Angel of Fire - the Breath of Immortality - Book One #Wattys2014

New Beginnings

Chapter 42 - New Beginnings

Vycandor didn’t make any attempt to move as I cautiously crept forward. Standing over his crumpled body, I cringed at the sight of his back all charred and crispy.

My eyes slid to his chest. I hate when I'm right. The Holy Water had reacted like acid, completely devouring his flesh right to the bone, leaving behind an ugly gaping wound.

Crouching down, I felt an uncontrollable urge to touch him. His eyes never wavered from mine as I reached out a shaky arm – fingers pulsating with temptation – and placed my hand directly on his chest. Or what was left of it anyway.

The wound was sticky and hot. I scrunched my eyes shut tight again and waited for the inevitable to happen. For his emotions to leak all over me. Instead, the unthinkable happened.

I leaked all over him. Physically speaking, that is.

Vycandor screamed in agony as if I'd just burned him again. I gasped in surprise and drew back my arm, splattering the nearby stone wall with deep scarlet cast-off.

Writhing back and forth in misery, Vycandor hugged his arms over his chest, body twitching involuntarily with anguish, until he could no longer tolerate the pain and passed out.

I realized only then that I'd been holding my breath. Blowing it out slowly, I took my time to drink in the features of his profile practically glowing in soft golden tones from the torch light. For once his skin no longer had that strange bluish tint, although I knew the dancing flames were just playing tricks on my eyes.

Relief swam through me that his face had remained untouched by the Holy Water. Thankfully, not one mark flawed his smoldering gorgeousness.

Glancing down at the skin on my arm, it became obvious to me that unless I wanted to join the land of the living dead, I'd better meet up with Serenity before there was nothing left of me to heal with her magic.

“I'm not finished with you yet,” I whispered, not knowing if he could hear me. “I may not be able to bring my friends back from the dead, but I don't plan on letting you join them. Not until I know what happened to you.”

Weakened by blood loss I struggled to stand up, knowing I was running out of time. Once on my feet, I couldn't get out of that dungeon fast enough.

Squeezing through a crack in the massive wooden door, I grabbed a torch and followed the tunnel back to the narrow staircase. Taking the steps three at a time, I finally reached the top. Murky daylight seeped in from under the secret passageway.

Extinguishing the flame, I pushed on the bookshelf. But it wouldn't budge. Irritated, I raised what little power I had left and blasted my way through the heavy door.

Splintered pieces of wood and books with thousands of torn out pages flew high into the air. I sailed through the library with the debris fluttering down around me like a confetti drop on New Year's Eve.

Dashing out of the castle, I hopped back in the Jaguar. Thankfully the keys were right where I'd left them in the ignition. Which was a good thing because I no longer had enough energy to zap the motor.

I started up the engine, put it in gear, and tore out of the driveway as fast as possible – tires squealing in a thick cloud of gray smoke.

Before I returned to try and save Vycandor, I knew I had to save myself first. Not because I wanted to be selfish. But because, otherwise, I was going to lose the one thing that suddenly mattered to me the most. Something I knew I couldn't live without.

The other half of my soul.