Scorched Treachery (Imdalind, #3)(73)



I would have loved to walk quietly through the massive space, bask in the ancient architecture of the buttresses and stained glass windows I had known since I was a child. But the manic yelling of the man behind us was a heavy reminder of the desperate situation we had found ourselves in.

The calm heads of the pious people turned at our frantic movement and the yells that followed us in. I saw the ancient priest step forward in his long black robes, his hands extended in welcome and worry.

He was sweet and kind. All of these people were and I knew Edmund would kill him.

“Vytékat!” I yelled to the old priest. His face opened in horror as the high screech of my voice broke through the relative quiet of the cathedral.

He wasn’t moving. Fine, I would make him.

I lifted my hand as we passed him, his body lifting ten feet into the air before I sent him tumbling into a confessional.

It was enough. Edmund’s growing screams mixed with the new fear of those in the chapel. I saw people cowering against walls, hiding under pews, and a select few darted toward the main door to the beautiful room.

I didn’t wait to watch them hide. I kept my attention in front of me. There were only a few rooms to go before we would reach the catacombs, only a few minutes before we would reach Ilyan’s tomb. We could make it.

We could.

Sain and I turned at the ancient pulpit at the head of the chapel to dart through the heavy wooden door to the left of one of the many sandstones statues. I heard the door slam behind us, and for one brief moment, we were trapped in silence. I listened to my labored breathing, Sain’s panting, and felt the tightness of my chest adding to the panic I felt.

“To the door,” Sain whispered.

I nodded once before continuing to drag him behind me.

My heart beat and sputtered as we moved through the small bare hallways of the offices and apartments of the clergy before coming to a lone, black, stone door at the end of the empty hallway.

The catacombs.

My hand touched the ancient knob of the door as the door several halls behind us opened, releasing the screams we had trapped in the main chapel back into our ears.

He was coming.

I caught my scream in my chest. The door swung open and I shooed Sain into the dark, damp space in front of us, closing the door behind us as quietly as I could.

The smell of ancient death hit my nose. The long forgotten smell of loss ignited my panic even further.

I sealed the door, my magic closing the cracks and melting the stone together into a solid slab of rock.

It was pointless really, Edmund knew where we were going, but anything I could do to slow him down, I would.





Chapter Twenty-Two





Our breathing escaped in a rush as our feet moved us down the winding stone steps and into the depths of the tombs below the Cathedral.

“Faster,” Sain panted. I wasn’t sure if he spoke to me or to himself, but I took it at as a warning and let my magic flood through both of us, increasing our pace.

We flew down the staircase as the air became damper, the light dimming as it welcomed us into the home of the dead. We reached the base of the staircase, the dark expanse of the tombs a vivid reminder of the prison we had just left behind - the prison I had left my mate in.

I couldn’t think that way.

Death filled my lungs as we moved past the large, dark stacks of bones that made up the walls of the labyrinth we had walked into. Skulls smiled at us, each one a casualty of plague or war. The bones served as a warning to grave robbers, but it was not one I needed to heed. We were going into a tomb, not taking things out of one.

My magic heightened my sight as we moved through the maze of bones, Sain’s green light once again shone brightly in front of us as it led the way. We moved quietly through the deathly green hues, our ears perked for the sound of the door exploding off its hinges.

The sound never came.

My heart beat wildly within me. I was having trouble keeping my focus. Edmund should be here by now, something was wrong. My nerves prickled as my heart called out ‘trap’, putting me on high alert.

Sain’s feet stopped in place, our intertwined hands pulling me to a quick stop in front of him. I gasped at the sudden stop, the sharp intake of breath echoing around the open space that surrounded us.

“He is here,” Sain whispered, and my whole body turned to ice. “Do not fight him, or we will not survive.”

We stayed still in the labyrinth of bones as Sain’s words settled into my mind. Edmund had moved beyond the door.

The sound of our breathing mixed with a drip of water that was falling somewhere around us. The sounds bled together as they bounced off the bones and amplified themselves.

I took a hesitant step forward, the heavy thump of my heart against my ribs causing me physical pain.

We took one step after another, my bare feet surging with magic with each contact with the stone of the floor. Sain stayed close, his breathing heavy in my ear. I was his only protection.

We moved through the labyrinth of bones at a snail’s pace, my head peeking around each corner before we moved, my feet dragging through puddles of stagnant water in an attempt to keep my connection to the earth’s magic.

I shivered as we moved into the large space of the catacombs, the ceilings higher, the roof speckled with small windows that let ribbons of light into the ancient hall.

I froze in place as I searched for him. But I felt nothing, saw nothing. I wanted to believe that Edmund was not here – but I felt Sain’s tense body beside mine. I couldn’t doubt Sain’s sight.

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