A Ride of Peril (A Shade of Vampire #46)(56)

Someone was clearly watching us through the flames, because the hostiles were permanently hot on our trail. I’d lost track of where we were, turning left and right over and over again. Draven, Hansa, and I were compelled to trust Sverik’s knowledge of Azazel’s castle.

“Our best chance is to sneak out through one of the water canals leading to the river,” Sverik said as we ran up a set of narrow stairs. “We can swim up to get as close as we can to Mount Zur before we continue the rest of the way on foot. If we take the old-fashioned way out, they will capture us before we reach the castle gates.”

“Where are the water canals?” Draven asked as we reached the top of the stairs.

“Right here,” Sverik replied.

We found ourselves inside a massive bath hall with black marble tubs carved into the floor and connected through a network of canals. Water poured slowly through them, filling the tubs before following a stream leading out through a narrow archway.

“This is one of the baths used by Azazel’s soldiers,” Sverik said, catching his breath as we walked toward the archway.

I looked around. Even the baths were creepy and dark and slimy. This place had all the attributes of an evil monster’s lair, down to the amenities. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was bound to go wrong. Making it up here in the first place had been too easy.

“We might get lucky and get out of here alive,” Sverik said. “It’s too early in the morning. It will take a little while to—”

A hiss interrupted him, and before I could look behind me, I was viciously pulled back and thrown onto the wet floor. I hit the stone hard, the air instantly knocked out of my lungs.

I choked. Stars erupted. My vision cleared.

A Destroyer stood above me, spear in his hand ready to kill me. He lifted his spear to get the job done.

My heart stilled.

A sword slashed through the air, severing his head. His body dropped, head rolling to the side. Blood spurted all over me.

I saw Draven standing next to where the Destroyer had been, his fingers clutching the sword and his eyes flickering black. He pulled me up and held me close, one arm coiled around my waist firmly. He looked at me carefully, concern etched into his beautiful features, his eyes switching between gray and black.

I leaned into him.

Before we could say anything else, more hissing emerged from the staircase, along with more Destroyers with spears and swords eager to kill.

“Run!” Sverik shouted and darted toward the archway.

We followed, sprinting through one of the canals. Water splashed beneath our feet.

The monsters growled. Spears and arrows flew past us. We dodged them effectively, though some missed me by mere inches.

“Nowhere to run!” I heard one Destroyer shout after us.

I saw Sverik pass through the archway, enveloped in darkness. Hansa went in second, followed by me and Draven. Spears and arrows hit the wall around it.

We ran as fast as we could. The sound of our footsteps through the water echoed around us as we headed for the light at the end of the tunnel.

The closer we got, the more my heart shrank and my stomach tightened.

I could see the distant treetops outside. We’d made it well above ground level without even noticing. The sun was rising, casting amber and pale pink light across the sky. We’d gone up a significant number of stairs and through many corridors. I’d clearly lost track of where we were headed.

I looked over my shoulder and saw the bulky Destroyers slithering through the tunnel like massive black shadows.

“We have to jump,” Sverik shouted.

He stood on the edge, where the water poured outward.

Hansa reached him first and glanced down. She gave me a wary expression.

“What?” I asked, my nerves stretched and patience running thin.

“We have to jump,” she said, visibly unhappy with the decision.

Arrows swished through the air.

We dodged them. One grazed my shoulder.

I gasped.

“Run!” Draven pushed me.

I did as he said.

We ran. We had no other choice.

Whatever waited beyond the end of the tunnel was likely better than what was moving toward us. I heard swords whistling as they were pulled out of their sheaths. They got closer.

Sverik jumped.

Hansa followed with a roar that split the air and echoed through the tunnel.

It was too late to turn back or do anything else.

Three more steps, and it would be over, or worse. It didn’t matter.

I ran.

I jumped.

The world opened up as I left the tunnel, flailing in midair.

The jungle sprawled below. A river flowed through it, thick and foamy. Water from the castle cascaded into it.

My mind instantly took me to Draven.

I fell.





Jovi





The feast was impressive to say the least. The Lamias had us seated at a large wooden table covered with a plethora of hot dishes, stews, fruits, vegetables and a multitude of nuts and dark breads. Pitchers of sweet tea and cool water with rose petals were being passed around, filling crystal chalices to the brims.

A bright red fire burned in the middle of the table, mounted on a marble plate filled with oil and supported by dozens of raw, unpolished emeralds. Young Lamias moved around, helping with food service. Two harps played nearby.