Page 350 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

I eye the black net above, coming up with a plan. If I absorb the energy, maybe I can break it and get us out of here.

I get halfway when a heavy weight settles over me, making me feel like I need to take a long nap. I shake it off trying to move as close to the net as I can, but before I can reach it, my dragon starts to pull back.

What the fuck?

My wings grow heavier and heavier as I try to stop a shift from taking over. It’s as if most of my energy has been yanked away from me.

I’m forced to the ground as I grow weaker, my dragon no longer able to stay in his form. I glance over and see Jax is fairing the same, he’s already shifted back and is bent over struggling to get back up.

I can’t hold it anymore as I shift back, my dragon roaring in pain.

My hands slam to the ground as I pant through the quick shift, my eyes catching on the bracelet and the beads. Every single one of them is dim, nearly completely black.

Fuck.

So that’s what happened.

A loud buzzing shakes me out of my murderous thoughts, my eyes draw to the dust rising and falling from the ground as if something is moving it. Looking over at the spot all the demons come from, my eyes widen.

Where the ash remains of the demons once were, now in its place is a creepy black thing that moves and spreads as one. It grows, multiplying as it expands backward before swarming toward me and Jax.

I share a look with him before I push myself up, watching Jax do the same as we make a move toward the only place we can go right now.

The shitty cave.

We’ve no choice, it’s either that or the creepy black thing moving toward us and like hell was I about to test that thing touching me.

We can’t shift, anyway.

We make it inside the cave and the bars slam down, locking us in once more. I glance back out and watch as the black thing rushes right toward us. Jax and I take a step back just as it reaches the bars.

“Maybe we should—”

All of a sudden, the black thing stops, staying right outside the cave. A loud shrill sounds out just before the blackened ground collapses in on itself.

“That’s fucking messed up.” Jax stares at the weird large shadow hole, his eyes wide.

“You can say that again.”

Jax faces me, giving me a deadpan look. “That’s fucking messed up.” His face switching to a smirk. “Any other requests?”

I shake my head at him, still trying to catch my breath from the forced shift and running from whatever that thing is, when dark spots start to enter my vision.

“What the fuck was that?” I don’t hear whatever else Jax says as a loud ringing shoots through my ears, making everything tilt and sway around me.

My legs buckle beneath me as my vision goes dark.

Fuck, not again…

I feel my face cushion my fall just before I black out.

CHAPTER 14

RION

Afew hours ago…or what feels like it… Kai and I woke up in a cave. There’s an arena right outside, making me think we are in for our next test. Or game, depending on what way you look at it. I’m sure the fools who set this up are enjoying watching us.

Once we realized we couldn’t rip through the cave wall or break the bars that shock us if we so much as touch them, we settled down and waited.

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