Page 22 of Invoking Ruin

“Grandmother can’t leave her little prison.”

“Are you quite sure about that as well? Not even a little doubt you might be wrong?”

I’ve had enough of his poisonous talking. With a grunt, I drive the corkscrew into his neck, twisting to push it deeper.

Momus lets out a shout and yanks himself away from me, pulling the corkscrew out of my hand.

He bleeds, but not the bright red of a normal person’s wounds. A golden opalescence spills from the hole in his neck, which is already starting to close.

This time, when the world spins, I go with it, sinking to my knees once more.

Vita isn’t nearly so surprised at this guy’s golden blood and regenerative abilities. She springs into action, wrapping her arm around my middle and dragging me back upright.

“Help! Help! He’s killing the hostages!” Vita shouts, her voice carrying far louder and stronger than any normal voice should.

Uncle and niece. If I open up her veins like I did his, what color will I find?

I don’t have time to find out. With a last mocking salute to Momus, Vita drags us from the bar, out the back, and into the alley.

Behind us, Momus roars into the night, “This isn’t over!”

She moves impossibly fast, putting as much distance between us and him as she can. The buildings blur, and I can’t tell if it’s because she’s dragging me along, or my head is spinning again.

When a police officer moves to block our path, she says something to him. I can’t make out what, but he steps aside, as though heeding some command.

What is happening?

“Vita.” I try to find the words to form all the questions in my head, but everything is jumbled.

She only shushes me. “I know. I’ll explain later. We have to get far away from here.”

Get away from her seemingly-unkillable murdering uncle and a bunch of police officers. It makes just enough sense, and I close my mouth.

Whatever wild shit is happening, it can wait until we’re safe, can’t it?

No, it really can’t.

“He was trying to kill us,” I remind her.

Vita scoffs. “He wishes he could.”

We’ve already made it to the edge of the city, and despite the way she clasps me to her side, with my arm strung over her shoulders, I don’t think my feet have touched the ground once. And she’s not even winded.

My hand tightens around the corkscrew, the only weapon I have.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask,

“Away. I don’t know. We’ll get to a new city, or maybe…” she trails off. “Never mind. We’ll play it by ear. We have to make sure we aren’t followed.”

“Followed? By who? That man? Who even was he?”

She carries me to a clearing not too far from the lake’s edge, and my line of questioning dies as a white horse strides toward us, snuffling at Vita.

Only, it’s no ordinary horse. It has wings, broad and white, feathers shining in the moonlight.

The world spins again. I bend over, and this time, when the urge to retch comes, I can’t stop it.

Vita rubs my back. “It’s all right, Sandro. I promise. It’s all right.”

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