Page 104 of Invoking the Blood

Rune took hold of her mind and pulled her into his. Faye’s brow drew together.

“Be easy.” Rune crooned, brushing the back of his fingers over her cheek. “You need to be in my mind so I can hold you above the Darkness. If we stay in yours, you are likely to slam your shields on me and plummet alone.”

He kissed the corner of her mouth and divided his focus between his body and the intangible ravine that cradled the Darkness. Faye materialized before him and wrapped her arms around his neck when she looked down.

“Why are we up so high? Where are we?” Faye squeezed her eyes shut clutching to him desperately.

“Above the Darkness,” Rune answered.

Faye’s eyes widened as the Ra’Voshnik snaked its arm around her waist, pulling her into it.

Rune bared his fangs, “Do not frighten her.”

The Ra’Voshnik held his gaze and pressed a kiss to her hair. It muttered, “We have you,” and released her.

Faye twisted in his arms to glance at the creature. She turned back to him. “Can Voshki hold me above the Darkness?”

Hurt twisted in his chest and the creature spoke before he could. “You’re safer in his hands. The Shadow Prince has a disciplined mind.” It ran its fingers through her hair and Rune fought the urge to eviscerate the creature. It turned to him and said, “I know my limitations.”

They growled at each other, and Faye slapped his chest. Him. He gazed down at her, canting his head.

“I’ll stay with you. Be nice,” she said.

The Ra’Voshnik laughed and Rune exhaled.

“Your instinct will be to dive. I need you to fight it and stay with me.” He gazed down at her and asked, “Ready?”

Faye nodded.

“I have you,” he promised. Rune angled his hips, pressing into her. Working her in slow shallow movements.

He held her in his mind, prepared for the start of her descent. Rune stifled a groan as her soft flesh gave and she took him into her. Faye took a sudden sharp breath, her eyes wide. She arched her back away from him. To Rune’s horror her eyes slid closed and she dove through the psychic chasm. Plummeting toward the Darkness far below them.

“Faye!” Rune screamed, unable to pull her out of her freefall. Her body hung limp in his arms. Her long black hair whipped around them as they fell.

He channeled all his strength into slowing her descent, barely perceiving the skin under his ring as it blackened and charred on his physical hand.

“Rune!” Sadi’s voice screamed from far above him.

“Cut the tether!” Morbid’s voice thundered.

“NO!” Sadi’s panicked screams lanced his ears. An influx of power surged through the tether connecting his mind to Sadi’s, replenishing him.

The Darkness, raw raging power, coiled and crashed beneath him. Fear took hold of Rune, its icy fingers sinking deep. Reaching through his being. They weren’t collectively strong enough to pull Faye out of her dive.

If I plummet, let me fall.

No! Rune clutched her tight, tucking her to his chest. He couldn’t let her go. Rune cleared his mind, losing precious seconds as he devised a solution. He routinely walked into The Crumbling. Could withstand ten to fifteen minutes in it. He could shield them through the Darkness and pull them out when her dive eased.

Rune wove the shields to regenerate from him. Pain was fleeting, he could focus through this and keep her safe.

He tightened his hold over Faye, keeping her close. He rolled them so his back would hit first. Making it easier to focus on ascending in the right direction.

The first touch of the Darkness burned through his shield, searing his mind with pain that electrified every nerve ending in his body.

He’d misjudged this. The Darkness was exponentially stronger and far more destructive than The Crumbling. It consumed his power in an instant. A drop of water absorbed into a vast ocean. Pain beyond his comprehension racked his body.

The last thing he heard was Sadi screaming his name.

---