“Not good,” Roxy muttered.
I blinked. They were getting closer, their weapons glinting in their hands.
“Lothar!” Roxy yelled again. “Fucking do it.”
Gritting my teeth, I managed to wrestle the beast back long enough to slice my hand and let my blood pour onto the stones. Roxy backed up, a string of curses flying from her, until she bumped into my side, knives in both hands. Without thought, I hooked my arm around her waist as the ground rumbled, ready to pull her behind me again if I had to and out of harm’s way.
Her scent drifted around me, fucking with me like it always did, sending shudders down my spine, telling me to get the fuck away from her, while the beast roared again and forced me to pull her closer, to protect her at all costs.
Something was wrong with me. This wasn’t normal.
“They’re getting closer,” she said under her breath.
The gate needed to open, right the fuck now. I threw up a hand and sent a blast of power rippling across the field. It didn’t touch them. “How the fuck do you kill a shadow?”
“You can’t.”
The rocks and boulders finally rumbled into action, rolling, shifting, reforming into a gateway. Hellfire ignited across my palm, and I blasted it in a wide arc around us, scorching the ground and creating a wall of flames, not knowing what else to do.
The gateway opened, and we were finally looking through to the other side, to where Zinnia stood on the skull pathway waiting for us. The shadowed assassins swarmed us then, closing in quickly.
I tightened my arm around Roxy just as she threw both knives, sending them spinning through the air, and dove through the gateway.
“Close it!” I roared.
Zinnia didn’t hesitate. She slashed her hand through the air and the stones instantly collapsed, the gateway vanishing, locking the shadows out.
Zinnia rushed forward. “What’s going on?”
Zinnia Thornheart was a powerful witch and Death’s consort.
I shoved my fingers through my hair, trying to get my shit together. “We were being chased by…fuck, shadows? I don’t even know?” I growled.
Zinnia blinked at us, her gaze sliding down to my arm still locked around Roxy, and then back up.
Roxy shoved out of my hold and strode to Zinny, pulling her in for a tight hug. “Hey, Zinny,” she said, then shook her head. “Not shadows. Wraiths. And someone’s armed them with the kind of weapons that can kill an immortal.”
“Wraiths?” I snarled.
“Yes.” Roxy planted her hands on her hips. “I haven’t seen any for a really long time though.”
“They’re impossible to kill.”
“Mors might be able to help,” Zinny said, calling her mate by his true name. “I had Egon prepare rooms for you both. Come to the castle and rest, then hopefully we’ll get you the information you need in the morning.”
I didn’t want to rest. I wanted to find out who the fuck had sent wraiths after us and cleave their head in two, but this was Death we were talking about. You didn’t demand shit from him, which meant we’d have to cool our heels until morning.
Zinnia led us back to the castle. It was huge, made of black stone, and looked as if it had burst through the ground fully formed on its own. We took the wide steps up to the massive arched doors, and they instantly swung open.
A horned demon with leathery, mottled green skin and scarlet eyes greeted us.
“Hey, Egon!” Roxy said, beaming. “It’s been a while.”
He inclined his head, his lips curling up. “Miss Roxana. It is a pleasure to see you again. It has indeed been a long time.” His gaze slid to me and back to Roxy. “I have rooms all ready for you,” he said. “Would you like me to bring a tray up once you’re settled? You must be hungry after your journey.”
“That would be much appreciated, Egon. I’m starved,” Rox said and gave his arm an affectionate squeeze.
I lifted my chin when his gaze came back to me.
