Page 70 of Midnight Reign
“Agreed,” I say without even thinking about it. If it comes down to Adelaide’s life or disloyalty to my family, I’m down with that. I just hope it doesn’t because I will be exiled, and I don’t think that will do much good in the power department to be cut off from all those resources. I have to have faith that the elders will let us do our thing and get Crimson back into her realm, and then we can find a way to shut it off, for good, so she can never return.
“Are you good on what you need to do?” Ignatius asks.
“Yeah. It’s not that hard to access the other realm but holding it steady and not creating a volatile timebomb is where it gets more challenging.”
“And that’s where we come in? Yeah?” Corvus asks.
“Pretty much.”
“Then we all have our roles to play. Be as powerful as you can be, or Zaiah’s head goes boom,” Zephyr says with a smile to me that makes me laugh.
“Gee, thanks. But yeah. I’d appreciate the best versions of yourselves.”
I look over at Addy as she has been quiet during this exchange. “You okay?”
“I’m the weakest link,” she whispers.
“No, you are the strongest. Our bond to you makes you the pin in the butterfly, babes. You’ve got this. I trust you with my life.”
“Literally.”
“Isn’t that what it always comes down to?”
“I don’t know. Is it?”
“Every damn time.”
30
ADELAIDE
I goto Zaiah and plant a kiss on his mouth, slipping my tongue between his lips as I wrap my arms around his neck. “I won’t let you die,” I promise when I pull back slightly.
“Same,” he says with a smile that makes me want to rip his clothes off right here and desecrate this ancient place. “Time enough for that later,” he adds.
Giggling, I lower my gaze. “Am I that transparent?”
“Nah, I just know you, babes.”
“Let’s get back to the tower room and catch some sleep before nightfall, if we can,” I say, stepping back from Zaiah.
Everyone agrees, but as we all prepare to leave the underground library, the ground beneath us rumbles again.
The rumbling intensifies, and suddenly, the bookshelves around us start to sway dangerously. Dust and small debris rain down from the ceiling.
“Shit,” Corvus curses, his eyes darting around. “We need to get out of here. Now.”
Zephyr’s shadows flare out, trying to stabilise the shaking shelves. “I don’t think this place wants us to leave with all this knowledge,” he grunts under the strain.
Ignatius’s hands burst into flames. “Well, it doesn’t have much of a choice. We’re getting out, one way or another.”
A deafening roar echoes through the chamber. The far wall crumbles, revealing a massive, writhing mass of shadows. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before - a creature made entirely of darkness, with countless glowing eyes and grasping tendrils.
“What the fuck is that?” Zaiah shouts.
I don’t know, but I can feel its power. It’s ancient, angry, and definitely not on our side.
“Run!” I yell.
