She didn’t look back when she reached thefar door and pushed it open. Pouring on the speed, I raced down thehallway. My feet didn’t touch the stairs as I leapt into the areasurrounding the gateway.
A snarl tore from me when I spotted herstanding at the edge of the gateway once more. “What were youthinking?” I demanded as I stalked toward her.
Her head was bent while she gazed into theblackness below her, before lifting her head to look across thepit. She stared in that same way she had been staring when we’dbeen at the stream earlier. I had no idea what she was looking at,but River often saw things far beyond what I could.
Behind me, the door crashed open as theothers filed into the large room. River’s hand lifted, and before Iknew what she planned, she brought a knife forth and sliced openher palm.
“What the fuck!” I exploded when the scentof her blood hit me.
I leapt at her as she stretched her hand outand held it above the gateway.
CHAPTER 7
River
I winced as the blade sliced across myflesh, cutting deep. Blood welled in my palm. I closed my fingersbefore lifting my fist and raising it over the gateway. No bloodtrickled out, but I could feel its warmth pooling within my hand.Kobal cursed loudly, and his hand shot out toward mine. Before hecould touch me, I grabbed his arm and jerked it back.
“No!” I told him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” hedemanded.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But let me doit.”
I looked back across the circular opening ofHell to where Angela stood at the edge of the circle. There was nobreeze, but her wheat-blonde hair floated about her shoulders asher kelly green eyes held mine. She’d been materializing everynight on the steps of the bar since we’d arrived. Today, she’d alsoappeared to me again while I’d been bathing in the stream.
There had been an urgency in her eyes. Onethat I hadn’t seen since she’d tried to keep Vargas and me fromentering the canagh nest. I felt her urgency as if it were my own.Felt the sands of time slipping rapidly through the hourglass assurely as the blood seeped from my cut, and pooled in my closedhand. What would happen when the sand ran out? I didn’t know, butit wouldn’t be good.
Standing across from me, Angela held her ownfisted hand over the hole. No blood flowed from her, but I somehowknew this was what she’d wanted me to do. Had Lucifer used blood toopen and close his own gateway before? Had it been his blood, orsomeone else’s?
I didn’t know the answer to those questions,but I was willing to try anything right now.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw theothers coming slowly toward us. Kobal seized the wrist of my slicedhand.
My head turned toward him. “Let me dothis.”
The thunderous look on his face caused theothers to step away from us. Flames leapt to life at his fingertipsand danced up to his wrist. Those flames would never burn me, buttheir presence signaled his loss of control as surely as the ambercolor flickering within his obsidian eyes.
“You have no idea what could happen by doingthis,” he growled.
“And neither do you. We’ve had no idea aboutanything since I’ve arrived here, but something about this… justlet me do it.”
I’d been about to say “feels right,” but Iwasn’t so sure about that either. Nothing felt right anymore, butthis felt like a step toward something. What that was, I didn’tknow, but at least I was doing somethingdifferenttoday.
My gaze returned to Angela as she opened herpalm over the hole. I did the same. Blood slid freely from the gashI’d created, I barely registered the pain as I watched the blooddripping into the pit. When I lifted my head again, Angela waslooking past me toward the doors. She blinked before vanishing.
“Damn it!” I spat.
“What?” Kobal inquired.
“Angela—”
“Is that why you’re doing this? You don’tknowwhatshe is.”
“I don’t, but I trust her.”
His fingers tightened their grip on mywrist. If he chose to pull me away, he could, and there was nothingI could do to stop him. He was far stronger than me, and though myability to wield life had knocked him on his ass before, I wouldnever use it against him again, no matter how tempting it might besometimes.
“You told me you would try to speak with me,and listen to me, instead of just giving commands,” I reminded him.“I’m asking you to listen to me now.”
