“Your ancestors were trying to be benevolentto these demons and creatures,” I murmured as I gazed at thewall.
“They were afforded that opportunity. I amnot.”
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“We wait. Whatever is doing this willreturn.”
I opened my mouth to say, “Maybe not ifwe’re here,” but the words died in my throat when a chill creptdown my spine. The air around me seemed to plunge a hundreddegrees, the cold stealing my breath as I stood frozen indisbelief. None of the others appeared to notice the sudden freezeas they remained mulling about, discussing what could possibly getpast the houndsandbring the seals down.
Goose bumps erupted over my flesh. I’d beennothing but hot since we’d entered this place; now I felt the iceof death sliding over my skin and seeping into my soul. My bonesquaked and my teeth chattered as the chill crept into my chest towrap its icy hand around my heart and lungs. I’d felt this coldnessbefore when Kobal had taken me to feed with him.Wraiths.
My head tilted slowly back. I expected tosee thousands of the twisted spirits above me like I had that nightwith Kobal, but I saw only one black shadow slithering across theceiling.How can only one of them be radiating this muchcold?
There had to be others somewhere else, but Ihad no idea where. The black spirit wasn’t as malformed as theothers I’d seen, but there was no denying what it was as ithesitated at the edge of the seal before slipping inside.
“Kobal, a wraith just went behind the seal,”I managed to get out from my constricted throat and chatteringteeth.
“They do that,” he replied absently.
“Something isn’t right,” I whispered. “Mybones—”
Kobal’s head turned toward me; his eyesnarrowed as he stepped closer and grasped my arms. “You’refreezing.”
He may have been speaking normally, but itsounded as if his voice came from behind the seal as my heartlumbered to pump blood through my veins.
“River? River!” He dragged me closer againsthis chest. His body enveloping me in what would normally be apleasurable experience now made me cry out as my chilled skin feltabraded by his heat.
Releasing me, he took a step back. Theterror on his face was evident as he gazed at me; he reached for meagain before his arms fell helplessly back to his sides. Turningaway from him, I awkwardly teetered forward on what felt liketoothpicks for legs. I was convinced the bones in my legs wouldshatter and I would crumple to the ground before I reached theseal.
Instead, I somehow managed to make itthrough the prowling hounds who moved hurriedly out of my way.Falling before the seal, I whimpered when the motion sent waves ofpain coursing through my brittle body. Tears streaked my frozenface as my hand fell against one of the carvings etched into thewall.
As power from the wall blasted into my hand,midnight blue light flared to life at the tips of my fingers. Thiswasn’t my normal ability to draw on life, but waves of powererupted from me and raced toward the ceiling. On the other side ofthe seal, I felt something working to shatter it.
Kobal knelt beside me and rested his handsagainst the wall. “Son of a bitch!” he snarled as he felt the waveof whatever it was on the other side. “River, look at me.”
I dimly heard him through the racking of mybones and the crackling of the light surrounding my hand. Somehow,I managed to turn my head toward him. His amber eyes gazed back atme. His hand stretched toward me before freezing in midair.
Ignoring the agony in my body, I graspedhold of his hand. My body reacted as if it had been hit with alightning bolt. I jerked toward him, and my head tipped back as hispower fueled my own. The markings on his arms all turned toward theseal, and that umber glow he’d emitted to open the chamber flowedfrom his palm onto the wall.
My heart gave another stuttering beat as hismarkings slid across his skin toward his fingertips. They flowedout of him to pour over the surface of the seal where they mingledwith the inscriptions carved there until his flesh was bare.
I forgot about the cold as his golden gazeburned into mine, and my deep blue light of life rolled forth tocombine with his light and the markings that had been on his body.Our colors swirled together; their radiance spilling over usilluminated the harsh splendor of his face. I couldn’t tear my gazeaway from Kobal’s as the seal beneath my hand pulsed with the powerflooding it.
As if attracted by a magnet, Kobal movedcloser to me until his chest was pressed against mine. This new,soul-deep connection between us caused my mouth to part. My chestrose and fell against his as he rested his forehead on mine. Thecells of our bodies swirled toward each other and combined betweenour connected flesh. His strength encompassed me at the same timemine surged out to fill him.
Beneath my fingers, I felt the strengtheningof the seal as the flow of life retreated back toward me and mybones steadily warmed once more.
“That’s better,” I murmured before my handfell away from the seal.
Kobal released my hand and pulled me closeragainst him. He kept his other hand against the seal as hecontinued to illuminate the wall before us. Drawing me into hislap, he cradled me against him as his lips brushed over my templeand forehead.
The light from his palm faded away, and themarkings on his arms slid from the wall and back to their normalpositions on his body as the chill in the air eased completely. Idrew my first full breath since seeing the wraith and nestledcloser to the heat he emitted.
“What just happened?” Bale demandedbreathlessly.
I turned my head toward the others, and forthe second time today, the demons looked completely amazed aboutsomething as they gawked at us. I gazed up at Kobal’s amber eyes. Iwasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but it had beenlife-changing. The bond had always been strong between us, but nowit felt intricately weaved throughout my cells and deep into mysoul. I knew a demon’s Chosen made them more powerful, and I hadexperienced that strengthening before, but never on this level.
“No wonder Lucifer wants to break us apart,”I whispered.
