Page 102 of Of Blood and Smoke

Ezra pulled a sword out from somewhere beneath his robes, keeping one hand solidly clamped on my back. The guards that had been holding me charged off, their weapons at the ready. They’d seemed confused at first, puzzled over why the creatures showed up. It had to be an area they weren’t expected to be in.

“What are you waiting for?” Ezra roared at his men. “Destroy them.”

The first guard brandished his blade, holding it straight out in front of him as he stalked toward the closest wraith. The creature’s mouth stretched, and then the man froze before shaking like he’d been hit with a strong chill.

The doors at the back of the room flew open with a bang and a contingent of soldiers rushed in just as the mass of wraiths finished materializing. All hell broke loose, and Ezra was forced to let go of me.

Immediately, I rolled off the altar, launching myself to the floor. The impact was jarring, and my wrists took the brunt of my fall. Brushing the grit from my knees, I curled up against the slab, drawing my legs in close, and tried to formulate a plan.

The wraiths seemed to be ignoring me as I glanced around the moving bodies. It was like I didn’t exist. Soldiers fought off the creatures while Ezra struck several of them down with his blade. The blows appeared to dissolve them, leaving streaks of mist in the air that dissipated into the atmosphere.

Eyeing the exit, I saw it clogged with soldiers, men outfitted in sharp cut uniforms as they streamed into the space. My arm was still bleeding where Ezra’s medical team had inserted the needle. I took my sleeve and brushed away what I could, all too conscious I was among humans and other beings that saw me as a source of food. I’d wiped it away, but I was certain they’d still smell it no matter what I did.

Crawling to the edge of the platform, I dodged a clattering sword and then realized my mistake. I reached over, my sweaty palm slipping along the handle, before I dragged it to me. The weapon was much heavier than I expected, and I’d tried to pick it up too fast.

It had begun to fall, dragging me along with it and when I went to stop the motion, I fell forward, cutting the edge of mypalm on the side of the blade. Swallowing a cry while my nerve endings screamed in pain, I tugged the bottom edge of my shirt down and wrapped my hand, watching red bloom along the soft material.

I plodded along on my hands and knees, dodging swooping wraiths and darting legs as I slowly made my way to the side of the dais. A hand snagged my ankle, and I turned, ready to shove my foot out only to see Ezra’s grin.

“Not so fast,” he ground out, yanking me back.

My belly scraped the hard rock, and I dropped the sword as both my hands grabbed at the ledge. The clatter of metal was lost beneath his roar when a wraith dropped down between us, its torn robes ballooning like a parachute. The smell of sulpher forced a wave of nausea up the back of my throat and I took advantage of the interruption, shoving my foot out again. I freed myself and crawled away as Ezra’s weapon swooped through the air.

Clangs of metal filled the room, along with the sound of grunts, shouting, and banging. Everything was in chaos. I slid off the edge of the platform and looked around. There was nowhere to go where I wouldn’t be seen and immediately captured. Whether it would be by Ezra, a soldier, or one of the wraiths, I didn’t know. But I was not going to wait around and find out. It was up to me to save myself.

Twisting my head, I noticed a divot in the rocks, a darker area I hadn’t seen before. It almost looked like a passageway and hope filled me. Bodies danced past, momentarily blocking my perusal of a possible escape route before they cleared out of the way. I rose up slightly, bracing my hands on the floor and staining it red before taking one final look.

I grabbed the sword again and took off.

FIFTY

Josiah

The wraiths were given specific instructions not to touch or injure Della. They were to kill everyone but Ezra—he was to be saved for me.

Micha wanted to accompany me, but Kiam had no intel on where the other Ancients were currently located. I needed him to safeguard Della should she somehow escape, and I didn’t make it. He was to bring her home and safely return her to her life in the Third Realm. He would remain here, in the safety of the private fortress until I returned, or until he learned of my demise.

Kiam had no interest in engaging in battle with Della’s captors. He had his own agenda, which Micha and I were ignorant of. It didn’t matter; I wasn’t going to push for further assistance from the man. The relationships between vampires and demons were tenuous at best, despite his current assistance. The only thing that mattered was getting Della back.

Running my hands down my leathers, I checked to make sure I had all my favorite blades in place and looked to my companions. Kiam and Micha stood in the background, several feet apart, as the wraiths awaited my order to leave. They wouldtake the underground tunnel system before me, scout Della’s location and report back to me. I would follow the same path and retrieve my love while exacting my vengeance.

“Depart,” I ordered my army.

As they left, the candles flickered out again, and Kiam relit them with a breezy sweep of his hand.

Micha approached me as I stepped out of the circle. “How do you feel?” he asked.

It was a loaded question. “I’m ready,” I answered. Fighting the wave of irritation that swept through me, I said, “We have a lot to learn.”

My best friend placed a hand on my shoulder. “I believe the modern term is ‘deprograming’.”

I hissed at the reminder of my training.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Kiam added, moving to dissemble the ritual space.

Ignoring the man, I opened the door leading to the subterranean tunnel system. Micha lifted his chin, acknowledging my exit and Kiam glanced at me, crouched on the floor as he sprinkled fresh salt around. Fates willing, I’d meet up with Micha later.

Taking advantage of my natural affinity for speed, I flew through the tunnels, anticipating being met by a reporting wraith along the way. It didn’t take long for me to be informed Della was deep in the bowels of the palace, in a ritual and ceremonial room with access to the very same corridor I was currently in.

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