Chapter 47
ROOKE
Idove through the blood circle, fighting to reach the Thorn, Ariel’s ragged fingernails carving across my cheek like blades.
For a moment the world narrowed down to a mad scramble of desperate, clawing hands, thrown elbows and hissing breath, then Ariel was gone.
I swept the relic up in my hand, sucking in big gulps of air, cold fear washing through me as Varian hauled the girl away, her blank gaze wide, mouth open in an ugly sneer that somehow looked exactly like Gravelock’s.
“The Thorn is mine. Give it to me, you undeserving cretin.”
I straightened, spine locking into place. “Actually, by rights, this is mine.” I stepped back inside the relative safety of the circle, ears hollowing out from the pressing thud of magic, “you are the undeserving one, Butcher.”
“Sorry,” Varian panted, trying to keep ahold of her. “I only left her alone for a moment to…uh…to take a piss. One second, she was fast asleep and when I returned, she was already halfway down the hall…”
“Give them to me, give them to me,” Ariel chanted, fingers compulsively clawing the air. “Give me the relics, or I will kill you all, grind your bones to dust, drink your blood, take your eyes…”
Varian wrenched her further away, both arms banded around her stomach, her elbows pounding against his abdomen, driving the air from his lungs.
“I’d advise you to continue,” he grunted between blows. “Not sure how long I can hang onto her. She’s stronger than she looks and I don’t want to hurt her.”
“Get her out of here, Varian,” I hissed. “He’s watching everything through her eyes, and he cannot see what’s coming next.”
The process took far too long, but Varian wrestled her away, dragging her through the archway, then down the hall, until a far-off door slammed closed, cutting off her ranting.