With that, I shoved upward and knocked his blade away.The man stumbled back a few steps as I leapt to my feet.
Running at him, I wrapped my arms around his waist.The man grunted when his back hit the ground and the air rushed out of him.
The impact knocked his weapon away, and it skittered across the floor.Anger, frustration, and fear for Ellery propelled me as I delivered one bone-crunching blow after another to his face.
Blood flew as his hands battered at me, but I didn’t stop until the man ceased struggling and went limp beneath me.I released one more blow that caved in the side of his face.
When a hand landed on my shoulder, I spun to destroy whoever dared to touch me.Tucker threw up his hands in a gesture of submission as he edged away.
“They’re dead, Ryker,” he said.“We have to go.”
Blinking away the blood on my face, I surveyed the room.Tucker’s followers were dispatching any surviving guards.The open doors revealed an empty hall, and no footsteps sounded out there.
I pushed myself to my feet and shook out my hand.Blood sprayed from the busted skin of my knuckles as I lifted the battle-ax and rested it against my shoulder.
“Let’s go,” I said.
The rest of Tucker’s followers reclaimed their dropped weapons and rushed through the open portal.Tucker studied me as we walked toward the portal together.
“How are you holding up?”he asked.
“I’m fine.I just want this over.”
And I wanted Ellery.I didn’t have to say that; he already knew it.
“As do we all,” he murmured.
As Tucker walked through, I stood beside the portal with my eye on the open doors.I followed swiftly behind him but didn’t breathe a sigh of relief when I entered the clearing and shut the portal behind me.
We’d succeeded in our mission, but if Ellery wasn’t here, then I still had battles to fight.At most, we’d only been separated for ten minutes; it was most likely only five, but a growing sense of urgency pounded through my veins.
When I turned toward where Ruby had opened a portal, my stomach dropped as I saw it was gone.If Ellery had returned, then she’d be beside me right now.
No, she would have gone through my portal to make sure I was okay.She wouldn’t have waited here for me.
“She closed it a couple of minutes ago,” Luna said.
“That’s already far too long,” I said.
I didn’t have it in me to open another portal; I didn’t have to try to know it wouldn’t happen.“I need you to open a portal to the manor.”
“Okay,” Luna said.“Should we open it by Scarlet’s home?”
“Yes.We’ll go there first and see if we can find them.Everyone, be prepared for something to come through that portal when it opens.We have no idea what’s on the other side.”
And we didn’t have the time to go somewhere else to open a portal.Every second that passed was one more second Ellery was in jeopardy.
Luna weaved her fingers before her until a portal formed.Everyone lifted their weapons as they braced for an attack, but nothing came through.
“I’m coming with you,” Tucker said.
I hadn’t expected anything else.
“It will just be the three of us for now; if we need more help, we’ll return for it,” I told the others.“We’re better off going with lower numbers until we know what’s happening.”
“Let’s go,” Tucker said.
Without looking back, I entered the portal at a run as I raced toward Ellery… or at least, I hoped she was on the other side.
