AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Taj!"
My voice echoed around the city, sending a chill down my spine.
"What the hellisthis place?" I breathed, a tremor in my stomach as I stared at the empty street. The place was deserted; truly deserted, not like the castle where I’d sensed eyes watching me. But where were my mates?
Panic made my big, clawed hands shaky until I was in danger of cutting up my thighs by accident. I was right back in those initial hours after Eidolon left us in the throne room, with Dev weak and unconscious, Taj bleeding out, X kidnapped, Joseph away from us, and only Arkan to hold me together.
"Please," I rasped, drawing another knife and gripping it for comfort as I stared out at Herallan. "Please give them back."
I took a shaky step down the road, and for a second the view of the city in front of me changed from stone skyscrapers to a jagged church, as if I'd walked through a veil. Unfortunately, I couldn't inspect the church because power hooked around my middle like a whip and yanked me a hundred feet into the air.
"Chocolate raisins!"I screamed a curse, my eyes watering as the wind stabbed them. I was thrown into the sky, screaming at the top of my lungs, before an invisible cord pulled taut and I dangled over the city. What in the haunted bungee jump was happening?
This time, by sheer will alone, I kept hold of my knife and slashed out at the invisible magic. If I couldn't slice it, at least I could wound the damn thing. But nothing happened except me flailing around like a drunk bee, twenty feet in the air.
"Lina!" a familiar and sickeningly welcome voice shouted, distant but audible.
The ground was so far away that my stomach pinched and a little bit of vomit rushed into my throat.
No sick! That was a new rule, and I was sticking by it.
I dragged my stare firmlyup,and tried not to whimper at how close rooftops were to where I dangled. Three buildings across, Taj hung in the air by an invisible cord, his hands bound above his head, arms strained. If I wasn't mistaken, his face was even redder than usual, and he looked spitting mad. Flames bled from his eyes and nostrils.
I gave a little wave. "Fancy meeting you here."
Smoke literally poured from his nostrils like he was a dragon. His shirt disintegrated, black fire licking down his sculpted torso.
"I'm sensing anger," I said.
Taj growled, rumbling and throaty.
"Ark?" I shouted, craning my neck to see the rest of the city.
"He's behind you," Taj snarled gutturally.
"Oh no, he isn't!" I sing-songed, like we were at the pantomime. Eidolon took me to one once. I thought it was quality father-daughter time until we followed a university student home, slashed his throat, and stole his canine tooth.2
I twisted awkwardly until I couldjustabout see where Ark dangled in the air, and asked, "So what's the plan, wraith daddy?"
His cold expression flashed with rage for a second, and he exploded into shadows and bone. Even incorporeal, he didn't escape the magical trap we all walked into, but it was still impressive. I tried to clap.
"You've lost your damn mind," Taj rumbled. "And you didn't have much sanity to begin with."
I made a throaty noise in reply, but I was distracted by the smooth black dome I saw when I tipped my head back. There was no sky like I’d thought, only a carved ceiling like we were in a massive, city-sized cave. This place was enormous and complex andempty.Where were the people? Why was it so damn silent?
Taj opened his mouth to say something else, but I cut him off.
"There's no people in the city, but there's magic. How?"
Taj frowned, his head tilting to the side as he contemplated the question.
"Is it of the devil's making?" Arkan asked, his cold voice a welcome reassurance.
I wiggled until I could just about see him, and pointedly didnotlook down. "Dev hid the sceptre here, so it makes sense, right? But how do we get out?"
Taj's hands were bound but mine were free. I reached for the rope around my waist and gave it an experimental stroke, as if Dev could feel me back in the castle and let me go.
No, wait,fuck,no lettinggo.Only settingdown.
