“Why did it stop?” Mathias demanded, spinning around. “There’s nothing here. It’s a dead end.”
He was wrong.
I felt it, really, before I saw it—like the soft pounding of a beating heart. I slowly spun myself around, taking in the packed-dirt walls and the dark mucky soil beneath our feet. A pulse, a ripple, a thump-thump-thump from the darkest corner.
“I feel it,” I whispered, trying to get Mathias to quiet his mumblings.
There, lying in the corner on the ground, covered with grime and ash was a leather-bound book wrapped in a thin silvery twine. I stepped closer to it, cautiously, and crouched down in front of it.
It wasn’t very remarkable. On its cover small traces of silver caught the light of the torch and glittered. Small sparks of shine caught my eye, but what held my attention was the glow that shifted out from between the white pages inside.
Mathias took a step closer to me. “What is it? What do you see?”
“A book,” I whispered.
Hesitantly, I reached out and touched the leathery cover.
A sharp, hot electric spark shot out, buzzing through my fingers and surging up my arm. Goose bumps exploded over my skin, spreading like a wild fire across my chest and neck. A pull and call so strong demanded me,Open the Book.
Open the Book.
The hand that touched the book began to tremble and burn.Open the Book.
My fingers itched and ached to open the book.Where is Hemlock? Open the Book!
Free Us. Lure Him. Open the Book Before Him. We Will Devour Him.
I will,I sang in a soft voice. He wears my soul as jewelry. Can you free me? Can you free Mathias from the curse? I will take you to him. I promise, I will—
The Souls He Holds Will Be Destroyed. Reclaim Your Soul. Reclaim Your Soul. We Do Not Wish To Destroy What Saves Us.
How do I get it? How do I get it? Please tell me!
And then the ground was shaking. The walls pressed in around us, chunks of dirt and rock crashed to the ground around us. Mathias grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back. I didn’t understand what was happening. Was it the book? Did I open the book? Were the gods wreaking havoc on us?
“Take it! Take it!” Mathias yelled, trying to pull me toward the small entryway we had come through. “It’s my father! He knows Mary has taken your place.”
I jerked up to my feet, my hands scrambling for the book. It was warm to the touch and light as a feather. I pulled it close to my chest and tore through the doorway and through the outer hall. Somewhere above us, Hemlock’s voice was thunder.
“He’s going to find us,” Mathias shouted.
No. I couldn’t let him find me with Mathias. I hugged the book tighter and stopped running. Mathias fumbled forward. “Raine?”
“He can’t find us together,” I said, backing away. I knew the ash on my skin was smeared all over my body from where we kissed, where he laid his hands on me. I shifted into the shadow of the hall. “Take me to Hemlock,” I whispered to the book, as I slipped it into the folds of my shirt, hiding it against my stomach.
Wind and mist swirled around me, the ground a blur under my feet.
I plummeted, dropping through the air. Through ice and mist and ash. Until I landed, stumbling forward, flailing out my hands to stop my fall, right into King Hemlock’s arms.
Chapter 20
The impact knocked me right on my ass. The world around me seemed to pause—the air, the life, then I’m gasping and choking on my fear. I wanted to scream but my lungs felt empty, hollow. I didn’t know if I still had the book. My body felt too numb, too flooded with adrenaline.
Hemlock’s hand fisted through the tangled strands of my hair and yanked me up off the floor. I swore a mouthful of curses at the sharp pain.
“Did you think you could trick me?” Hemlock’s voice reverberated through me, thundering in my head.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I growled, locking my eyes with his.
