Her body grew cold, and her breath quickened. She had to get out of there. The middle portal pulled harder, and she rose into the air straight toward it, her arms flailing and panic seizing her voice. Then she was through, and all sound disappeared. For the briefest of moments, there was nothing.
True nothingness.
She fell, and the scream of the wind filled her head. Darkness surrounded her as she landed on her belly, her chin smacking a hard surface. Pain exploded across her face. Groaning, she rolled over to see two moons, one a dark Wedgwood blue and the other a burning orange. No. She was back here?
Her knees wobbled, but she stood, measuring the distance from her feet to the murk. Something swam beneath the surface, nudging the edge and rocking the platform. She hurriedly stepped into the middle and set her stance, now having about three feet of rock around her in every direction.
Ulric stood on the sand, his legs braced, his eyes glowing through the night. “You’ve returned, Intended.”
“I’m not your Intended,” she hissed, looking up at the moons. She lifted her hands and started chanting.
A crash on the next rocky platform made her pause, and the figure of a woman bounced twice. “Hope?” Dessie yelled, dropping her arms.
The woman groaned and staggered to her feet. She wore a long pink dress with what looked like diamonds decorating it. Her hair was blond, her eyes light, and her waist incredibly tiny. The woman was at least six feet tall. She looked at Ulric and then glanced at Dessie, gasping audibly. “Destiny Applegate.”
Dessie jolted. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”
“I’m Yvonne. Ulric’s Intended.” She looked down at the oozing liquid and then back toward Dessie. “You need to leave.”
“Gladly,” Dessie said, reciting the incantation again. Nothing happened. Darn it. The chant must vary for each world. She scrambled to put together more of what she’d learned from the book into a new chant.
Ulric laughed, and the sound pounded across the murky waves. “You can’t leave, Intended.”
Yvonne spun to face him, her hair flying up. “How dare you! I am your Intended.” She stepped closer to the inky water. “It was I who created the formula to allow your people into the sun. Me. I have given all of you a new life.”
“Thank you for that,” Ulric said carelessly. “You served your purpose during your time.”
Yvonne hissed. “I am the Queen of the Cyst, and we will mate, Ulric.”
“You’re old. She’s new. It’s simple.” Ulric lifted a massive hand, and the wind stopped shrieking and started blowing. Yvonne’s rock slid over the dangerous liquid toward Dessie’s.
The woman turned and curled her fingers into fists. “All right. I’ll make this happen without your help. Mate.”
Dessie looked frantically around for anything she could use to get away from the woman, but there was only her rock and the surrounding lake of ink. “Stop it.”
Yvonne smiled, and her eyes glowed with an angry fire. “You’re going to die, new one.”
“No. Don’t let him win like this,” Dessie protested, her hands out. She had to figure out a way to open a portal, but her mind was slowing down from panic. “We’re not fighting over him. He’s all yours.”
“Yes, he is.” Their platforms crashed together, and Dessie fell back, landing on her butt. Her head knocked on the rock, and stars exploded behind her eyes. Darkness overtook her, but she fought it, trying to stay awake.
Yvonne came at her full force, straddling her instantly and wrapping both hands around her neck.
Dessie struggled to retain consciousness, fighting to breathe. Pain lashed her throat. She scrabbled to grab Yvonne’s fingers and pry them off her neck. More darkness edged into her vision. She stopped fighting and settled into her training. Holding her breath, she punched both arms up and broke Yvonne’s hold, sweeping her arms out and pushing the blonde off-balance.
Yvonne screamed and slashed down with her nails.
Dessie blocked with one arm and pushed Yvonne off her with the other, rolling them both until she straddled the blonde. “Stop it.” She reared back and hit Yvonne square in the nose. The woman’s nose cracked, and blood spurted into the air, landing in the liquid surrounding them.
Yvonne somehow brightened, and her dress was now a bright red instead of pink. How? What was happening?
Multiple creatures began to thrash in the water around them, butting against the platform and splashing goo across the rock. Panic seized Dessie, and she lifted her arms and started chanting.
Yvonne punched her cheekbone, knocking her down. Dessie landed next to the blonde, and the air burst out of her lungs. Yvonne struck her in the temple and then kneeled, grabbing Dessie’s hair and the waist of her yoga pants. “Let’s feed the fishes, shall we?” She partially lifted Dessie.
Dessie shot her elbow back into Yvonne’s mouth, smashing against her teeth. Then she twisted her torso and threw a punch at the woman’s temple, shoving hard with her knuckles.
Yvonne screamed and dropped her.
