Page 38 of The Witch Queen of Halloween (Immortals After Dark 20)

Röktapped the page. “Thecastle door opened for us at sunset like it used to, to let his family out to play.Inthe morning, to the sound of a raven’s call, it will open again to call them home to their beds.”Notmuch was random in theLore. “Onlythey’re never coming back.”

“Sowhat happened?Dida rival wizard strike?Ormaybe vampires descended on them.”Shehastily flipped the page.

AsItracked them with my raven,the wizard wrote,hope dwindled.Inthe forest,Ifound carnage. . . .Bloodcoated the next few paragraphs.Then:Gatewaynearby to a realm of all undead immortals?

Betweencrimson smudges,Rökmade out a word or part of one:mortormord. “Whywould he write about an undead realm in this entry?Doyou think . . . ?”

Poppy’seyes widened, and she nodded. “Somethingabout that portrait on the landing struck me.Thewife wore an armband.Rök, one of the three ghouls in the cemetery had that same armband!Themother and her two children have been here all this time.Theywere transformed into ghouls.Theundead.”

“Ofall the fates.”Rökstifled a shudder. “I’dmuch rather be moldering in the ground.”Understatement.

“Thewizard did experiment to resurrect his family—not from death, but fromundeath.”

SheandRökfell silent, both lost in thought.

ThatEndingofEverythingheading continued to resonate with him.Hefelt sympathy for the wizard.IfRökhad lostPoppyand their children to ghouls, he feared he would have done far, far worse than experimenting on subjects.

Poppyfinally spoke. “WhenIpicture those three forever wandering this property,Ipity them.”SheheldRök’sgaze. “ButIalso feel foreboding.”Thewitch’s confidence from the start of the night had vanished.

“Hey, we’re going to be fine,” he assured her, though her stark expression spooked him a touch. “Noway three ghouls can get the best of immortals like us.Youaren’t a seeress, are you?”

“No, my sisterCloveis the budding oracle in our family.ButsometimesIfeel likeIcan borrow my sisters’ powers.I’llmake a shot only a warrioress likeLeacould make, orI’llknow what cards someone is holding, likeClovealways does.Andright nowI’vegot a bad feeling about those ghouls.”

Todistract her, he said, “Whydon’t you keep that journal?Itmight have some interesting history.Atthe very least, it’ll net you all kinds of forum cachet.”

Shestowed the journal in her bag. “We’vecombed this lab.There’sno battery and no way out.Ihave to use my portal.”

“I’magainst it in principle.Ifsomething happens to me,Ineed to know you have at least one more at bat.”

“Wedon’t have a choice.”Shecollected the pouch. “Unfortunately,Idon’t know where we’ll end up.I’mtoo turned around to aim inside this castle, can’t plot a course for the foyer.”

Whatif her portal took them to another locked room?Theycould still be trapped within a trap.

Shebit her lip. “MaybeIcouldtryto get us outside?”

Outside.Awayfrom this place!Apart of him clamored for freedom.

But. . . “Youtold me those visitors won’t quit until you’re dead.Whichmeans we have to break your curse.Tonight.Witch,I’mall in.”Todeliver her from the greater, looming threat, he just had to protect his mate against more unkillable visitors, find a cursebreaker to rid her of them, then get her out of here.

Shegazed up at him, her green eyes filled with an emotion he barely dared to name.Orclaim?—

GROOOOOAAN.

RökandPoppyfroze.

“Holyshit,” she whispered, “it reallyisalive.”

TWELVE

Poppy’sgaze combed the shadows.Inthe flickers of lightning, the creature crawled toward them with lurching movements, electricity sparking along his stapled wounds.

Shecould all butfeelhow much he must have suffered. “Rök, what are we going to do with him?”

“Do?Lookat its eyes.”

Shepeered into the gloom.Whoa.Herempathy faded.Thecreature’s black eyes burned with raw malice.Thatwasn’t a man—not ahe—but wrath embodied.

Itopened its mouth wide, clawed hands reaching for them.Mygods, it wants us dead.

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