Page 97 of Into the Abyss
“I can’t believe that actually worked,” shemuttered as she gripped the bars and started to wiggle out. “Ishould have destroyed the thing days ago.” Her chest came free,then her torso. “I’m so mad at myself. Thank—”
The second her feet slid free of the symbol,she vanished. One minute she was before me, and the next, she wasnothing but air. I gave silent thanks she was free and back withCorson before turning to search for a way out.
Too bad it wouldn’t be that easy for Amaliaand me.
• • •
Amalia
Tears streamed down my face when I buried my head inmy hands and wept loudly. Magnus was still alive, I could feel himthrough our bond, but I would never let Pride or any who stood withhim know. When I thought of my mother, the tears came easy.
They all had to think Magnus was dead. Itmight be the only chance we had of getting out of this place.
While I cried, I tried to think of some wayfor us to escape. How could I get to the ruins without someonestopping me? And what if Magnus was trapped beneath that mess?
One problem at a time.
Cracking my fingers apart, I assessed theothers with blurry eyes. Lust ordered some of the jinn to check theruins and report back to her immediately. A few of them hesitated,but they all obeyed her command.
What ifIwent back to get theothers? What if I returned and brought some of them here to help usfight? Would they believe me about what had happened, or would theythink I was trying to set them up?
They would know I was Magnus’s Chosen;they’d have to see that all I’d want was for him to be safe, butwould they think I was plotting something against all of them?
No, that wasnotan option. I wouldmakethem believe me because I had to do something, andstaying here wouldn’t do Magnus or me any good, not against thesenumbers and the horsemen. I hated leaving Magnus alone here foreven a second, but it was all I could think of to do, and Iwouldn’t leave for long.
“Someone get thatpatheticbitch downfrom there,” Lust sneered.
Now or never.
Lowering my hands, I pushed myself to myfeet. The rocks surrounding Absenthees were solid, but some of thedebris from the collapsing ruins shifted beneath my feet. I stifleda cry and flung out a hand to steady myself before I fell over.
When my hand connected with the monolith, Ifroze as a bolt of power raced from it and into me. This wasn’tlike the hideous jolt of energy that came with the life goingthrough me after someone died here.
No, this was more like when the pool ofwater enveloped me, only this was so muchmore! I feltelectrified with the power suffusing me. Everyone had believed thefae to be weak with an inactive ability, but in this place, theyhad created a thriving world of life and power.
“Oh,” I breathed when beneath my palm, oneof the symbols warmed and a faint hint of orange light illuminatedits edges.
“What secrets do you hold?” I murmured.
A rock clattering nearby drew my attentionaway from the monolith. While I was focused on Absenthees, ahandful of jinn had started climbing the rocks toward me.
I didn’t want to let go of the monolith, butI couldn’t stay here. I had to get to the others, and the jinn wereclosing in on me. When I jerked my hand away from the temptingstructure, the light vanished. I glanced longingly at Absentheesbefore waving my hand in front of my face, and opening a portal, Istepped into it.
“No! Stop her!” Lust screamed.
But she was too late as I was alreadyentering the cave while the portal closed behind me, officiallysealing me off from Magnus. Panic rose within me, but I shut itdown. I had to be calm and reasonable when talking with the others.It was the only way I’d be able to make them understand Magnusneeded help.
I opened my mouth and started to gush out anexplanation of what happened. “You have to help….”
My voice trailed off when I realized I wasspeaking to an empty cave. I stood, gawking at the shadows huggingthe spacious area as somewhere in the distance water dripped ontorock.
What?Where? I couldn’t forman answer as the only hope I had of saving Magnus exploded intopieces around me.
They wouldn’t leave Magnus behind, I wasconfident of that, but why had they gone? Then, I realized they’deither been forced to move or were dead. Had Astaroth or someoneelse somehow uncovered their location? Had Magnus’s illusioncovering the front of the cave crumpled when the ruins collapsed?Magnus wasn’t dead, but was he so severely injured that he couldn’thold an illusion anymore?
No matter what had happened here, it allequaled the same thing; Magnus and I were on our own.
CHAPTER 41
