“Form a barrier,” Serus whispers to me. “Protect your mind and soul.”
I throw up a wall in front of me and create a crown of magic as the mysterious power slithers towards me again. The tendrils of it reach my wall and pound against it. I grit my teeth and pour more of my magic and intent into the barrier. It comes for my thoughts next and I have to close my eyes to focus enough magic to resist it. The force slinks back but I can still feel traces of it on my magic. I shudder.
“Well done,” Serus says.
“What was that?” I ask as a sliver of fear slips down my spine.
“It was desperation,” Serus answers cryptically. “We must be very cautious.”
We climb out of the dry lakebed. The light in the distance isn't a light, I realize as we draw closer. It's a reflection of the sun off of a gleaming, white dome. The cobweb cage. Eagerly, I press forward. We made it. We actually made it. Serus hisses as my steps grow quicker, jostling him from his perch.
“Wait,” Sadal snaps, making a grab for me. He freezes, hands outstretched as Thal’s blade hovers over his wrists.
“Never touch her,” Thal says quietly.
Sadal narrows his eyes but pulls away from me. “I was trying to warn her, warn you all.” Sadal scowls. “We must be cautious when we approach. The creature in the cage is a trickster, one of the most vile and violent beings in existence.”
“Who is it?” Altair asks.
Sadal shakes his head. “You will see soon enough. The less you know, the better.”
Altair chuckles humorlessly and gives Sadal a withering look. “You really think we’ll accept that answer? Tell us who it is.”
“I won’t,” Sadal says. He lifts his chin in defiance. “The more you know, the more power she will have over you.”
I feel a thread of fear at Sadal’s words. “Then let’s do this quickly.”
“One more thing.” Sadal’s words stop us mid-step. “Leave the talking to me.”
“Why?” Altair scoffs. “So, you can stab us in the back the second you get the chance?”
“Because I’ve dealt with this being before,” Sadal snaps.
“Should we kill him?” Thal asks suddenly. He turns to Altair. “He’s brought us where we need to go. And if I recall, you have an undying hatred for this man, correct?”
Altair nods stiffly. “I do. But he may still have use.”
“Your call.” Thal shrugs.
Suddenly, a howl rends the air. I freeze, fear consuming me as the Shade shrieks again. Its call is echoed by more until I can’t tell if there are five or five hundred Shades at the portal. I step back, magic wavering as fear builds in my chest. “I thought you said the Shades wouldn’t come here,” I say, voice trembling.
Sadal is pale, looking equally frightened. "They won't come this close to her. They wouldn't dare." His words are weak as if he's simply trying to convince himself.
“Let’s go,” Altair growls. “We need to do this as quickly as we can.”
Sadal squares his shoulders and I see him paste a suave smile on his face. But I can see the fear in his eyes, in the space between his shoulder blades. We close the distance between the lake and the cage. My heart pounds quickly and loudly as we approach. The Shades are still howling in the distance, but as we move closer to the cage, suddenly, it’s not the Shades I’m afraid of. It’s the woman behind the gossamer bars of magic.
She’s tall and lithe, her figure curvy and sleek. She wears an angelic white gown that flows and pools at her ankles. Her blonde hair is wavy, practically glowing like a halo in the bright sun. I bite the inside of my cheek as I wear a mask of calm, hiding my trepidation. She smiles benevolently and my body warms. But this woman, despite her angelic looks, has an inky wickedness in her eyes that betrays her.
“Hello,” the woman purrs. She curls her fingers around the gossamer bars and shudders. “It’s been so long since I had visitors.”
Chapter 11
Altair
The woman in the cage radiates beauty with the same intensity as the sun radiates heat. She turns bright green eyes on us as we approach and I inhale sharply when they fall on me. I could look into those eyes forever. There’s a whisper of wickedness in the back of my mind, an urge to sate my more lustful needs with this woman. She appraises me, pouty lips pulled into a wry smile. What I would do with those lips.
“Ignore it, Altair,” Erzur says in my arms. She manages to open her swollen, bruised eye to study the mysterious being.
I furrow my brows. I know this feeling, these wild thoughts are my own. The woman cocks a perfect brow at me, teasing me. But perhaps there is some influence from this woman; whoever she is. I empty my mind of everything, keeping my face blank as we close in on the cage. It's light, the bars thin and made of the purest white. It stretches high into the sky and tapers into a dome. It's empty of everything but the woman.
“Hello,” the woman says, her voice sultry and wicked. “It’s been so long since I had visitors.”
Thal holds his sword in his hand, looking relaxed, but I know in a second's notice he could be wielding it against an enemy. Verity holds her hands behind her back, fingers twisting. My brows twitch together, wondering what she's doing. But I see a small ball of light form in her hand, growing more abundant with each twist of her fingers. She stops and holds it tightly. I feel pride swell in my chest at the realization that even Verity is willing and ready to defend us despite her lack of experience.
Sadal moves forward, separating himself from the group. He
