Page 165 of Dark Fate

Are they alright?

How much has shaken up around them while I've been on this wild goose chase?

Snapping back to reality.

Gotta buckle up for the next installment of the ongoing saga: getting Azrael back to mortal town and figuring out where this magic crown will lead us next.

Rhyland

76

Dani had us twiddling our fucking thumbs in Luminara, waiting for the damn night to fall. This was all 'cause of the blowup with Adrian—a damn nuisance, but whatever.

The second we strut through the portal, time itself jerks around us, something you'd feel down to your bones. It's a weird-ass sensation, jumping through realities and ending up further along the timeline. Yet, in this mind-bending mess, time's still straight as an arrow across every damned realm. It makes zero sense, and it's disorienting as hell.

With a loud crack, the portal clamps shut.

One whiff of this world's air, and I am damn near ready to hurl—it's the polar opposite of Luminara's crisp atmosphere. Catching a glimpse of Erik, I can tell he is feeling the same damn thing.

And then there's Lucian, the little shit, who's acting like he's just stepped into a fucking perfumery. He takes a deep, exaggerated breath, a look of pure bliss spreading across his face. "AHHHH… the sweet, sweet aroma of piss, shit, and desperation. Oh, how I've missed the subtle nuances of this world's unique perfume."

He spreads his arms wide as if embracing the very essence of the place. "Breathe it in, my friends. Let the heady musk of human misery fill your lungs and invigorate your soul. It's the fragrance of life, of reality, of—"

"Of a fucking sewage plant," I cut him off, wrinkling my nose in disgust.

We're loitering in the back alley of Karma, and bam, memories of this shithole alley with Dani come flooding back. Can't forget this is the exact spot where I had to step in and save her from that dickhead Max. A warm rush of sweet realization floods through me, and shit, if I can't keep a grin from spreading across my face.

Dani pipes up, saying we should hold tight right here, banking on Azrael to show up any minute now.

She tosses a glance at Adrian, quirking an eyebrow. "Okay, explain—the big mystery. What's his deal with my portal popping? Does he have some sixth sense or what?" she quips.

Adrian tells her thoughtfully, "Yes, exactly—he can detect its presence. He can determine exactly where it is and harness the leftover energy it emits to replicate one of his own with the stone."

Dani nods in agreement, and we all settle in to wait.

And just like clockwork, here comes the leech.

From the corner of my eye, I see that goddamn black and oily portal start to take form. The scumbag Azrael slips out, the real fucking piece of work he is.

Danica's hands light up, ready to rain down a storm of hell.

The stench of rotten eggs and sulfur almost knocks me over as Azrael emerges from the portal, his tiny rat-like eyes bulging in surprise. In the blink of an eye, that cowardly son of a bitch has Adrian tangled up in a shadow tendril and using him like a damn human shield.

Damn it, Dani pauses, her angel fire temporarily held back. If she let it loose now, Adrian would be toast—literally. Those magic-nulling cuffs he's wearing leave him as helpless as a goddamn fly caught in the web, Azrael using him like some fucking disposable meat shield.

"Adrian, you disloyal snake," Azrael sneers, his voice dripping contempt. "First, you turn your back on your own blood, and now you try to play me for a fool? I should've known better than to trust someone who betrays their own kind."

Adrian's eyes flick over to us, desperation reflecting in them. And honestly? I can't seem to rustle up any fucking sympathy for him at the moment. Azrael's right—though it makes my gut churn to even think that.

Something in me's switched off, dead cold, and all I can feel is the urge to do fucking damage.

"You know how this goes," I growl at Azrael, my voice slicing through the tension like a razor-sharp knife. "Let the traitor fucking go, or you'll feel my wrath."

It's no idle threat, not here and now. If he doesn't untangle himself from Adrian, I'll unleash hell on Azrael's sorry ass, and no one's gonna be there to pull me back.

Dani's firm voice slices through the tension. "Drop him, Azrael." The flames in her hands dance wildly, ready to be unleashed. "He's not part of your twisted collection."

"Oh, come now." Azrael glares at Dani, dark, pitiless eyes narrowing. "Turns out you can't blast your holy flames my way while dear Adrian's my shield. Seems to me the kid's untouched by your special blend—what's the name you gave it?"

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