I’m cold.But before I finish my thought,pain erupts, blinding me as the world fades and the agony spreads in every direction.
Marblas eases himself down next to me, the warmth of his body against mine as he lays his giant head across me nonexistent.It’s almost over. I know it hurts,Marblas offers in comfort.
I feel my wall crumbling. Bit by bit, every piece that was holding it in place comes careening down into a pile of rubble. He reaches for me, and as soon as he realizes what’s happening, his anger blasts through the bond, followed by crashing waves of pain. Then everything stops.
Blackness surrounds me, swallowing me whole. I’m falling. The pit in my stomach grows as I begin to fall faster—but I don’t wake up. I keep falling until, below me, the ground becomes visible, and I slam against it with a thud.
Something hard nudges into my back, and I roll over to look up at whatever it is. Marblas is standing over me—nothing more than shadow and bone, his black eyes glowing.
“Where are we?” I ask. “Am I dead?”
“The Kingdom of Shadow and Bone. And I don’t know.” Marblas replies, his voice a deep rumble.
“You can speak outside my mind?” I gasp.
“Here I can, yes,” he answers, his eyes darting around. “Can you stand?”
I push myself up off the ground, wobbling. When I lean down to hug Marblas, I’m surprised at how silky soft his shadow-steeped mane is.
“Come on, we need to get you inside the gates.”
I follow his line of sight and spy a pair of towering gates carved from bone and wrapped in shadows some distance away. Beyond them, everything is black and empty—or possibly shrouded in shadows to prevent enemies or unwelcome guests from seeing inside.
“It’s so far,” I complain, my knees trembling.
“Climb onto my back, and I will carry you,” Marblas commands.
I do as he says, and together we walk across the barren dirt until we reach the towering gates of the Kingdom of Shadow and Bone.
Chapter 42
Azrael
Distress bursts down our bond. I drop to my knees, roaring in agony, unraveling at every seam as pain barrels through my body, shredding my heart. I’m too late. She’s fading out—the sensation of our bond merely a trickle of what it was seconds ago.
A snarl rips from my throat, raw and guttural, echoing in the hollow of the Ringmaster’s office. I reach for her, pushing through wave after wave of pain emanating from her side. Terror grips me, threatening to swallow me alive.
“No!”
Shadows summon themselves to my aid, surrounding me in their cool, wispy tendrils, stroking soothingly over my body. Their touch is comforting, but only a soft hum, as they wrap me in a protective embrace. I lean into them, allowing the darkness to numb my emotions.
“Mercy!” I reach for her again, but my connection sputters.
It’s no match for the wrath of the universe. She’s slipping away, and soon my entire world will shatter.
Fire burns in my chest as if her soul is being severed from its contract with me. I won’t allow it! Mercy’s soul is mine—bound by blood, sealed by oath. Not even the Fates can undo what was consecrated in our ceremony. Blood is binding. The ceremony has withstood the test of time for centuries, and it will not fracture now.
Mercy’s dying. I must go to her. I try to stand and stumble, collapsing on the hard floor. Screams claw their way out of my chest one after another as our bond snaps, splintering the silence forming between us—and then it fades away.
Defeated, I pound the floor with my fist until my knuckles are busted and bloody. My glamour fades, revealing my true form. Snarling. Hideous. Demonic. Shadows swirl over my body, my wings beating to the throbbing ache in my chest as I unleash a roar that makes even the shadows uneasy.
The RIngmaster smiles from behind his desk. “It has begun.”
“What have you done?” I growl, ready to attack.
“It’s not what I’ve done, it’s what you’ve done, Azrael. I warned you there’s no place for love in your destiny. Choose power and you’ll be free.” The Ringmaster drums his fingers against the desk, a smug expression on his face.
“And just what is it you’re accusing me of doing?” My voice is clipped.
