Page 94 of Ancient Magic

Braced for the painful strike, Micha was caught off guard when a large stone flew over his head to smash into the approaching vine with enough force to snap it in two. What the hell?

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed a pale-faced Skye bending down to whisper words over an even larger rock. She hadn’t been able to stop the plant with her magic, but she could give him the opportunity to destroy it. As he watched, the rock levitated off the ground and soared toward yet another vine, knocking it backward as the plant screamed in fury.

Grimly, Micha returned his focus to the power he was pumping through the vine in his hand. It wouldn’t take Skye long to deplete her magic, and then he would be at the mercy of the thorns. And worse, there were tendrils drilling their way through the ceiling, curling down to wrap around his head.

“We’re going to take a very long vacation in the middle of the desert when we get out of here,” he muttered.

“Maybe Antarctica,” Skye panted. “It’s smothering in here.”

Micha allowed his icy essence to spread outward, wrapping it around his companion. “Is that better?”

“Not really.” Her voice was tight, as if she was in pain. “There’s not enough air.”

Micha swore as he realized that the magic of the plant was sucking the oxygen from the room. A potent means to kill both humans and demons.

But not vampires...

Sending one last blast of power through the plant, he watched in fierce satisfaction as the vines shuddered in agony, swaying back in an attempt to avoid the inevitable. The one in his hand no longer struggled. Instead it went limp as a darkness crawled over the sticky flesh, destroying the plant inch by inch.

Once he was certain the fight was over, he dropped the vine and reached up to jerk away the clinging tendrils. Then, turning, he grasped Skye’s arm as she swayed to the side, her face turning blue. He ground his fangs together, resisting the urge to sweep her into his arms and carry her from the cave. They had no idea what new horror was waiting for them. He had to be prepared to fight if they were attacked.

Cautiously leading her past the vines that had curled into tight balls, Micha impatiently knocked aside the tendrils that continued to drop from the ceiling. They were becoming more desperate as he neared the round hole that he assumed was the only exit.

He paused as they reached the back of the cave, debating whether it would be safer for him to go first, and risk a rear attack on Skye or to—

The decision was made as Skye leaned forward and scurried through the cramped opening. Micha rolled his eyes as he followed behind her, wondering why he thought for a second he might be the one in charge. Skye was going to do what Skye was going to do. End of story.

Forced to bend nearly double, Micha awkwardly squeezed into the adjoining cave, instantly shrouded in utter and complete darkness. He hissed in fear.

“Skye?”

Slender fingers brushed over his arm, as if seeking to find him. Then they skimmed down to grasp his hand in a tight grip.

“I’m here.”

Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her close. He didn’t sense approaching danger, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

“Did we break through the ward?”

“The first layer.”

Micha squashed his burst of frustration. He hadn’t expected it to be easy. As far as he knew, no one had returned to the location of the Dragon Treaty since it’d been signed and sealed in the earth. Even the crystal that had been created by the mixing of vampire and dragon blood had been hidden beneath layers of a lethal hex that had killed thousands over the centuries.

Still, the caves were scraping his nerves raw. He’d rather battle a horde of demons than stumble from one random disaster to another. At least he could be prepared for what was coming.

“Can you breathe?” he asked.

“Yes, but I can’t see.”

“Neither can I.”

“It must be a blinding spell.”

He heard the rustle of movement as Skye lifted her arm. Then there was a ball of light that danced around her slender fingers. A soft glow spread through the space before it was abruptly gone. Like a candle being snuffed out.

Micha had only a brief glance around the cave before it was once again plunged into darkness, but it’d been enough to reveal that it was half the size of the last one with a low ceiling. The good news was that there hadn’t been any vines ready to attack them. The bad news was that there were cracks in the floor that were filled with boiling hot lava. And even worse news, the cracks were swiftly widening.

“That’s not good,” he muttered.

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