her tongue flickered, eyes assessing the damage.

Leela gawked.

The Viperess shot forward, slithering through the fog. Leela could barely think as furybeasts fell at the mercy of the Viperess, who moved quicker than lightning.

Leela pressed against the glass. Maybe this was her chance. Maybe she could get back into her body, grab the seed, and run or destroy it. She still had no idea what the Viperess wanted with it, and that scared her more.

Except, when a ship flew in from the north and landed, she faltered.

Who else knew about this operation…?

Before Leela had a chance to deliberate, a scream ripped her away. The fight dissolved, and the furybeasts ran off up the sides of the mountains and into the tiny crevices. As quickly as they came, they were gone.

The Viperess returned to Leela’s body and slunk back into her shadow, resting against her spine.

Miss me?

Not likely.