Page 108 of Into the Abyss
CHAPTER 45
Amalia
When the last of the black color faded from the foursmaller monoliths, the light from Absenthees became blinding. Itstretched over the land until I was sure the spreading tendrils ofit illuminated every crevice of the Abyss. Bowing my head, I turnedit away from the structure.
The heat of Absenthees still didn’t burn me,but instinctively I pulled my hands away from it, as did the otherFaulted. The power swelling within Absenthees crackled against myskin, and I knew it would not be contained.
Run!
No sooner had the impulse hit me than Caimturned toward me with his arms outstretched.
But it was too late.
Light flashed outward in a concussive blowthat lifted me off my feet and flung me away as if I weighed nomore than a speck of dirt. Caim’s spread wings filled my visionbefore I closed my eyes.
Though it threw me backward, the light wasalso comforting and empowering as it enveloped me like a motherwith her child. The sense of rightness stealing through me wasnearly as deep as when Magnus was inside me, claiming me.
This is what the Abyss is supposed tobe.
A smile tugged at my lips before I hit theground and skidded across it.
The rocky ground abraded my ass, but thesmile didn’t leave my lips as warmth spread throughout the land.That warmth scrubbed away the lingering life force coating me untilI feltclean.
I didn’t stop skidding until I crashedagainst one of the walls, the breath burst from my lungs, and mysmile faded away.
I lay for a minute, taking stock of my body.My ass throbbed so bad, I didn’t think I’d sit for a week. My backand legs were swollen and probably covered in bruises. My chest wasstill sore from the kick Lust’s horse had given it, and the rocksagainst my back poked my shoulder blades through a hole in mydress. Blood trickled from a wound in my shoulder, but I wasintact.
Magnus! My father! Where are they?
Cautiously, I cracked open one eye. When Idiscovered the light had died down enough not to sear my eyes frommy head, I opened them both.
Magnus was rushing toward me; his facestrained with tension, and his bloody horns turned outward. Thehappiness suffusing me at the sight of him gave me a rush ofstrength. Pushing myself up, I winced when my body protested themovement, but I rose onto wobbly legs.
Behind Magnus, I spotted Caim risingunsteadily to his feet as well as the Faulted and the jinn whohadn’t followed the horsemen. I searched for my father as Istretched my arms out to Magnus. Pulling me into his embrace, helifted me off my feet and clutched me against his chest.
“Are you okay?” he demanded.
“I’m fine, are you?”
“Yes,” he said as he buried his face in myhair.
“My father?” I croaked, afraid of theanswer.
When his arms tightened around me, I knew myfather was gone before Magnus spoke. “I’m sorry.”
Tears burned my eyes, and my fingers duginto his shoulders as I clung to him. My father wouldn’t havesurvived the loss of my mother, but I’d wanted the chance to tellhim how much I would always love him and how much they both meantto me.
“How?”
“Pride killed him, but your father killedOlgon before then.”
“Good.” It was a word I never thought I’dsay about the death of my uncle, but after he stood by and watchedPride kill my mother without so much as a hint of remorse, hestopped being family to me. He would have killed Magnus and me; hisinaction killed my mother.
I buried my face in Magnus’s shoulder whileI battled my fury and sorrow. My fingers threaded through his hairas I sought comfort in his steady presence and his love for me. Ittook a few minutes, but eventually, I felt stable enough to partfrom him.
No matter how badly I yearned to hold ontohim and give in to my emotions, I couldn’t. There was far too muchto deal with before I could take the time to grieve.
“I’m okay,” I whispered and pulled my headfrom his shoulder. “You can put me down.”
