Page 90 of Into the Abyss
I couldn’t help but feel pleased she lookedas bewildered as she did beaten. She’d never imagined someone mightbe able to resist her once she unleashed her power on them, butshe’d never encountered someone like Magnus before.
He resisted her because ofme.
Tears pricked my eyes, and my heart swelled.Not only was I terrified for him and worried about where they’dtaken him, but I’d also fallen in love with my Chosen. I think I’dbeen in love with him since he handed me those flowers.
There had to be a way to get out of this andget to him, but I had no idea how—not while they were surroundingme. I was already healing. My ribs were only fractured instead ofbroken, and my internal bleeding had stopped. Soon, I would healenough to make a move, but I needed a plan for when that timecame.
Think, Amalia.
My head spun as the jinn who’d taken Magnusaway returned to the pit.I will get us out of this. I willfigure this out.
I didn’t know where he was in those ruins,but if the jinn had returned, then he was secured somehow. He wasstill alive, I would feel it if they’d killed him, but what hadthey done to him?
My parents stood beside me; my mother’s handrested on my shoulder while my father surveyed everything with hisarms crossed over his chest. Their disapproval thrummed against myskin as did their love for me. They’d followed Olgon, they’d pickedthis path, but they did not sign up for this.
But then, they probably hadn’t expected meto do the things I’d done either. No matter our different paths,they would try to protect Magnus as they understood the Chosenbond, and they wouldn’t risk losing me should the horsemen decideMagnus should die.
Olgon and Pride stood near Absenthees,occasionally glancing at me while they spoke. This close to themonolith, its power electrified my skin, but I could also feel itswrongness, just as so many things were wrong in the Abyss.
Behind Pride, his horse shifted, and itstail twitched in annoyance while it surveyed the crowd. Nalki movedto stand a few feet in front of us and to my left. Some of the jinnstill blocked the pathways leading into the pit, others clusteredinto a small group, and the rest stood near the monolith. All ofthem were unusually subdued; their uneasiness drifted from them inwaves reminding me of ripples spreading across a pond.
Thinking about water made my heart ache as Irecalled my too brief time with Magnus beside the pool and the lifewe’d returned to that area of the Abyss. I glared at my unclebefore studying the ruins again. There was still no sign of Magnusor anyone who may be up there watching over him.
They wouldn’t leave him alone, wouldthey?
No, there is no way they would feelconfident in doing that. Unless it was impossible to escapewherever he was located, or maybe Sloth could keep him unconsciousfor hours or days.
“We won’t let them hurt you,” my mother saidfor what felt like the hundredth time.
I believed she would try to keep them fromdoing so, but what were the three of us versus the jinn and threehorsemen? Not much at all considering Sloth knocked Magnus out witha touch of his hand.
And I didn’t want anything to happen to myparents.
Olgon and Pride broke apart. The smirk onPride’s face as he sauntered toward us caused my hand to fist withthe urge to hit him. Walking beside Pride, my uncle’s face wasexpressionless, but I sensed his fury.
Taking a deep breath, I lifted my chin.There may not be much we could do against them, but I refused tocower before thesepricks.
“Have you come to a decision?” I asked as Iheld Olgon’s gaze.
“We have,” Pride replied.
Knowing it would infuriate the most arrogantof the horsemen, I refused to acknowledge Pride. “And?” I askedOlgon.
Pride kept his face impassive, but a wave ofannoyance washed off him. I bit back a smug smile.I’m anempath, asshole; you can’t hide your feelings from me.
“And,” Olgon said, “if Rislen revealed ourheritage to you, that means you have spoken to her recentlyandreturned to the Earth plane.”
A shiver of foreboding raced down my spine.I didn’t know where he was going with this, but I suspected itwouldn’t be good.
“So?” I inquired with more bravado than Ifelt.
“You are Magnus’s Chosen, we hold you bothprisoner, and we also hold Corson’s Chosen. Magnus and Corson arefriends of Kobal’s, but Astaroth tells us Corson is closer, and wewant him too.”
“And you are going to return to Earth andbring us to Corson,” Pride said. “You must have met him if youencountered Magnus.”
“I haven’t,” I lied.
“Your eyes give you away, Amalia,” Olgonmurmured. “Do not lie to us; it will beyourChosen whosuffers the consequences of it.”
