Page 26 of Wings of Darkness (Daughter of the Seven Circles #2)
Rune’s shadow fur whipped around as if she were agitated. She sat staring into the snowy trees at the end of the building.
Three large felines with gorgeous white, speckled fur and eyes as crystal blue as Alexei’s prowled into view. My mouth dropped open.
“Snow leopards?” Oliver asked in awe.
Alexei crouched down, and one of the felines broke away, sprinting toward him. My Glory prickled, then slowly eased when I noticed Alexei’s wide-open arms. He chuckled when the large cat tackled him to the ground.
“This is my girl, Jaz. She’s a Hellcat. They look like Earth’s snow leopards but breathe ice and blink.”
“Blink—”
The last two Hellcats sprinted toward us, but unlike the one currently purring on Alexei, the other two disappeared mid-sprint and reappeared right in front of our faces. Oliver and I both fell on our asses. Rune growled, pressing closer to my body.
“So their blinking is like teleporting,” Oliver said, laughing when the Hellcat butted his chest with its head, pushing him into the ground.
Alexei chuckled along with Oliver, shoving off his Hellcat.
“Rosie, get off him.” Rosie stepped back, then circled Alexei, purring.
“Yeah.” He gave Oliver a hand. “That’s a good way of putting what they do.
These are the triplets I’ve raised. Rosie, Jaz, and”—he pointed at the one in front of me—“Scarlet. My favorite ladies.”
I reached out a hesitant hand and slid my fingers against Scarlet’s spotted face. Rune growled, and I glanced at her. “Don’t be jealous. You’re still my favorite.”
That seemed to appease her enough to stop her growl, but her teeth were still bared. Scarlet didn’t seem to care. Her purrs vibrated my hand, making me smile.
“They’re going to blink us around the city. Less walking, less cold, and more sightseeing.”
Oliver rubbed his gloves together. “I’m game. Where are we going first?”
Alexei matched Oliver’s smile. “The Hoar House for some food.”
“We are talking about real food and not some kinky euphemism for food, right?” Oliver asked, seeming intrigued but also wary.
“Trust me.”
We helped Alexei harness the triplets, apparently headed to the Whore House.
Rune, deciding she would neither be left behind nor harnessed up front with the Hellcats, crammed herself into the sleigh.
Oliver was pressed against Alexei, while I squished between the rail and Rune.
Based on the barely contained giddy smile on Oliver’s lips, I don’t think he was all that upset by our positioning.
The triplets pulled us out of the building, pausing atop the hill. On the nearside of the castle, straight ahead, an expanse of snow led to a sharp drop-off. The Hellcats flexed their claws in the snow as if preparing to run.
“We’re going off that cliff, aren’t we?” I asked, my Glory prickling again.
Alexei’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “To the Hoar House, ladies!” he shouted.
Jaz, Scarlett, and Rosie sprang into a sprint, forcing my back against the sleigh and running straight for the drop-off.
I pressed closer to Rune, and her shadows seeped across my shoulder and brushed my cheek, soothing my nerves. But they did little to muffle the shriek I let loose as the Hellcats leaped. We were airborne for a second—then we were in a snowy city, in front of a brick building covered in frost.
I laughed, both amazed and recovering from the jolt of adrenaline.
“New favorite mode of transportation,” Oliver said, and I agreed.
Alexei gave us a smug smile. “If you had wings, you wouldn’t be saying that. But it is the next best thing.”
Gazing up at the unique, frosty building, I realized Oliver and I had reached the wrong conclusion.
“ Hoar as in hoarfrost,” Oliver said in an aha moment, taking in the building with a similar appreciative expression .
Ice frosted the vines crawling up the brick facade. The sparkling white-and-blue surface glittered beneath the flaming streetlamps, looking like a foggy coat of glass. Next to the other partially frosted brick faces, the Hoar House stood out—a beautiful oddity in a sea of normality.
Here, in what I assumed was the heart of Hoar Hollow, the cold piercing my cheeks faded away in the splendor of the magic surrounding Hell’s city.
Colorful sleighs lined the cobbled, snowy street, with Hellcats at the forefront of each carriage.
Other sleighs blinked in and out, startling me with their sudden appearance and departure on this busy street.
And the splendor of Hell didn’t end there.
Above our heads, angels with gorgeous feathered wings in varying neutral colors flew overhead.
If what Alexei said was correct, most of them must be blood-banded, given permission from the king to live in his world.
Before this moment, if anyone had asked me if I wanted to come to Hell, I would’ve said no, expecting fire and gruesome torture.
And while our squad leader was torturing Oliver and me, this almost made it better.
It was as magical as the time we walked through Damatha Forest—totally unexpected, and mesmerizing.
Alexei laughed. “Ronen thought you two might like the inner city.”
I whipped my gaze back to Alexei. “The general?”
He grimaced. “Guess there goes the mystery of my motive. He suggested getting you out of the castle. It wasn’t actually my idea—I was just following orders…” He trailed off at my gaping mouth.
What was the general playing at?