“But she can’t… can she?”
Isighed, a terrible feeling brewing deep in my gut.
“We’re about to find out.” I quickly connected to Rune. “They’ve stolen a carriage and cats, and they’re…” I waited. “At Portal Lake. Get MJ and meet me there.”
Alexei nodded before luscelering to find MJ. I wouldn’t risk time changing, so I ran to the roof in my expensive suit, manifested my wings, and took off. I reconnected with Rune on the way—and nearly lost all altitude.
“Fuck!” I shouted into the punishing air, feeling the hellion’s pain.
She had carved a symbol into the palm of her hand, and the moment her blood touched the lake, it began to swirl.
She opened the portal.
“No!” I bellowed. She couldn’t be ripped away from me now. She couldn’t enter my life like a blazing star, tearing apart all my barriers, and then disappear.
I put on a burst of speed and disconnected from Rune.
I could finally see the edge of the cliff, making out their tiny forms. They’d just finished backing up and were now starting to run. My heart slammed against my ribs, and worry—unlike anything I’d ever felt—stole all logical thought.
They jumped, and I tucked in my wings, plummeting with only one goal in mind.
Her.
They didn’t see me coming, too focused on the swirling mass of light and color. Only a few feet away, I made myself known and threw out my shadows, hoping to create a barrier between them and the portal. They bounced off and stopped, but I hadn’t realized howmagnetic the pull of the portal would be. The tail end of my shadows was already being sucked in, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to yank us back.
I dove and wrapped my body and wings around Lucille just as we were pulled into the vortex.
My name on her lips contorted as the wind stole our air and sense of gravity. We twisted and turned in the unknown force, and all the while, I held her with everything I had, refusing to let go.
No one was allowed to travel with the king to the circles. It was against the laws of Hell. So I had no idea where we’d end up—or what we were about to encounter.
I tightened my already crushing hold.
Seconds later, the lights darkened, and we crashed into warm water. I didn’t even have time to put away my wings. Like the clothes on my body, they soaked up the water like a sponge, threatening to drag us both down. I released Lucille and pushed her to the surface, while my shadows helped pull me up as I kicked.
Breaking the surface, I immediately searched for her. She was inches away, staring at me with stunned surprise. Oliver and Rune popped up a moment later, and the lines in her face relaxed when she saw them.
I tilted my head up to the swirling gray sky, then just past the rocky beach to the miles of purple and black flame. Flames that were at least a mile away. But their sweltering heat flushed my face and warmed the lake we treaded in.
I had a feeling I knew where we were.
“Lucille,” I said in a grave tone. “Where did you bring us?”
Before she could answer, something splashed behind me. I whipped around, and a piece of the sinking dread lightened.
“Lucy, if Ronen doesn’t rip your ass a new one, I sure will!” Alexei shouted, slowly swimming over. His dappled wings dragged behind him, explaining both his slow progress and irate expression.
“Not until you’ve had your bottle and we’ve changed your diaper,” MJ mocked, swimming with ease beside him. She must’ve put her wings away right before diving in.
“What am I, just chopped liver?” Oliver added.
Alexei twisted, about to yell at him too.
“Let’s swim to the beach, and then you two can explain yourselves.”
No one complained about my recommendation. It took a few minutes, but we all swam to the rocky, black beach. I grimaced as gravity tugged at my drenched wings, their tips dragging across the heated stones. I kept the irritation and pain to myself, unlike someone else.
“This is why we don’t fucking fly into Portal Lake! This is why we don’t fly near water at all! What the hell were you two thinking?” Alexei jabbed a finger at Lucille and Oliver.
