Page 41 of The Darkest Night

Mae’s pulsethumped loudly in her ears as she bolted into the shadows beneath the trees, her gaze locked on the figure darting between the trunks up ahead.

It was Rose. She was sure of it.

Branches and leaves snagged at her hair and clothes as she dashed through the undergrowth. She ignored the scratches on her skin and the tears in her suit, her mind full of questions and her heart singing with relief.

She’s alive! Rose is alive!

The outlook opened up after some eighty feet.

Mae darted out into the sunlight and staggered to a stop in the middle of a clearing framed by mausoleums and headstones. She whirled around, her gaze frantically scanning the area for Rose. A flicker above drew her gaze. Her stomach dropped.

Rose was floating some twenty feet in the air. “Hi, Mae.”

She drifted down and landed smoothly on top of a tombstone.

A chill raced down Mae’s spine.

An aura of corruption was swelling around her best friend.

Rose watched her with cold detachment. The gaping hole in her chest had disappeared and she looked alive and healthy. Except Mae knew the voice that had just come from her lips. Would remember it forever more.

Rose’s pupils flared crimson, her expression amused. “I see you already know the truth, witch.”

Fury sent heat bubbling through Mae’s veins. She clenched her fists, knowing she was close to losing control again and not caring. Not when the monster she intended to kill stood before her wearing her best friend’s body.

“What have you done with Rose?!”

The devil studied her blankly before bursting out laughing. Rose cackled and wheezed until tears streamed down her face, the wild sounds she made ringing painfully in Mae’s ears.

“Oh my!” the creature finally managed in between chuckles. Rose dropped to the ground and wiped at her cheeks. “What an inane question. What have I done with her?” She spread her arms in a welcoming gesture, her eyes mocking. “Why, she is right here, standing before you.” She cocked her head to the side. “I have to admit, I like this body.”

Fire filled Mae’s mind. “Get out of her, you bastard!”

The air turned red, her magic exploding in a wave that shook the trees and cracked headstones. The pendant inside her shirt whirred angrily.

The devil grinned, satisfaction lighting up its hateful pupils. Rose raised a hand in the air. “Now!”

Dark-clad figures appeared from all around the clearing, magic flickering around them and their familiars in sickening, inky auras. Their voices rose in a susurration that raised goosebumps on Mae’s flesh. Dread churned her gut, the unknown spell they were chanting tugging at something deep inside her.

She hadn’t sensed their presence at all.

Her gaze found the devil who’d taken Rose’s form.

Wait. Is that because of—?!

Pressure dropped down on her, an invisible hammer that drew a cry from her throat and made her legs buckle. A black tempest detonated across the clearing. Light faded, the dark currents obscuring the sky and the sun.

Mae choked as she collapsed onto one knee. The air had turned thick and heavy, so much so she felt like she was breathing under water. The pendant shuddered, magic faltering.

What—what is this?!

She could feel something binding her power even as she tried to let it loose. Something evil and insidious. Her ears popped. The shadows around her started to pulse with a crimson glow. The stench of sulfur drenched the clearing.

The weight bearing down on her intensified. Mae found herself on her hands and knees, fingers sinking into the ground and body bowing under the invisible force holding her captive. She gritted her teeth, twisted her head sideways, and stole a look at the sky. Her eyes rounded.

Fear turned her blood to ice.

A portal had formed above her. One that looked identical to the one Brimstone had fallen out of two nights ago.

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