Page 69 of Prince of the Undying

He shut his eyes. “The dead.”

The tiny hairs on my arms stood at attention. We hadn’t even reached the catacombs yet, though clearly that didn’t stop a necromancer from feeling bones through solid stone and earth. When I touched his wrist, the fire of his magic crawled onto my skin. I flinched away and rubbed my fingers together.

“Is there another way out of the catacombs?” I asked. “Or is it a dead end?”

He laughed. “Adeadend?”

“I’m serious.”

“There are two ways out. The way we came in, and stairs to the outside of the cathedral.”

I nudged his elbow to get him walking again. “Let’s leave the catacombs alive.”

We strode down the shadowy tunnel, past mildew-slicked stone walls that glistened in the flickering lamplight. The weight of the entire cathedral aboveground flattened the air. I struggled to breathe evenly.

“It’s claustrophobic in here,” I whispered.

“If we are lucky, this will be quick.” He guided me to the left. “Hurry, through here.”

We pushed through an iron-barred door that creaked on rusty hinges. Beyond, there was no light. The door groaned shut behind us and plunged us into near complete darkness. A sliver of lamplight slithered underneath the door. Wendel took my hand and tugged me forward, but I dug my heels into the dirt.

“Wait,” I whispered. “Step back.”

“Why?”

“Don’t want to cut you with my sword.” I drew Chun Yi.

Smoldering fire rushed through the steel and banished the darkness. Skulls stared back at me with empty eye sockets. Bones, thousands of them, were stacked inside the catacombs like kindling for a bonfire in hell.

His stunned face looked ghostly by the glow of the blade. “Where did you?—?”

“Same old sword. A swordsmith unlocked an enchantment.”

He eyed the sword. “What sort of enchantment?”

“Blood magic,” I said, as casually as I could manage.

He inhaled sharply. “Blood magic? Christ.”

“You know a thing or two about it?”

“Enough.” He wielded his black dagger, Amarant. “Take my hand.”

Chun Yi crackled in my hand. Smoke unfurled from Amarant and spiraled down his hand, covering his skin with shadows. When the shadows ran from his hand to mine, fiery pain burned me in the shape of his fingerprints.

I gasped. “Let go!”

After I yanked away, I shook out my hand. My skin throbbed where he had touched me. The enchantments must have clashed.

Shadows dissolved from Wendel as he pocketed Amarant. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” I lied. “I’m fine.”

“I don’t trust your sword. Seems evil to me.”

I glowered at him. “Evil? It must beyourdagger?—”

“Quiet!”

---