Page 126 of Kingdoms of Night

“Keep talking to her,” he whispered to Idalno. “See if you can keep her busy. And talk loud.”

“I do apologize for seeming so rude about your riddles,” Idalno said, her voice rising.

“Louder,” he whispered. He stepped back in front of the door.

“It was not our intention to be so rude,” she said, practically yelling now.

He kicked his heel back into the door, putting all his strength into the movement.

Black Annis tilted her head, smirking. “Are you trying to break down the door, dearie? Do you think that’s the answer to the riddle? Go ahead, go ahead!” She made a shooing gesture, grinning broadly. “Break it apart. See what happens!”

He raised an eyebrow. Was it as impossible as she made it sound? She hadn’t said one way or another, so there was no truth or lie to sort out.

Idalno motioned for him to do it.

Even with Black Annis watching, he’d give it a try.

With all his might, he smashed his heel into the door.

His boot shattered the wood, slivers flying while the jarring vibration shook through his foot and into his leg.

Thick dark sap oozed from the break, but no daylight revealed itself.

The wood began to grow back.

Merde.His heart pounding hard, he clawed at the break, trying to rip away the newly growing wood, but it was relentless. Every scratch filled back in, as if nothing at all had happened.

Magic. Accursed gods-damned magic.

Get out of here. They had to get out of here. A rusty latch snicked shut in his mind. The air—there was no air—and it was locked,locked up, no escape, no way out, stuck in here, no running, with him, with him, with him…

His heart raced, faster and faster, needing to beat faster, faster.

He slammed a fist into the door, sending splinters flying and bolts of pain shooting up his hand and arm. He punched it again, again, over and over, jagged wood stabbing into his knuckles, tearing through the skin, ripping away his flesh, burning sticky sap into his blood—

A touch to his back, and he whirled, his wolf’s maw snarling out of his mouth, teeth bared, jaws snapping. At Idalno.

She jerked her head back and blinked.

Close. She was too close. Far too close.

No. No, no, no—

His wolf clawed at his control, eager, ravenous, mouth watering. Its empty stomach was a bottomless pit, a hunger that could never be sated, and it wanted to consume, consume, consume.

“Go, it’s not safe,” he growled at her, his voice more beast than man.

Her gaze rapt, Idalno pointed at Black Annis. “You cut her up. But be careful.”

Black Annis cackled with delight. “Isn’t it wonderful? And now that we’re all on the same page, let the games begin.”

With that, she disintegrated into a mass of shadows and spiraled into the face of an eagle carved into the wall.

The eagle’s wooden eyes lit up.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

FERON

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