CHAPTER TWELVE
Calista
Head spinning and stomach swirling, I gripped my head and fought the urge to vomit. The familiar taste of stagnant air, and something else I couldn’t put my finger on, coated my tongue as my lungs sucked in a greedy breath. This was my nightmare. Only this one I couldn’t wake up from. I pushed against Astaroth, but he held me tighter as I acclimated from our trip through the portal.
“I’m going to be sick.” Served him right to be puked on.
His fingertip touched the middle of my forehead. A peaceful sensation chased away the pain and nausea, leaving me refreshed.
“Better?” His intense gaze flicked over my face.
Something about his expression seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. I did feel better. Better than better, if therewas a word for it. I forced myself to look away and take in my surroundings. Worn, stone walls with tall ceilings encased us. Massive open windows lined the far wall with an archway leading onto a balcony between them.
My pulse raced. “Where are we?”
“You know where we are,” Astaroth responded.
I began to panic. “We need to go back. He’s going to hurt them.”
Jessandra’s voice came from behind us. “Now that you are here, they will be safe.”
“You don’t understand. That giant killed my father. I need to be with my brother.” Astaroth’s arms stiffened around me, making it difficult to breathe. “Put. Me. Down.”
He set me on my feet. His body stayed pressed to mine as he held me up. I shoved him away and took a step back to put some distance between us. The clenched fists he hid behind his back were a good indication he didn’t like it one bit.
“Who was that man? Why was he there?”
Jessandra moved to Astaroth’s side. Hair escaped her disheveled braid around her scratched face, and blood seeped through her ripped clothing. She fought hard to protect us while we all watched.
A shadow formed in the room. “I need to speak with Jessandra, then I will return and explain.”
I followed them toward it. “You will not leave me here!”
But they didn’t listen. They vanished within the dark mass, and I couldn’t bring myself to follow. Once they were gone, I checked the door, but it was locked. He trapped me here in this sparce but elegant dungeon. Fear ran rampant as I thought of Kaiden and Gina. Did that man disappear and leave them alone? Was Kaiden okay after he was knocked unconscious?
I gripped the stone in my sweaty palm. If Gina could bring Jessandra over with a wish, then it could also take me home. “I wish to go home to Kaiden.”
The stone hummed lightly, and I searched the room for any sign of that shadowy cloud forming before it went silent.
“I wish to go home.”
It hummed again but did nothing.
Panicked, I screamed, “I want to be home right now!”
A sad yet peaceful pulse throbbed through my hand. The air around me electrified, and the flash that usually flickered on the stone encompassed the entire room. Hope fluttered wildly in my stomach as my surroundings changed into that of my apartment.
“Kaiden?” I shouted.
When he didn’t respond, I ran to the door to go find him. The locks turned, but it wouldn’t open.
“No, no, no,” I whimpered and looked around.
Everything I owned was in the right place, even the stain on the carpet where I spilled nail polish. I peeked through the doorway into my kitchen. Dirty dishes in the sink were where I left them this morning. I glanced the other way and went to the hall. The bathroom door was closed, as usual, and the bedroom door was wide open.
I swiped at my wet cheeks and approached the only other exit. The sliding glass door didn’t give me my usual view. The normal sounds of the city didn’t meet my ears when I slid it open and took hesitant steps onto the cement balcony. Cloudless, deep lavender skies surrounded me. The labyrinth stretched below as far as I could see in all directions. Had I not been here before and experienced the horror that rested inside those walls, it would have been an amazing, fantastical view. One people would pay greatly to see. I would give anything not to be here or ever see this wynorrific view again.
I gripped the chest-high balustrade with shaky hands as the distance to the ground registered. There was no escape from the balcony. Not one I would survive from. I ran inside and went straight to my bedroom to find an unmade bed, clothes on the floor, and the picture of my brother and me on my nightstand. I picked up the frame and hugged it to my chest.
