Page 83 of Ransomed to the World
“You have to stay close.” Edgar directed his comment toward the men, his grip on her hand tightening, but he refused to look at her, his sole focus on containing the field. “The ward can stretch, but the thinner it gets, the easier it is for the dark matter to sneak out into the city, especially with so many phantoms living here. It’s already saturated the area.”
Annora pulled back on the darkness, restricting the flow. Edgar relaxed slightly, then strode into the city. A few people walked through the sphere, the men dodging them, but the people were like shadows. Every once in a while she and the guys would freeze when patrols passed, the guards searching the area as if sensing their magic.
They managed to go three blocks, darting in and out of the alleys. The buildings went from mansions to modest houses. The smells became more potent, switching from flowers and sea to sweat and fish. The population exploded the farther they went, the streets becoming congested until it was impossible to move without running into people. Carts blocked the roads, while the sidewalks were packed with people selling their wares.
It was an hour before Edgar brought them to a small house and hustled them inside. When he dropped her hand, Annora allowed the darkness to fade, and couldn’t have been more surprised to find her legs a bit unsteady.
“Whoa!” Logan caught her close and eased her down onto a small couch. The place consisted of a living room, dining room, kitchenette combination.
Annora shook her head and frowned. “I don’t understand. Usually I feel better after playing with dark matter. Why do I feel so woozy?”
Edgar leaned against the wall, his body sagging with exhaustion. “You were in the afterworld for more than an hour. It’s like exercising…you overworked your muscles. You enjoy the small stints because you get a high from them. You should recover soon.”
A door opened somewhere deeper in the house and everyone tensed. Mason and Logan moved to stand in front of her, while Camden and Xander split up to cover the exits. A mask fell over Edgar’s face as he pushed away from the wall and stood to his full height, his expression forbidding.
A guard strode into the room, and it took her a second to recognize Sadie.
“Edgar!” Sadie bounded toward him, and Annora barely bit back a growl.
The young woman smiled, her black hair pulled back into an elaborate twist, her bangs covering her forehead, and a twinge went through Annora as she noticed the girl’s stunning beauty. She was slim and fit, her pale features giving her a classical beauty that most people envied. Annora mistook her for a foreign princess when she first spotted her.
Instead of throwing her arms around Edgar the way Annora expected, they grabbed each other’s wrists and shook hands. The rest of the guys relaxed slightly, but they didn’t let down their guard, taking their cue from Annora.
While the girl was nice enough, she’d abandoned Edgar when he needed it most and left him for dead. Annora couldn’t forgive her for that.
Nor for the fact that they were once betrothed.
“What the hell happened?” Sadie surveyed the rest of them, her prickly nature falling over her like a well-worn cloak. “Why did you bring them all here? Daxion’s not going to be happy.”
“The university is talking about calling a hunt. Some people have taken preemptive measures, wanting to claim her for their own, while others want to eliminate the threat completely.”
Camden strode toward the window, standing off to the side so he wouldn’t be noticed, peering out into the streets to see if they had been followed. He glanced back at Sadie over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “What would Daxion have done when he learned that?”
Sadie didn’t miss a beat. “He would’ve killed them, and possibly the others if he got the chance, and taken you hostage until you did what he wanted.”
“Daxion has no intention of claiming me.” Annora stood, unable to sit still. “Once he gets what he wants, he’ll have me branded like I’m nothing more than a beast to be drained and killed off.”
Sadie didn’t appear surprised, and snarked back, “And you thought you’d just show up here and make it easier for him?”
“He doesn’t know we’re here.” Edgar spoke softly. “We snuck onto the island. If we can get her in front of the council, Daxion would have no choice but claim her.”
Sadie paled. “Are you fucking insane? Whose harebrained idea was that? Daxion would never publicly claim a half-breed.”
“Unless she has something he wants,” Camden countered, glowering at the slur Sadie used.
Sadie threw back her head and laughed. “What could you possibly have that he’d want so badly he would risk the reputation he’s spent decades acquiring?”
“Power.” Annora wasn’t sure she trusted Sadie enough to tell her the full truth. Edgar gave a subtle shake of his head, his reassurance warming her. “He wants to take over the council, and he doesn’t have enough power to do it by himself.”
“Shit.” Sadie reeled back as if struck. “He’s a megalomaniac and an elitist. If he gains control of the council, he’ll purge the phantoms of everyone but purebloods and start a race war. He believes it’s his right to rule the entire paranormal realm.”
“Daxion will never stop coming after me if I don’t do this. He’ll go to any extreme to get what he wants. He needs to be stopped.” Annora was pleased when Edgar stepped away from Sadie. “Are you in?”
Sadie stared at her, then her gaze slid toward Edgar, and she groaned. “Fuck.”
Annora should be happy, it was exactly what they wanted, but she couldn’t help being scared shitless. She didn’t really care about what happened to her—she could handle whatever came her way—but while this plan protected her, her guys still remained vulnerable.
“If this is what you want, then you’ll have to be presented to the council tonight,” Sadie warned, unbuttoning her coat and putting her hands on her hips. “Daxion has spies everywhere. If he doesn’t already know you’re here, he will before morning.”
