Page 38 of Fated In Forever
17
EVANGELINE
Iwas still picking apart Malachi’s bullshit, martyr-ish explanation when a rusted scythe swung from the ceiling—one final insult from the creator of this cursed place—Blake barely managing to yank me out of the way in time. The blade clanged off the wall, sparks flying, before lodging into the floor.
My mate fussed over me, dusted me off, checking for non-existent injuries as I studied that rusted edge, still sharp enough to cleave stone. Malachi watched unblinkingly, and I felt a faint ripple of approval down our bond as Blake tended to me.
I refrained from flipping him off.
How dare you orchestrate all of this without my consent?I fumed, when we set off again, hoping he heard every word. How dare you decide what I want? If I want to be bonded to a monster, then I will goddamned well be bonded to a monster.
We were getting closer to the round room, and the pool, and the portal.
Closer to a final goodbye.
How could you leave me? I swallowed past the knot in my throat, past the tears burning my eyes.How fucking dare you leave me here all by myself, while you give up so easily.
A low rumbling growl vibrated his chest, but that wasall. There was no answers in my head, no promise to stop this bullshit ritual.
I could barely breathe, my stomach twisted into knots. There hadn’t been a single blocked passageway, a single cave-in to clear away. Only these enchanted, well-lit tunnels, guiding us—no, pushing us—right where they wanted us to be.
And every step we took, I had the eerie feeling we were being watched.
Not by the stones, or the magic, but by something aware and alive, something that had a vested interest in us ending up in that cursed room. But every time I wanted to turn around, to abandon this stupid quest, something stronger kept pulling me downward.
Ahead, the tunnel widened, the walls curving into an archway, an intersection of three corridors of ancient stone. Beyond that, a pale light pulsed—too red to be natural. Malachi had gone preternaturally still, eyes as dark as night assomethingpulsed through the air.
“What the fuck is that?”
“The pool.” I whispered, at the same time Riordan muttered, “The portal.”
“The bullshit magic in this place.” Blake clarified, as Nash drew his gun. “That won’t do you a bit of good, my friend. Don’t brush up against the walls, don’t touch anything, and no one get close to the water.”
Even from here, I sensed the endless depths lurking behind the blank face of the portal, like staring down a cold, dark well with no bottom. The incessant hum vibrated my teeth, sank into my skin, made my bones rattle. The sound of our breathing grew louder, our steps slowing, the air murky with a fog of magic and shadow.
“That intersection leads to two rooms.” Riordanexplained softly, as if he was afraid the walls might hear. “To the left is the room with the portal, to the right…an empty chamber. Brendan, make sure you have everything ready for the ritual, because the less time we spend in that room, the better.”
“The air is fucking noxious down here.” Finn muttered.
“It’s about to get worse,” Blake said and I pressed my hand against the cool stone wall, letting myself acclimate to the sheer intensity of the place. Vibrations throbbed up my arm, slow and wrong, like a heartbeat trapped beneath the surface of the earth. The ley line here wasn’t just broken—it wasbleeding.
Magic shimmered in the air like mist, thick and heavy, pricking against my skin, tasted like ash on my tongue. Everyone seemed to move slower, murky forms blurring together.
And beneath all of it…thetick, tick, tickof time, slipping away.
Malachi was right behind me, silent, a shadow larger than life, holding all that pain inside himself, unwilling to share. I didn’t need to turn to know he was barely holding himself together.
I knew better than to reach for him. I couldn’t risk that kind of disappointment right now, because I was already stretched too thin, and one more rejection might break me.
Anger made me strong, but grief…grief chipped away at my resolve, my heart aching in my hollow chest, as I slipped my fingers along the chain around my neck.
The key was still there. Warm from my body. Smooth, except for the tiny runes carved along its length. The Book was safe in my pocket, the black cover velvety soft, made from the finest leather, humming faintly with some secret only Malachi knew.
I had been told to protect them both. That they were important.
But he hadn’t told mewhy.
Were they weapons? Insurance? Secrets?
