I watched Edmund’s hands rise toward me, his palms growing white as he prepared to rain down acid through the air around me.
He had his trick, and I had mine.
The molten rock flew toward him as the white light grew in his hands. I shielded myself from his attack as the lava intercepted with him, the molten clumps of rock colliding with his powerful shield. His shield flashed and flickered as the boiling hot earth wove its way through it. The stones splattered against his hands and face, sending him to the ground as the white magic disappeared.
His agonized yell of pain rang over the courtyard. He was definitely injured, possibly weakened from the attack. For one moment, I thought that I might be able to turn him to ash, not just a single finger as I had done once before. I knew better, though; he would recover quickly thanks to the Vilỳ poison he infected himself with every night.
Now was not the time to fight him. It was not my destiny to end him, no matter how much I wanted to.
I turned and ran right to the river, the steeples of St. Vitas on the other side. I ran through the narrow streets of Prague, the beige rock fronts of the buildings a mellowing calm over the frantic beat of my heart pounding in my chest.
My feet padded against the stones, and with each step, I let my magic flow through the rock, tracking where he was. I had only barely turned the corner before his signature disappeared from the ground. He had already recovered and was chasing after me.
I shouldn’t be surprised.
I brought my magic to me as I raced and weaved through the crowd. I pushed people out of my way, throwing them into walls and small cafes in an effort to keep them out of danger. Each step increased my fear, my expectation, but still Edmund had not reached me.
I could see the break in the buildings, the grey of the river, and the Úřad vlády České just on the other side.
I had just turned the last corner toward the river when his warm body collided with mine, the force of the impact sending me headlong into the white bricked wall I had been running next to. A loud crack echoed in my ears as the impact split the stone.
I felt my skull crack, my magic congregating at the wound as everything swam, my vision going double. Edmund turned to face me. I couldn’t help smiling at the red welts of blistered skin where the scalding rocks had hit him.
“Wynifred!” he howled as he slammed his hand into the wall by my head, another crack joined the first as he pinned my arms above me.
“Yes, Edmund?” I said causally, as if we were just enjoying a romantic stroll.
“I am glad to see you’re back to yourself, now stop attacking me and get back to work.” He moved his other hand to rest against my cheek, and I smiled. I smiled at him the way I had for centuries before letting my magic flare through my cheek and into his hand.
He yelled out in pain, his grip on my wrists increasing as his own anger flared.
“You can’t have me, Edmund. I will never submit to you.” I smiled at him, narrowing my eyes in defiance. He howled in anger before he threw me away from him, my body tumbling through the air only to land in the middle of the murky waters of the Vltava River.
My body hit the water with a loud slap that seized through me in an agonizing ripple and cut all sensation from my muscles. I sunk into the cold water, kicking my way back to the surface when a warm hand wrapped around my neck. The strong hand pressed roughly against my water-filled windpipe as it pulled me up through the waves and held me just below the surface of the lapping waves.
I looked into Edmund’s face from where he held me under the grey water, my last breath held in my chest, his crazed face mad with victory. I attempted to fight him, but the lack of air made it difficult.
“Think you can escape me and go back to that little half-breed? I will never let you win. Never!” His voice bellowed from above the water, sure of his imminent success. Had he really forgotten me so easily? There was no way I was going to let him win.
The bubbling energy of my magic moved through my veins, boiling within me. I could feel the fire magic taking over.
I smiled at him from beneath the murky water.
His face paled, his crazed energy flickering. He was still fighting when the light from my body grew, reflecting off his face as I gazed at him from underneath the murky waters.
The water boiled around me, the river turning into a hot pot around my super-heated body. Edmund yelled out and attempted to release his hands, but I held them in place, feeling his flesh heat.
“No!” he spat, his voice muffled through the water. I felt his hands pulse with an attack, and my body convulsed underneath the water, the electrical attack frying the tips of my nerve endings.
My mouth opened as I yelled in agony. The sound waves of my scream reverberated through the water as they burst from me, the water splashing away and splattering Edmund’s face with the scalding heat. Edmund yelled again as the attack hit him, but he flattened his hands against my skin and sent pulse after pulse of paralyzing energy through my body.
I let go of his wrists as I screamed in pain, Edmund laughed maniacally, believing his attempt to kill me was succeeding.
He really was a fool.
My lungs burned for air as my hands flew toward Edmund’s face. Anyone else would have turned to ash, but with Edmund the best I could hope for was a few lost fingers, maybe a singed ear lobe, and the time to get away.
He yelled out as the pain hit him, my energy a pulse that sent him flying through the air away from me.
My magic took over as I threw myself out of the water and into the air. I hacked and gasped as I flung myself through the sky like a ragdoll, only to right myself and quicken my pace as Edmund’s yells behind me increased.
I turned toward the green copper roof of St. Vitus cathedral, the arches of the south entrance glittered at me in the distance. The tall, stone arches sparkled in the sun, the sandstone appearing as bright as gold in the setting rays of light.
Edmund yelled from somewhere behind me, the sound increasing as he got closer.
Please let Sain have made it to the gates already. I didn’t have time to wait, and I was going to have to seal the gate once I passed through it. I just wished I had enough time to complete the process.
I dropped my body closer to the earth, my heart beating quicker when I saw Sain standing near the large golden stone work, a large earthen mug clutched against his chest.
“Run!” I screamed when I was within distance.
Sain looked up at me, confused for only a moment before he turned and bolted down the hall, toward the large chapel.
I didn’t slow my speed for landing. I flew right into the courtyard, bricks exploding into the air at the rough impact. I straightened myself and turned to face the courtyard just beyond the gates.
Edmund was right behind me.
I set my jaw and raised my hand, a shimmering shield flowing from my fingers to cover the large opening of the golden gate.
My magic surged as it spread in a curtain between the giant arches. I looked through the magical barrier to see Edmund change his course in order to intercept me.
He was almost here, and the shield had not set yet. I pushed harder, my teeth clenching as I grunted through the pressure, yelling as the exertion hit its maximum and my magic pushed and pulled to escape from me.
My mouth opened as I screamed, the shield setting itself into the stone the moment Edmund’s body hit hard against the barrier. The impact of his collision rumbled through me, shooting me away from the shield and slamming me into the high wall behind me.
I straightened myself the same moment Edmund did, his jaw as set as mine as he turned to face me. Our eyes met, the whites of his eyes were blood shot with anger and power. I had never seen him this worked up. I could tell at once that this shield would only hold for a matter of minutes once he decided to come at me.
Edmund uncoiled his body as he faced me, his hand lifting to his face. A large chunk of his arm was missing, the edges blackened with ash. E
ven with all of my power, that was all I had been able to accomplish against him.
He smiled at me as he lifted his finger, the one I had burned off all those centuries ago, the replacement forcibly taken from one of his many servants. He bit down on it and pulled, the flesh separating slowly, his hand dripping with blood as he ripped the finger from his hand.
“I have a present for you, Wynifred,” he sneered, his breathing shallow as some power-based insanity threatened to take over him.
“Keep it,” I spat, turning from him. I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of whatever he had to give me ever again.
I had barely turned my back on him before I heard the heavy clang of an attack against the gate.
I didn’t turn to see what he had done. I let the angry yells that Edmund filled the air with wash over me as I ran.
I overtook Sain quickly, his pace was quick in the panic, but his body was not up to the strain.
“You will have to seal the door to the tombs. Otherwise, we will not have enough time.” Sain’s voice was low as he spoke, his pace not nearly fast enough for us to get away.
“You think I don’t know that already?” I grabbed his arm, knowing he was too weak to move fast enough, and pushed him forward through the ancient chapel.
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. However, 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 movements 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.
“Utíkej!” 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.
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 sandstone statues. The door slammed 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 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.
One Hundred Twenty-Seven
Wyn
Our breathing escaped in a rush as we raced down the winding stone steps and into the depths of the tombs.
“Faster,” Sain panted. I didn’t know if he spoke to me or to himself, but I took it as a warning and let my magic flood through both of us, increasing our pace.
We flew down the staircase as the air grew even more damp, 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. 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, while Sain’s green light once again shone brightly in front of us as it led the way. We moved quietly, following the deathly green hues as we waited for the sound of the door exploding off its hinges.
The sound never came.
My heart beat wildly. 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 stopped in place, our intertwined hands pulling me to a quick halt 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 joined 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 against the stone floor flooding with magic as we moved through the labyrinth of bones at a snail’s pace. I peeked around each corner, dragging my feet through puddles of stagnant water in an attempt to keep my connection to the earth’s magic.
I shivered as we moved into the main hall of the catacombs, the ceilings higher, the stone darker. The roof was speckled with small windows that let ribbons of light into the ancient hall. They fell over crypts and statues that were in even more of a maze than what we had just come from.
“Where is he?” I hissed 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.
Sain said nothing in reply, the quiet that surrounded us only interrupted by the occasional echo of a drip of water. I turned to face the old Drak, his eyes wide as he focused on the bright white coffin that the mortals had buried Ilyan in when he resigned as their ruler, faking his own death more than six hundred years ago.
I turned toward it, expecting to see Edmund standing right beside it, but the large hall was still empty. The room was silent except for my ever-increasing breathing.
I took a step toward the tomb, Sain following as he cowered behind me. My bare foot accidentally slapped hard against the smooth stone of the floor, the sound echoing around us. I froze. If Edmund was down here, I had just given away our exact location.
“Ruuuuun,” Sain breathed out, his voice shaking as his whole body began to convulse.
His words were lost as my pulse quickened. I turned toward him, only to see his body shake, his eyes darkening into black and then fading back into green. Sain’s eyes widened as if his whole face was being stretched.
“Ruuuuun,” he repeated again, his voice deep and hollow.
The word sank in; it ignited inside of me and sent my feet moving in a panic. I dragged Sai
n behind me as he stumbled in a blind attempt to follow. Our feet hit heavy against the floor, our breathing mixed with the hollowness of our steps as we made our way toward what was now our only chance of escape.
“I’m going to hurt Cail, Wynifred.” I froze at Edmund’s voice, my feet coming to a stop only inches from the tomb that would lead us to safety.
“I’m going to rip his body apart, piece by piece. Hundreds of years of disloyalty needs to be punished after all.” His voice echoed all around me, his heavy breathing making the desperation, the madness, heavier in his voice.
I could have sworn I felt the same. I fought for control. I fought to recall the words Sain had said only moments ago.
“I am going to make him pay.”
“If you can get in,” I said simply, unable to control my mouth as I took the last few steps toward the tomb.
“You think a little fire can stop me? I will be back in there before nightfall, you little slut. Then I will do to Cail what I did to Rosaline. I will remove his soul from his body, as slowly and as painfully as I can.”
“No!” I couldn’t help the shout that ripped from my throat, my chest aching. I turned around to face him, my fingers clawing at my thighs with the need to rip his eyes from his face.
Edmund stood at the entrance we had just come through, his eyes flashing joyously as he watched me, his dark hair loosened from its usual tightly gelled style, his hand dripping blood from where he had ripped the finger from his body.
This had been his plan. He knew I wouldn’t back down from this threat; he knew and so did Sain. Sain wrapped his arms around me as he attempted to keep me back, to stop me from attacking.
“Do not fight, Wynifred,” Sain hissed in my ear, the reminder of his sight barely grazing the surface of my panic.
Imdalind Ruby Collection One: Kiss of Fire | Eyes of Ember | Scorched Treachery Page 95