Page 120 of The Sacred and the Tormented

Talon had spent so much time fighting against The Demon that his mind hadn’t realized Rion was a separate person. That The Demon had been a façade to ensure his survival over the years. And that some of the deaths might not have even been his direct doing.

How many times had Rion’s mind been manipulated into believing an innocent person was an enemy? How many of those deaths belonged to Vairik alone?

“We’re wasting time,” Saoirse said. She tried rising from the floor and nearly fell.

Zylah caught her and draped Saoirse’s arm over her shoulder. “You shouldn’t be moving.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t have a choice, do I?” Saoirse looked up at Rion. “Let’s go find her.”

“Here,” Raevina handed Talon a pair of daggers along with a holster, then passed out a few more. “It’s all they had. We can grab more along the way.”

Talon buckled the belt around his waist and inserted the two daggers. They were meager compared to what he usually carried, but some weapons were better than none. They had their magic, but judging by the way Rion’s kept jerking, he’d be leading their path of destruction anyway.

Rion pushed off the wall and they moved down the hall as fast as Saoirse could manage. Zylah had done her best to treat Saoirse’s injuries with runes, which seemed to relieve some of the pain, but just as Sive had mentioned, it wasn’t as fast acting as Arianna’s magic.

The group paused before a set of staircases. One led up, where Vairik’s study was likely to reside. The other led down, back to the dungeons.

“Which way?” Raevina asked.

Rion gripped his chest harder as they all turned to him. “I don’t know.”

“You do,” Zylah countered. “Focus past the pain. Even with a severed bond, you’ll still be able to find her.”

Talon saw the way Rion’s throat bobbed. Fear drifted off him. If he couldn’t find that tether, no matter how small, then that would mean—

They all fell silent as Rion stared at the floor, his gaze vacant. The seconds ticked by and Zylah used the time to continuing tracing runes over Saoirse’s leg. If they could get her running, it would make getting to Arianna easier. Faster.

Talon glanced down the hall again, eyeing the bubbling vials lining the walls. His stomach turned, knowing the body parts within were likely all Fae. He just didn’t understand why they’d been kept. Did Vairik believe he’d found pieces of the bond in them? Could he siphon a Fae’s magic even in death? Or was he using the bits to incubate something more sinister?

“Down,” Rion suddenly said and Talon whirled to find Rion’s magic flaring, tearing at the stones in the corners. A fierce determination flashed through his eyes, replacing the hollow grief from earlier. “She’s down.”

The male practically sprinted for the stairs and the rest of them followed. A small smile spread across Talon’s face. She was alive.

Hold on, Arianna. We’re coming.

Chapter Forty

Arianna

Instead of fighting, Arianna quickly left the chaos behind. Fae were screaming and howling in pain as she let her magic cover everything in her wake. She didn’t have time to see who died or survived. Not with the urgency pulsing through her, urging her down, down, down.

Run.

Hurry.

Something was pulling her into the depths of the castle, drawing her in with magnetic force.

Something.

Or someone.

She kept sprinting, bounding down staircase after staircase, weaving through halls, and passageways until it all just … ended.

Arianna carefully stepped into the silent, dark hall. The sconces lining either side only held a small flame, telling her they might blink out any moment. She scented the air, tasting blood and fear.

Large cells spread along the walls, each door torn through as if some giant creature had burst free.

Arianna inched forward on silent feet, keeping her breathing even. She peered into the first cell and covered her nose, trying to block out the stench of rot and decay. Straw littered the floor in a corner. A nest. Bones were scattered around the enclosure as well, with flies buzzing between chunks of flesh that she didn’t want to examine too closely.

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