Conjuring Fate by Ann Gimpel

Author:Ann Gimpel [Gimpel, Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ann Gimpel Books, LLC

Chapter Fourteen, Rhys

I was trying to conserve power and doing a piss-poor job. Not even enough left to comfort Alia. When she passed out, it was a blessing. Thank all the gods she’d managed to cling to my hand. If this whirling mess had a bottom, I didn’t know where it might be. It was clumsy since my fingers were laced with hers, but I gathered her into my arms to make certain she wouldn’t fall.

What enormous hubris to even consider I’d have a chance in hell of manipulating this energy source. So far, all it had done was drain me.

And Alia.

When I’d requested access to her power, she’d trustingly offered it.

Fuck. I would not let her down.

Something big with wings shared this space. What in the hell was it? So far, all it had done was brush up against me. Usually, if creatures mean ill, they don’t toy with you.

Eh, some of them do.

My mind was tripping along, oblivious to what I needed it to do.

I shuttered the flow of power to conserve what little I had left. Worst thing that might happen is the vortex would take a hike in search of richer pastures. I waited through two breaths, then five. Nothing changed. I still banged against the sides of the vortex as it traveled through goddess only knew where.

A low growl buzzed against my ears. I tightened my hold on Alia.

Birds don’t growl.

Even though I hated to burn through even an angstrom of magic, I risked a burst of light. And wished I hadn’t.

I’d known we weren’t alone, but our cellmate was a griffon. Handsome fellow with his eagle’s head and lionesque body, given what I’d seen in two seconds of illumination from my mage light. Was he our jailer, or a fellow prisoner?

Pressure from every side had been part of things since we jumped into the swirling darkness. It seemed to be increasing, but I wasn’t certain. How long had my initial transit taken? Surely, we’d been in motion longer than I expected.

Yesh, but that was when I nurtured the illusion I had any control over the process.

No reason to bother with telepathy. “Can you help?” I shouted to be heard over the noisy rush of air currents. The mythical creature didn’t answer. I hadn’t expected it to. Had he been why Alia was screaming before she slumped against me?

I slapped my free palm against my forehead. I had to focus, goddammit. Foul energy was afoot, aimed at diverting me from ever leaving. It had been hard at work since the moment we entered this space. The vortex wouldn’t give a crap about me once I ran out of magic. I could not allow that to happen.

Why had I been stupid enough to link my magical center with Alia’s? If I hadn’t done that⁠—

And there I went again.

I clenched my free hand hard enough nails cut into my palm. Pain had a centering effect. Risking another burst of light, I threaded tendrils through holes in the vortex wall to figure out where in the fuck we were.

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