Chasing the Darkness by Cassie Sanchez

Author:Cassie Sanchez [Cassie Sanchez]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2021-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

Fire snaked along Azrael’s body, destroying everything it touched, the smell of burning skin suffocating. A young girl’s screams echoed in the darkness and lifeless gray eyes stared at him accusingly. Laughter . . . maniacal laughter ripped through the shadows. Rivers of blood carved the desolate ground. A voice calling his name pulled him from a pit of death, and magic beckoned him like a beacon shining through the night—a safe haven, his salvation.

Azrael’s body rocked side to side with the steady rhythm of his horse, the movement accompanied by the gurgling of running water. He lifted his head, blinking against the bright sun, and tugged at the rough cords of ropes restraining his arms and hips. Silver cuffs gleamed on his blood-encrusted wrists.

The last thing he remembered was a silhouette surrounded by black fire, blood dripping from Kenz’s nose, her shield trapping him. He had used his magic and rage to break free of her shield, then the indigo light disappeared and was replaced with a blinding pain to the back of his skull.

Flynt. He ground his teeth. Drexus would be dead if it weren’t for him.

He turned his head and grimaced. His entire body ached and an emptiness he had never experienced threatened to overwhelm him. Kenz rode next to him, her brow furrowed and gauntlets glowing blue. She stiffened and turned to see him staring. Her eyes, smudged with shadows, scanned his face, and her mouth drew into a straight line.

He smelled the blood covering him. He must have looked like a monster.

Kenz faced forward. “I’ll remove the cuffs if you promise not to go back to the garrison or harm Flynt.”

He twisted in the saddle and bared his teeth. Flynt glared back, his coppery eyes hard, his body rigid.

“Why did you stop me?” Azrael asked, facing forward, his voice sounding like broken glass.

“Because you could’ve died and gotten Flynt and me killed in the process,” Kenz shot back.

“I have searched for that man for years, and you stole my revenge. If I had died, so be it, as long as I took him with me.”

“And what about Flynt and me? Would you sacrifice us for your vengeance?”

Azrael clenched his teeth and looked away. He’d been blinded by rage and hadn’t even thought of their safety. Disjointed thoughts and emotions ravaged his mind. He had relished the soldiers lying dead at his feet, the copper smell of blood overflowing his senses, the violence empowering him. But now, all he felt was broken. A chasm of defeat lay before him. He dropped his head and lost himself to the motion of the horse.

When they stopped by a stream, Kenz untied Azrael’s ropes while Flynt stood behind her, his sword drawn. Azrael was too tired to care; a part of him wanted Flynt to run him through just to end the nightmare. He slid off the horse and peered into Kenz’s eyes, which were brimming with wariness.

“Do I have your word?” she asked.

Azrael nodded. She held his gaze, then unlocked the cuffs.

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