Page 64 of Midnight Reign
The guys look at me, clueless as to these events, but Malachar looks resigned.
All the blood that I consumed while I was under Crimson’s influence rushes back up my throat, and I turn quickly, spewing it out all over the ground in a disgusting mess that I’m mortified about but unable to prevent.
“Easy, there,” Zephyr says, moving in quickly to hold my hair back.
Corvus rubs my lower back as I throw up the entire contents of my stomach in a matter of seconds.
“I think you need to leave her alone for a bit,” Zephyr says.
“But there is so much more she needs to know.”
“Not. Now,” he grits out.
Malachar huffs as I wipe my mouth with the hanky that Zaiah has magicked up from somewhere. It smells of exotic spices and him.
“We’re going back to MistHallow,” Zephyr adds.
“It’s dangerous. Those creatures are here to prevent Crimson from rising. That means Adelaide is in danger.”
“She has her pets,” Ignatius says, speaking up for the first time.
I turn around just in time to see him wish he hadn’t when Malachar’s gaze lands on him.
“You mean, Crimson’s pets.”
“Addy has control over them,” Ignatius says, his Australian accent a little deeper with his distress of being pinned down by the Dark Fae King.
“Hmm. The shadows.”
“Speaking of which, where is the one who was attached to you earlier?” Ignatius murmurs.
I glance down to see it has gone. “No idea.”
I sent it back to MistHallow. It is needed there, not cowering at your feet.
I sigh. “Crimson sent it back to MistHallow. Malachar, I need to know one more thing.”
“What is it, dear?”
“Will I die once Crimson is set free from me?”
His gaze fixes on mine, but I can’t read his emotions at all. “That all depends on you, my dear.” With that, he vanishes in a cloud of fog as Zephyr curses under his breath.
“Well, fantastic,” I say and stare at the spot where Malachar vanished, my mind reeling from everything he revealed. The weight of it all - being the nexus, the key to unlocking Crimson’s power, the fate of multiple realms hanging in the balance - it’s almost too much to bear. “Fuck,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “What the hell are we supposed to do now?”
Zephyr wraps an arm around my waist, steadying me. “We go back to MistHallow, like I said. Figure out our next move.”
“Is that safe?” Corvus asks, his eyes scanning the darkening forest. “If those creatures are after Addy?—”
“We don’t have much choice,” Ignatius cuts in. “We need answers, and MistHallow is the best place to find them.”
Zaiah nods in agreement. “Plus, I need to understand more about this bridge thing. If I really am the key to opening the pathway between realms, I need to know how to control it. I need to get back into that underground library.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. “Okay. MistHallow it is. Also, I need more blood before Crimson goes wild again.”
“You sure you’re up for that?” Corvus asks gently.
“Synthetic. It’s not as potent. I can handle it.”
