Page 6 (1/2)

"Exactly," I said "Which is why going to El Dorado would be a terrible idea"

A slow grin spread over Elyssa’s face "I agree We should go right away"

Chapter 4

I did a double-take "Wait a minute Did you just say we should return to the bowels of hell?"

"Dra her head "Think about it There’s an Alabaster Arch, a mystery prize, and possibly access to our own arch control room You remember those oet those working?"

"That’s a big if," I replied "And what if the ruesome death?"

"It’s not," she said with certainty "This is totally worth the risk If we take a look, Lornicus will help us save your mom"

"Mom and Ivy," I clarified "Once we have them, on’t need to take the rune from Jeremiah since Daelissa can’t do squat without oleauess it’s time I came out of the closet"

She rolled her eyes "He wouldn’t send you to your death if he thinks he has a chance of controlling you"

"Yeah, but what if he doesn’t think he can control me and this is a convenient way to have ht get rid of you then But so far, I don’t think he’s detero, he’ll think he has you" Elyssa tapped her chin "We also have another unused resource in the dungeons"

"Rusty chains?" I said

"No, silly, the arch"

Ezzek Moore and the original Arcane Council had used the arch in question to hide the Cyrinthian Rune fro the rune into the arch here beneath Ezzek’soff both ends with shields to keep it fro out either end Unfortunately, the result of the rune pinging back and forth between each end of the traversion tunnel over the centuries had caused a pulsar of one nuclear and husked everyone in Queens Gate

We’d stopped it, but Jereht out from under our noses

"Cinder calculated that the arch’s destination is in Antarctica or the North Pole," I said, giving her a confused look "Why would ant to go there?"

"We never actually explored it," she said "What if it goes to another control roo another close call, we’d all been busy enjoying life instead of carelessly throwing our bodies into the unknown "I hadn’t thought about it" My h the possibilities "We’d have our own private control rooarded her "Since when did you becoerous adventures? Usually, I’m the one ready to lead us off the cliff"

"You’ve been slacking lately," she said, poking a finger in s up"

"Oh, yeah?" I tickled her tuuard it with her ars up"

"I know you do," she said, and disarmed me with a kiss Her smile faded "In all seriousness, I think we should check out the arch in the cellar I also think we should talk to Bella about putting together a sroup to look at El Dorado"

"You’re just as curious as I am, aren’t you?" I said

A smirk lifted the corner of herout with reement

I dispatched an ehtliss, and others who’d been withfor that evening Nightliss was the first to show She still looked a bit wan and pale from her ordeal with Daelissa’s deadly curse despite Ivy healing her

I gave the petite angel a hug, and even Elyssa see better

"Have you felt any different since Ivy rehtliss asked s in front of the Lady of the Pond, I haven’t noticed anything else to indicate hed "It’s frustrating Instinct has guided me all this time, but made me a poor teacher And even if I wanted to teach you, I am still too weak"

"I feel fully recovered since Ivy healed e you?"

"Perhaps not perh it may have set back my recovery from the Desecration by a few years" Her brow crinkled