Page 104 of Into the Abyss
CHAPTER 43
Magnus
Turning back to Amalia, I took one step toward herand froze when my eyes fell on the monolith. The jinni stalking herhesitated before stumbling away. With her head bowed, Amalia’s hairshielded her face from me when I desperately wanted to see her.
“Amalia,” I breathed, but she didn’t respondas she kept her gaze turned away.
The jinni fled down the rocks as a moltengold hue started to burn from the symbols etching the structure;the color illuminated each of them as it spread higher. Lightradiated out from Amalia’s palms, and the orange-yellow hue burnedhotter with each passing second.
I took a step toward her to pull her awayfrom the monolith before stopping. I had no idea what was going onhere, but she wasn’t in pain, and something about this felt right.The memory of what she’d done by the pool drifted back to me. She’dawoken so much beauty there, and she could do it here too.
She is a part of the Abyss and it’s a partof her.
A stirring of air from behind the monolithdrew my attention to the portal forming there. My eyebrows rosewhen Rislen and the other Faulted stepped into the Abyss. Rislen’sgaze locked with mine, but from her position, she couldn’t seeAmalia or the glow spreading toward the sides of Absenthees.
Then, Rislen turned to take in the death anddestruction scattered around the monolith. Her eyes shone withdispleasure when they met mine again, but her attention was drawnswiftly back to the symbols now illuminating all sides of themonolith. Rislen stepped forward before halting abruptly.
When her eyes shot questioningly back to me,I mouthed, “Amalia.”
Longing speared across her face before shecomposed it into a blank mask.
Amalia lifted her head, and when she lookedat me, a radiant smile lit her face. I’d never seen her look sobeautiful before.Thiswas what she was meant to do.
“Magnus,” she whispered.
The second she released the monolith, thelight vanished from it. And that could not be allowed to happen.There was a chance this place coming back to life wouldnotbe good for the horsemen. It might not be good for Caim and meeither, but we’d hurdle across that bridge if we came to it.
When Amalia stepped toward me, I clasped herhand. Her smile grew as I lifted her hand to my mouth and kissedthe back of it before turning it over and flattening her palmagainst the monolith again.
“Whatever you do, Freckles, don’t let go ofthis.”
“What?” she asked as Absenthees glowedbeneath her touch once more.
I released her hand to rest mine against thestructure. The sizzle and pop of my flesh crackled in my earsbefore I yanked my hand away. The monolith had seared away thefirst layer of my tissue and left blisters behind in seconds.
Lesson learned.I suspected onlysomeone with fae blood could touch this without paying the price.Too bad we couldn’t get the horsemen up here so we could fry theirasses with this thing.
“Magnus!” Amalia cried and released themonolith to reach for me.
“I’m fine,” I assured her, and using my goodhand, I caught hers and set it against the structure again. “Nomatter what, don’t let go.”
“Wait!” she cried when I released her. Withher other hand, she grasped my arm. “Oh,” she breathed as astarburst of illumination erupted behind her palm on Absenthees.The light became a fissure racing across the metallic surface.“Oh.”
“Kill her!” Pride barked. “Now!”
My head snapped toward him, and I bared myfangs as he thrust a finger at Amalia. I’d tear him to shreds forissuing such a command. Many of the jinn had retreated from Amaliaand Absenthees to stand by him and the other horsemen. When Prideissued this order, a few of the jinn exchanged a look and stayedwhere they were, but the others started toward the base of themonolith again.
“Caim!” I shouted, and the raven descendedto land beside me.
With a ruffle of feathers, he returned toangel form, and his ebony eyes reflected the spreading light ofAbsenthees. “That’s an interesting development,” he said toAmalia.
“She’s breathed life into this placebefore,” I informed him.
“That makes sense,” Caim murmured. “Thisdying land is craving the return of the fae. She’s like drops ofwater on a sun-scorched land to it.”
“Stay with her,” I said to him.
“Where are you going?” Amalia demanded.
