Page 85 of Into the Abyss
My mouth went dry when Magnus collapsed ontop of Lust. Ignoring the discomfort in my brutalized body, Istaggered to my feet, but my father held me back.
“No,” he murmured. “Now is not the time.They’re not going to kill him.”
“You don’t know that,” I whispered.
“Yes, I do. He’s one of the king’s men, andthey want him alive. They would have already killed himotherwise.”
Any further protest I might have made diedwhen Pride rode up beside Magnus and Sloth. He gazed at Magnus’sback before he lifted his head and those neon purple eyes met mine.“It seems,” he said, “the Chosen bond is stronger than we realized.Interesting.”
No one spoke, no one even breathed as hekept those eerie eyes focused on me.
“Take the demon and lock him away with theother one until we decide what to do with him,” Pridecommanded.
“And her?” Olgon asked with a backward waveat me.
“She remains here,” Pride said. “The two ofthem will be kept apart, indefinitely.”
Anguish filled me over not being able to seehim, but I kept my mouth shut. At least Magnus would live, for now,and neither of us would have to endure Lust abusing him anytimesoon. As long as we remained alive, there was a chance we could getout of this. I had no idea how, but I refused to give up hope.
“Take him away,” Pride said and staredpointedly at some of the jinn. They rushed forward to lift Magnusoff Lust’s unmoving body. When one of the jinn reached for her,Pride held out a hand to stop him. “Leave her. Let her lie thereand live with her failure.”
My skin crawled at his callous words, but mygaze remained focused on the jinn carrying Magnus’s body toward thepathway closest to what remained of the stairs. The jinndisappeared down the path before reemerging a few minutes laternear the ruins.
CHAPTER 36
Magnus
“Magnus. Magnus, wake up.”
The persistent voice gradually penetratedthe thick fog of sleep clinging to me. My head felt like aleporcháin demon battered it for hours with their caultin and adull ringing resonated in my ears.
“Magnus!Wakeup!”
The incessant voice was female I realized,and desperate.
“Amalia?” I murmured.
“Come on, Magnus, open your eyes.”
I did as the woman commanded, only because Ihad to see Amalia again. Light burned my retinas, and I closed themagainst the searing pain it created. A groan issued from me beforeI silenced it.
“Stay with me, Magnus,” the womanpleaded.
Not Amalia. The voice was familiar, but itwasn’t Amalia’s. Who then? What happened?Where isAmalia?
Memories surged back into my mind. Thestairs, the jinn,Lust!
My newfound fangs lengthened at the memoryof being frozen before that hideous thing and the sickening feelingof her hands on me; all while Amalia was forced to look onhelplessly. I bolted upright as I worried the woman speaking to memight be thatbitch!
I’d kill her this time. I wouldn’t let mytemper get the best of me and only beat her. No, this time, I’dtear Lust’s head from her shoulders and force her blood down thethroats of Pride and Sloth. I would make them choke while theyfeasted on her.
My teeth clenched when I recalled watchingAmalia fly through the air after the horse kicked her. The sight ofit finally pierced through Lust’s hold over me, and I would neverallow that bitch to get her hooks into me again.
Slowly, I took in my surroundings as I triedto get my bearings. I sat with my back propped against a wall, andwhen I glanced at it, I saw it was made of solid sandstone, as wasthe ground beneath me. They’d taken me to the runes after Slothknocked me out. There were bars in front of me, bars to the right,to my left were more bars, and…Wren!
She stood, staring down at me from her cell.A sad, crooked smile curved her lips when her blue eyes, fleckedwith green, met mine. Her pale blonde hair, pulled into adisheveled knot, hung against her nape. Always slender and athleticin build, she’d lost weight while here as her cheekbones weresharper.
“Hello, sleeping beauty, or bruised beautymight be the better description,” she greeted.
