Page 326 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“What is the matter?” she asks.

“Nothing, just…” I grab her hand and infuse icy energy into her, her limbs becoming swallowed up by a layer of ice that later consumes her entire body.

She’s frozen to the spot, unable to move. Since I don’t know what her skills are and how quickly she’s able to break free, I quickly move to the edge of the bridge.

And since Ishaktar might not notice me staring at her immediately, I take it one step further and simply jump.

The fall is steep. So steep, in fact, that I fear it’s never-ending.

Without warning and after what feels like an eternity, I crash onto a hard, scorching ground. My body twists and contorts, with broken bones protruding from my flesh and half my face caved in.

Well… Damn.

Pain erupts everywhere in my body, so much so I can barely roll from side to side to take some pressure off my injured side. Once I’m on my back, I feel for the broken bones and push them back into place. My shoulder goes in easy enough. My cheekbone, too. My jaw proves a little harder as I find the right angle to pop it back on. It’s my hip and shin bones that are the worst, mostly because the bone has broken off, leaving a sharp, ragged edge.

I’m not sure why, but there is something off about this place. My movements are slower than before, and I have to make a conscious effort to carry out even the easiest of tasks.

I tear some material from the bottom of my dress and wrap it around my hand in a thick layer. Using my clenched fist, I knock on the bone with the layered part of my hand until it moves back into place. It takes me minutes on end to successfully put all my bones back inside my body. But even with nothing else poking out, I find that my healing is not as sharp as it should be considering I’m at full power. The skin mends, but there is anoticeable delay, which means there is a noticeable delay in my pain subsiding too.

Goddamn it, as Mine would say. Considering the pain I’m enduring right now for him, I will add a one hundred times interest to his debt. He will owe me orgasms for not only his next life, but the next one and the next-next one too.

Muttering a strong of curses under my breath—another thing I’ve learned from him—I wobble to my feet. But it’s when I try to stand up that it hits me that this is not a normal place at all.

A suffocating heat envelops me, making it hard to breathe. My lungs work at double capacity to make up for it. But it’s not just my breathing that’s affected. This scorching heat makes me want to strip off every layer of clothing, even shed my skin. My mouth is dry and I’m suddenly struck by an unquenchable thirst.

I take a step forward, but it feels as if I’m taking a step back instead.

My vision blurs and I’m unable to make out anything around me. The air is thick and oppressive, bearing down on me mercilessly, making me unable to carry my own weight.

I crash to my knees, unable to stand up anymore.

My breathing is shallow and ragged, and I start gasping for air.

But just as I think I might suffocate, fresh air fills my lungs until I can finally breathe properly.

What?

“Better?” a voice asks.

I look up to see a female. Her slim figure is garbed in a flowing red dress. Her hair is pulled back tightly into a neat bun at the back of her head. Green, vibrant eyes overlined with a black kohl stare down at me.

“Who are you?”

She smiles slowly at me, revealing sharp, predatory teeth. She crouches down in front of me.

“You may call me Anami.”

I frown. “Are you here to escort me out? Because I’m not leaving. Not yet.”

“On the contrary. I am here to help. But first…”

She raises her gaze, looking at something over my head.

“He’s here, watching. Shield your mind, Minerva,” she commands. “Now!”

FORTY-SEVEN

APERION, PRESENT DAY

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