to burn through the ice in his veins.
Mary screamed and fell back, clawing at the black and gray walls. "Get thee hence! Elizabeth!"
Landon scrambled to his feet, trying to force his sluggish body to do his will. This was not the time for immobility. Digging the key out of his pocket, he ran for the throne room, where he'd seen the chains attached to the giant lock behind the thrones. Behind him, he could hear Mary screaming for Elizabeth, could hear her footsteps stumbling through the darkness, but he didn't dare look behind him.
Get to the lock. Get to the lock. Get to the lock.
He raced past Vlad, who stood at the doorway to the ballroom, stunned. Apparently, they weren't used to live men running through their haunted halls.
It worked in Landon's favor.
"Stop him!"
He saw Elizabeth come in the side door, more horrible in person than she'd ever been in the mirror. She was beautiful, yes, in a nightmarish, horrific sort of way.
She wasn't fast enough.
Landon dove for the throne and the lock between them, chains curled around it like sleeping snakes. The key fumbled in his casted hand, and he dropped it. It glowed against the black floor, translucent light. He snatched it with his good hand, fell to his knees and shoved it into the lock.
I'm going to die. But Eiress will be free.
And he would go to hell, because he died here. Whether he deserved it or not.
It didn't matter. Eiress would be free.
The chains hissed, lashing at him, coiling tighter around his wrists. He fought them, pushing the key through the lock. Elizabeth screamed and dove at him, but Mary was strangely silent. He didn't have time to search for her, though, as he fought Elizabeth off and tried to untangle himself from the chains.
Vlad was rushing from the doorway. Landon landed one miraculously placed kick to Elizabeth's face. Her nose broken, black blood gushed from her gray face, and she tumbled back, howling.
Vlad froze, eyes on the blood, fangs biting into his bottom lip.
Landon didn't hesitate. He sprang to his feet and ran for all he was worth. Elizabeth was behind him, Vlad's fingers grabbed at the collar of Landon's shirt, and there was no time to think. He dove for the wide, stained-glass windows. The glass shattered around him as his body hit, and hot air enveloped him as he flew through the air and landed hard on the black grass below. He rolled to his back and crab-walked backward, trying to get his feet under him, injured hand screaming as more bones cracked.
Above him, Elizabeth, broken and screaming, stood at the window, Vlad next to her. Neither of them made any move to follow Landon, and although he had no idea why, his feet were finally under him so he turned and ran for all he was worth into the darkness.
A T SOME POINT, E IRESS had dozed off. She wasn't sure when, and she had no idea what time it was when she jerked up in bed, heart hammering in her chest. Cold dread gripped her, making her shake despite Kaida's warmth.
Something was wrong.
As always, she searched for her friend, first. He wasn't there.
Or…he was there? But he was far away.
Confused, she pressed a hand to her forehead. No, he was close. Closer than he'd been before.
What did that even mean?
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pushed herself to her feet. Padding silently across the dark room, she went to the mirror and pressed her hand against it.
Cold.
Ice cold.
Shivering, frowning, panic clawing at her throat, she turned in a circle, trying to place the difference.
He was in trouble.
Chills raced up her spine. Yes, he was in trouble. Of that much, she was suddenly certain.
At the window, Kaida whined, clawing at the shutters. Tentatively, Eiress walked toward her little dragon, checking over her shoulder to watch the mirror. It had never seemed so lifeless before. So devoid of hope.
Had she lost him completely?
But no, she could still feel him. He was alive.
Unless he wasn't. And he was here.
Shaking her head so
Mary screamed and fell back, clawing at the black and gray walls. "Get thee hence! Elizabeth!"
Landon scrambled to his feet, trying to force his sluggish body to do his will. This was not the time for immobility. Digging the key out of his pocket, he ran for the throne room, where he'd seen the chains attached to the giant lock behind the thrones. Behind him, he could hear Mary screaming for Elizabeth, could hear her footsteps stumbling through the darkness, but he didn't dare look behind him.
Get to the lock. Get to the lock. Get to the lock.
He raced past Vlad, who stood at the doorway to the ballroom, stunned. Apparently, they weren't used to live men running through their haunted halls.
It worked in Landon's favor.
"Stop him!"
He saw Elizabeth come in the side door, more horrible in person than she'd ever been in the mirror. She was beautiful, yes, in a nightmarish, horrific sort of way.
She wasn't fast enough.
Landon dove for the throne and the lock between them, chains curled around it like sleeping snakes. The key fumbled in his casted hand, and he dropped it. It glowed against the black floor, translucent light. He snatched it with his good hand, fell to his knees and shoved it into the lock.
I'm going to die. But Eiress will be free.
And he would go to hell, because he died here. Whether he deserved it or not.
It didn't matter. Eiress would be free.
The chains hissed, lashing at him, coiling tighter around his wrists. He fought them, pushing the key through the lock. Elizabeth screamed and dove at him, but Mary was strangely silent. He didn't have time to search for her, though, as he fought Elizabeth off and tried to untangle himself from the chains.
Vlad was rushing from the doorway. Landon landed one miraculously placed kick to Elizabeth's face. Her nose broken, black blood gushed from her gray face, and she tumbled back, howling.
Vlad froze, eyes on the blood, fangs biting into his bottom lip.
Landon didn't hesitate. He sprang to his feet and ran for all he was worth. Elizabeth was behind him, Vlad's fingers grabbed at the collar of Landon's shirt, and there was no time to think. He dove for the wide, stained-glass windows. The glass shattered around him as his body hit, and hot air enveloped him as he flew through the air and landed hard on the black grass below. He rolled to his back and crab-walked backward, trying to get his feet under him, injured hand screaming as more bones cracked.
Above him, Elizabeth, broken and screaming, stood at the window, Vlad next to her. Neither of them made any move to follow Landon, and although he had no idea why, his feet were finally under him so he turned and ran for all he was worth into the darkness.
A T SOME POINT, E IRESS had dozed off. She wasn't sure when, and she had no idea what time it was when she jerked up in bed, heart hammering in her chest. Cold dread gripped her, making her shake despite Kaida's warmth.
Something was wrong.
As always, she searched for her friend, first. He wasn't there.
Or…he was there? But he was far away.
Confused, she pressed a hand to her forehead. No, he was close. Closer than he'd been before.
What did that even mean?
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pushed herself to her feet. Padding silently across the dark room, she went to the mirror and pressed her hand against it.
Cold.
Ice cold.
Shivering, frowning, panic clawing at her throat, she turned in a circle, trying to place the difference.
He was in trouble.
Chills raced up her spine. Yes, he was in trouble. Of that much, she was suddenly certain.
At the window, Kaida whined, clawing at the shutters. Tentatively, Eiress walked toward her little dragon, checking over her shoulder to watch the mirror. It had never seemed so lifeless before. So devoid of hope.
Had she lost him completely?
But no, she could still feel him. He was alive.
Unless he wasn't. And he was here.
Shaking her head so
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