The Forsaken
Page 25
Spider silk?
I felt a laugh rising to the surface, something hysterical that wouldn’t stop once it started. I bit down on it when the unnatural chill of the place sank into my bones.
I slid off of the altar, barely registering its Satanic symbols as I padded barefoot across the hexagonal chamber. The walls were made of more obsidian, and torches glowed blue.
My breath misted in front of me as I left the room, the train of my dress dragging behind me. In the distance, I could hear shrieks and shouts. Moans and wails. My fangs descended at the sound and the hairs along my arms rose.
Something propelled me forward, even as terror coursed through me. Down dark, despondent hallways I traveled, the noise increasing with every step I took. Cold traveled up my bare feet as I padded along the glassy black floor.
I ended up at two night-dark doors, each propped open. On the other side of them was a staircase made of onyx, and beyond that …
I grabbed the twisted wrought iron bannister and descended, my shaking hand sliding over the railing. The stairs opened to a balcony.
And there he waited.
He must’ve heard the slither of my silk dress, or maybe he felt my presence the same way I could now feel his, because he turned to face me.
I swallowed my gasp. The devil was the same, but he wasn’t. He was taller, more filled out, and his face …
I now understood why, to Christians, he was once known as the morning star, one of God’s loveliest angels. Swathed in shadows, his full beauty stared back at me, hidden no more. Only now did I realize every physical facet this being held back from me. Held back until now.
The devil—Hades—reached a hand out for mine. Numbly I took it.
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. Then, he swiveled to face our empire.
The world below us was one of flame. Now that I was here, in this truly godforsaken land, I couldn’t help the strange, new pull I felt towards him.
“Welcome to hell, my queen.”
Keep a lookout for the sequel:
The Damned
Coming Fall 2015
Be sure to check out the first book in Laura Thalassa’s new adult post-apocalyptic series
The Queen of All that Dies
Out now!
Click here to buy it on Amazon
Be sure to check out the Laura Thalassa’s new adult science fiction series
The Vanishing Girl
Out now!
Click here to buy it on Amazon
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Fans of Laura Thalassa’s Unearthly series might also enjoy this brand new young adult series by Dan Rix.
Translucent
When a meteorite falls near her campsite in the San Rafael Wilderness, troubled teen Leona Hewitt ventures down into the crater looking for a souvenir. What she discovers changes her life.
Contained in the meteorite is a sticky, mucous-like fluid that bends light, cannot itself be seen, and seems to grow in the presence of living tissue. It’s drawn to her.
But when a government team arrives in hazmat suits and cordons off the meteorite impact site, Leona questions her decision to take it home with her. For one thing, there are rumors of an extraterrestrial threat.
For another, it has been speaking to her.
It wants to be worn . . . stretched on like a second skin. It’s seeking out her weaknesses, exploiting her deepest fear—that the only boy she’s ever loved will unearth the vile secret in her past and see her as a monster. Now it promises salvation.
It can make her invisible.
Click here to check out Translucent.
Born and raised in Fresno, California, Laura Thalassa spent her childhood cooking up fantastic tales with her best friend. Lucky for her overactive imagination, she also happened to love writing. She now spends her days penning everything from paranormal romance to young adult novels. Laura Thalassa lives in Santa Barbara, California with her fiancé, author Dan Rix. When not writing, you can find her at www.laurathalassa.blogspot.com.