Page 36 of Shadow's Heart

The sorcerer read her fears. “You won’t turn from that.” He wasn’t far behind her.

“How is this creature even possible?” She’d never read about animals being turned.

“It was transformed the same as we would be. The undead rule here. This istheirrealm.”

She eased past its reach, earning another roar. Swiping her slimy hair from her eyes, she gauged Silt’s progress. Halfway across.

The basilisk yanked its head side to side, breaking through more rock. Mouth wide, it struck with a serpent’s speed?—

At the last second, the sorcerer dove out of the way, just as the dragon’s fangs snapped closed.

Silt muttered a curse at the near miss.

Mina heard the beast swat its tail in frustration, making rocks rain from the ceiling. Then it snatched its head back and started running in a cavern bordering theirs.

“Where’s it going, sorcerer?”

“We need to get ahead of it!” Silt grabbed her hand, and a tremor of . . . something passed between them as they sprinted together. “Find us a way out of here, vampire.”

She inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the foul spittle coating her.Concentrate. Sort the threads.She detected a welcome smell. “I’ve picked up fresh air! But it’s some distance away.”

“We’ll make it!” He squeezed her hand; she squeezed his back; then they scowled at each other and yanked their hands away.

The dragon pursued a parallel track. Intermittent roars spurred Mina and Silt as they sped around corners. At each cavern intersection, she selected a direction—while wondering if she was leading them right back into danger.

“You still think I should forgive your brother for putting me here?” the sorcerer said. “A ghoul dragon bears down on us, butwater under the bridge, Mirceo.”

Never slowing, she said, “What’s done is done. You made that vow, can’t ever reverse it.”Illogical dolt.

“If Mirceo’s so wonderful, why would he let you go out into the mortal realm to get clawed and hell-bound?” Even as they ran, Silt frowned. “And why would you be there if not to hunt prey? You weren’t worried about falling ill?”

She would never tell him about her mist, the mist that no longer worked because the plague was altering her, making her less Dacian.Iamturning into a monster.“My uncle Lothaire dispatched me on a mission when Mirceo was away.” And the entire trajectory of her life had changed.

“Lothaire?The Enemy of Oldis your uncle? That explains a lot.”

She paused at another intersection, heading right—only to backtrack left.

Silt’s brows drew together, but he gamely followed. “Ages ago, Lothaire tried to get me to sign his ledger. He’s a Horde vampire.”

“Half Dacian.” At the last second, she leapt over a hole in the cavern floor, trying not to think about the fact that she’d spied no bottom to it. “And now he’s our king.”

“I heard he got planted in the earth like a seed.”

“Yes, for centuries.” How Lothaire had retained any sanity was a miracle. “But he rose once more.”

“You have a lot of nerve to talk about my stronghold’s defenses. A red-eyed leech conquered you!”

“We invited him. He’s the last of the House of Old, the traditional ruling house of Dacia. Now the other royal houses can finally know peace after ages of infighting for the throne.”

“Invited?” The sorcerer glanced back, appearing satisfied by their lead. “Then your people were conquered by your own foolishness.”

“We had to do something. You wouldn’t understand.” Fleeing a ghoul basilisk wasn’t the time to explain three thousand years of Dacian history to this male, even if she were so inclined.

“Royal intrigues are beyond a lowly sorcerer’s comprehension?” This seemed to incense him.

“Just drop it.”

“How do you think your brother will locate you here anyway? Nightside has never been found.”

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