Page 8 of Into the Abyss
I gritted my teeth against my frustration.“I’m not going to run. You’ll only catch me again.”
“Maybe you won’t run, and wewouldcatch you, but we also can’t have you casting any spells orwhatever it is you jinn do.”
I rolled my eyes. “We don’t cast spells; weseep into minds.”
Though his expression remained arrogant, Ifelt a tendril of unease waft from him. “Youseepintominds?”
“Yes, kind of. Let me up and I’llexplain.”
He studied me before releasing my hands andrising to his feet in one fluid movement. Sitting up, I rubbed mywrists together while I surveyed those gathered around me.
“Do you know nothing of the jinn?” Iasked.
“No one does; it’s one of the reasons youwere locked away,” Magnus replied.
“Because you feared what we could do?”
“Because our ancestors did. Until recently,we’ve had zero interaction with your kind.”
“And what are the other reasons we werelocked away?”
“Because you’re sadistic, manipulative liarswho take joy in tormenting others,” Magnus stated.
I forced myself not to wince at his harshassessment of the jinn. “Aren’t all demons like that?”
“Many demons don’t turn on each other theway the jinn and other craetons do; we focus our need to wreakhavoc on warping souls into wraiths. The jinn, and everything elseonce locked behind the seals, would have destroyed Hell and all thedemons in it if they weren’t caged.”
Not all jinn are like that.
“None of this matters,” Corsoninterjected.
“But it does,” I said. “I can’t fix this.It’s not a spell woven over them, but something deeper. Only theaffected can break themselves free of the Abyss. If they’re strongenough to escape the Abyss, then they’ll survive; if not, they’lldie.”
CHAPTER 4
Magnus
“No!” I shouted and leapt in front of Corson when hecharged toward Amalia.
The sound he emitted would have made a bartademon cower, but I remained in front of him, blocking his path toher. Even with Wren cradled against his chest, I had no doubt hecould slice Amalia’s head from her shoulders without getting aspeck of blood on his Chosen.
“Killing her isn’t going to solve anything,”I told him. “And we may be able to get her to help us.”
Corson’s talons extended and retracted as hegazed at Amalia with a look of pure hatred.
A rustle caused me to glance back as Amaliarose. Caim and Raphael moved to flank her, but she didn’t try torun again. Instead, she held Corson’s gaze while she smoothed thefront of her dress.
I kept one eye on Corson and one on her. Ididn’t trust either of them not to do something reckless. “What isthe Abyss?” I asked her.
Her fine-boned hands stilled on her dress.“It’s our world, kind of.”
“What does that mean?” Corson demanded.
“It’s another plane; one only the jinn canopen a doorway into and where they trap their victims.”
Victims?What an odd choice of wordfor her to use. I would have thought the jinn saw those they snaredmore as prey or playthings, butnevervictims.
Is she putting on a show for us?ButI didn’t think so as she seemed unaware she’d used the word.
