Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Garrett sneers, like the choking doesn’t bother him—like he’s breathing despite the hands locked around his throat—and Caz blinks down at him, just as shocked as I am.
Someone mumbles behind me, and I swing around to spot Korah facing the mirror again. This time, the portal opens immediately, and she grabs me by the wrist to drag me toward it. “You must go first. Get to Hassha and show her that piece of broken crown I gave to you. Tell her who you are and what’s happening. She will help you. Go.” She drags me closer to the portal, but I resist.
“What about Caz?” I cry.
“He will meet you there!”
“No—I don’t like this! I can’t go back without him!”
“You must!” she shouts.
I look over Korah’s shoulder, and Garrett flings Caz across the room, throwing him into one of the shelves. A loud grunt falls out of Caz when he hits the shelf and lands face down on the floor. His gun scatters across the room, and when he rises to his knees and attempts to reach for it, Garrett kicks it away.
“Korah!” I scream. “You have to help him! Please!”
Korah’s purple eyes are wide with panic as she peers back at Caz. Picking the gun up, Garrett points it down at Caz, and Caz’s eyes swing to mine.
I’m not able to run to him after that, despite how badly I want to, because Korah shoves me into the portal.
I’m sucked into blinding purple light, arms flailing, but I can still see a glimpse of Korah’s shop. Korah has her back to the portal, her hands raised at Garrett, who has dropped the gun to clutch his head. Blood drips from his eyes and nose, and he roars loudly from whatever pain she’s inflicting.
Garrett staggers toward the portal as Caz lumbers to a stand. But whatever Korah is doing doesn’t last long because Garrett snatches his hands down and glares at her. He grimaces at Korah, and as she rushes across the room for one of her daggers on the floor, Garrett chases her.
Caz looks into the portal, his eyes landing on mine. I shake my head because I know what he’s thinking. I hear his voice in my head, telling me it’s his only option right now. He must.
Before Garrett can reach Korah, Caz tackles him with all his strength and brings him into the portal with us.
Chapter 41
CAZ
I expect the drop from the portal to be gentle. It is anything but. Being dragged through the electrifying purple tunnel, thrashed around, holding my breath—it takes all the breath from me and causes my heart to race and my belly to drop.
I see the opening when I’m flipped over, revealing treetops and lush green lands. Willow goes down first, crashing through the treetops aimlessly. I look back, and the Garrett fucker is scrambling, trying to reach for something to hang onto and failing.
I have no time to consider him as the portal spits me out, then come the trees, its branches whacking me in the face and leaves slapping me in the eyes.
I tip to the right and land on a hard branch that cracks with ferocity, holding back a yell and clenching my jaw instead as I wait for the fall to be over. But what I hope for most is that Willow isn’t being hurt this badly with the fall.
Then, after that hellish drop, I land.
I drop flat on my belly, and all the wind gushes out of my lungs. My head throbs with unspeakable pain, and my mouth tastes of copper. I spit, and a glob of blood lands on the bright patch of green grass beneath me. I try looking around, but the world is spinning, and the urge to vomit is imminent.
Flipping onto my back, I stare up at the sapphire sky. The last thing I see before closing my eyes is a body landing right beside mine. It thuds on the ground too.
It takes me a while to come to. When I do, it’s to the sound of Willow’s voice.
“Caz,” she calls, lightly tapping my cheek. She looks down at me with bright brown eyes, blood dripping from her forehead. “We made it. Wake up!” She taps my right cheek again, and I groan. A sharp gasp escapes her as she whips her head to the right.
“No!” she screams. “Stop!”
In that moment, her fear awakens everything inside me. I feel her like I once did before, the way her heart drops and her belly clenches with fear. I hear her thoughts screaming, Why is he coming after me? No!
“Stop, Garrett! Please, just stop!” she screams.
My eyes pop open, and I sit up just as Willow dashes away from me. Someone hustles past, their feet pounding into the ground, and I realize it’s Garrett chasing after her.