Page 116 of Of Nine So Bold

His mouth thinned. “Later. You said it yourself, there is no time. Go.” His eyes flicked to Byron, including him in the order. “Now.”

I frowned, but there wasn’t anything for it. He was right about that at least.

With Byron behind me, I walked toward the gateway. At the edge, I glanced back, a sudden thought occurring to me. “Will you be okay?” I asked Ozias. “The… you know, bond. If I’m too far?—”

“Go,” he said calmly. “I’m right behind you.”

Praying that would be enough to keep him safe, I nodded and stepped into the darkness.

Instantly, up and down vanished. Everything did. If Byron was beside me, I couldn’t feel or see him. My senses warped as noises rushed around me, indecipherable, soft then loud, then soft again, like I was being buffeted by invisible waves coming from every direction. My heightened vision was useless. The darkness rendered even my own body invisible.

My vampire side rebelled, overwhelmed by the waves of noise and the absence of sight. It surged up within me as if to take control and fight the chaos.

“Can you believe it?”An impish chuckle came from the madness. “She actually crossed.”

The gateway demons were here.

“Aw, I was betting the big one would scare her off.”

“No, he liked her, didn’t you hear? She’sdoomed.”

Pleased laughter followed.

I shuddered. The big one? Did they mean the dark and hungry voice from the gateway a short while ago?

Gods help me, it seemed accurate. The owners of these voices did sound somehowsmallerthan the owner of that voice.

And itlikedme… because it thought I was doomed.

That couldn’t be a good thing.

“Should we let her through?”

“Hmm, maybe we should eat her.”

“We talked about this.”

“I know, I know. But she looks tasty.”

Gods, where was the end of the gateway? I couldn’t tell if I was moving, let alone in which direction I was heading.

Had they eaten my men?

My vampire side pressed harder at my control. I’d kill these creatures if they had. I’d find a way to hunt them down and?—

“Ooh, she’s getting mad, can you see that?”

Another demon giggled. “Maybe she wants to eatus! Wouldn’t that be?—”

The gateway demon cut off with a frightened gasp. Suddenly, the chaos felt emptier, as if the invisible presences had scattered like terrified children. Even the waves of noise rolled away.

“Well, well…”

I tensed, terror shooting through me. I knew that voice. It wasn’t the demons. It wasn’t even the so-calledbig one.

“You made a mistake, Gwyneira.”

Melisandre.

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