Page 40 of Savage Blood
The bull paced the magical wall, his ruby gaze locked on mine. A shudder rolled down my back. Somehow, he could still see me.
Would his toxic horns poison me like they did when I was a raven, or did my half-demon status make me immune?
I hoped I never found out.
After clutching my arm and Alicia’s, Roman towed us toward a small door hidden between a huge onyx marble fireplace and a built-in bookcase loaded with eerie demon tomes and trinkets. “Once you’re outside, you need to run to the door to Bonaventure Cemetery as fast as possible. Barricwillgo after you.”
Before he could shove us down the corridor, I dug my heels in and pulled out of his grasp.
“I have to get the Infernal Sol from him.”
Roman shook his head. “It’s not possible.”
“For me, it is.” I folded my arms. “I know I can?—”
The witch untangled my arms from each other. “I’m telling you, Tate, getting that amulet from Barric is a lost cause. You have to leave.”
“I know about the Admordum Nexia Covenant,” I blurted. “And I’m not leaving without that amulet. Plus, the bastard still owes me a cure.”
Alicia peered over my shoulder into the room where The Collective Nosterium still fought the demons. “If you two don’t get it together and come up with a plan, I’m booking it out ofhere. I’m not letting those psycho assholes strap me back to that table.”
“There’s no cure, Tate. I’m sorry.” Roman’s irises—flashing violet while he maintained the barrier spell—softened, and he reminded me of the guy I first met months ago at Silver Ridge. “You either heal or you don’t.”
And if I didn’t, I’d die.
“What about the amulet?” I asked. “Would taking it back heal me?”
Roman’s silence spoke volumes. Reclaiming the amulet would heal me.
Of course, I would probably fall totally under its control and no longer be myself…
I jerked out of Roman’s hold and paced the width of the corridor, raking my fingers through my hair. “I can’t leave without the amulet.”
“You have no choice,” Roman hissed. “At least Barric won’t have you to do the ritual.”
But he’d find some other way or come after me.
“He’s right, Tate.” Alicia smeared blood from her hands onto her already stained shirt. “We have to take the chance to escape while we can.”
A lump rose in my throat, knowing they were right, and I was stupid for arguing. The smart thing to do would be to get the hell out of Dodge ASAP.
“I’m not leaving without?—”
Roman slapped an antique gold key, two inches long, into my palm. “I enchanted this to open every door on the way to the dungeonandunlock the cells. Do you remember how to get there?”
I nodded and took the key.
“This is for the Malbraxis manacles.” He reached into hispocket, pulled out a small copper key, and fit it into one of the circlets on my wrist.
After he opened the second manacle, a moan spilled out of my mouth, and I pressed my hand against the wall to steady my legs as the connection to my shifter and demon sides flooded through my bloodstream. My head swam while familiar warmth unfurled in my center, and my wolf stretched within.
Could Fane feel this?
“Thanks,” Alicia murmured as he removed her cuffs.
Roman returned and passed me the key. “You'd better hurry. There isn’t much time left, and you’ll have to make your way back up here to get out.”
“What about you?” Another lump lodged in my throat. I knew what would happen if Barric found out Roman had helped us.
