Malachi grabs me and spins us toward the door. "Open the fucking door!"
We spill through the doorway as the world shakes. Malachi yanks me against his chest and slams us into the wall. Kage wraps Naima in shadows as they crash beside us.
Then, stillness.
I summon flames to my palms. Kage produces four thin torches, and I light them one by one. Malachi and Naima crack the door open, peering into the darkness beyond.
"I was sure it collapsed," Naima breathes.
"It didn't?"
She shakes her head. "Crashed into the wall, but it’s still standing."
"We need to move," Kage says. "Now."
The smell hits me first. Decay. Something rotting, though nothing visible to explain it. We step out of the chamber and walk toward the rotunda.
At its edge, we stop. The temple is ruined. What must once have been opulent white stone and gilded columns is now chipped, crumbling, covered in dust. Abandoned. That's the word for this place.
Everything I've heard about the Keep describes elegance. Luster. This is the opposite of that. I can't imagine the Council setting foot here.
Our footsteps echo as we cross toward the dome at the center. Only remnants of a fire pit remain, cold and dark. Aprickling sensation crawls up my spine. I remember, suddenly, what else lurks in Council territory.
"Watch for silent guards," I whisper. "The birds.”
“Have you ever seen the legion guards use their gifts?” Kage whispers back.
I exchange a confused look with Naima before looking at him. “Why do you ask?”
“He thinks the silent guards are shifters,” Mal responds.
I stop in my tracks and spin to face them. “What?”
“It’s just a theory,” he says, but the way he looks at Mal tells me it’s more than that.
“We can talk about this later. Right now, we have to find Jordan and get out,” Mal says, his tone not leaving room for argument.
Kage nods and sends his shadows spiraling outward, scouting. "No way the scepter is here."
Malachi murmurs something in agreement.
Naima moves to my side. "You're going to have to use your serephony.”
Malachi turns sharply.
Kage recalls his shadows and glares at me. "This is what I meant during planning."
"You were talking about stopping time," I argue.
"She doesn't like using it. For obvious reasons," Naima snaps before Kage can respond, and takes the torch from my hand.
Understanding dawns on his face. "Because you're an empath. Both gifts at once ..."
He doesn't finish. He doesn't need to. It’s a recipe for disaster. I do it anyway. I take a breath, close my eyes, and focus on Jordi's energy signature, that particular hum I'd recognize anywhere.
In my mind, I move through the temple. Out of the rotunda. Down halls I've never walked. Between columns I've never seen. Searching.
The air grows colder as I search. That strange energy from the tunnels is here too. Watching. Waiting.
