“We swim to the very bottom. There’s a portal opened by the Order for us,” Thaddeus said, kissing my cheek before turning and walking into the water, causing ripples where he walked.
The breeze picked up, blowing my hair wildly around. I squeezed their hands, and we started walking in behind Thaddeus.
We waded into the water neck-deep before they let go of my hands and sucked in a breath before we sunk under the water. My nipples tightened painfully from the cold as goosebumps covered my arms and legs.
I opened my eyes and saw with precise clarity under the water. Deep down, the bottom was filled with rocks and plants covered with tantalizing algae. Thaddeus swam toward the rock wall at the very bottom where Gabriel awaited us.
Blaise, Kai, and I followed suit. Water moved around my limbs in swirls as my hair floated all around me. I was thankful I chose leggings and a tank top to wear to the trials. It was freezing, but it didn’t bother me anymore. Another vampire perk, I supposed.
Once we were at the bottom, moving our arms to keep us down at the bottom, Gabriel placed a hand on the rock wall, and a golden light emitted from it before he was sucked into the wall.
I gasped, sucking in a shit-ton of water. The guys noticed, and Thaddeus grabbed my wrist before slamming his hand where Gabriel’s went. A scalding heat smacked into us as we were transported through the rock and landed on a clay floor with air in the room.
Choking, I coughed the water out of my lungs until I could breathe again as Thaddeus rubbed my back in soothing circles.
“I take it vampires can’t breathe underwater?” I asked between breaths as I calmed down.
Blaise and Kai stepped through the wall beside us and gave me anare you kidding melook. I went to give a smartass reply but it died on my tongue.
Red clay made up the floor and walls while jagged stalactites hung from above us. I gulped. One of those things could easily break off and slice someone in half.
I couldn’t smell anything notable. It was almost scentless here.
“Where the hell are we?”
“Not quite Hell,” Gabriel mused. “But close. We’re at the gate to Hell. It’s the closest meeting space for the Order. The gates of Hell and Heaven are actually in purgatory.”
“So, we’re in purgatory.” I glanced around. It reminded me a bit of what Hell looked like. “Wasn’t expecting this.”
“Are you ready to begin the first trial, Miss Whitlock?” Gabriel led us under an archway of clay that was crumbling as pieces dropped down to the ground.
We stepped into a room with four others who wore the same black robe as Gabriel.
So, this was the Order of the Void, huh?
They were seated at a dark judges table fit for five, and Gabriel strolled over to it. Their eyes were glued to me like I was a new circus freak, and it made my temper flare.
I noticed the vampire right off the bat. She sat on the edge and had long, wavy black hair with haunting green eyes. She smiled at me as she caught my eye, tilting her head a bit. “Welcome to Purgatory, Lilith. My name is Carmilla.”
I returned her smile. “Thanks for the welcome.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Lilith.”
Again?
My gaze flicked to Carmilla’s right. The one next to her was the only other female. She had brown hair and bright golden eyes. A faint scent of wet dog came from her, and I figured she was the shifter—werewolf if I had to guess.
“Again?”
Her lips pursed. “Maybe I’m mistaken. I thought you were someone else.”
The man with black horns sticking out of his head patted her shoulder. “I thought she was her too at first, Selene,” he said in a deep voice that seemed to boom around us.
He had red eyes and black hair. All in all, a real scary vibe came off the dude.
Somewhere deep inside me, familiarity sparked, and it freaked me the fuck out.
“Who’re you?” I couldn’t help but ask.
