Page 66 of Midnight Reign
“They’re not the enemy,” she says.
“Holy shit,” Zephyr grits out. “How can we fucking tell them apart?”
“You don’t. I do,” she says and marches on, making me fall in love with her all over again.
“What a woman,” I state.
“She is incredible,” Ignatius replies.
We continue on, the shadow creatures falling in behind us like some sort of dark honour guard. It’s unsettling, to say the least, but I can’t deny the advantages of having them on our side.
The dining hall is a mess when we arrive; tables are overturned, and food is scattered everywhere. But miraculously, the synthetic blood dispenser is still intact.
“Thank fuck for small mercies,” Addy mutters, making a beeline for it.
As she drinks her fill, we stand around her protectively.
“Enough,” I say, once she has had her third cup full.
She nods reluctantly but places the cup back down. “Library it is, then.”
We make our way through the ruined corridors of MistHallow, our footsteps echoing in the silence. The shadow creatures continue to follow us, their presence a constant reminder of the bizarre situation we find ourselves in.
As we approach the library, I can feel the magick in the air intensifying. It’s like static electricity, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“Something’s different,” Zaiah murmurs. “The energies are shifting.”
We push open the library doors and come to a halt. The room has transformed. Books float in mid-air, their pages fluttering, caught in an invisible wind. The statue of Morgana has come to life, her stone eyes following our movements.
“Well, this is new,” Ignatius says, his voice filled with awe.
“Or very old,” I correct him.
Addy steps forward, her hand outstretched towards the statue. As her fingers brush the cold stone, there’s a flash of light, and suddenly, the floor beneath us begins to shift.
“Everyone, grab onto something!” I shout as the ground starts to tilt.
We scramble for purchase as the floor turns into a steep slide, sending us tumbling down into darkness. I reach out, managing to grab Addy’s hand as we fall. I can hear the others yelling, their voices echoing in the dark.
We land hard on a cold stone floor, the breath knocked out of me. As I struggle to my feet, I hear Zephyr’s voice.
“Is everyone alright?”
A chorus of groans answers him. Slowly, we all get to our feet, taking stock of our surroundings.
As we gather our bearings, I realise we’re in a vast underground chamber. The air is so potent I can almost taste it. Strange, pulsing crystals embedded in the walls provide a haunting, shifting light.
But our moment of calm is short-lived. A low rumble echoes through the chamber, and the ground beneath our feet begins to shake.
“What now?” Ignatius groans, flames dancing at his fingertips.
From the shadows at the far end of the chamber, we hear a guttural growl. Something’s coming, and it doesn’t sound friendly.
“Everyone, be ready,” I warn, dropping into a defensive stance.
A massive creature emerges from the darkness. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen - part beast, part shadow, with glowing runes etched into its dark hide. Its eyes burn with a preternatural light as it fixes its gaze on us.
“Fuck me, that’s big,” Zephyr mutters.
