Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
The part of the prison we’d entered was even older and mustier than the others. It smelled of dampness and rot, and I suspected it was rarely used. We reached a rusty metal door that had a bunch of deadbolts and locks on it. The locks looked worse for wear, and there was crystalised salt on top of the rust. That meant the sea was close. The door might lead us directly outside of the prison.
Vasilios eyed the locks a moment before closing his eyes and casting a spell.
While we waited for his spell to unlock the door, I turned my attention to Serg. “Are you sure about this? A life on the run isn’t for everyone.”
“I’ve got another thirty years in this place, princess. A life on the run is fine by me.”
“But you have power here. People respect you. On the outside, it will be different.”
“Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be just fine. I made my living off robbing human banks, and I have a stash of money hidden safe. That’ll get me far away from here.” He paused, shooting me a small smile. “You’re welcome to join me. Just imagine it. We’ll be like Bonnie and Clyde.”
“No, thanks,” Vasilios cut in. “She has better things to do than go into a casino with you, splash a load of cash, and immediately catch the attention of the authorities.”
“Relax, horny boy. I’m not trying to steal your girl.” He shot me a wink. “Not unless she wants to be stolen.”
“Call me that again, and we’ll leave you behind,” Vasilios grunted just as the door sprang open and a gust of wind practically knocked us off our feet. The door didn’t open into a dock or loading area. No, it opened almost directly into the sea. There were barely ten feet between us and the water, only a small section of rocky shore to stand on.
Oh, there were also the magical thorns pulsing right in front of our faces and blocking us from taking a single step outside the door.
“Okay, so this makes things a little bit trickier,” Vasilios said as he examined the magical vines.
“Yeah, I have a feeling we aren’t going to be able to walk right through those,” Serg added.
“Stand back, all of you. I’m going to try something.”
Serg, Sven, and I took several steps back from the door, watching as Vasilios raised both his arms, an incantation spoken in Oreylian slipping musically from his lips before he threw his arms forward. The force of his magic was strong, and I was propelled backward, just barely avoiding landing on my arse. The thorns held strong, and Vasilios threw his arms forward again, more magic lashing at the vines to no avail.
As I watched him, an odd humming began in my chest. My legs moved forward of their own volition as I reached out and took his hand into mine. Vasilios stared at me in confusion, his eyes levelled somewhere below my chin. His eyes widened, startled. I had no idea what had him looking so distraught until I glanced down and saw the glow emanating from my chest. Vasilios let go of my hand, pulling off the tie and ripping open my shirt. I wasn’t even self-conscious about him exposing my bra because we both gasped at what we found.
My skin was glowing. It was alive with magic, but not just any magic. It was alive with his magic and my own. Somehow, our powers had melded, the tendrils intertwining with the demon mark I possessed to create a glowing orb inside me.
“Let’s try it together,” I whispered, reaching out to hold his hand.
In unison, we turned. Vasilios started his incantation as we raised our arms and lashed our magic at the barrier. It popped and fizzled, fighting against the attack, but it didn’t hold. A hole broke through, round like a cigarette burn in a piece of fabric.
“Fucking hell, you did it!” Serg exclaimed.
“But how are we going to get to shore?” Sven questioned, ever the voice of reason. “We were supposed to access the dock to steal a boat. There’s nothing here unless we swim.”
“Not me,” Serg said as he began stripping out of his jumpsuit. I averted my gaze and found Vasilios staring at me, his eyes alight.
“What was that?” he whispered.
“I have no idea. But it worked, so that’s all that matters right now.”
He nodded, his expression full of fascination before Serg distracted us by shifting into his animal form. Now that we were outside the bounds of the magical wards, he was no longer prevented from shifting.
“Bastard,” Sven griped as Serg’s body transformed into the biggest eagle I’d ever seen. The bird shot high up into the air, wings spread wide, and we stared at him as he flew away.
“Not so much as a thank you,” Vasilios said in annoyance.