A Passage of Threats Read online

  The Destroyers hissed and threw their spears at Bijarki. He slipped out of the bed and dodged them as best as he could.

  I sprang to my feet as two of the monsters came at me, backing me into the corner next to the dresser.

  “Bijarki!” I screamed.

  I saw him pulling a spear from the wall. Another poisoned spear whizzed past him, leaving a gash on his shoulder. He managed to glance at me, pale as a vampire, before he collapsed on the floor.

  “No!” I cried and grabbed the candle from the dresser.

  My instincts kicked in. I poured all my energy into that little flame, and it grew larger in front of me, forcing the Destroyers back. I threw a fireball at one of them and immediately focused on generating another.

  The affected Destroyer fell backward, flailing and hissing as the fire consumed him. I could smell the burning flesh as I increased the size of my second fireball. The remaining four Destroyers slithered around the room, trying to reach me.

  For a moment I thought I stood a chance. I thought I could keep them away for long enough to see my friends charge into the room and kill the monsters that had come for me. My attention got the best of me, as I glanced at Bijarki, hoping that he was just knocked out.

  I was petrified of losing him.

  I shifted my focus back on the flame and saw a pair of yellow eyes right in front of me. A heavy blow threw my head to the side, followed by a sharp pain.

  The world disappeared.

  Darkness came over me.

  I tried to scream louder.

  But my voice was gone.

  Bijarki.

  Phoenix

  Vita’s high-pitched scream, followed by thuds and crashing tore me out of my dreams and right into the devastating reality. I didn’t have time to think of anything. Her scream sent chills down my spine and left no room for questions. Something was horribly wrong.

  I heard the Daughter gasp as she woke up at the same time. I jumped out of bed and ran out, leaving her behind. The shrill coming from the room next to mine beckoned me to move quickly and ignited my senses.

  I reached the open corridor and saw the first door ahead on the left completely gone. Shadows moved inside. Glass broke, and bodies thudded on the floor accompanied by hissing.

  My instincts kicked in, as I realized what was happening.

  The vision had come true.

  Before I could take another step forward, a Destroyer came out in flames, hissing and screaming, his whole body flailing around as he burned to a crisp. He crashed into the wooden balustrade and tumbled down to the ground floor, obliterating the glass table on which he landed. His constant high-pitched shriek grated against my nerves as the fire kept eating him.

  I heard doors opening and steps below.

  Three more Destroyers came out, baring their fangs at me with their swords raised, the steel blades glinting.

  My sentry nature was swift to react. I pushed out a powerful barrier against one of them, while the other two slithered down the corridor in the opposite direction. The monster I hit shook his head and came back at me, hissing.

  I pushed out another pulse.

  Jax joined me from behind.

  I saw his eyes glowing yellow as he used his mind-bending ability on the Destroyer. Sentry mind control didn’t seem to work on Eritopian creatures, but I could still whack them with barriers.

  I did exactly that, pushing out one after another as fast as I could while Jax continued bombarding the Destroyer with who-knew-what nightmares, forcing him to his knees.

  Hansa appeared from below the first-floor corridor, pulling herself up as she grasped the intact parts of the balustrade and jumped at the monster with her large sword raised high. She brought the blade down in a split-second, beheading the Destroyer as she landed on her feet with impressive agility.

  She looked at us over her shoulder, her breathing ragged, her eyes wide, and her entire being thirsting for Destroyer blood. She wasn’t holding any of it back, and, as a sentry, I picked up on that.

  “Thanks,” I said, and she nodded in response, before I turned my head to face Jax. “And thank you.”

  Rumbling noises downstairs drew us to the edge, where the other two Destroyers had slithered, slamming each door open as if looking for something or someone. I was willing to bet they were looking for Oracles. Serena rushed downstairs and after them, pushing out a barrier strong enough to knock one of them off its tail. The other moved back, kicking down more doors.

  Anjani and Jovi hurried out from Draven’s study and joined the fight below, taking on Serena’s Destroyer from both sides as he stood up, cursing under his breath.

  Jovi charged in, knocking it down once more, as the creature’s back hit the floor with a crackling thud. Anjani reacted quickly and jumped up the wall, where battle axes were exhibited between stuffed animal heads.

  She grabbed one mid-jump and brought it down with all her might. The wide, sharp blade severed the Destroyer’s head while it was distracted by Jovi’s multiple head punches.

  The one who’d been on fire was dead, lying on its back on top of the shattered table, charred beyond recognition as the flames slowly died out.

  Field blocked the fourth Destroyer’s path before it reached the greenhouse door. The creature raised its sword at him, but Field was too fast as he darted from one side to the other, circling around and landing sharp punches in the Destroyer's ribs and kidneys.

  He then spread his broad wings out and rammed into the Destroyer, aided by his smooth gliding across the parquet. He shoved him into the wall with such force that the wooden panels splintered under the pressure of the creature’s body. We all heard the bones breaking in the process.

  Field jumped back, leaving room for Draven to mutter something under his breath and eject a blue flame at the Destroyer. The fire ate him up instantly.

  Hansa leaped from our side all the way down in front of him and roared as she smashed the sword into his neck. His burning body stilled. His head fell to the floor.

  We all shook from the adrenaline, our breaths ragged as we looked at each other, understanding exactly what had happened. I then remembered where I’d seen the Destroyers come from and ran into the room on my left.

  Everything was shattered in there, glass shards scattered all over, the windows broken. Spears were stuck in the wall above the bed.

  “In here!” I yelled as I heard more noises and voices downstairs—most likely it was the young succubi and the Lamias coming out of hiding.

  Jax joined me in the room where we found Bijarki lying on the floor, unconscious. The Daughter held his head in her lap, her expression horrified as she looked at me.

  With everything going on I hadn’t even seen her go in.

  She had one palm on his shoulder, where a wound had quickly begun to fester. Bijarki was pale and dripping with sweat, barely breathing, as the Daughter’s touch turned the injury into a phosphorescent pink patch of skin.

  “Please live,” she begged him, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her hand flared pink, and the flesh sizzled beneath it.

  Bijarki opened his eyes, then turned to one side and vomited black poison.

  Serena and the others reached us just in time to witness Bijarki’s wound close, leaving just a faint scar behind. He gasped and looked around, stricken with terror as he came to his senses.

  “Vita,” he croaked. “They took her.”

  Phoenix

  His words shot chills right into my bones as I realized why the windows were broken.

  Aida came through, shaking like a leaf. Her hair was wet with sweat, and her skin was pale. Dark rings circled her eyes as she looked at us with sheer horror.

  “I couldn’t get out!” she cried. “I had a vision. I saw them use the passage stone. They took Hansa’s passage stone and brought it to Azazel’s castle!”

  She turned around several times, looking for something or someone.

  “Sverik! It was Sverik! I saw him! He used our stone to reach Azazel and gu
ided the Destroyers here! They knew exactly where to come and who to come for!”

  She stilled, her eyes darting around the room.

  “Where’s Vita?” she asked.

  “Downstairs! The stone!” I cried, realization slamming into me. I ran out without even bothering to take the stairs.

  I jumped over the broken balustrade and landed inches away from the burnt Destroyer, then darted through the front door.

  The rest of our group followed.

  I reached the garden just in time to see a Destroyer carrying Vita’s limp body into the grotto, followed by Sverik, who gave us a quick glance.

  “Sverik, no!” I shouted after him.

  “Sorry, kids. I had no choice.” He shrugged and had the audacity to wave goodbye.

  “Let go of my cousin, Sverik, or I will tear you apart!” Field’s voice boomed as he spread his wings and flew at a low altitude in a desperate attempt to get to Vita in time. He soared over the grass, then rolled as he reached the opening, missing Sverik by a couple of inches as the incubus vanished below.

  Draven ran past me, with Serena and Bijarki right behind him. I followed, my heart beating so hard and so fast I could feel it struggling against my ribcage.

  “He’s moving too fast, I can’t mind-bend him!” I heard Jax shout from behind as he came out after us.

  We reached the grotto, nearly tumbling down the stone stairs on our way down, but it was too late. The passage stone’s surface rippled faintly and returned to its smooth form just as Draven slammed into it. He slapped it several times, anger building up in him.

  “Sverik, you bastard!” he bellowed. He turned to face us, breathing heavily, his body shaking with anger. “I will break him,” he seethed, punching the wall repeatedly.

  Vita was gone, along with Sverik, the traitor.

  Rage took over the Druid as he smashed the passage stone to pieces with one stunningly powerful blow. He roared as he fell to his knees, heaving and choking from the dust. Serena stared at him in awe. We all did, wondering where he’d gotten all that strength from, to simply obliterate a massive stone with a single punch.

  Aida came to stand next to me, crying.

  “I couldn’t wake up. I was stuck in Azazel’s chamber, and he could see me. He could hear me. He wouldn’t let me go. I don’t know what he did or how he did it, but he had control over my vision, and he refused to let me wake up. He…he said he’d only let me loose if I passed on his message,” she spoke fast, livid and shuddering, swallowing back more tears.

  The fact that Azazel could hold her hostage in a vision came with terrifying consequences, making everything that had just happened somehow even worse. It felt like all too much to deal with in this moment, and it would take a while to untangle and translate into something that made sense or that could be resolved.

  Serena and I looked at each other, feeling the fear, the anger, and the million other emotions rattling us to our very cores.

  Draven stood up, running a bloody hand through his hair as he looked at Aida.

  “What did he tell you?” he rasped.

  Aida’s shoulders dropped, surrendering to another wave of tears.

  “He…he said he’s coming for us all. H-He said we can’t stop him.”

  A moment passed before Bijarki collapsed on his knees and elbows, groaning and shaking and hiding his face in his palms. I heard him mutter Vita’s name over and over. Draven lowered himself next to him and put his hand on his back in a gesture of compassion.

  Bijarki was in a lot of pain and none of it physical, as the Daughter had done a surprisingly good job of healing him. He was broken by Vita’s abduction, and I could sense his grief, his desperation, his raw pain pouring from him in uncontrollable waves.

  “Azazel took Vita,” Serena said, staring blankly ahead.

  “What do we do?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

  The Druid had calmed himself surprisingly quickly. He stood up, swiftly joined by Bijarki. I looked at them, then at the rest of our group. We all looked like hell.

  “Azazel clearly knows who’s beneath the shield, now,” Draven replied. “With Sverik on his side, he has valuable information about our entire mission, including the meeting at Mount Agrith in five days’ time.”

  “He also has Vita now and was able to reach out to Aida through her vision,” Serena added.

  My stomach churned, as the bigger picture of our situation began to get clearer with each moment that passed.

  “We need to get her back,” I said, my whole body still trembling from the adrenaline rush. “We need to warn the others before they travel to Mount Agrith. We need to find out what happened to the young Druids. Maybe they’re still alive.”

  “We need to save Vita,” Serena said. Tears glazed her eyes.

  Draven put his hand around her shoulder as she took deep breaths, trying to regain her composure. She wiped her eyes and swallowed back another wave of tears.

  “The stakes of this bloody game have just been upped,” Draven said. “The only thing standing between us and probable death right now is the Daughters’ shield. And we don’t have a passage stone to sneak out through anymore.”

  The verdict wasn’t encouraging. On the contrary, it was dismal. We had a friend to save and an alliance to protect, a disaster to prevent, and a crazed Prince of Destroyers to defeat. Our lives depended on it.

  With Vita gone, we could no longer peek into the future.

  With Azazel infiltrating Aida’s visions, we couldn’t afford to risk the present either—in fact, we had to actively try to figure out a way to stop her from having them.

  We only had the past, for the time being—and I wasn’t sure if even that was safe. Would Azazel eventually come at me through my visions like he’d done with Aida?

  Whatever came after tonight, it was going to be a harrowingly bumpy ride.

  But no matter what, we had to get Vita back.

  Ready for the next part of the Novak clan’s story?

  Dear Shaddict,

  Thank you for reading A Passage of Threats!

  The next book, ASOV 48: A Tip of Balance, releases August 19th, 2017.

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  Love,

  Bella xxx

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  Read more by Bella Forrest

  The Girl Who Dared to Think (Release August 9th 2017)

  THE GENDER GAME

  (Completed series)

  The Gender Game (Book 1)

  The Gender Secret (Book 2)

  The Gender Lie (Book 3)

  The Gender War (Book 4)

  The Gender Fall (Book 5)

  The Gender Plan (Book 6)

  The Gender End (Book 7)

  THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

  The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)

  The Breaker (Book 2)

  The Chain (Book 3)

  The Keep (Book 4)

  The Test (Book 5)

  A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

  Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

  A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

  A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

  A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

  A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

  A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

  A Gate of Night (B
ook 6)

  A Break of Day (Book 7)

  Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

  A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

  A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

  A Spell of Time (Book 10)

  A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

  A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

  A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

  A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

  A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

  An End of Night (Book 16)

  Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

  A Wind of Change (Book 17)

  A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

  A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

  A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

  A Vial of Life (Book 21)

  A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

  A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

  A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

  Series 4: A Clan of Novaks

  A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

  A World of New (Book 26)

  A Web of Lies (Book 27)

  A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

  An Hour of Need (Book 29)

  A Game of Risk (Book 30)

  A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

  A Day of Glory (Book 32)

  Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians

  A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

  A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

  A Race of Trials (Book 35)

  A King of Shadow (Book 36)

  An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

  A Power of Old (Book 38)

  A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

  A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

  A Tide of War (Book 41)

  Series 6: A Gift of Three

  A Gift of Three (Book 42)

  A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

  A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

  A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

  A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

  A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

  A Tip of Balance (Book 48)

  A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

  A Shade of Dragon 1

  A Shade of Dragon 2

  A Shade of Dragon 3

  A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

  A Shade of Kiev 1

  A Shade of Kiev 2