Page 106 of Into the Abyss
Their awe beat against me and shone on theirfaces as they tipped their heads back to take in the spectacle ofAbsenthees. Slowly, Rislen touched the structure with herfingertips. She hesitated for a second before flattening her palmon it.
“Amazing,” she whispered.
“Yes,” I agreed as, with her touch, thefissures raced faster over the structure. “It is, but there arejinn who don’t want this.” When she looked at me in confusion, aburst of anger raced through me. “That meansyouwill haveto take a stand againstyourkind.”
Her eyes flickered toward the approachingjinn, and I sensed a weakening in her steadfast stance to remainneutral. I didn’t know what finally convinced them to come here,and I didn’t care.
“You told me if I did nothing to harm thejinn, I would be forgiven for trying to interfere, but if one ofthem died because of this, I wouldn’t have a home amongst any ofyou. There are dead jinn here, Rislen. Magnus and Caim have killedsome of them, andPridekilled my mother,” I said.
Horror wafted from her when she looked at meagain.
“I want peace as much as you, butunfortunately, we mustfightto earn it. The craetons willdestroy us all if given a chance, and you know it. If you stayhere, then you are choosing a side, and there are jinn who willnotbe on it. Take a stand, Rislen, or leave the Abyss andtake any who would prefer to hide with you.”
I didn’t look at her again as I focused myattention on Absenthees once more. She had to understand what wason the line here and that things between the jinn could never bethe same as before they were sealed away. We could use their help,but if she didn’t understand what was on the line here and whatwould have to be done to save us all, then she had to leave beforeshe got the Faulted killed in here.
Beside me, I saw Rislen rest her hands onAbsenthees again. When I looked at her, she held my gaze. “We willtake a stand against those who would destroy us,” she murmured, andrelief washed over me.
As the rest of the Faulted spread around themonolith, they hesitatingly placed their hands against it. A rippleof astonishment went through them and into me as they connected toAbsenthees and the life that once thrived within the Abyss.
CHAPTER 44
Magnus
I was nearly at the bottom of the rocks whenAmalia’s father broke free of the jinn restraining him. With aferocious shout, he raced across the clearing and pounced onto theback of his brother. I’d been expecting him to go for Pride, but hedrove Olgon onto the ground. Grabbing the back of Olgon’s head, hesmashed it off the rocky earth.
Blood sprayed outward before he liftedOlgon’s head and battered it into the ground again. I closed in onthem, my legs moving faster as I ran toward the horsemen.
“I think it might be time for us to go,”Lust’s words drifted to me. “Things are getting a little too…bright here for my liking.”
“I must agree,” Sloth murmured.
Pride rose taller on his mount, and his chinlifted arrogantly. “We are horsemen; we do notrun.”
“No one is running; I plan to saunter on outof here, but we have no idea where Magnus is or what those Faultedare going to bring forth. Do not be so prideful it condemns you,”Lust murmured.
I circled to the backs of their horses,searching for a way to take the three of them down at once. Iwanted them all dead, but I had to be careful. If I only got myhands on one, the other two would bolt or attack me.
“Death would never allow himself to becaught in such a place,” Lust continued.
There must be a rivalry between Death andPride as Pride’s head snapped toward her. “Coward,” he sneered ather.
“Call me what you will, but I’ll be alive.”Lust turned dismissively away from him. “You,” she looked at Olgonand rolled her eyes as Eron twisted his head around. “You shouldprobably help your lover,” Lust said to Pride.
Pride glanced at the brothers beforeshrugging. “I’ll find a new one. I was growing tired of himanyway.”
“He’s a powerful aid to our cause.”
It didn’t matter what Olgon was as Eronsucceeded in decapitating him. He roared as he lifted Olgon’s headinto the air and shook it.
Lust turned and pointed toward a male jinni.“Open a way out of here for us,now.”
The jinni started to wave his hand in frontof his face. If he succeeded in opening a portal, then it wouldn’tmatter if I could find a way to take the three horsemen down atonce, as they would all flee. Racing toward him, I seized thejinni’s head and twisted it around before he could open a doorwayout. Tearing his head from his shoulders, I spun and heaved it atLust.
It spun rapidly through the air, and with astartled cry, she yanked her mount back to avoid its trajectorytoward her chest. The horse pranced away until his ass bumped intoPride’s horse, who snorted and shifted to shove Lust’s mountaway.
The urge to go to sleep hit me at the sametime blood rushed into my groin, and I became semi-erect. And allthe while, I resisted shouting the boast of my kill to all theAbyss. Momentarily overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions, it tookme a minute to realize the horsemen were unleashing theirabilities.
Drawing on my bond to Amalia, I resisted thehorsemen’s effects as Lust spun toward the other jinn.
