“Listen to me, love …”His voice is fading, the sound wavering in and out. Cold sweat coats my skin, my breath growing shorter. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you … I’m … just … stay alive for me …”
I step forward and icy cold races from my scalp down to the soles of my feet. Just outside the cell, a blast of fire fills the space. Winnie jumps, grabbing Chiyo’s hand and starting to run toward me. A tall man in a Zenith uniform materializes before my eyes, towering over me, blocking my path to Winnie and Chiyo.
My stomach tumbles out of my body, my heart threatening to do the same. Frozen in place, I gawk up at the man’s eyes. They’re the deepest blue I’ve ever seen, but inky black swirls around in them before receding. Gasping, I step back, but his hand whips out, only to rest heavily on my shoulder.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks, tilting his head.
I don’t move a muscle, but my gaze flicks sidelong to where Tiernan and Eefa stood.
They’re gone. My pulse hammers in my throat and temples as Chiyo and Winnie are dragged out from behind the strange man into my field of vision.
“I’ve been looking for you,” says the man as Winnie and Chiyo thrash in their captor’s grip. Chiyo’s jaw is set stubbornly though tears brim in her eyes. Winnie’s gaze is almost pensive, her lips pressed tightly together.
“Please let them go,” I say.
“Let them go?” He laughs. “Pendry here is one of my own.”
Winnie bites her lip, her brows furrowed, and fists clenched.
“She will be tried … fairly, of course. And this other spitfire would make the perfect candidate for transference.”
I frown at him, desperately trying to think of a way to get us out of this. “Transference?” I ask, hoping to buy time.
To my dismay, he doesn’t take the bait. My gaze flicks back and forth between my friends and this monster. There has to besomethingI can do. They gave into this plan all because of me. I can’t let Winnie go under trial or Chiyo go through whatevertransferencemeans. I’ve seen Winnie’s strength. Chiyo is intuitive and quick-thinking. I just need to give them the perfect opportunity—the perfect distraction—to get away. After that … gods, I don’t even know.
“Come with me,” says the man, extending his open palm to me. “We have much to discuss.”
I step back and stare at Chiyo as I sign, “Donotwait for me.” Then I inhale deeply and sweep my arms outward, releasing as much of my shadows as I can. The cell plunges into darkness. I hold my shadows for as long as possible, dark mist swirling through the room. The ground shakes once, twice, then something latches onto my upper arms, yanking me forward.
My shadows fall away, and inky eyes fill my vision as the room brightens again. A mixture of relief and dread fills me; Chiyo and Winnie are gone. As I try to tug away from the man, a strange force presses in on my head, morphing from pressure into agony. My mind tumbles through darkness, my body weightless—almost nonexistent.
A disembodied voice echoes eerily in my head within the swirling chaos. Agony rushes in, sharper than an attack of my ailment. I clench my jaw, blinking, trying to find where I am in the room. But there’snothingto see. Emptiness.
Void.
Darkness calls to Chaos, the dissonant voice booms. The sound is warped, Otherworldly. Searing pain rakes down myback, an icy sensation following.Balance requires sacrifice. You will run to me sooner than later, Daughter of Dusk.
The strange man’s face surfaces in my mind, wavering as though I’m looking at it in the reflection of a dark loch.
The old gods cannot help you, mortal. The old gods are dead. My vessel is not yet ready, but when he is, my reign will begin. You and the Daughter of Embers will join me. Mark my words.
I shudder.
Tread carefully, Nightmare Maker …
The presence subsides, leaving behind the whisper of a name:Caiolair.
With all the power I have left, I fight to regain my own mind. My lungs burn, as does my throat, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t catch my breath. The memory of the disembodied voice continues to rake over my skin like ghostly hands.
Except it’s the man’s hand that’s closed around my throat, squeezing. His eyes fly wide, the darkness receding from them again. He staggers back, disoriented. Pain bursts through my wrists and knees as I drop to the stony floor and cough until tears spring to my eyes. I wheeze, greedily gulping down air.
I need to think. But my thoughts feel sluggish, my body exhausted. I’m being hauled to my feet, passed from the man to one of the Zenith soldiers. What are they going to do with me? Will I be tortured the way Carys was? Can I somehow get to Tiernan? I lower my shields, desperately searching for any sign of him, desperate to feel even a whisper of his presence. But I’m met with silence.
Silence and nothingness.
A sob catches in my throat as the man says, “Get a dampener on her and throw her in a cell until she’s ready to talk.”
Panic flows through my body, calling my powers to my fingers. Black mist bursts from me, scattering across the room.One of the men tightens his grip on me, impossible heat sinking into my arm, blistering,burning.I shriek and retreat into myself.
