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I turned to Styx and Oberon, giving a final command. “Do not let a soul through, except her.”
Moving swiftly, I grabbed Clara and threw her over my shoulder, then walked through the portal to Tartarus.
Chapter9
Reagan
Clara's screams echoed in my ears, drowning out the commotion.
That bastard had dragged her through before any of us could stop him. In the seconds that followed, chaos broke loose. A crowd formed around the portal, and I was at the center of it.
Reason left me, and I ran forward, shoving Oberon. He took it in stride, only budging a little but not fighting back. The look on his face was almost apologetic.
Nog, however, stormed toward it before promptly getting knocked on his ass when Styx blocked him.
“Bring her back!” I yelled, pointing, and stomping like that was somehow going to showcase my anger in a more vigorous manner.
“You heard him,” Styx said, gesturing to the portal behind her. “You are welcome to go through.”
Fire raged in my veins, but logic overrode the desire to lash out. It would do nothing to get Clara back. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and trying to count slowly in my head.
If I could remain calm, I could think clearly. If I could think clearly, I could make informed decisions.
Trying not to scream, I looked at the ground and ran my fingers through my hair, yanking hard on tangles I didn’t realize I had. The quick shot of pain jolted me into a momentary clear head space.
The grass. The inky black lines had stopped.
Whatever death magic was leaking out of the portal had been reaching for Caius, and now it was gone. It’s path ceased shortly before the spot where he’d been standing, and it no longer moved. It wasn’t seeking Styx or Oberon, in fact, if it hadn’t left its black mark, there was no indication anything had ever been reaching out of the portal at all.
Well, I suppose he gave me what I wanted. Two could play that game.
“Fine,” I ground out, turning on a heel and heading home at a brisk pace.
“Wait,” Nog shouted, catching up and waving his hand frantically toward the old square. “Where are you going? You’re just going to leave her? We have to do something!”
“Stop shouting and let me think,” I said, a forceful command in my tone. I didn’t ever throw out orders the way an alpha would. I wasn’t an alpha, but I really needed my cousin to shut up.
It didn’t work. My family followed me, yelling about anything and everything.
I flung the door to my house wide open and headed straight for my room. It took no time at all to change out of my bloodstained pants and into fresh jeans, a light sweater, and boots. I grabbed my backpack and stuffed clothes and other essentials I figured would be good to have on hand: underwear, a toothbrush, knives. After tucking my mom’s necklace under my shirt, I swung the bag over my shoulder and prepared to leave my house.
When I entered the living room, the rest of my family had arrived and things were, in a word, hysterical.
My dad was trying to calm Tía Celeste as she cried in deep, hyperventilating sobs. Sin was yelling at Nog while he threw things and broadcasted every idiotic idea he had on how to get his sister back.
In complete contrast, Jo sat on the couch calmly, not partaking in any of the mayhem that filled the room. His little feet didn’t even touch the ground, and he entertained himself by tapping his heels together.
He looked up, and his big eyes met mine. Jo smiled at me while I knelt beside him, and no one paid us any attention. “Hey, mijo. I haven’t had the chance to say thank you.”
“What for?”
“The memories are a little fuzzy, but you tried to save me. I remember feeling your magic on me at one point before I lost consciousness. I know it was you.” I handed him the doll that Clara had crocheted for him.
His lips curled into a shy smile. “You told me not to, but I think you were too sick to know what you were really saying.”
“Your magic is special, Jo, but it hurts you when you use it too much. Don’t waste that on me again. If it’s our time to go, you have to let us go. Got it?”
He tilted his head. “Do you believe that?”
