Queen of the Underworld | Book 3

• forty-seven •

Kymra shuddered. "I never thought I'd ever see a demon in my lifetime."

I looked at Asmo just as he looked at me.

She stood. "Come on, we're almost there."

"Almost where?"

We all turned and when we looked at the figure at the end of the hall, my heart plummeted.

Mehnit roared and jumped to stand in front of me.

Mal laughed as she looked at us. Her eyes rested on Asmo as he stood between me and Mehnit protectively

I watched his towering form as he blocked her from my view. "Asmodeus, I should have known better than to trust you."

Electricity crackled around her.

Asmo looked at his nails. Something he would do when he wanted to make himself look bored. "My loyalty goes to the highest bidder. Emylin just happened to outbid you."

Her end of the hallway rippled with energy but she smiled. "You're a traitorous liar, Asmodeus." She tilted her head.

She lifted her hand and as soon as she did, I raised both of mine, anticipating her attack.

I pulled Asmo behind me with my power and raised a barrier around all of us.

Her power pushed us back down the hall. My bare feet scraped against the stone floor as it shoved against the barrier I placed in front of us.

She did it again and again, we were pummeled by the force down the corridor.

But I would not lower my barrier. I kept it placed between us as sturdy as I could make it.

She took slow, languid steps towards us and at once, the air around us began to weigh me down. The air was heavy and thick like molasses, making it harder and harder to breathe.

"I can make this stop, Emylin," she taunted. "Just give me what's rightfully mine."

Someone coughed next to me. "Don't."

I looked behind me.

Horrified, I watched Asmo, Oren, Mehnit and Kymra struggle to breathe almost writhing on the floor.

Asmo was powerful. I had never seen him struggle for power. Ever.

They were powerful, weren't they? Could Mal be so powerful that they were unable to fight back? Her, alone?

Kymra shook her head, her eyes inky black with power. "Don't do it."

The air became heavier and she buckled, falling to her knees.

I looked at Asmo. His eyes were turning yellow again.

Did Mal know? Could we use that to our advantage?

We were weak on our own but what if Damien--the most powerful dark fae--was with us? Fighting on our side?

We couldn't specter in the Keep, could we specter right outside of it?

I moved. With everything I could, I pushed against Mal making her fly back down the hall where she came from.

I turned around and threw a bolt of power through the hall so powerful it blew a hole through the stone wall at the end of the hall. Debris and cracked stone rained over us creating a large billowing cloud of ground stone and ashes that completely covered us.

I raised my hands forward and channeled my power.

Gods, please let this work.

I pushed my hands back forcefully and with as much force as I could muster pushed us all out of Keep and out into the sky.