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A Shade of Vampire 40: A Throne of Fire(24)



Grace and Rose calmed her down, promising that we didn’t pose a threat, but the sentry didn’t seem convinced.

“Lead the way, Abelle,” I prompted, not wanting us to delay our journey any further. The woman scowled, but did as we asked.

Lucas and I walked on either side of her, with Ben behind. The rest of GASP followed us, except the Hawks and dragons who flew on ahead, checking the areas we were about to enter for any possible danger.

“How did you get here?” Abelle asked, once we’d left the grounds of the castle.

“We found a portal on Earth that led us here. It was locked the first time the team went to investigate—and then, without warning, it opened.” I kept my answer deliberately vague, but hoped she would have some answers as to why the portal had suddenly opened.

The woman smiled softly to herself.

“The Hellswans locked the portal, making sure that no one got out, least of all the children.”

“So why did it open?” I pressed, observing her smile. Clearly she was eager to leave this land, perhaps to travel somewhere the Hellswans couldn’t find her.

“I don’t know,” she replied swiftly. “Perhaps you should ask Tejus Hellswan. I’m sure he knows the reason why.”

“Is he a sentry, like you?” I asked, the word sounding unfamiliar on my tongue. I’d never heard of these creatures in all the time I’d been alive. The inhabitants of this dimension had obviously gone to great lengths to keep themselves hidden.

“He is. The cruelest of our kind. My advice to you would be that if you see him, don’t hesitate to end him. Nevertide will be forever in your debt if you do.”

“Did he do all this?” Sherus asked, gesturing to the sky and the fallen trees we were passing.

“In a way, yes,” the woman replied.

Sherus looked at me. I knew he was wondering whether Tejus of Hellswan was the power that had been haunting him—the owner of the mysterious voice that we’d heard in the portal tunnel.

We waited for Abelle to elaborate, but she stayed silent.

I was about to question her again when Lethe flew toward us with the Hawks. They landed, making Abelle jump back in fright. She stared wide-eyed at the icy blue dragon and the winged men.

“We’re heading in the wrong direction,” Lethe stated. “The castle is due east. We’re veering too far north.”

I turned to Abelle.

“My apologies.” She smiled. As soon as she uttered the words, her face changed—the woebegone expression of a prisoner vanished, and her lips curled into a malicious grimace. She took out a vial of liquid from her robe, and smashed it down onto the earth where it broke, instantly covering us all with a foggy, foul smelling liquid. It made me feel dizzy and weak, as if my energy was slowly draining from my body.

A horrific, indescribable pain tore through my head. My vision started to blur as I became disoriented, gray and black dots dancing across the scene before me. Sherus, Lethe and Ben all clutched their heads, bent double in agony. Behind us, I could hear the cries of the other GASP members.

I glanced up at Abelle from the ground. Her figure loomed over me. She was laughing.





Julian





“Retreat! Retreat!”

Ragnhild’s cry echoed across the cove. I didn’t need to be told twice. I was already stumbling over the rocks and sand, heading for the small passage ahead. The feeling that had settled over me on the shore hadn’t left. I still felt the icy-cold dread creeping up my spine—the sense that there was something dark and unnatural watching me, waiting to pounce.

It felt strange running from an enemy that I couldn’t see, but my imagination had gone into overdrive, and I no longer cared what it was that I was afraid of—even if it was just a feeling. I wanted out of there.

“Julian?” Benedict cried out my name as he ran ahead, pulled along by a guard, checking I was still with him. Yelena was in the other hand of the sentry, the girl slipping and sliding to keep up with him.

“I’m here!” I called back, panting.

Finally, we approached the passage. The guard released them. Benedict rushed through, and I followed, hearing the loud, rapid breaths of more guards behind me. I ran through, scraping my arms on rocks, knocking my shins on rubble, thorns and spiky shrubbery scratching at my face.

Don’t stop. Whatever you do, don’t stop.

It’s coming.

“MOVE! MOVE!” the guards at the rear started shouting, afraid that we’d slow down as we ran single-file up the passage. I couldn’t imagine how the last sentry at the end of the line must have felt. How terrified he would be, with no protection between him and whatever it was we were running from.