Page 161 of Anchor

“Listen to me, Taland—you’re weak. You can’t fight like this. I already spoke to Aurelia and I’m going to attack the screen, take us out of this Regah, whatever the fuck this is—I’m going to take us out, okay?”

“You do that, sweetness,” he said, grabbing my hands on his face and bringing them to his lips so he could kiss both my palms. “I’ll give you an opening.”

“No, damn it—you can’t fight!”

Except Taland was already on his feet. “As soon as I engage, go for it.”

“Taland, wait!”

This time he grabbed me and kissed me quickly, just a peck that I wished could last at least a little longer, considering it might be our last.

“And when we’re out, run. Do you understand me? Don’t wait for anyone, don’t look for anything—just run.”

He let me go and made for the others, even though he was dragging his feet behind.

Fuck fuck, FUCK!

I resisted my instincts to run after him, to grab him and keep him back, because if I did that, I’d be wasting time. If I did that, I’d just be dooming the both of us. The only way I could save him right now was to take us out of this fucking limbo—and to do that, all I needed was magic.

I screamed when I ran—it couldn’t be helped. Angry tears in my eyes and they did blur my vision a little, but I still saw the Devil’s face, saw that almost shimmery veil he hid himself behind while he watched us, and I didn’t plan to stop chanting until all this magic was out of me. I didn’t plan to fucking stop for anything—except I was only three feet away when Hakim came out of nowhere with his hands raised, his bracelets full of bones around his wrists buzzing with energy, and his Whitefire magic hit me straight in the face.

Goddess, how it hurt. The pain blinded me momentarily, and I felt it when my body let go and I hit the floor once more. But I was aware. The spell hadn’t knocked me out, so I blinked and blinked a million times until I was able to see again, until I was able to make out Hakim standing there with a huge grin on his face, and the Devil behind him, watching me as he played with his feathers.

Triumphant. At ease.

Then he said, “Get that bracelet off her.”

I read the words on his lips because the others were now screaming their spells and shouting when they attacked so I couldn’t hear anything else but them.

Either way, his words were crystal clear. Hakim came closer and leaned down to grab me.

My mind worked, my instincts reacted, and I was chanting before I realized what spell I’d chosen—a simple, second-degree one just to give myself a second to stand up. To catch my breath. To make a plan.

Hakim wrapped his fingers around my forearm, pulled it up, looked at my bracelet and grinned. “You won’t need this anymore,” the asshole told me, and for a moment there, I really thought he’d make it, and I was as good as dead.

But the words of the spell fell from my lips, and when he grabbed the bracelet and tried to take it off me, it wouldn’t budge. My other hand was raised, aimed at his chest. The magic slammed against him, so bright and colorful it took my vision away all over again.

Hakim was too surprised to even scream before he fell off me and hit the ground.

Meanwhile Hill was throwing Seth and Taland off himself at once, the white flames of his magic wrapped around the both of them like living rope, while Zachary and Aurelia stood a little farther back and unleashed their Bluefire at him.

There was no time.

Even though I wanted nothing more than to crawl all the way to where Taland lay on the floor, shaking from the magic that was in his system, I knew there was no time.

So, I stayed put and I began to chant again before I even thought to stand up. I stayed right there as tears streamed down my cheeks and I kept my attention on Taland, the way his eyes rolled in his skull. That veil of magic was right there, and Hakim was probably already trying to stand up, and I only had seconds left, but I kept going. Even if I didn’t make it, I was going to die chanting, and at least Taland was no longer shaking as violently. At least Seth was sitting up and grabbing him, trying to get him to wake up while Zachary fell once more, wrapped up in Hill’s Whitefire.

A hand around my ankle.

I kept chanting but had no choice but to look, to see Hakim with his teeth gritted, no longer smiling as he pulled himself up, dragged himself closer.

But the strangest thing was the Devil who was looking at me from his prison cell.

The Devil who wasn’t smiling.

The Devil whoknew.

I could swear his eyes were on my lips, and he knew exactly what was coming.

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