Their daggers wouldn’t have the power that mine would. They would still be sharp, but Nyx’s wounds would heal almost instantly. I gave them the simple commands to rush him. One to run around the chimney, one to climb over it, and the third to sneak around.
As soon as they moved, I slid into the shadow that ran behind the chimney. It would take Nyx a moment to realize what had happened. He would figure it out soon enough, though.
I needed something that would keep him from following my scent. Raising my arms, I filled the warren with mist. He would burn the mists away as soon as he slipped into the warren, but that wouldn’t change where my scent was. Everything would smell like me as my magic coated the very walls of the warren.
I ran down the tunnel, my fingers trailing against the wall. Images of London popping into my mind. Finally, after almost a minute, I found the place with the portal I was looking for.
The portal that not even Damian would think to look for me at. Only Ast would know where I was taking Rose.
I slid through the shadows and found myself in Hyde Park at almost three in the morning. I took a whiff of the misty London air. Rose’s scent was nearby. They’d be waiting at the portal. A portal I had made and hidden years and years ago.
I began running, not wanting to use any more magic than I’d already used. This chase was very possibly not over, and I had already used almost all of the power that I’d drained from Rose.
Thinking about Rose brought even more questions. Damian had said that it would take a century for me to fill that diamond. Rose had filled it in minutes. That was High Queen levels of power. Levels that I didn’t even think that Seraphina had.
She was still untrained, so it was nearly worthless to her. Nyx would have killed her in seconds. I understood now why Seraphina wanted her dead. If she had this much power without holding a seat, she would be terrifying when she finally took the throne.
Strong enough that Seraphina would be no match for her.
I found Ast and Rose standing around a simple oak tree. It was old. Far older than most of the trees in the area, but not ancient.
“Are you coming with us, Ast?” I questioned, feeling slightly out of breath.
She shook her head. “You’re going to have enough trouble keeping Rose safe as it is. The last thing you need is another person you have to keep safe from Nyx. I’ll be fine. I’ve been thinking about moving anyway.”
I nodded. “I’ll see you when this is all over. Don’t go back to your place. Nyx killed a human in plain sight. And, if he can’t track me through the portal, he’ll wait for you there. Might want to warn Damian as well since that diamond is still on the floor. I may be pissed at him, but I don’t really want him getting tortured by Nyx.”
“I’ll take care of myself and warn Damian, Bastian. Don’t worry about us. Get her out of here, and keep her safe.”
I gave her a quick hug, knowing that there was a very distinct possibility that one of us wouldn’t survive this. Then I picked Rose up and climbed the tree. At the top, a small piece of silver wire had been wrapped seven times.
I touched the silver and felt the pull of a permanent bridge, the portal to the Immortal Realm. No trail through the warrens for Nyx to follow. He’d have to find my trail to Hyde Park. Then he’d have to find the portal.
I prepared myself. If he found us, I wouldn’t be able to run again. Not with where I was taking us. No, if he found us, I would have to pit myself against a man who had never lost a fight. And I’d have to do it with only one dagger.
Chapter 17
Rose
We appeared in the middle of a field. It wasn’t all that different from the one with the unicorn. I took a deep breath and smelled flowers blooming and the soft smell of pine. We were on the edge of a thick forest.
The grass was different here. More like the grass from the Mortal Realm. Except that it was darker. A deep purple rather than the mix of purple and green.
For the first time, I saw the Immortal Realm in the light. The sun hung on the horizon, turning the world orange. It felt like I hadn’t seen the sun in forever.
I reached behind me and felt my wings. They seemed more real now. Like they’d finally become solid. Astriel’s illusion must have worn off when we stepped into the Immortal Realm.
Sebastian stood beside me in his assassin’s cloak, and he looked me over, noticing my new outfit and the bag on my back full of new clothes. Why had he been worried about my clothes when he was getting chased by Nyx?
“How’d you get away from Nyx?”
“It’s complicated, but I’ll tell you later. Right now, we have a very short man to talk to.”
As if on cue, a man in a full beard ran out of the forest. “Sebastian!” he yelled as he ran on short little legs.
“Come on. It hurts me to see him run like that.” Sebastian grinned down at me as he pulled his arm away. He began to run, and I followed, happy to have my new clothes and especially my shoes.
The forest wasn’t even a mile away, but Sebastian began to slow much earlier than I’d expected him to. This man had been able to sprint for almost thirty minutes when he’d taken me through the
