Page 129 of Queen of Thorns
I pull in a breath. “We should wake them,” I tell Rev. He sits up immediately, and before we’re even across the clearing, Blane is jerking awake.
“What?” he whispers.
“We need to head out now,” I tell him.
Blane blinks back his surprise, but then he nods, his eyes growing wide—his first show of real emotion.
“The Light King will create a sort of temporary portal for us. Just enter into the light.”
As if on cue, a doorway of white light appears in the pathway before us.
Raven stirs, rubbing her eyes.
“I love you, Ray. We’ll see you soon.”
“Okay,” Raven whispers, her brown eyes full of fear. I long to take her into my arms and erase all of that fear. But I know better than that now. Besides, it seems it’s no longer my arms she desires.
Aurora pulls her in closer.
My lips curl into a content smile as I take Rev’s hand and step into the door of light.
Burning, blinding light overwhelms our senses for only an instant, pulling at everything we are, and then throws us back together and drops us in a new world.
The next breath I take tastes like home. Shadow magic fills my lungs, and I shiver in delight.
But then, my vision comes into focus and the mouth of the Cave of Mysteries stands before us, like an open mouth waiting to consume us. I squeeze Rev’s hand tighter.
“He is here.”
My fingers tremble.
For this part of our mission, it is only Rev and me. Facing the spot of my shift in destiny. The place of my nightmare.
Inside the cave mouth is pitch black, rippling with ancient magic.
He is here. The Night Bringer.
I swallow down my fear. The memories of this place.
A set of red eyes blink before me, and I gasp, a scream lost in my throat. A low rumble of laughter causes the cave to tremble. That’s when my panic swells into an intensity that could shatter my fragile body. A sharp blade pierces my flesh, straight through my torso. Warm blood rushes down my body.
Shaking, I stare down at a deep black talon sticking out through my stomach.
I shake my head from the image. My body is whole. My heart is strong. I am not that girl anymore.
“Hello, my pet,” a voice purrs.
My hands curl into fists, eyes pressed closed against the wave of fear. Rev’s hand is warm against my back, comforting me. I am not alone, this time.
My eyes flash open. I will greet my nightmare head-on. He will not win today.
“Have you come to beg me to end this game now? To leave your friends and court alone?” he growls. “Now that you’ve lost the power you need to kill me?”
“No,” I whisper.
His laugh is more desperate than in the past. His mate is gone. He’s lost a lot of his edge too. “I’m proud of you, my pet, for overcoming your fear of me. It’s cute that you think this is going to be enough to defeat me.”
“My friends are out of your reach,” I tell him defiantly. “You’ll never to get them now.”
