Page 83 of Fated In Ruin
Fiona tied back her fiery hair, golden eyes sharp and alert. “You should wait, Evangeline,” she counseled. “A day, or longer.” There was no judgement in her voice, only a hint of lingering concern.
“You didn’t see him. He’ll be dead in a day.” I flexed my fingers, power humming beneath my skin, flowing like living fire through my veins. “I know you’re right, but we don’t have that kind of time.”
As we hurried down the hall, I sensed the layers of magic embedded in these walls, inhaling the different scents from each room as we passed. The scent of old parchment, candle wax, then the faintest trace of something metallic—blood, maybe. This place had seen its share of violence, but strangely, the rooms were all empty.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, unease dragging claws down my spine. “Nash, at least, should be giving his men a pep talk.”
I shifted into slayer mode, my footsteps quiet as we moved with purpose through the halls, Fiona a silent shadow at my side. We needed to find Riordan and Blake, figure out how soon we could leave for Sleepy Hollow. Every moment we wasted meant Malachi was closer to death, and I had this terrible feeling his time was running out.
Finally, I saw the outline of someone tall, rushing down the hall toward us.
“Evangeline.” Eldric looked genuinely happy to see me. “Back from enemy territory.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I can’t wait to hear all about your adventures. Every salacious detail.”
“Don’t be an ass, brother,” Fiona grumbled. “Where are they?”
“Out front doing final prep before we leave.” Eldric lowered his voice. “There was too much testosterone out there, and I came inside when the posturing grew wearisome. Honestly, I can only take so much sword rattling.” His expression brightened. “I am so glad you’re back. You can help me with my quest.”
“And what quest is that?” I asked, while Fiona rolled her eyes as if she’d already heard this a hundred times already.
“Why, winning your sweet sister’s heart and making her fall in love with me, of course. I have this idea…”
“Shut up, Eldric.” Fiona’s face was strained. “We are as close to war as we have ever been and I need you focused. Did you reinforce the ward as instructed?”
“Of course I did.” He inspected his nails. “The spell was child’s play. But I fail to see why you’re so concerned. Crimson House has never been breached, these wards have stood solid for centuries.”
“Well, I’m rechecking your spell work, to be sure,” Fiona decided, heading toward the foyer. “It had better not be sloppy, brother.”
“She’s never trusted me,” Eldric fake-whispered out of the side of his mouth as he followed her. “Typical older sister behavior, if you ask me.”
Just before we reached the front doors, the air shifted.
The change was subtle, like the hush before a storm, but then I felt it—an invisible force pressing against my skin, thick and suffocating. A deep, primal fear tightened my chest, like some unspoken warning to flee.
“The outer wards have activated,” Fiona hissed, her eyes flashing as she whirled toward the entrance. “Someone is trying to get inside.”
My stomach clenched. She should know, she’d been instrumental in reinforcing them, just a few days ago. I went to follow, but Eldric’s hand clamped down over my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.
“No.” Eldric switched from careless jokster to serious protector in the blink of an eye. “If Ravok is here for you, Evangeline, you need to stay out of sight.”
My heart stopped dead, I stretched out my senses, letting a hint of my magic out. I didn’t have any weapons, and scolded myself for being in such a vulnerable position.Again. A stronger pulse of energy throbbed past us down the hallway and a shiver ran down my spine. Whoever was out there wasn’t just testing the wards—they were trying to break them.
“How strong are the protections?” I asked, shrugging Eldric’s hand off my shoulder and moving toward the front doors.Fuck Ravok. If we were under attack, I was going to fight, not cower inside.
“Strong enough to hold,” Fiona said, falling into step beside me. “But if they’ve got a skilled caster—or worse, multiple casters—they’ll get through eventually.”
“Not through my magic, they won’t.” Eldric’s golden eyes were hard, all traces of humor gone. “Your sister is safe, Evie, no one will get through.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell them Ravok’s magic was like no other. That he’d ripped through Malachi’s glamour in a matter of minutes.
When we breached the front doors, the outside air swam with power, magic prickling my skin, the wards whispering their warnings in a language older than time. Nash was already shouting orders, as something powerful loomed just beyond Crimson House’s boundary, clawing at the defenses with desperate intent.
And then, impossibly, beneath the smell of magic and darkness I smelled…cedar.Ice.
“Drop the wards. Now.” I told Fiona, my throat tightening with emotion. “That’s not Ravok. It’s Malachi.” I took another deep breath, my eyes flying wide.
“And my cousin, of all people.”
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