Page 60 of Underworld

Enough to make anyone go mad.

“Do you know why we’ve come here?” Kaito asked as I ventured to touch the bars, finding them freezing cold.

My heart ached, but I didn’t know why. Something I searched for was here.

Or… someone.

“I’m not sure,” I admitted, torn.

The ground trembled and I jerked my head toward the sound.

“Cole,” Kaito growled. “It seems our time is up.”

In a desperate move, I ripped my necklace from my chest and looped it over the cage’s lock. It hissed and sputtered in reply just as the ground fell out from underneath us, sending us spiraling back to our bodies.

Whatever I’d just done… I hoped it would work.

Chapter 16

The sky burned.

The ground trembled.

I opened my eyes and scrambled to my feet, finding Kaito awake and doing the same.

His gaze narrowed on me and he nodded.

We’d survived whatever that was, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t get to see the fruit of my efforts quite yet. Purgatory worked on a different timescale and it would take some patience for the soul artifact I’d left behind to make its return to me.

My wings felt a little bit lighter after the experience, my mind a little less cluttered.

The rage, though, burned like molten embers that could easily be flared back to lift by just a soft breath.

Kaito yanked me to my feet. “Time to go,” he said.

Overhead, the pearlescent barrier protecting the school flickered red and as I watched a storm of fire rippled over it.

“Hellfire,” I whispered.

A familiar, mocking laugh filled the air, making me spin as I tried to pinpoint the source.

The building swayed again beneath me and Kaito grabbed onto me, keeping me from the edge.

It was too late. The stone crumbled under our feet and we went airborne.

Shit.

Trying not to panic, I grabbed onto Kaito and spread my wings as wide as they would go. While my trip to Purgatory seemed to have helped their immense weight, I was still nowhere near flight-ready.

Gliding, though, I could do.

The ground rushed up to greet us, its molten streaks harsh and unforgiving.

We hit hard. My knees slammed into the sharp, jagged stones while Kaito rolled away from me, his body hitting a building hard with a sickeningcrack.

“Kaito!” I screamed.

He didn’t move.