Bile rushed up her throat, and she knew. Whatever he planned was going to be bad. She had to get away.
Nia tried to summon her flashing ability.Please, please, work…She touched on the energy, but with her growing agitation, she couldn’t seem to latch onto it.
With little choice, she grabbed the dagger from her boot. The angel turned, and she thrust with all her strength.
He fluidly evaded her attack. His gray eyes morphed into twin orbs of ice and held hers.
As if a puppeteer pulled her strings, Nia watched in pure horror as she turned the knife toward herself.
Oh, God…She gritted her teeth and willed her limbs to obey, to no avail. No matter how hard she fought against it, the blade slowly aimed toward her. With a hard plunge, it sank between her ribs. Pain hissed through her like acid, and she cried out.
“Be grateful that is all I did. They want this to look natural.” He wrenched the dagger free and flung the weapon away. It disappeared in a shimmer.
“Why?” she choked out, pressing a palm to her side, agony searing her.
“Because the Power couldn’t finish his job. You weren’t supposed to live this long.”
“What?” she breathed. “You mean Lore?”
Ignoring her question, he grabbed her arm again, and everything disappeared in a whoosh.
They reappeared in an old ruin. A hand pressed to her seeping wound, fear crashed through her as she glanced around the decaying temple.
Most of the roof had collapsed, revealing gaping holes.
Nature had reclaimed its stolen space with vengeful determination. Massive trees surged upward through broken stone, their roots like grasping fingers. Weeds erupted through every crack, spidering across the ancient cement-like green veins. Worn-down stone deities adorned with carved jewelry and some sporting serpents wrapped around their necks remained tucked in eroding niches?—
Slithering and hissing resounded.
Nia froze, her gaze darting to the thick vegetation around her, her heart wedged in her throat. The gliding movements within the dense, shuddering branches had ice sliding through her veins.
Oh, God, oh, God, please, not snakes.
They were everywhere.
The angel snapped a swaying vine from an overhead branch and bound her wrist to a heavy, low-hanging bough.
“No,” she cried, tugging her arm. “Lore!”
“He can’t hear you, human.”
A chilling hiss whispered close by. The leaves above her trembled, revealing a thick, green snake coiled around the branch she was tied to. Horror engulfed her like a tsunami.
“No! Don’t leave me here!” she begged, yanking hard to free herself. The vine cut through her skin?—
The snake struck, its fangs sinking into the flesh near her thumb. Stinging pain spread, adding to her agony. She screamed. The reptile dropped with a thud and slithered into the underbrush.
The angel reached for her other wrist?—
“No!” Adrenaline surged. With her free, blood-smeared hand, she shoved him hard.
He flew back, scattering the snakes on the ground, sending more skidding around her.
Oh, God!She shut her eyes and stayed still, praying they would go away. Something cold slithered around her ankle.
“No!” she shrieked, kicking out. More stings pierced her flesh.
Her vision blurred. Darkness hovered.
