The room in which I’d landed smelled of wet earth and foul magic, and it was so filled with shadows that the light from the candles forming a large circle around me barely made an impact.I couldn’t see but I didn’t care. Azriel was here. The connection we shared flared to life, bright and fierce, even if somewhat constrained. I couldn’t hear him—whatever magic caged him obviously restricted our ability to communicate—but given the circumstances, that was probably a good thing. He’d no doubt be furious about me walking—or, more accurately, falling—into Lauren’s trap.Fire rippled down Valdis’s sides, lilac flames that briefly glowed a fierce and bloody red. Her steel quivered in my grip and tugged lightly to the left, as if eager to be free and moving. But until I knew for certain where both Azriel and Lauren were, I couldn’t release her. Our demon swords might be able to move of their own will, but I didn’t need Lauren realizing that.“Well, well, well,” an all-too-familiar voice said.
