Page 91 of A Fury Of Shadows

Vlad’s heartpounded in his chest, his impulse to storm into the Dark Council’s stronghold and burn the place to the ground making his skin itch.

It had been ten minutes since Mae had disappeared.

“Calm down,” Cortes warned in a low voice. “That spell wasTransmigrate. Which means she’s in a nexus right now, probably with Nikolai. Since this place isn’t on fire, we can presume they’re not fighting.”

Serena kept her eyes on the keep.

It was clear from the shouts they could hear and the way people were frantically searching the castle and the grounds that they hadn’t found any sign of the missing sorcerer yet.

“They’ll come check this area soon,” Lou warned.

“I know.” Serena looked at Tom. “How close are you?”

“It’s done.”

A nanorobot drone the size of a ladybug landed on Tom’s wrist and was absorbed into his suit. He slipped a tablet out of his waterproof backpack.

A three-dimensional map of the castle and the island appeared on the screen after he booted it up. Tom rotated it with his fingers and superimposed an infrared satellite image. Red silhouettes glowed into life in and around the property.

Cortes stared. “You guys are getting live satellite intel?”

“The Immortals have their own array,” Serena murmured, her attention on the display.

Tom indicated the lowest level of the keep, a hundred and fifty feet underground. “From the nanorobot energy signatures the drone picked up, it looks like our targets are here.”

Serena leaned forward. “Expand that.”

She pointed. Tom did as she instructed. A dungeon grew in size, beneath the southern shore of the island. It looked to be attached to some kind of underground lab.

Fast-moving shapes swarmed the cells inside it.

Lou frowned. “Is it just me, or does that look like way more devils than we saw in New York?”

Serena’s face tightened. “It’s not just you.”

Tarang growled a warning. The hairs lifted on the back of Vlad’s neck. He whirled around in time to see Mae reappear with Brimstone and Hellreaver. His stomach lurched.

Nikolai and Alastair were with them.

The sorcerer raised his hands slowly in the face of the guns leveled at him. The giddy feeling that swept over Vlad at seeing Mae back safe and sound was swallowed by rage. He rose and strode past her, his teeth clenched so tight his face hurt.

“Vlad, wait—” Mae started in a strained voice.

He ignored her plea and punched Nikolai in the jaw.

“You bastard!” he hissed. “How could you do that to her?!”

“Er, guys?” Lou lowered his gun in the awkward hush. “We really don’t have time for your threesome drama right now.”

“Give them a minute.” Serena sighed and tucked her weapon in her holster. “This is important.”

Vlad practically vibrated with anger as he loomed over Nikolai. The sorcerer straightened and looked at him steadily.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said quietly. “Thanks for being there for Mae.” He faltered. “And I’m sorry. For everything.”

Vlad didn’t miss the meaning behind his last words. He fisted his hands.This asshole might as well just crow about the fact he’s won Mae’s heart!

Tarang nudged his leg.

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