Page 41 of Wings of Lies
“I’m sorry, Oliver.”
One second. Ten seconds. After thirty seconds of stewing in my guilt, he turned, and I wanted to apologize again. His eyes were moist, and his lips were pressed into a fake smile. I think it was supposed to be reassuring, but it came off as painful.
“Don’t apologize. The deals have been made.”
The weight of our gloomy mood was reflected in the darkening clouds of the sky. Rain decided to let loose on us the moment we reached the top.
“We’re here?”
Snow and evergreens dotted an open expanse of rock. It had four ledges. Off of three of them were sheer drops to your death. With the wind whipping at my joggers, threatening to knock over my wobbling toothpicks, I wasn’t about to get near them.
“This way,” Oliver ushered me from the ledge toward a rock that jutted from the earth. Coming around it, I could see it wasn’t a random tall rock but an arch.
“This is the entry to Elora. Once we step through the archway, we won’t be on Earth anymore. Are you ready?”
Nope. But this wasn’t for me.
“Are you?” I asked.
He stared at the archway like it was the end of something good and sighed heavily. “Let’s get this over with.” His words twisted the knife.
“We’ll find them, Oliver.”
He didn’t respond.
The archway blended in with the rocks surrounding it. I walked closer, and pinpricks of iridescent light shimmered. The blues, yellows, and reds mixed with a background of white, changing its hue with each tilt of my head. “Do you see it too?”
“All supernatural creatures can. To humans, it’s just an archway off the side of a cliff.”
His long fingers lightly traced over the top portion of the arch. As they passed, words glowed a soft white. They curled at odd angles and connected in weird formations—writing in a different language.
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“It’s angelic. It speaks of light, darkness, night, and blood. Each word is a representation of a supernatural creature. You must have the blood of one to enter. If not, you will likely fall off the cliff and meet a pleasant end on some rocks.”
There was the humor that was missing, albeit a little off. “Well, doesn’t that sound nice?”
Silver flashed as he took a knife out of his pocket. I eyed it warily. “Blood opens it,” he explained, cutting his thumb and rubbing it against the writing.
A blue light flashed. It lit up the space around us and settled in the center of the arch, glimmering like a wobbly mirror. Giving me one last look, Oliver took my hand. Heart pumping with anticipation, I took a deep breath and walked through the arch.
I didn’t feel the rush of air like I would if I was falling to my death. Instead, my ears popped, and my body pulled in odd directions. Light twisted in unusual formations and colors, at times blinding me. Goosebumps rose on my skin as particles tickled and kissed my exposed flesh. Within seconds, it was over, my hands and knees hitting solid ground.
My fingers flexed in the soft moonlit grass as I blinked the portal light away. Slowly, I adjusted to the night sky and the oddness of having come from daylight. I glanced on either side of me, wondering where Oliver was, then looked up to a horde of figures.
Chapter
Twelve
BLOODHOUND AND RUNE
Rune watched from a distance, blending in with the shadows of the trees and giving me a clear view of the scene through her eyes. The Nephilim listened. Good,he’dbe pleased to hear.
The female knelt frozen on all fours before Marcus and his soldiers. Her eyes widened in horror and surprise as she stared at them.
“Well, well, well. You actually did it.” The female flinched at Marcus’s sickly satisfied words. “Over the phone, you sounded almost unsure. I’m shocked.”
The confusion in the female’s eyes revealed that she hadn’t yet grasped that the Nephilim had betrayed her. We told him to call Marcus and arrange this deal. Despite his vehement protests, the Nephilim didn’t have a choice. Although, I thought he might find a way around our demands. Good thing he didn’t.
