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He lowered his lips to my ear. “I don’t have to kill you to make you feel dead inside.”
“Help me! Someone, help me! Please!”
The man chuckled and shook his head. “No one can hear your screams.”
“Please! Help me!”
The door burst open, and I felt Claudius’s muscles jerk in surprise. He turned, just as Elyon jumped onto his back. Claudius bucked, but the boy clutched tight to his throat and bit down into his ear so hard, I heard it crunch.
Claudius let out a roar of anger, and releasing me, he reached back and took hold of the boy. In one swift move, he threw him across the room. Elyon slammed into the wall, his body sliding to the floor.
“No!” Rolling onto my stomach, I scrambled toward him, but a hard hook of my ankle yanked me back, and I slid across the floor toward Claudius.
Pissed, I lifted my foot and kicked him square in the face.
The older man growled and lurched forward, but I squirmed away quickly, just missing his swiping hand.
I reached the boy and, with frantic hands, turned his head to find a horrible gash where he must’ve hit the wall. He breathed weakly, but said, “Mama. I knew you would come back for me.”
More memories slipped through my mind.
Pain. Cries. Holding the baby. Laughter. Singing. Kisses. Dancing.
All in this horrible place. A small ray of sunshine in the darkness.
“Save him.”
The memories shook me down to my very soul. Lustina’s baby.
Mybaby.
Through tears, I whisper, “Welcome, Elyon Jericho Van Croix.”
“You will remember the Omni,” Claudius said from behind me. “And I will enjoy breaking you twice.”
Anger stirred inside of me, and I turned to face him, the rage burning my skin and drying my tears. “I would rather die than free you from this hell.”
His lips curved to an evil arc. “And so you shall.”
63
JERICHO
The stretch of gray walls seemed to go on for eternity.
“I want you to get Farryn out. I’ll deal with my father, but get her out of here,” I said to Vaszhago, who followed after me.
“How? The door we came through sealed shortly after.”
Rummaging through the satchel at my hip, I handed him the summoning chalk. “Get her to Kezhurah. Somewhere safe.” I fished again and pulled out the vial that Venefica had given me. “And administer this to her once she is out of harm’s way. I will then have three days to deliver the heart.”
“And how will you get out?”
“My father comes and goes. I will force him to reveal how.”
Vaszhago groaned. “Why do I have a feeling I’ll be suffering tremendous pain by the end of this?”
Ignoring him, I nodded toward the path ahead on seeing another door. “Finally.”
