Graves had kept me longer than expected. By the time I reached the exit, Rayne and Jesse were no longer in sight. So I closed my eyes and listened. At first I didn't hear anything except the fun going on at the party. But I pushed farther and farther, focusing until I heard Rayne's soft laugh. "Got you." I opened my eyes and started forward. A lone gargoyle blocked my path. He wore a creepy smile as he studied me. "Talking to myself," I said, moving in the direction of the stairs. "Don't go, little princess." He wrapped his arms around me from behind, holding me fast. I immediately went limp, allowing him to bear all my weight. His grip slipped just enough that I was able to ram the back of my foot into his knees and roll forward out of his arms. The gargoyle cried out, and I was free before he even realized what had happened. Using my vampire speed, I dashed over to the stairs and raced down them before he had a chance to recover. When I'd gone down two flights, I paused and li
"Let's get out of here." Rayne said, turning away from me and toward the entrance. "I can't stay here anymore." She touched the wall and it began to rise. I glanced sideways, hoping to get Jesse's attention, but he wouldn't look at me either. Troy still held me fast. "It's okay," he whispered. I didn't know if it would be. I crossed my arms and waited as the wall retreated into the ceiling. On the other side, Rave and Scotch were waiting for us. My neck prickled. Something about them looked off. "Sharra will see you now," Scotch said. His voice was entirely void of character and his brilliant orange wings had faded to dull umber. Worse, he mentioned Sharra. Rave and Scotch had become Akuma, soulless demon creatures. Rave took hold of Jesse, but Jesse forced himself from the gargoyle's grasp. "Let me go." Scotch tried to grab me, but I scooted out of the way as Troy half shifted and ripped off the gargoyle's arm. He didn't even flinch. "Jesse, take Rayne and get out of here. Now,
I walked and walked for what felt like months. Dark sky hung above without a moon or stars to guide me. The sand beneath me sank with every step, burying my bare feet, scorching my skin regardless of the missing sunlight. I climbed hill after sandy hill, trying to find my way out, but it was endless. I crested each summit, hope filling my breast, only to have it dashed when I reached the top and saw a dozen more hills stretched out in every direction.And with each step came the relentless berating. You'll never defeat her. You won't succeed. Give yourself over to Sharra. Then you can't fail.I fought against the voice inside my head. Time passed, and I began to believe this was my only existence. The sand and dark sky were real. Everything else had been a dream. I finally lay down, not caring that the sand burned. In fact, I relished its stinging, welcomed it. Closed my eyes, desperate to be done. Hope no longer existed. Only the burning sand and the darkness. Only fai
I opened my eyes for real this time. They went immediately to the window. It was even darker than I remembered, and I wondered how long I'd been gone.""Jazz." Troy was abruptly at my side, sitting beside me on the bed. Relief covered his entire face like a blanket."Where are we?" I rubbed at my temples, trying to regain my bearings. "We're still in the gargoyle realm," he said. His eyes shone with unshed tears. "I didn't think you were coming back to me." With infinite care, he brushed some hair off my forehead. "How long have I been asleep?""Eleven days." He scooted closer. "You look better, like you've eaten."I glanced down at my hands. "I did.""Oh?" He was understandably alarmed by the revelation. "How?"I touched the wooden bear on my wrist. "Christopher," I said plainly, knowing I needed to tell the truth. "That's impossible." His voice was hard. "I've been with you the whole time and he hasn't been here.""Well," my voice lifted along with my gaze. "He was able to reach m
I didn't need light to see. Neither did Troy. But the rest of the world did. And it was my job to keep it from disappearing completely, especially since the looming darkness was my fault. After leaving the gargoyle realm, it only took us a few days to find the third piece of the crown created - and then hidden - by elves a long time ago. According to Laeddin, only I could wield the powers contained within. If I collected all the pieces in time, then I would possess the magic necessary to destroy Sharra and save the world. I hoped he was right. Part of me even believed it, especially since each time I found a piece, it embedded itself in my forehead. The rest of me wasn't sure I could stop the Darkness or the Akuma, and specifically not Sharra. The prospect terrified me.But I had to try. "Stand back, Troy." I glanced up at his handsomely rugged face. He had smudges of dirt on his chin and nose, which somehow made him even more gorgeous, if that were possible. "I'm against the
In the gargoyle realm, I was given a necklace by Sharra's sister, Silindra. She wasn't actually there, and I didn't know how it worked exactly, but she gave me the necklace. All I had to do was think of where I wanted to go and it would take me there. It was tucked under my shirt, and I pulled it out. Wrapping my fingers around it, I thought of the house in Salem, Massachusetts where my mom grew up. When we arrived, I sighed. It looked the same as when I left it, expect maybe a little more dust. The house was empty, not even the gray cat, Gatsby wandered the rooms. It felt vacant without him there. Troy escorted me to my bedroom door before going into the bathroom to get cleaned up. I showered, allowing the hot water to rinse away the stress that clung to me from the troll realm. My interchange with the assassin still ran through my mind. I didn't know whether I should believe him or not. Part of me felt like it was too easy. None of the other assassins had offered so much as a h
It was a cake with lit candles on top. Eighteen fiery reminders that I had my birthday in the gargoyle realm. "What's this?" Had he gone out and got me a cake? It looked that way. "A woman needs a cake for her eighteenth birthday, even if it is a little late." He pressed his lips to mine softly."Honestly, I'd rather have other things," I said. "Especially since I don't eat cake.""Other things are nice." He wriggled his eyebrows, making me laugh. "But this is a special cake made with special magic from the realm of Sharra." "What?" I went to stick a finger in the frosting, but he held it out of my way. "Not until I sing and you blow out the candles." He walked by, sitting on my bed and placed the cake in the center. "You're going to sing to me?" I couldn't help but remember my actual birthday. Troy and I had spent a long time kissing, and kissing some more. It'd been one of the best days of my life. I couldn't have asked for a better present and had told him as much. So, the fact
"Young love. The two of you are sweet." Her voice was sarcastic and instantly recognizable. Sharra. My body vibrated with anger, outrage, and fear. How dare she come into my room at my happiest moment? "Get out!" I climbed off Troy. "Unless you've come to return my mom and dad, leave." I lunged forward and got in her face, completely out of control in my fury. "Jasmine." She wore a long black dress and carried her staff with the orb on the end. Her face was calm, but her eyes sparked with interest when they fell on the gems in my forehead. "You've collected three already. Good. That's very good." Her wicked chuckle chilled me to the bone. My anger died, replaced by a growing sense of dread. "The world will be completely encompassed in darkness soon and I want that elven crown. With it, no one will ever be able to stop me." I sucked in a large gulp of air. She obviously didn't think I was any sort of threat. That hurt, but it was also understandable. I hadn't been a formidable opp