Page 29 of Claim the Light
It’s as if the effort of pulling the water to me in the oblivion has somehow stuck my power in one gear and I can’t switch to any other.
Isaac leads us four blocks away from the river, and by the time he gestures to the block ahead of us, my teeth are chattering again.
Micah pulls me close, rubbing my back, but his clothing is as waterlogged as mine, so there isn’t much he can do.
Our destination is a well-kept park, at the center of which is an enormous ornate stone fountain. The base of the circular fountain takes up as much space as a pool would, although the water appears very shallow, while the center of the fountain is built up in levels.
Four forest-green statues in the form of mermaids rest at equidistant points around the center of the fountain. The edges closest to us sport statues of turtles and frogs with water shooting from their mouths.
Isaac heads straight for the nearest turtle statue.
I follow more slowly, warily surveying our surroundings. Humans continue to pass by, but it’s the nearby building that worries me the most.
We’re uncomfortably close to the Cathedral, which is the angels’ stronghold. It was once a place I wouldn’t dare venture this close to. Now that we’ve formed a truce with the angels, I tell myself that I don’t need to be as worried as I might once have been. But it’s difficult to let go of past fears.
Isaac pauses at the edge of the fountain, keeping his voice low. “It’s very difficult to gain access into the veil. The Avenging Angel’s realm will open automatically to me because it’s part of territory that belongs to me. It will never open to you alone. You must maintain contact with my body as we step through or the veil will reject you.”
He quickly removes his boots—a curious action—before he says, “It’s best to take off your shoes. Trust me.”
He holds out his free hand to Beatrix. She quickly slips off her ballet flats, tucks them beneath one arm, and takes Isaac’s outstretched hand without hesitation.
Her gaze clashes with his and she seems to have regained some of her haughty spirit when she throws back her head, side-eyes him, and croons, “Thank you, pe—” Her eyes twinkle at him, as if daring him to be offended before she emphasizes his name. “I mean,Isaac.”
A smile plays around his mouth, but he doesn’t otherwise react.
I already tipped the water out of my sneakers but I tap them on the ground a couple of times for good measure before I tuck them beneath my arm like Beatrix did.
Then I take Isaac’s elbow on his other side. “We’re not stepping into the fountain, are we?”
I’m not unhappy about removing my shoes since my toes had turned to prunes within them, but I have to wonder if we’ll draw attention to ourselves from the humans passing us by.
“Don’t worry,” Isaac replies. “Humans have been known to dip their feet into this water from time to time. They won’t think anything of it. As for when we disappear from sight, the veil protects itself with a pulse of magic that will make anyone nearby forget we were here.”
While Isaac speaks, Micah also removes his boots, and when Isaac turns back toward the water, Micah grips Isaac’s shoulder so that we’re all now maintaining contact with him.
Just as we take a step forward, the back of my neck prickles, and it has nothing to do with the humans.
A sudden chill rushes through me like a palpable force.
I jolt, nearly dropping my shoes, my senses going haywire.
“Death,” I whisper as the cold creeps over me.
Isaac swivels and so does Micah, their attention drawn to the same spot I’m now staring at.
At the edge of the park on our left, two figures loom, both dressed in dark clothing, both focused on us.
Their faces aren’t covered, and I recognize both of them, even though I don’t know their names.
The woman has light-brown skin with dark-brown hair that’s braided back and has pink streaks through it. The man has pale skin while his black hair is cut close to his scalp with a pattern shaved into it.
It’s the pattern that resembles the symbol of his clan.
I met these two dragons on the same night I first met Gisela.
They’re Scorn dragons.
A beat later, they break into a run toward us.
