Page 77 of Into the Abyss
“I know the stone was from you. You musthave touched it. This place, or at least certain elements of it,are feeding on you.”
“What? Why do you think that?”
“Because, for the first time in countlessyears, you are feeding this starved land something other thandeath. You funneled your emotions while you were claiming yourChosen into it, and fed it a wholelotof good emotions,especially ecstasy.”
“Awfully certain of yourself,” I muttered asI contemplated his words.
“I always am.” His arrogant words couldn’thide his desperation to get me far from here.
“So that’s why I’ve felt an affinity forthis place since entering it. Beneath all the horror, the Abyss wasstraining to come alive, and it’s been calling to the fae part ofme.”
“That makes sense,” he said.
“Not much else does here.”
“I agree.”
When he grinned at me over his shoulder, herevealed that his teeth were back to normal, but I distinctlyrecalled his four fangs piercing my flesh. It seemed differentdemons developed different fangs to mark their Chosen, and I knewthe Chosen bond also strengthened a demon.
My empath ability had increased before Iemerged from the pool, but I felt it heighten further when Magnusand I claimed each other. Though there were numerous times when Isaw my ability as more of a curse than a gift, it was powerful andveryuseful. When I learned to control it better, and I wasconfident I would over time, it would save lives.
I suspected Magnus’s illusions would bestronger now too. His horns had flattened against his head again;as they were now, his horns weren’t much of a weapon, but when theystraightened, they could gut an enemy.
But will they straighten in battle asthey did when I was gripping them?
There was only one way to learn the answerto that question, so I was content to remain curious for a while.Unfortunately, I didn’t think we would have much time before theanswer found us. We were too close to Absenthees not to encountersomeone, and I didn’t see how those half-alive trees could gounnoticed.
“Rislen also said the Abyss would be moredifficult for me, and while it hasn’t been easy, I’ve handled itbetter than the other Faulted did. I cameback,and I willagain, but the other Faulted said they would never return. Perhaps,they are more fae than me.”
“They’re not,” Magnus said as we arrived atthe end of the crevice. Poking his head out, he examined both waysbefore stepping out and pulling me with him. “Rislen said you’remore fae than the others; your kindness and abilities are givinglife to the Abyss again. This place resonates more with you thanthem, it makes you sadder, yet you refuse to retreat from it. Youmay be the youngest and the most fae of the jinn, but you are alsothe strongest of all the jinn.”
“Oh, no, not me.”
“Yes,you.” Turning to face me,Magnus cupped my cheek in his hand and drew me closer. “You standup for what you believe is right. In doing so, you went against theonly family and existence you’ve ever known. That is far strongerthan any of the jinn who are too angry to forgive or too scared toget involved, so they hide beneath the calamut trees. This placehas been waiting foryouto enter it.”
“And do what?”
“Bring it some life.”
“But what good will that do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe none, but it needsyou.”
He kissed the tip of my nose beforereluctantly turning away.
Needs me to do what?
I didn’t voice the question as I worried Imight not be able to survive whatever the Abyss and jinn had instore for us.
CHAPTER 33
Magnus
I kept Amalia close to me as we wound our way morecautiously through the Abyss toward the monolith. Around everycorner, I expected someone to leap out at us, but the pathwayremained empty. I could put a cloaking illusion over us, but Ipreferred not to use it until we were closer to Absenthees.
After leaving the pool, I’d realized thejinn wouldn’t hunt us in here anymore, not after I pulled mydisappearing act and nearly killed Nalki. No, they would wait forus to come to them as all the paths led to one place. That didn’tmean the newly resurrected trees wouldn’t draw some of them intothe Abyss.
Stopping, I leaned against the wall and drewAmalia into my arms.
