BooksBarbecue
Back Seven Devils
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 4.
  7. 5.
  8. 6.
  9. 7.
  10. 8.
  11. 9.
  12. 10.
  13. 11.
  14. 12.
  15. 13.
  16. 14.
  17. 15.
  18. 16.
  19. 17.
  20. 18.
  21. 19.
  22. 20.
  23. 21.
  24. 22.
  25. 23.
  26. 24.
  27. 25.
  28. 26.
  29. 27.
  30. 28.
  31. 29.
  32. 30.
  33. 31.
  34. 32.
  35. 33.
  36. 34.
  37. 35.
  38. 36.
  39. 37.
  40. 38.
  41. 39.
  42. 40.
  43. 41.
  44. 42.
  45. 43.
  46. 44.
  47. 45.
  48. 46.
  49. 47.
  50. 48.
  51. 49.
  52. 50.
  53. 51.
  54. 52.
  55. 53.
  56. 54.
  57. 55.
  58. 56.
  59. 57.
  60. EPILOGUE
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

The other woman seized Eris’s hands in a grip that was shockingly strong. Rhea’s gaze bore into Eris’s. “You have so much blood on your hands, Eris. You hurt so much.” Then she shut her eyes briefly, exhaustion plain in her features. “I can feel your grief. Ever since we came here, I can feel everything. I can’t . . .”

“Rhea, what are you talking about?” Ariadne asked. She edged forward, but Rhea held up a hand, urging her back. Ariadne shot Eris a look of fear. “We need to get her out of here now. I think the ichor on this planet is enhancing her—”

Rhea fell to her knees and screamed.

41.

RHEA

The scream echoed through every atom of Rhea’s being.

She’d felt wrong as soon as she’d stepped onto the planet. Dread had furled deep in her gut. Each step was like moving through sand, her entire body leaden and heavy. A ringing had filled her ears, as if she were plunged underwater.

Once they went into the mines, the buzzing grew worse—reverberating in her mind. It was the ichor in the walls—pulsing, pulsing, pulsing, like a heartbeat. It was different from how it’d been on Zelus. The rock there had been dampened, half asleep.

Here, on this planet, it felt alive.

Rhea was aware of Clo shouting her name. “What’s wrong with her? Eris, what the flames did you do?”

Clo reached for her, but Rhea twisted from her grip. It was too much, even with the thick material of the jumpsuit between them. She was nothing but an exposed nerve, vibrating with every one of their emotions.

Guilt. Fear. Anger. Dark, cloying. Thick enough to choke on.

Hold it, she told herself. Don’t let them see your face. Don’t let them see your face.

Rhea panted, her gloved hands digging into the floor. Gods, her hands burned—her whole body burned. The effort to keep herself hidden hurt.

“Rhea!” Clo’s desperate call came again.

Rhea looked up, and lost control. Her illusion dropped.

A release of pressure was like a coiled spring. She knew exactly what they saw; through the helmet, they could see her face or her neck: the shimmering skin, pale with dotted swirls like fractals. Glimmering in the low light, almost glowing.

Just like an Evoli.

“Oh, Rhea,” Ariadne breathed.

The girl had worked out Rhea’s secret and kept it to herself. Sweet Ariadne. Her aura tasted like spun sugar in the back of Rhea’s throat. All glittering bright colors to hide the darkness of her upbringing.