Dax is a few tables down, talking to one of his buddies. They are in deep discussion, and he appears to be enjoying himself for once. If he knew I was going to take a break, he'd go with me, but I don't want to interrupt them. "That sounds like a fair plan. I'm going to go see where Charlie is, and I'll be right back."
"Yeah, go find your man." She pats my arm and puts a piece of hair behind her ear. "Don't rush, enjoy some down time."
"Okay, thanks." I head back in the direction of the house. Charlie must have gotten caught up talking with someone since he hasn't made it down here yet. I take my time as I stroll through the market, keeping an eye out for Charlie.
After I pass almost all of the tables and am coming to the end of the vendor tables, my heart begins thumping hard. He's not anywhere here. That's not like him. Did Ria come and corner him in the house? Shit, I shouldn't have left him there alone.
My feet move faster and faster until I'm practically running back to the house. My power begins pulsing inside me and hitting my still-raw insides. When I see the house in front of me, I run up the stairs and fling open the door.
When I enter the den, my world comes to a stop. The bookcase in the corner has been tipped over, and the books are scattered across the room. The cushions used for a couch are scattered and there is a hole in the wall.
Holy shit, someone must have attacked Charlie. I run up the stairs to our room and come to an abrupt stop. The blanket is halfway on the ground, clothes are thrown everywhere, and Charlie's shoes are still in the room.
My magic begins clawing into me once more, and the ground begins to shake. Something bad has happened to Charlie. Who the hell attacked him, and where did they take him? The walls begin to vibrate harder, and I spin around, taking in the whole room again. It has to be Ria and Tide, but where would they take him? What are they doing to him? Why the hell did I bring him? He should still be back on Earth, safe and sound.
A banging on the door startles me out of my panic. Maybe that's him! I stumble downstairs, tripping over my own feet. Maybe this is just a bad dream. When I open the door, I come face to face with a man I've never seen before.
His hair is the same red shade of Hell, and his white eyes bore into me. He raises a hand, and his tone is dark, ominous. "Ria has sent me to deliver a message. She has Charlie, and if you promise to leave and never come back, she will deliver him to you at the docks."
17
This can't be happening. I can't believe that Ria captured Charlie. Even after I shut the door in the guard’s face, it's like my world has been torn apart. I never should have left him earlier. Dammit, how could I have been so stupid? It's not like they're actually going to risk the artifact if they think there is even a small chance we would take it.
My vision shakes but I'm not sure if it’s internal or external forces causing this chaos. I'm not even sure I care at this point. Once again, I've inadvertently hurt someone I care about. The man I love is now being held as a captive. I don't even know if he got hurt in the fight. How could I have been so careless?
The vibrant purple of the Flame collides with the other elements inside me. The blue and brown strands push against one another. My black reaper magic scrapes against my skin as if it's trying to get away from the others. I relish the pain as it digs in deeper to my raw insides. I deserve to feel what he is feeling.
A howling blast against the windows causes them to shake and rattle. I need to find Charlie and now. I focus inward, but there is no calming the beast within me. Shit, what are the words I'm supposed to recite so the artifacts go back to their original place? There is no way I want the demon or council to get their grimy hands on them.
I crumple to the ground as the pressure increases and my mind gets hazy. There is no turning back. I just hope they let Charlie go when I'm gone.
A dark image appears right before me... or at least that's what I see. I'm not sure if it's there or not because my vision is getting darker by the second. It seems to take form and fire and brimstone fill my nose.
Are you freaking serious? Damien is going to be the last person I see. He has an uncanny ability to show up at the most inopportune times.
His blue eyes take me in, and he lets out a huge sigh. "No, this can't be happening."
What? I figured he was here to gloat, but he seems worried. What the hell does that mean?
Damien bends next to me and takes the phone from my hand. "Hey, I don't know what's going on, but you need to calm down."
He’s joking. Does he really think he can tell me that and it’ll happen? "I..." The words are hard to get out. It's as if I'm underwater and can't breathe. "Can't..."
"You're going to have to, or you're going to hurt a lot of people." He glances around and then licks his lips. "You're causing a ruckus on all the lands; granted this one is the one being hit the worst."
Why does he care? He wants the
