Page 137 of The Stone Secret
The tree line behind him ripped open, and a huge gargoyle burst into the clearing, wings spread wide, dark hair whipping back, husky eyes bright with rage.
Serath!
His gaze skimmed over my head, mouth turning down with rage as he flew at the beast.
Selas and Orix were close behind him, followed by several goyles in alpha uniform.
I hit the ground with my knees, a sob of relief clawing at my throat.
“I’ve got you,” Willowman said. “Hurry, get through the—”
He was torn away from me and hit the ground with a large male on top of him.
“Prasan! No!”
Prasan punched Willowman in the head, knocking the witch out cold. “This is your fault,” he snarled at me.
I turned to run, but smoke clouded my vision and poured down my throat. My knees buckled, and my head went woozy, and the next moment I was in Prasan’s arms, my back to his chest, his forearm pressed to my throat.
“Look!” he hissed. “Look at the death you’ve caused simply by existing.”
Serath fought for his life against two graynites. Selas was on the ground with Curi leaning over her, his hands on her chest as he screamed for help.
“They can’t shift to chimera here,” Prasan said. “I made sure of that.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“You think I’m a fool?” I felt the bite of a blade against my throat. “I’m not about to monologue and waste time.”
He was about to kill me. This was it. Oh fuck, this was it.
* * *
DEREK
“Cameron!” My body is alert and screaming with alarms. Cameron is in danger. I have to go.
I will myself to her side, but nothing happens.
No. This isn’t right. I have to get to her. I need to find her.
Yarrow will know…He’ll help.
I roll out of the bed and stumble toward the door, but it won’t open. “Yarrow!” I hammer on wood. “My Cameron is in danger.”
“It’s all right,” Yarrow says from other side of the door. “She’ll be fine.”
“No. I have to go. I can’t…Why can’t I go?”
“She asked me to keep you here. She needs you to be safe. She cares about you.”
Panic claws at my insides. “You…You’re doing this? You’re keeping me here?”
“I made her a promise.”
Another wave of horror washes over me. “No! No, you don’t understand. This is bad. The danger is bad. Let me go!” I punch the door over and over. “Let. Me. Go!”
“I’m sorry, my friend. This is for the best.”
