Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(48)

Isis rolled her eyes and pointed to the first sentence. "I know a lot of languages. I can't read most of it either, but I know that word means prophecy or foretelling." She shrugged. "What, I can't be smart and beautiful?" A proud smile lit up her face before she looked over Liam's shoulder at the scroll once more. I moved to the side, allowing her a better view.

Isis pursed her lips, "It's Latin, I think." Isis sounded out the words, but none of us found meaning in it. "Superius et inferius gigni per daemones ardent. Innocentia Caelo texta est,, ipsa servabitur intra coven. Natus ex tria, est quarta, quamvis prophetia punctibus debitum Aquilonis. Conspectu erit gratiam illam, sed Mors sequi relinquere nil nisi tristitia. Contritio lecticis eam via, sicut oculos vigilemus cum inescatis halitum. In latrunculorum lusu suppetit, quos eludere est. Angelica, spawn est tamen impignorantur. Negat in paucis, ut tradit om. Fugere hostes sociosque et erit, tuebantur hostium electus. Scissum est medium mundi nondum enim fatis huc armis." Her eyebrows drew together, studying what she had read, and I vaguely wondered if she was keeping the full meaning to herself.

She was barely finished reading the prophecy, when a deafening blare of noise made its way through the doors. At first, I thought that we had somehow set off an alarm and were about to be arrested. I didn't know what the punishment was for breaking into rooms in this place, but I knew that I didn't want to find out. Liam handed me the scroll while he and Griffin scrutinized the hallway outside. Suddenly, Rafe barreled into the room with Maloc.

The old warrior took us in and shot Rafe a reproachful stare. "It's not safe to be here. We need to leave." His voice shook and I wondered at the old man's fear. He had the look of having weathered many storms. What could possibly scare him?

"Why?" Griffin and I spoke at the same time, exchanging glances before I took the lead. "What's going on? What is that sound?"

Rafe answered as he shuffled all of us into the room towards the skylight. "We're under attack and some of the wings have caught fire." He pulled a desk under the skylight and looked back at us. "Unless you want to be burned alive or skewered, I think the questions can wait."

I was speechless. Everyone had made this place sound impenetrable. Who was attacking, and why? The look on Maloc's face was grim, but I knew whatever was attacking this safe haven was here for me.

"What is it?" My voice was barely a whisper. I thought of Maye asleep in the medical ward and Ash wandering the halls. Were they safe? How could I be expected to leave my family behind?

"Come on." Rafe gestured to Isis. She climbed atop the desk and he folded his hands together to give her a boost. She held onto his shoulder for support, grabbing the edge of the skylight with her other hand to heft herself up.

I crossed my arms. "I'm not going anywhere until you answer my questions."

All four men turned to face me. Maloc and Rafe exchanged wary glances, but Maloc answered me. "Creatures that I have never seen. Before the warning sounded, one of the guards spoke over the radio, describing a massacre that was taking place. His voice cut off before he could tell us more."

At Maloc's silence, Rafe took up the explanation. "A friend of mine then melded his mind to mine. He showed me a creature made entirely of fire one floor above us. Guards, prisoners, and civilians had burned in the chaos. The creature was sucking all oxygen from the room and it was difficult to breathe. He passed down orders that we were to get as many out as possible."

"I have to go." I ran to the doors and tried to pry them open, but Izzy slammed her body into the door, while Maloc and Liam dragged me away from them. "You don't understand,” I cried. “Ash and Maye are up there! I have to help them!"

But I knew I wasn't going anywhere.

Liam grabbed my face, forcing me to look in his eyes, "We can't do anything for them. Just hope they get out. If we go after them, we're as good as dead. I care about them too." The pain in his eyes got through to me.

I nodded. "Okay, alright." I smiled, trying to show that I understood the situation, but Liam didn't seem to believe I had given up. Spying Griffin near the desk, looking up at Isis's face leaning down in the skylight, I demanded that he get to safety first.

"Hell no! You think Ash would forgive me if I protected my own ass and something happened to you?" Griffin's upper lip peeled back from his teeth in disgust.

"Isis is up there by herself. I have plenty of people down here to protect me, but no one is up there with her." The logic behind my words sank in and Griffin readied himself to climb through the skylight. He was just through when a sound that was a cross between a freight train and echoing footsteps rained on my ears. We braced ourselves, facing the doors, knowing that whatever was out there would be upon us in a few moments.

"Go!" Liam shouted back at me, wanting me to choose the safety that the skylight had to offer.

I shook my head. This was my battle and there was no way that I was about to allow others to fight it for me. "I'm not going anywhere unless you go first."

Liam looked back at me, then at Isis and Griffin. "You’re one stubborn princess, you know that?" In a movement that was almost as graceful as Kit, he leapt onto the desk, his feet barely grazing the wood before his arms were pulling him through the window. Isis and Griffin helped pull him up.