Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
The path seems to go on forever and inclines upward, leading us from the belly into the heart of the mountain. I pick up the pace, frustrated with not knowing what lies before us, but then it starts to lighten up ahead indicating perhaps another opening in the mountain.
A scream pierces the air, ladened with fear and pain. It echoes down the tunnel, washing over me and prickling my skin with goose bumps.
Zora.
I take off running toward the sound of her voice, the thunderous beat of footsteps pounding behind me.
Without warning, I round a corner and the tunnel opens into a massive cavern. I take in a wide opening to my left, the reddish glow indicating we’re in the part of the mountain where the Crimson River flows outside. I spot four gold cages before zeroing in on what is no doubt a sacrificial altar.
There’s no time to analyze the blinding rage that sweeps through me when I see Zora lying on it with Rune atop her. I don’t even slow my pace, sprinting toward them… three, four, five more strides… and I launch my spear at Rune, continuing to run at them.
It slices through the air so fast, it projects a whistling, which unfortunately gets Rune’s attention. The javelin was on track to catch him in the temple, hopefully obliterating his brain, but he throws up his arm at the last second so the eight-inch steel tip buries deep in his biceps.
The force is enough to knock him off Zora and it’s only then that I notice the beam of red light connecting his chest to hers with a stream of misty white in the center. I have no clue what it is but the connection holds physical hostage over her body so when Rune flies off, her body arches toward him as if being pulled by the red light.
She screams again in pain and I see that her arms and legs are shackled. The pull on her muscles and bones must be excruciating.
A bolt of lightning whizzes by me, so close and powerful that my hair lifts. Finley has let loose the power of Cato’s weapon and I think it’s to hit Rune, now standing, but instead it slices through the stream of light connecting his body to Zora’s.
The tether breaks and Rune roars with fury as he pulls the spear from his arm and tosses it aside. The wound heals up so quickly and thoroughly, I’m stunned beyond measure. Even the blood disappears, but that’s not what seizes my attention.
It’s the pulsing red gemstone lodged in the center of his chest, right where the light connected to Zora emanated from. Was he using that to kill her?
Or rather… take her powers back into himself? Did he succeed?
Rune pins his murderous gaze on Finley, overcome by rage that she broke his link to Zora. He conjures up a swirling mass of writhing light in his palm and doesn’t even need to cock his arm to launch it. It flies at her faster than any bullet, catching her square in the chest. She’s lifted from the ground and thrown backward across the cavern where she skids to a halt mere feet from the cave opening. It’s her lifeless body that has Carrick sprinting past me toward Rune, bellowing curses. Rune’s attention turns to the one living being he hates the most in this world and shoots the same orbs of energy at him.
Carrick uses the battle-ax to swat each one away as he hurtles toward the former god of Life. Every time Rune’s magic hits the weapon, it explodes into a million sparks. Given that, and the fact that Cato’s bolt fractured the energy of the Blood Stone, tells me the gods’ weapons can at least stand up to this new power Rune has.
I glance at Finley, intent on checking on her, but Zora yells, “Maddox, watch out!”
I don’t turn toward her voice but instead rely on my instinct to turn toward the other threat in the cave—Ariman. But my attention is taken by something flying toward me. It’s long, sinuous and glowing white. I think it’s a thick rope meant to ensnare me, but to my disgust, I quickly realize it’s a serpent. I’m barely able to turn sideways, bending backward so the creature sails past me where it thuds against the wall. Right behind its trajectory, a thousand daggers fly at me.
Though not enough to kill, they’ll incapacitate. I start to throw up a shield of inverse magnetic energy, but there’s already one there.
It’s Amell, standing at my side, his palms out. The knives stop inches from the shield where they vibrate in the air as their trajectory is defeated. Glancing behind us, Amell takes in the snake slithering our way, then over to the altar.
“Free Zora,” he shouts as he turns his attention to Ariman. The knives spin several times in the air, their points now facing the priest. Amell sends them flying, but I’m already sprinting toward the altar without waiting to see if they meet their mark.