Page 119 of The Sacred and the Tormented

“Will this key open the other doors?”

The female nodded, her body shaking violently. Maybe an old version of herself would have healed the female despite working for Niall, but Arianna felt no such compassion now.

She slid from the table, her bare feet hitting the ice. Anyone else might have recoiled, but warmth floated through her, wrapping her body in a pleasant embrace.

Her magic crackled in the air and creature within her hummed, ready, just as she was, to tear everything apart. Tiny spears of ice materialized around her head, floating as she crossed the room.

“You won’t make it.”

Arianna tilted her head back. “I will and I’m hunting down that piece of shit you all claim as a High Lord.”

Arianna turned away and peered through the small window at the top of the door. People were racing back and forth. Their voices were muffled, but she knew they’d likely heard the female’s scream.

Arianna yanked it open and stepped into the hall.

Five males and three females stood on the other side, some with shackles in their hands, others with vials that likely held some sort of concoction to render her unconscious.

She nearly smirked. As if she’d let that happen.

Arianna let the creature within burst free. Hundreds of icicles surged forward, impaling each one with enough force to send them crashing to the floor.

None rose again.

Her magic tugged Arianna forward, begging her to hurry, hurry, hurry. She took off running. Ice crackled at her feet with every step. It spread to the walls, seeping through the cracks, diving deeper and deeper as if it might reach its destination before she could.

More doors slammed open and Arianna ducked around weapons and magic fired at her. Arrows, flames, small balls of what she could only assume were iron.

None hit their mark.

She saw everything with unnatural clarity, as if her magic read the movements and relayed them faster than her brain could process.

She closed the distance. One male reached out with his hands and Arianna gripped his wrist, tearing the water from his entire limb before solidifying it into a spear and firing it at his companions. She ducked around fire as it spun toward her and froze the flames midair. They crashed to the ground, shattering into hundreds of tiny shards.

A vine lashed out next and Arianna engulfed it in ice, stopping it in its tracks before sending it right back at the female.

Arianna threw the remaining few against the wall then sprinted down the hall again, that pull tugging at her very soul.

She didn’t know what it meant or how to make sense of it. She just knew if it vanished, the world would fall and everything she’d been fighting for would cease to exist.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Talon

Raevina was fine, thank the gods. Zylah and Gavin only carried minor injuries, though neither had spoken much since their release. He understood the haunting fear on Gavin’s face. He’d experienced it himself. To think that Vairik really would discard one of his family members as if they were nothing—Talon shook his head, regretting, for the first time, the way he’d treated the young male.

Talon placed a hand over his face, right where that mask had been. He’d felt the contraption, whatever it was called, pulling at his magic, stealing it from his body as he floated there completely helpless. A quiet humming had engulfed him, suffocating him. He’d lost count of how many times he’d passed out.

It was the first time Talon had ever experienced iron. The first time he’d ever felt so … defeated.

Talon’s gaze drifted to Saoirse. She was the worst of the lot. Someone had stitched the wounds that’d needed it, but she’d ripped them open while looking for Zylah. Zylah was currently looking her over, ensuring the female wouldn’t bleed out. He didn’t fully understand the forlorn expression on Saoirse’s face, but he noted the way she wouldn’t meet Zylah’s gaze, as if she were ashamed.

His eyes moved to Rion last, looking the male up and down as he leaned against the far wall, still clutching his chest. Rion watched his sister, concern etched across his features along with unrelenting pain. His breath was ragged, as if whatever he were feeling was nearly unbearable.

He’d said the bond was gone. The fact weighted on all of them. But Vairik wanted the pair to rid the world of the bond.He’d been waiting centuries. He wouldn’t kill either of them so easily, which meant he’d done something to Arianna.

Talon clenched his fists. The two were thwarted at every turn. Just when they thought they were about to reach a place of happiness, outside forces came along to break them apart.

To know that Vairik had targeted Rion his entire life—Talon had his own apologies to make. When he’d seen Raevina on the ground, he’d attacked Rion without reservation, ready to kill him once and for all as if he were still the monster from the war. His actions were inexcusable, even if Vairik had been manipulating him.

---