Page 85 of The Stone Survival
But the connection between me and my shield is ominously silent.
No one intervened when Yarrow released us from our cells. No one came when we attacked him and he blasted us into the wall with an expulsion of power. And no one came as we were led up two flights of stairs into a large circular room with a domed glass ceiling.
A raised circular platform sat at its center, and arcane symbols painted the stone walls and the cream marble floors.
“This is it,” Yarrow said. “My Channel.”
“This isn’t a machine,” Serath said.
“Oh, but it is. A mystical machine that has taken decades to perfect. Every symbol, every rune is in the perfect place now, and when the moon hits its apex in a few minutes, we can begin.”
A door on the far side of the chamber opened, and a woman dressed in dark slacks and a cream blouse clipped into the room. Her mouth was a ruby pout, dark hair piled high on her head to leave her slender neck exposed.
“The beasts are ready when you are, boss,” she said to Yarrow.
Beside me, Serath tensed.
The woman looked over at him and smiled, a small, smug smile that made my skin crawl.
I stepped closer to my mate on instinct. “Do you know her?”
Serath made a soft choked sound.
“Serath?”
“Ah, I see you remember Yolina,” Yarrow said, his mouth turning down slightly. “She played the part of Cameron in our clinical consummation.” He shot me an apologetic look. “Creating a chemical reaction requires some physical manipulations, I’m afraid. You weren’t supposed to remember, Serath. I’m sorry that you do.”
“I’mnot,” Yolina said. “You were simply delightful.”
All the color drained from Serath’s face, and my stomach dropped with the awful realization of what had happened to him. Heat rushed from my toes to my head, and I rushed the bitch, swinging my fist to break her face.
An invisible barrier sprang up between us, knocking me on my ass.
She laughed, husky and throaty. “Aw, look at you, getting all riled up. Don’t you like to share?”
The pulse in my throat beat hard and fast, and my vision bled to crimson. “I’m going to kill you.”
She leaned in. “No, you’re not. When the new world hits, I’m going to shackle you to a wall and make you watch while I fuck your mate.”
“Enough!” Yarrow snapped. “Yolina, we discussed this.”
She rolled her eyes and looked over at him. “You promised me a boon. And I want him.” She pointed at Serath.
Serath’s chest rumbled, a low growl spilling free of his lips a moment before he charged, slamming through the barrier as if it was nothing to grab Yolina by the throat.
She squealed, legs kicking as he hauled her into the air.
“You die now.” His voice was thick and bestial.
“No!” Yarrow roared.
Serath staggered back, dropping Yolina, who made a break for the exit. She paused to look back at us, sly smile on her face, hand on her throat.Later, she mouthed before vanishing.
Any sympathy I’d had for Yarrow died. “You’re a monster. How could you let her violate him?”
Yarrow’s eyes flinched. “Sacrifices must be?—”
“Fuck you! You’re sick. How can you think any of this is okay?”
