“So you’re here,” he says, and before you understand what’s happening, another rush of wind barrels up the side of the building, and there stands Ziros. He seems to hover for a moment, then his fist smacks into Sy’s face with awhamthat sends his twin flying.
Sy laughs again, catching himself only a few feet away as he shakes out his jaw.
“Youbastard,” Ziros growls as he turns, taking in the sight of you tied-up and gagged on the roof. “What do you want this time?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Sy says, and that’s when you notice he’s pulled something small and black out of his jacket.
The book.
He’s holding the book.
The same book Ziros was originally imprisoned in.
“Here’s the deal,” Sy says, glancing at you. “You’re a menace. You can’t control your powers, and you know it. Someone’s gotta do something about it, and it might as well be me. If you want your precious little sorceress human to live, you’ll go into the book without trouble.”
Ziros glares, folding his arms, still standing on the rail. Behind him, the glow of city lights illuminates the night.
“You really think you can threaten me?”
Ziros jumps, another blast of wind rushing around you, so strong you feel yourself sliding, afraid you might be swept right off the roof.
He leaps for his brother, but Sy is just as fast. He dodges at the last second, yanking you in front of him like a shield.
“Not so fast,” he says, flinging open the book.
As soon as he does, you feel a heavy, magnetic pull drawing you toward the pages.
That’s when you realize, to your horror, it’snotthe same book!
“This is a fresh enchantment,” Sy says. “Right now, it’s locked onto your precious little human’s magic, and it can’t be stopped—not even by a sorceress like her. The void won’t be satisfied until it’s fed. So give it up, brother, and nobody else has to get hurt. Go back to your prison.”
Ziros growls, eyes flashing as he leaps again, wind swirling around you as you cling—impossibly, especially considering your hands are tied—for dear life to the slippery surface of the roof below you, the book drawing you steadily closer.
“Ziros!” you try to scream, but the sound comes out muffled by the gag.
“It’s your choice,” Sy says, holding open the book again. “Either return to the void, or your precious human will be sucked in. Not even your wind magic can stop her!”
You stare at Ziros, terrified, not sure what to do.
Stop!You think loudly, not at Ziros, but at the book.
Maybe Sy is bluffing. Maybe you can break whatever strange enchantment this is.
After all, you are a sorceress.
Maybe it’s your desperation that causes it—magic explodes from within you, disintegrating the gag in an array of satisfying sparkles.
“Wait!” you yell, finally able to move as the bonds dissolve from your wrists. “Ziros is a good guy!”
You reach for Sy, intending to swipe the book from his open hands and slam it shut, but instead, like a hook has beenwrapped around your middle, you find yourself only drawntowardit. Instead of grabbing it, your hand goes straight through and keeps going, sucked into the void of the pages.
Weightless, stomach flipping terror sweeps through you.
“Anzelika!” Ziros yells, leaping toward you.
It’s your name, your true name, but not even that’s enough.
The pull of the void already has you.
