Page 22 of Shadow's End

He looked at me like I’d suddenly gone mad. And maybe I had, because with the threads wrapped around my wrists and the Fenna’s whispers ringing in my ears, I felt nothing. No uncertainty. No fear. And I should. I knew I should.

And then, with a sickening lurch, I realized what else I wasn’t feeling.

Belle? You out there?

No reply. I couldn’t feel her, couldn’t hear her. The mental line between us was deathly silent. The Fenna had cut me off from her. Thatdidscare me, because up until now we’d always believed there was absolutely nothing that could ever break our bond.

If the wild magic could do this, then maybe Marie could, too.

Or Maelle.

Now fear surged. Fear, and an odd sense of foreboding.

“Liz?” Aiden placed a hand on my cheek, but the warmth of his skin against mine did little to chase away the ice creeping through my veins.

I swallowed heavily, doing my best to ignore the fear, trying to concentrate. The whispers were growing louder. They wanted me in that cavern, wanted me to confront the darkness within. Not just the vampire but also the weight of blood and death that stained the rocks and sullied the water.

They wanted—needed—the area to be cleansed before the foulness reached too deeply into the earth and forever altered its energy.

I pressed a hand against Aiden’s chest, felt the rapid pounding of his heart. “I’m fine, and I need you to ring Belle and tell her that—the wild magic has blocked our connection, and I can’t seem to restore it. I need you—and everyone else—to remain out here, in the sunshine, until I say otherwise.”

“But what?—”

“Jaqueline’s inside. If you—or any of the others—take one step into that cavern, she’ll attack you to get at me.”

“You can’t go up against Jaqueline alone?—”

“I’m not alone—the wild magic is with me.” I curled my fingers into a fist and lightly punched his chest. “Please, listen to me. Don’t come in. Things will go badly if you do.”

He hesitated and then nodded. “Don’t get dead.”

The words “I won’t” once again teased my tongue, but I wasn’t about to tempt fate by putting that out there. I kissed him, then quickly turned and walked toward the crevice. Power hummed around and through me, but the voices had fallen silent, at least for the moment. They’d gotten what they’d wanted. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was the end of it, or whether they’d lend guidance or help with Jaqueline.

I guess I’d find out soon enough.

The crevice was narrow, the sides jagged and sharp. I squeezed through as best I could, somehow managing to avoid slicing my arms open in the process. The last thing I wanted to be doing was confronting a vampire while bleeding like a stuck pig. She’d undoubtedly take it as some sort of invitation.

Her mother certainly would have.

Another rush of trepidation swept through me. The confrontation I’d always feared was coming. Maelle was coming. Maybe not right at this moment, but soon. Far too soon.

I flexed my fingers and did my best to push away the fear. I was safe for the moment. Or, rather, I was safe for as long as Roger lived. If he died…

I shivered and stopped at the entrance to the cavern. Unlike the main one, this was little more than a jagged split in the rock face. The scent of death was absent, as was the hungry fury of whatever demon guarded the larger cavern. I had no sense of Jaqueline—if not for the wild magic, Aiden and I might have walked into this place, straight into whatever trap awaited.

I swung my pack around and pulled out two bottles of holy water, tucking one into the back pocket of my jeans and keeping the other in my hand. The wild magic—both mine and the wild threads clinging to my wrist—would protect me, but I couldn’t risk using it against her. She was a dark mage and wouldn’t take to being caught and caged very easily. The last thing I needed was to stain the wellspring’s wild magic with her blood or her magic.

I took several wary steps into the cavern, then paused again, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the deeper darkness. My sight, like my hearing, was now wolf-sharp, and I was soon able to see the sloping, rock-strewn path leading deeper into the cavern. I walked on warily, keeping close to one wall, all senses on alert and my heart galloping uncomfortably in my chest.

Which, considering who I was about to confront, was not ideal. But maybe the enticing pulse of life would distract her. Or, better yet, make her act rashly.

In reality, it was doubtful either would happen. She was her mother’s daughter, after all.

I edged on, drawing in deeper breaths, trying to get some sense of the threat that waited. The air smelled slightly musty, and I could hear the distant bubble of water, suggesting there was a good-sized stream running through this cavern somewhere. What remained absent was the heavy weight of death, as well as the demon. Perhaps the caverns weren’t as closely linked as Aiden had thought and I was simply too far away to gain any “feel” of the demon.

And perhaps its presence was, as Aiden had guessed, nothing more than a means of diverting at least some of us to this entrance. Why else would Jaqueline be here?

I crept on, wild magic pressing against my fingertips and pulsing on my wrists. The voices were still, but the need for caution nevertheless emanated through the silent connection.

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