I barged into the man, gripping him by the collar and pushing him back. I took his place in standing next to Lilith and staring down at her. “What is happening with Annora? She’s still unconscious! Have you finished—”

Fury sparked in the Ancient’s eyes and with one sharp incantation from her I flew backward and crashed against the wall at the far end of the room.

“Tell me, Rhys,” she said, scowling at me and then fixing her black eyes once again on Rhys.

He threw me a dirty look too and continued, “I was successful.”

“Ah, good, good. Where is the catch?”

“Outside. First I need to speak with you. Alone.” Rhys glared at me once more.

Lilith lost no time in issuing me orders. “Take your girl and get out of here,” she hissed.

Although my blood was boiling, I didn’t see another option but to obey. Infuriating her further might lead her to take her irritation out on Annora. I just had to hope that the spell had worked and now all I had to do was wait for Annora to wake up.

Glowering at both of them and cursing beneath my breath, I brushed past them, scooped the limp Annora up in my arms and stalked out of the room. I took special care to slam the door behind me.

I marched back through the dim tunnel. Although we hadn’t arrived through it, Annora had told me that there was a gate on this island. The problem was, I had no idea where it was. I’d have to try to wake Annora up or just wait until she woke by herself.

Still shaking with anger and frustration, I stopped in my tracks just as I neared the exit of the tunnel. My nose caught a scent. A familiar scent, both sweet and terrifying.

I laid Annora down on the ground and followed the smell. It led me to the end of the corridor. I stopped in front of a narrow gap in the wall, just large enough to hold a thin human. A girl. A black-haired, green-eyed girl. Gagged and bound in ropes at her hands and feet. Blood seeped from her kneecap.

Rose Novak.

Chapter 34: Caleb

I almost choked on my tongue.

As soon as Rose saw me approach, her eyes widened and she struggled to sit upright. I stood frozen. My instinct was to reach out and help her, but my hands remained at my sides. It was as if time itself stood still as I stared at the girl.

A wave of longing crashed over me. Longing I’d tried to bury deep. Longing I’d tried to forget. Longing that would only lead to pain and trouble.

Rose began to choke as she tried to talk to me through the gag.

My eyes travelled from Rose in her desperate state, to Annora still unconscious on the ground, then back to Rose.

I didn’t know why Rhys had brought Rose here, but I knew one thing—once she stepped into that chamber with Lilith, she wouldn’t come out the same. Whatever those two monsters had in store for her, they would take something from her, perhaps her very life.

Rose, the delicate flower I’d tried so hard to shelter from my dark world, had been thrust right into it.

All logic shut down and adrenaline took over.

Despite the pang of guilt I felt about leaving Annora in her helpless state on the ground—a state I wasn’t even sure she would wake up from—I approached Rose and scooped her up in my arms.

I didn’t know what I was doing, or where I would go with her. I didn’t consider what would happen if we were caught. All rational thought escaped me as I raced out of that cave and hurtled down over the boulders toward the beach. All of it blurred into the background as I was left with the one overwhelming urge to carry Rose out of the dark. To not let her witness the nightmares within it.

I didn’t want to think about what Rhys might have done to her already. My stomach clenched as I eyed the blood on her leg, which hung limp.

She moaned as I continued ahead full speed, her leg swinging roughly over my arm. Once we’d lost sight of the cave, I dared pause for a breath.

I placed Rose down on the ground and pulled the gag out of her mouth.

She gasped and choked, coughing up dirt and blood. Her lips were parched, her face smeared with blood and sweat, eyes wide and fearful.

She opened her mouth to speak, but we had no time for it.

I shook her silent. “Listen to me, Rose. How did you get here? How did Rhys bring you here?”

“I… Th-there was a… crater. Further up. On the beach. Near the statue.”

“What statue?” I looked left and right, scanning the length of the beach.

She raised a weak hand, pointing toward our left. I squinted and finally saw it—right at the other end of the beach. A lone statue rising high into the sky, at least fifty feet.

I tore off my shirt and wrapped it around her leg for extra support. I picked her up again and as soon as I did, I cursed myself for ever touching her leg. I’d managed to smudge her blood on my hands. It was everything I could do to not stop then and there and dig my fangs into her soft neck. Her scent was making me feel nauseous, like a drug taking hold of all my senses.

Biting my lower lip, I continued racing forward, throwing a glance back over my shoulder every ten feet. Rhys was still nowhere in sight. Either he was still talking to Lilith, oblivious of the fact that I’d stolen Rose, or he had just found out and was now chasing after us.

Whatever the case, there was only one thing to do. Run.

I approached the statue—an odd grey structure shaped like an upward-pointing dagger—and circled it. I breathed out in relief as I spotted the crater Rose had spoken of. So this is another one of the witches’ remaining gates.

I had not the slightest clue what we might find on the other side. But there was no time for thought. I just had to let my instincts and adrenaline keep me running, because the moment I stopped to think, the insanity of what I’d just done would come crashing down on me.