Killian’s dark lightning cracked against the edge of the vortex, the combined power of the heirs joining his assault. Their furious roars faded into echoes as the vortex spun us away. The gale whipped my face raw, dragging my curls in every direction. Cold dampness choked the air, making it hard to breathe.
Around me, the other students’ screams were also muffled, swallowed by the storm as we all fought for air.
Where the fuck was this thing taking us? I stopped fighting the pull, saving my strength for whatever battle waited at the other end. My thoughts drifted between Killian, the heat of his kiss, the danger now, and whatever lay ahead.
Think about fucking later,Sy snapped.Or you can let me think about sex for you. Focus on surviving. I want to get back to my sugar Rowan in one piece.
I pushed my senses outward, even as the vortex whipped me through the chaos.
It’s pushing through a barrier,I told Sy.Feel that?
Yes. We’re being taken to another realm,she replied.Want me to take over?
Not yet. Sit tight. Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.
She pouted.
Then, the storm dissolved into steam. The vortex vanished, and all of us dropped like stones. I looked down just as a sprawling network of railroad tracks rushed up to meet my face.
“Shit!” I shouted.
Brace for impact!Sy shouted back, pushing her strength into me.
I hit the metal track and rolled into a crouch, the force jarring through my bones, but Sy stepped in and swallowed the pain. I didn’t know what I’d do without her. Then, a cold thought slipped in: one day, I’d have to.
My gaze swept the scene. Other bride candidates—slower, less prepared—slammed onto the rails with sickening thuds, yelping and groaning. At least they were supernaturals, so the damage would be minor.
The air here was different. Thick with sulfur and ash, it burned in my lungs. From the east came a low, crackling roar. In the distance, a river of lava cut across a crimson sky.
Shit. We were in Hell. Literally.
This place screamed abandon hope, all ye who enter here, and it wasn’t whispering.
I haven’t seen the dead yet,Sy noted.They give me the creeps, like your ghost familiar. Why isn’t Pucker tagging along? Where is he when you need him?
This is the one place he fears most—the Underworld,I explained.If he comes here, he can never return to the living.
But he’s already dead,Sy argued.
Ghosts linger for a reason,I said, rolling my eyes.Are we really having a deep discussion about where Pucker’s place should be right now?
Fine. Whatever’s coming, I’m with you, ugly Barbie,Sy declared.Let’s rock this fucking welcome party.
Just then, a bone-chilling horn blasted through the air. Three massive trains emerged from the shadows, their headlights slicing through the gloom like metal eyes.
Shit.
Chaos erupted all around us. Shouts and screams filled the sulfur-thick air as candidates scrambled in every direction. My own heart hammered, a frantic drum against my ribs. My gaze swept left and right, hunting for any sign of safety—or the next threat.
We need to find Bea!I shouted to Sy.We have to make sure she gets out alive.
On it!
A train lurched along the tracks, charging straight for me.
Run!Sy screamed.
I bolted, leaping from the rails just as the mad machine thundered past, missing me by inches. The force of its wake shoved me sideways. I stumbled, nearly sprawling across the next track—where a second train would have crushed me if Sy hadn’t shoved me hard toward a narrow triangular gap between the rails.
