Page 33 of Imprisoned with the Vampire King

All three of my companions looked at me.

I smashed the vase against the wall, so I wouldn't have to answer them.

My magic exploded around me, filling my lungs and rolling over my skin with a cool, heavy weight that I hadn't felt in a long, long time.

I turned toward the elevator as I heard it descend quickly. Counting down in my head, I followed the numbers above the doors.

-6

-7

-8

It dinged a moment later.

I tugged Dante into the elevator with me immediately. He took the plate from my brother's hands as Jazz and River stepped in too.

River handed her the bowl.

The elevator shook once, violently. My magic was clearly furious that we were fucking with the way it was supposed to function.

"Break the dishes, now," I ordered.

The demon royals smashed their pottery against the walls.

I put my hands in front of me, moving them together as I focused on the complex, woven magic. Pulling my power out of the broken plates and wrapping it around the royals to hide them from the existing magic in the elevator didn't take long.

The elevator shook heavily again, and the doors still didn't close.

I grabbed the side railing to steady myself for the next violent shake.

Someone appeared at the end of the hallway in front of us.

Oh, fuck.

My gaze jerked to my brother.

River's back was to me.

I could see the rapid, detailed weave of light he had spiraling from his hands.

He looked at me, his jaw clenched and his expression grim. He gave me a small shake of his head.

My eyes ran quickly over the light strands of magic.

It was exactly what I'd drawn for him. The same magic I'd used to hide Jazz and Dante from my power.

But it wasn't working.

My power was rejecting it.

And it was going to trap us in this fucking prison.

I reached deep into the well of power in my chest, but all I had was thin, weak threads.

Not enough.

Nowhere near enough.