Page 92 of Forging Darkness

Steel’s hand tightens around mine, grinding bone against bone, but I don’t let go. He needs the assurance I’m here, alive, and in the flesh. And I need the same.

“They’re keeping humans here. I’m not sure exactly how they got them into the spirit realm, but I have a guess. I found a group of them. When I was trying to free them so we could flee together, I was caught. I’m not,” I have to swallow through the dryness before going on. “I’m not sure what’s happened to them, but they’re not being cared for properly. They’re being fed on. There’s even a little girl.”

I cover a sob with my free hand. Steel doesn’t speak for several beats. Without being able to see his face, I can only guess that he’s trying to tame his own emotions.

“We’ll figure something out.” The conviction in his words is firm, but it’s not as easy as that.

“How long have you been here?”

His short chuckle is devoid of any type of humor. “That depends. How many days has it been since you dreamscaped with us?”

Dreamscaped . . . is that what it’s called?

“Four. Actually, probably five now.”

“Then it’s been about three days. I set out to find you the night after that dream and . . . ran into some trouble.”

Silver. Her hunting mission. It had to be that.

“And it’s only you? None of the others are here?”

“. . . Yes. It’s just me.” I don’t miss the pause before Steel answered.

“There’s something else.”

“No. I’m the only one here. Everyone else was still in my parents’ penthouse in Manhattan, where I left them. I was on a scouting mission. I can only hope that by now they’ve figured out the location of this place.”

“Whitehold. That’s what they call this compound. This fortress.”

“Pfft. How original.” I can imagine Steel’s eyes running over the rough white stone walls encasing him in this dungeon.

Steel’s hold on my hand loosens. Glancing down, I take note of the blood caked and flaking off his knuckles. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah.” I detect a note of exhaustion in his voice. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

There’s nothing I can do but take his word for it.

Silence blooms between us as we both get lost in our own thoughts. My back starts to ache from the awkward position I’ve contorted myself into in order to reach Steel’s battered hand, but I stay put.

“I don’t want to be rescued.” The words are softly spoken when they fall off my lips. “This place . . . it’s dangerous. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt or die for me. I wish I hadn’t reached out to you and the others. I wish . . . I wish you hadn’t looked for me.”

I pull out of Steel’s grasp before he can do anything about it. Leaning back against the bars, I fold my knees against my chest and wrap my arms around my legs.

“Emberly.” Steel’s voice is more growl that anything else. “I promised I’d find you.”

“And as a reward, you get to die with me. What a prize.”

There’s a shuffling noise as Steel stands. His footfalls echo as he paces back and forth within his confined space. “You would have preferred I left you here to fend for yourself?”

“Yes,” I say on an exhale.

He roars and then hits the stone wall separating us hard enough that chunks of rock smack against the hard floor.

“You should morph into one of your beasts to release your aggression. Maybe as a bull you might be a match for these bars or one of the walls.” I’m only half-joking.

“Can’t. They slapped some sort of jewelry on my wrist and it’s keeping me from phasing.”

I glance down at the bracelet Thorne gave me. The milky stone winks up at me from its gold casing. He said it would lessen the effects of my seraph blood around the Fallen and Forsaken, but now that his nefarious side has been exposed, I can’t help but wonder what else it might be for.

---