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Sadi stepped into his mind and carried his consciousness with her. They appeared at the top of the psychic ravine cradling the Darkness. A few feet away Rune saw himself holding Faye while the Ra’Voshnik lingered nearby.
Sadi held up her hand and twisted it as she curled her fingers down.
The scene played as Rune remembered. They plummeted. Sadi screamed above them.
Just as Rune hit the Darkness it formed a hollow, encasing them. He’d never seen the Darkness behave this way. It churned and curled in on itself, but this. The winged Faye had said a part of the Darkness was hers.
Had Faye’s survival instinct saved him because he refused to let her go?
Rune glanced at Sadi as the vision pulled themthroughthe Darkness. Dragging them deeper. Sadi tensed and muttered, “I don’t like this.”
Neither did he. Rune reminded himself witnessing events in this matter couldn’t hurt them. He endured the uncomfortable moments and the Darkness opened into a circular room Rune recognized. Fine white sand covered the ground. His bed arranged at the center of this circular hollow cut into the Darkness.
Faye’s winged double stood near the bed floating a few inches off the ground. Her hair and lace gown drifting around her as though she were submerged in deep water.
The telltale signs of Familiar magic.
She outstretched her hand, carefully guiding their limp bodies onto the bed.
The scene froze and Sadi turned toward him. “She’s not Familiar. How does she have our magic? How are there two of her?”
“Can you look into her double? Does she have her own line separate from Faye?”
Sadi quieted for a while and frowned. “I’ve never seen anything like this. They are the same line. You thought the lives I saw were a spell being perfected. What if this part of her is what carries through her lives.”
Sadi waved her hand and the scene dissipated, melting away. She paced the room, hugging her arms to her sides. “I feel death in my vision. I can’t see it clearly, but I feel it.”
“I am quite difficult to kill,” Rune reassured her. “I need to locate her altar so I can make her whole.”
Sadi paused before the window, glancing through it to Hell’s ever-twilight sky. She quietly murmured, “Like calls to like.”
Chapter fifty-four
Fayehadbeensoakinglong enough for the water to have cooled by now. A smile spread over her lips, maybe magic was good for something. A soft chime sounded. The silver tray holding the water and bread vanished. The small black stone forgotten on the floor.
Faye’s stomach angrily gnawed at her. Would Rune join her for breakfast? Did he even eat? Faye’s eyes fell back to the obsidian talisman. Sparrow definitely ate and was probably pulling her hair out looking for the black stone.
Vash couldn’t phase out of Hell but could he phase food from his tavern in. She would kill for some chicken fingers right now. Something normal instead of the fancy meals they’d been having. Faye flipped the lever to drain the bath and got out, retrieving Rune’s talisman.
She shut the door and dried off, glancing over towards the dark wooden box he left open. Vials, bottles, and various pouches of herbs were neatly arranged in their individual compartments. His soaps and cleansing oils were arranged with the same organized care in neat low lipped containers along the edge of the mirror.
She wrapped the towel around herself, resisting the urge to shift his things a few inches. Faye walked through Rune’s room, returning to hers. Her steps faltered at the sight of her mangled bed. Deep gouges tore through the blankets and mattress. Stuffing and torn material spilled out on to the floor. Did he do that?
Faye walked past it and dressed quickly, heading back to the south wing. She slowed her pace walking past Rune’s study hoping to find him behind his desk. She wondered what matters he was seeing to when she realized the space was empty.
She found her sister in the den, squinting as she picked over yesterday’s platter of dried meat, cheese, and crackers.
“Hit Rune’s bar cart too hard?” Faye asked.
Sparrow sat with a huff. “Your evil twin started screaming and she hit me with her black tentacle.”
Faye tensed. “She did what?”
Sparrow waved her off. “Tendril,” she corrected. “She drained us.”
Faye’s gaze swept over her sister. “Did she hurt you? Do you need a healer?”
“It feels like a bad hangover,” Sparrow said, scrubbing her hand over her nose. “Did Runey take care of you?”
