Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 117246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Cries blended into a discordant song. The mob swallowed us, ripping me from Cyrus and shoving me backward. Pushed through the ranks, I stumbled for purchase. With great effort, I maintained my grip on my weapons, even when a sharp pain slashed over my eyebrow. Warm liquid dripped into my eyes, blurring my vision.
“Arden!” Cyrus bellowed. I heard him, but I couldn’t see him through the haze.
“I’m here!” I bellowed back, wiping at my face. Where was he? Where were the maddened?
The dust thinned, the world crystalizing. A sea of unfamiliar, frenzied people hemmed me in. Drawing on sheer grit, I fought my way to a building and pressed against the bricks to avoid being trodden down.
“Cyrus?” I yelled, scanning my surroundings. The gunfire ebbed and flowed, rising in short, erratic bursts. “Cyrus,” I yelled louder. No response. He must be nearby.
How long did I dare to wait? On my own, I wasn’t ready for this. But I was less prepared to spend the night outside. And I wasn’t without skill or weaponry. Besides, we’d agreed to a plan, and I should stick to it.
I dragged in a deep breath and shoved my way into the crowd. Though I flowed against traffic, I started jogging. Running. Sprinting. Dodging. New screams added to the soundtrack, raising the fine hairs on my nape as it reached a terrible crescendo. Eerie laughter came next. My finger twitched on the netter’s trigger.
Taking the second left, according to Cyrus’s instructions, I spotted a maddened in the process of tossing a teenager to the ground. Here goes everything. I charged forward, taking aim.
When the attacker raised his fist, I shouted, “Look at me.”
He whipped his attention in my direction, as hoped, then sniffed and licked his lips, as if he scented something especially tasty. A grin appeared, and he dropped his victim. The perfect opening. He stepped toward me; I fired. The bullet whistled through the air, growing as it opened. Yes! Upon impact, he hurled to the concrete. Fine metal latticework secured itself around his body, pinning him in place. Satisfaction bloomed, buoying my confidence. Oh, yeah. I could do this.
I quickened my steps, netting any maddened I came upon as I got closer to my destination. Five shots remained in the chamber of my last clip. My heartbeat kept rhythm with my pounding footfalls. Faster. Faster. Nothing slowed me.
The crowd thinned as I approached the final corner. Faster.
Heavy treads erupted behind me. I cast a glance over my shoulder and huffed. Two feeders gave chase, swiftly gaining on me.
Rounding the corner, I expected to see the Lux. Shocked, I drew up short. Not an apartment building, but the Rock. But how, why, when—no, it didn’t matter. I was here. It was there. Currently, four people were clawing at the surface, as if desperate to get inside. No sign of Domino Crane, the librarian.
Deal with the imminent threat; figure out the rest. I turned and fired on one of the maddened chasing me. Yes! Another dove my way. Evading, I squeezed the trigger. Two down. Three shots left. No chance to pause and plan. The other four pegged my arrival and converged in unison. Definitely infected. I netted two, but the weapon jammed, leaving me with one less net than anticipated and two opponents to go. Like a pro, I exchanged the gun for my second dagger, prepared to engage in up-close combat.
Suddenly a net I hadn’t released whizzed through the air, caging a challenger. I jolted with satisfaction when Cyrus zoomed into view, a weapon in each hand. He incapacitated the remaining infected with expert skill.
“You good?” he demanded, tossing me a new netter.
I caught it with ease. “Very.” He sported bruises, gashes, and ripped clothing, but he was alive and well. “You?”
“Been better.” His focus jumped over my shoulder, and he scowled. “Three incoming. The biggest is carrying a severed arm.”
I geared up to help him save the day, but. The Rock. My gaze landed on it. A powerful connection gripped me and refused to let go. I couldn’t look away. Didn’t want to. Everything else faded away, utterly insignificant.
A pulse vibrated over the maze of veins that branched through the iridescent, mirrorlike stone. Crimson flowed straight into the outer rim of the circles. The inner lines shifted and clicked together, forcing a connected crisscross, sending the symbols into a spinning rotation. Vibrant flames sparked within each loop. Mesmerizing.
Just as I’d seen in my vision, dream, or whatever it had been, the wall vanished in the smoke. An image appeared in the rock face, shaking me to my core. A man sat upon a throne made of sapphire. He appeared as human as anyone else. Or would have, if a crown of light hadn’t radiated from his head, obscuring his face, and flames of the purest blue hadn’t bathed his lower half. A flawless metal breastplate shining and golden covered his torso.