Page 93 of Midnight Reign
Malachar steps forward, his eyes never leaving me. “On the contrary, Alec. The ritual must be completed. The Queen must be freed.”
Alec’s eyes widen as he tilts his head towards the Dark Fae King. “Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me? You as well?”
“Me as well what?”
“You and Randall, whipped by this creature.”
“Whipped?” Malachar expostulates as only a King can. “She is my Queen, and I have long waited for this. You, Randall and the others fucked this for me once before. Not. This. Time.” He claps his hands together, and thunder rumbles ahead before lightning strikes right in front of me.
I scream and skitter backwards as the rain starts to fall.
But not just any rain. Drops of chilly, murky black water fall around us, soaking us to the bone.
“I’m guessing the ritual isn’t done,” Zaiah whispers to me, moving close. “We have to continue.”
“Do we?” I squeak, pushing my sodden hair out of my face as I keep a wary eye on the two elders who have faced off.
The energy from the ritual pulses around us again, growing more unstable by the second. I can feel it keening through my veins, seeking release. Crimson’s presence in my mind grows stronger.
We’re so close, sister. Don’t let them stop us now.
“We’re not stopping,” I shout out. “Crimson will be separated from me.”
Alec’s eyes narrow dangerously. “Then you leave me no choice.”
Without warning, he unleashes a blast of dark energy towards us.
I scream again, but it isn’t Zephyr who jumps in front of me. It’s Malachar. His shadows surge up to form a protective barrier. The impact sends shockwaves through the circle, destabilising the delicate balance we’ve created.
“Adelaide!” Zaiah shouts over the chaos. “We need to stabilise the ritual!”
I look up and see the shadow pets hovering over us, forming a canopy of protection as they swirl, dip, and dive.
And then, out of the corner of my eye, I see Orby.
“You!” I snap and hold my hand out, ready to grasp the pixie out of the air. “What is going on with you?”
“We don’t have time for this, Addy!” Zaiah shouts, the book in front of him going crazy as Alec and Malachar clash in a titanic way that makes the ground tremble. I have no idea who Alec really is, but he isn’t just a regular old vampire.
I grit my teeth, torn between confronting Orby and finishing the ritual. But Zaiah’s right - we don’t have time. The energy is building to dangerous levels, threatening to tear reality apart.
“What do I need to do?” I shout over the raging of the battling elders.
Zaiah’s eyes glow brightly as he scans the wildly fluttering pages of the book. “We need to stabilise the energy. I need to create the bridge, and you need to force Crimson up and out. Can you do that?”
“I don’t fucking know!” I shriek as Orby lands on my shoulder and chatters in my ear in words that are too quick to follow. “Wait!” I snap. “Just wait!”
Let go, sister. Let it flow.
For once, I listen to her without argument. I open myself fully to the power, feeling it rush through me like a raging river. I can feel myself slipping away, losing my sense of self in the torrent.
For a moment, I’m tempted. The darkness calls to me, promising strength beyond measure.
As the chaos swirls around me, I force myself to focus on Zaiah. His eyes are glowing brighter than I’ve ever seen, his form flickers and wavers as he chants words in a language I don’t understand. The book hovers before him, pages turning of their own accord, shaking in the air in rage or fear—I can’t tell which.
“Zaiah!” I shout, barely able to hear my own voice over the din of battle and the roaring of the storm and magick in my ears. “What’s happening?”
He doesn’t answer, can’t answer. His entire being is focused on the ritual, on becoming the bridge between realms. I watch in awe and terror as his body changes, elongating and spreading out, becoming less solid and more ethereal.
