Page 133 of Spellbound
Edmund held me up, even though I was more than capable, but the touch, the closeness, I needed. Edmund sighed. “We can’t hold off the demons. More will come. What happened? Is Thalia coming? Raiden and Aziel?”
The words left my mouth before I even realized I was saying them. “No.” I gulped. “Close the portal.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
If Raiden thought Iwas going to leave him there, he had another thing coming. I wasn’t going to abandon him. I passed the emerald from one hand to the other. Naomi had forged an illusion of sunshine, but it did little to shield them against the cold of the mountain. She snuggled into Maddox’s fur coat. Only he’d been sensible enough to bring one.
He shuddered against the cold. He loved us way more than he’d ever let on, but moments like this warmed my heart.
I cut my hand and dripped blood into the little metal box Edmund had brought. I cut myself again and repeated it several times until it was brimming with immortal blood. “This should work.” Edmund arched a light eyebrow. Snowflakes caught in his ash-blond hair and melted into the golden strands.
“It was your idea, so it probably will.” I smiled and gestured him toward the opening of the cave.
He inhaled deeply, then dipped his fingers in my blood. He smoothed it against the symbols around the opening, and the foggy portal opened.
“You’re a genius.” I grinned at Edmund.
“Simple but effective,” Maddox said. That was considered high praise when coming from him. “You don’t have the dagger. It’s not safe for you to go back in there.”
“I’ll be careful.” I handed him the emerald. “This doesn’t work anymore?”
He lifted it to the sky, examining it through pale light. “No. Whatever spell it held was strong though, a level six if we’d had it.”
“Vault-worthy.” I raised my eyebrows. “Then my only way in or out is through this portal, which means my life is literally in your hands.”
Ferocity hardened Edmund’s strong features. “We won’t abandon you.”
My heart swelled. “I know you won’t.”
Naomi placed her hand on mine as I stepped to the portal. “Elle, are you sure he’s worth it?”
My heart was doing all the deciding. “He has to be.”
Edmund cleared his throat. “Set your watches. We’re going to go back to the forest and build a fire. I will climb back here and open this at ten ten.”
I looked at the time on the watch Edmund had gifted me on my birthday. It was almost six minutes past seven. “If anyone can do this,” Naomi said, “it’s you. You’re the strongest person I know.”
