Page 129 of The Sacred and the Tormented

Talon had moved Ellie onto his shoulder. Someone else had slipped an iron bracelet around her wrist. Saoirse was nearly running on her own, though her limp was heavy. Even so, she looked more determined than any of them.

Arianna faced forward, refusing to meet The Demon’s gaze.

Fae ran in all directions, scarcely passing them a glance as they sprinted down the halls, carrying things they deemed important enough to risk their lives for. She wondered if Vairik would punish them for leaving the items behind.

The ground rumbled beneath her feet and Arianna nearly tripped but righted herself again. Emotion welled in her throat and she clenched her teeth knowing the Fae they hadn’t rescued were all about to meet a gruesome end. She wondered how far it would spread, if the slaves she’d vowed to rescue would be caught up in it too.

They ran up another level and she nearly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing sunlight through the far window. An explosion echoed from behind. The walls splintered and several cracks raced along the stones. A blast of heat surged from down the hall, nearly knocking Arianna off her feet again. She saw The Demon grab Saoirse’s arm, keeping her upright as they continued running.

Arianna pushed faster and scented The Demon’s magic at work as he held the walls up around them. She didn’t know why she’d saved him, nor why he bothered helping at all. He’d rendered her little sister unconscious and hadn’t killed her, almost as if he cared. Her magic had reacted of its own accord, reaching out for him as if he were something it desperately needed. Maybe their survival depended on it.

Now wasn’t the time to ponder his reasons. Not when a portion of the ceiling crumpled before her. The Demon’s magic shot out again, holding the rest of it up as she jumped around the fallen stones. Arianna glanced behind her for a brief moment just to ensure everyone followed.

She continued toward the sunlight, then a wave of molten rock exploded from around the corner ahead. Arianna skidded to a halt, throwing her magic down the hall to stop it in its path. She could already feel the scorching heat.

The Demon slammed his hand through the stone to their left, opening a new path. Sweat poured down the sides of his face as he met her gaze again before jumping through. They all followed, racing forward as they jumped through wall after crumbling wall.

She kept knocking chunks of it away, determined to keep herself and her friends safe.

They kept running, kept pushing. Arianna dodged around another piece, then the entire ceiling came down around her. She used her magic to quickly shove Talon and Ellie out of theway, then something slammed into her back. Her chin hit the floor, her leg cracked, and Arianna didn’t even have time to scream before her world went black.

Chapter Forty-Four

Rion

Rion cursed and spun around. He’d hit the wrong wall. The entire structure crumbled behind him. Talon was shoved forward, and Ellie fell from his grasp, her body bouncing across the hard floor. Rion reached out, catching the crumbling stone before it could fully bury his mate beneath the surface.

The others stopped briefly, gasping for breath as they watched him pull Arianna’s limp body from the rubble. He checked her breathing, then cradled her in his arms before taking off again. They were all nearly ready to collapse. If they didn’t find an exit soon …

He’d expected to face hell eventually, Rion just never foresaw it rising to claim him itself.

The ground rumbled, quaking, just waiting for the chance to snatch them all with its flaming grasp.

“How much further?” Talon panted.

He didn’t know, and without an answer, he could feel the collective fear pouring off them all. Everyone’s magic helped to stave off the castle itself as the walls closed in. Even Gavin had regained himself enough to help. He seemed to be keeping the air clear enough for them to breathe at least.

If they vanished from the world, would Vairik wait for another Divine, or would he destroy the continent before moving on? Was someone like him even capable of moving on?

Faster, faster, faster.

Another chunk of rock crumbled, revealing sunlight through the rubble ahead. Rion nearly cried out in relief, even as another chunk of the wall fell and hit the light from view.

Rion carved a path straight through it. He didn’t even pause to see where it led before he jumped through the opening, the others leaping right behind him.

Rion’s magic surged outward, giving them a foothold as they fell from the side of the castle. Talon’s magic did the same, slowing their decent as much as he dared. Saoirse summoned vines and trees. They raced up from the ground below, forming a steep ramp. Rion’s feet met a trunk and he struggled to match the pace of his fall.

One of the castle’s towers landed directly to their left, a large crossbow releasing a large bolt that swept directly in front of him, narrowly missing his body. Saoirse kept her magic forming, guiding them until their feet hit the rocky ground below.

No one stopped.

Burning rock surrounded them on all sides, pooling around the castle as if it were a fiery moat. Rion cringed at the heat as they closed in, but Talon was already wrapping them all in ice, covering their skin with a thin layer in an attempt to keep them cool.

Raevina seemed to be dimming the flames themselves, the rocks turning black in small patches. Rion raised the earth there, and they flew across it, wincing from the blistering heat.

The scene around them was complete chaos. Dark Fae were pouring from the crumbling castle, but without magic, their bodies disintegrated when they tried to run through the molten rock.

Good riddance. Let them suffer in hell..

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