Page 94 of A Dawn Of Blood

Nuala throws us both a suspicious look, but the next thing I know, we’re moving as one again.

Within less than a minute, we’re landing back in Uppsala, the runestones already visible through the trees ahead.

While a minute ago I was anxious yet excited, now I’m anxious and distracted. There are two names and two faces fighting for my attention. Alexander and Maximillian. Jaeger and Alaric.

But as soon as we start walking, I spot a dead body on the ground. I stop midstep, sensing everyone follow suit.

“A shadowcurse victim,” Raven establishes as soon as she comes a little closer. “Dead.”

We exchange a somber look, but we keep walking, and I’m back to being fully focused on the mission.

As soon as we step out onto the clearing where the graveyard is, we slow to a stop. My eyes land on the runestone that’s now only an arm-length away. The one with the Reh-Yah symbol on it.

“Still no bones under there,” I hear Raven say.

“I could try to lift it,” Nuala suggests, “to break any potential illusion magic.”

I keep staring at the runestone, frowning. Then I nod and turn to her. “Yes, do that.”

Nuala approaches the stone, fixes her eyes on it and slams her fists together. The very next second, the old stone snaps out of its place and lifts off the ground. It levitates to the side, where she gently places it back down.

For a moment, there’s only silence that makes me think we’ve failed.

Then this low groaning sound reaches my ears, just before I see a crack appear in the runestone’s old spot. A hole opens up, with a staircase leading down into the darkness.

I turn to exchange a victorious look with everyone else, only to hear another sound that makes me freeze in place.

This one is blood-curdling and very familiar. My head snaps back, my eyes fixing on the opening.

Then I sense Cain come to stand next to me. “A bargain,” he leans to say with unusual anxiousness in his voice.

“No time,” I reply with a shake of my head.

He doesn’t let it go. “Take my collar off and I’ll take care of it for you,” he says through gritted teeth.

“No,” I insist. “That won’t be necessary.”

I spot Nuala, Raven and Dryden moving as if they’re planning on going inside and come to block their way. “You stay back,” I tell them.

Bracing myself, I ignore the frustrated groan I hear from Cain’s direction and get moving.

But the second I do, a shadow blasts out of the tomb, making me spin on my heel and throw myself down in order to avoid it.

Coughing and pushing myself off the ground, I see it slam into everyone but Cain, wrapping around their bodies and rendering them completely paralyzed.

But only for a second, before they start moving again, this time like puppets, all headed straight forme.

My eyes widening, I watch Dryden swing his arm back to send an air blade at me, Raven shift to attack me with a gust of air, and Nuala slam her fists together to make the earth beneath me start shaking.

It all surprises me so much that I just remain standing there.

Until the air blade almost reaches me and something hard slams into me, throwing me to the ground and rolling with me.

I find myself trapped under Cain, whose body has shielded me from all three attacks. But before I can react, he’s already jumping to his feet and continuing to fight them.

Considering he has no powers of his own, he’s wiping the floor with them, and within a matter of minutes, the shadow is being sucked out of my people’s bodies and back into the tomb.

I rush to help Cain put the runestone back.

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