Page 50 of Blood of Night (The Thorne Hill)

“Hah. Not this time. My new alarm clock is rather persistent though.”

“How is my little god-witch doing today?”

“She’s perfect.” I can’t help but smile when I talk about her. “And busy being spoiled rotten.”

“Ah, Mother has her.”

“I’m pretty sure she’s already showing her off to all the witches in the library. Apparently, they finished the fairytale book last time she was here and now needs somethingmore seriousto read.”

Evander chuckles. “Yes, because every three-week-old needs to hear about the serious nature of black magic.”

“Hey, gotta start her young.” I close the door and hold out the black velvet bag. “I found the oracle Julian had been searching for.”

“So I heard.” Evander comes over and takes the bag, carefully and curiously taking the stone out.

“From whom?”

“Kristy filled me in on everything last night.”

My brows go up. “Because she spent the night in your bed?”

“Will you stop with that?” Evander gives me an annoyed look. “She’s like a sister to me.”

“Don’t say that and deny true love.”

“Do you want my help or not?”

“Fine,” I huff. “Any idea how to get that thing to work? It’s supposedly cursed, but it doesn’t feel cursed, does it?”

“Not at all.” He sets it on his desk and opens a drawer, pulling out a black crystal hanging on a chain. He holds it over the scarab, waiting a bit before reading the energy. “Whatever this has is well contained.”

“That’s what I thought too.”

“When we were researching the Underworld in the library, I came across a section about how the witches and warlocks of the time would communicate with the gods. This should act almost like a phone, in a sense.” He picks up the scarab and turns it over in his hands. “I say we cast a circle and go about using this like a spirit board.”

“Sounds good to me,” I say back. “And easy. I can do it at home so you’re not—”

“If there’s a chance this thing is cursed, best to keep it here where we can whisk it away with little consequences. Eliza’s helped you a lot lately, but she can’t help you break a curse,” he adds pointedly. If I wasn’t so focused on the chance of getting to see Lucas, I would be bothered by his last statement.

“Good idea.”

I move the little couch and coffee table away from the fireplace and pour a circle of salt on the floor. Evander casts a protective spell on his office, and we have the velvet bag full of salt ready just in case we need to throw the scarab in and make a run for it.

“Ready, sis?”

“I am.” My head bobs up and down. “Please, work,” I whisper to the stone. Evander steps out of the circle and I put my fingertips on the scarab, as if it was a planchette for a spirit board. I quiet my mind and start to feel a vibration coming from deep within the stone. “Osiris?” I call into the vibration. “God of the Underworld, please hear my cries.”

My whole body begins to vibrate and tremble along with the stone, and I can feel the thrums of energy pulsing around me. My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears. I wait several beats and then straighten up…but something feels different.

I’m not seated on the soft rug in Evander’s office anymore. The ground beneath me is hard, cold, and gritty, like sand covering stone. My eyes fly open and I realize that’s exactly what it is. I’m not in the office anymore, but in some sort of temple. The oracle isn’t in front of me anymore, and I scramble to my feet

“Lucas!” I call, more than aware I’m screaming into the dark, announcing my presence for anything and everything in this place. But I don’t care. “Lucas!” I whirl around, looking down a dark hall, illuminated only with flickering the flames from the torches on the wall. I tip my head up, looking above me. The ceiling is endless, or maybe not there at all. Yet no stars dot the sky and suddenly the darkness feels too close, like it’s falling down on me.

I’m in some sort of hall, maybe? The air is cool and has a faint smell of dirt, yet I can’t tell if I’m inside or outside and it’s messing with my head, making me dizzy. I’m astral projecting—I think—or maybe I’m communicating all in my head, sort of like the way I was able to talk to Lucifer in my dreams. Whatever I’m doing, I’m here, and I’m not leaving until I find Lucas.

And I’m taking him with me.

Going over to one of the torches, I carefully pull it out of the holder and run my hand over the wall, feeling the smooth stones. I think I’m in some sort of pyramid. It’s endless, like Hell. Holding the torch out in front of me, I let my eyes fall shut and try to feel a pull on my heart, telling me which direction to go.

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