A violent burst of everi threw us against the wall. Caelan pulled me along, shielding me as we found a corridor out of the ballroom.
It was mostly dark except for an odd, hazy light from windows further down the corridor. Mist filled the air from the rain, making it hard to breathe.
I dragged in the humid air, breath after breath.
“We have to go back,” I said.
“No, we have to get you out of here, now,” Caelan said.
I followed him blindly, trying to keep up. As it got colder and colder, I realized we were descending into the depths of the catacombs.
“Are you sure this is the way to the rift?” I asked, noticing a strange smell. It was putrid, like a compost pile, but with hints of something metallic and minty trying to overpower it.
“Yes, it is not much further,” Caelan said.
As I followed him, the stench worsened, and I stopped. “Do you smell that?”
He glanced at me and stopped. “Yeah, it is awful.”
My stomach twisted and I covered my face. It was strange. I recalled the smell but couldn’t quite place it. “It’s almost like some kind of…”
I paused and stared ahead at Caelan.
“…cleaning agent,” I whispered.
My entire body was going numb as the blood drained from my face. I didn’t move, breathe, or think as I watched the shadows move across Caelan’s face.
The moment I turned to run, he caught my wrist, pulling me against his chest with such power I screamed.
“Sorry, Anna,” Caelan muttered, catching me over his shoulder. “I cannot let you go.”
A pointed and potent blast of everi to my head ended my next break attempt before it got started.
Chapter 46
Traitor Doesn’t Really Cut It
ANNA
The darkness was like an old friend.
It was there, out of reach, yet near enough that sometimes it crept in. It would take hold, fit like a glove, and allow me to wield it like an ax to a tree.
It was easy to use.
It solved everything.
Within it, I had no pain, no suffering, no need of anyone at all.
It was power without the constraints of morality.
I wanted it to stay but it never did.
The light always returned. My pain yanked me from blissful slumber and the darkness would ebb away, leaving me to mortal misery.
Flame flickered around me in chaotic ripples of shadow as if it had a pulse. The stone above was weathered and cracked. Water dripped somewhere and a dank, mossy smell filled the chamber. My back rested upon a cold, hard surface and anagonizing pain in my head made me gasp as it jolted me into consciousness.
“Ahh,” I whimpered, reaching for my forehead, but my hand was caught by a cold metal cuff around my wrist. A chain clinked as the slack ran out.
