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CHAPTER EIGHT

The graveyard was muddy froh the old to soranite stones Most of the letters orn away by the elements It took two to three stones to be certain here I thought

“I knohere we are,” I told her We were in an old ceh on a hill a rew up Apryl wouldn’t remember, but I did We used to cos of flowers The dragon ht me to this portal on purpose, but I wasn’t sure why Besides that he seems to have led Apryl there, too I followed the sound to the road, with Apryl walking behind me Then alked to an abandoned warehouse a few blocks away

Apryl followed me without question I didn’t like this I didn’t like her being a Valefar It was a risk to keep her around because Kreturus could use her any tiht he could I still wasn’t certain hoasaround I decided to keep her with ht before Kreturus had no control over ic I was certain of it, because if effonating had a high power price, I would have noticed I sure as hell noticed the pain No, Kreturus didn’t have control over me But then that meant he had control over every other Valefar He could be anywhere He could use any of them, except Collin Collin’sto no one, but I couldn’t be completely certain I could only hope

The warehouse was dank and dark Theon it instead of rain We settled down on the floor There were some crates in the corners with reams of paper that went to waste I was so tired that I could barely sit up Apryl said, “You look weak” I didn’t reply I couldn’t sleep Not here Not noas unguarded fro next to me “Is it the poison?”

I yawned, and nodded “It should have killed me, you know I shouldn’t be here That was the second time I should have died this year, and instead—I’m here with you” Maybe it was foolish to tell her, but I didn’t think stating the obvious put er than I was already in She had eyes after all, and could see I was about to pass out from exhaustion

She nodded “Then sleep” I shot her a look frohed “What could I possibly do? You’re far stronger than I am, even weakened like this I can’t effonate on rimaced “I need to eat Rest, Ivy I’ll be back in a while, and then we can talk I have a feeling that your Valefar 101 classes were skipped”

CHAPTER NINE

I was so sore and tired that I fell asleep almost instantly The entire ti souls Death ravaged my mind and pulled on my emotions until I cried out in s as my scream faded into soft echoes at the back of the warehouse The silver co in my chest, as the back of my neck prickled

Someone was there, and it wasn’t Apryl I could hear his breath, the slow intake of air as he tried to maintain his composure The sound was near silent It came from the very back of the warehouse where the shadoere thick like tar His body was hidden frout I kneho it was My htly as I rose

Peering through the darkness, I looked but couldn’t see him Finally I called out, “Go away I know you’re here and I don’t want to see you”

Collin e whatever shroud concealed hihtened Additional worry creased h me in an icy cold blast I was afraid of what Lorren did tothat would ely rip my soul froh lust induced insanity for one day

Panicked, I started to step away from him and screamed, “STOP!”

Collin’s feet abruptly ihtly, not certain what to think of the fear that afting off of me I knew he could sense it I knew the bond told him that I was afraid He looked atus Industrial lighting hung above, suspended from rusty rafters, but failed to illuminate the roo for the other to move or speak

Asfor so felt different But I didn’t trustexactly what Lorren had done to ain without taking my soul back I didn’t knohat that entailed