only hope that he’d forgive me for what I was about to do. I leaned up, kissed his sweet lips.
“Nexi, if you go there…” His voice was so angry it came out as a whisper, his gaze burned with rage.
Slowly, I started backing away. Oh, there would be repercussions for this, that was a no brainer. It was hard enough for Kyden to let me go out with Zia. Having me go to the Underworld, and alone for that matter, we were about to have the fight. A fight that was inevitable.
He wanted to protect me, and though I loved him for it, but this was my choice. If he couldn’t support me then he’d just have to deal with it. That was that!
Haven was full out sobbing, now in Finn’s arms.
Kyden slowly stepped forward. He knew what was coming and there was no way in hell he was about to let me leave.
“Where do I go?” I asked Zia.
“When you go into the portal, think of Magnus. He has provided an entryway for you to be drawn into the Underworld.”
Two more steps passed beneath my feet before Kyden suddenly lunged forward, but I was ready. I spun away from his reach, almost drawing on my magic to trap him. The thought vanished immediately. After the stunt with Astoria, Kyden made me swear I would never hold him with magic again. I wouldn’t break my promise to him, but there was something else I could do.
“Talon, grab him!” I shouted as I ran from the room. No matter how much I wanted to stay away from Magnus, and no matter how much fear was shaking every part of me, I had to go. I had to make this right for Valor.
I heard a loud bang as Talon tackled Kyden to the ground. “Get the fuck off me,” he roared. “Nexi…”
I ran hard, made it quickly to the Council’s Foyer, slammed into the door for the portal, and grabbed the handle quickly as Talon shouted for Kyden to relax.
With a deep breath, I opened the door and instantly fell into a pit of darkness. The portal to the Otherworld was light, a bright flash. A Black Magic portal was hell, thick, a blackness that was bottomless, and eerie. I never felt alone when I was here. Damned souls seemed all around me.
Thankfully, it only lasted a second, before I hit the ground hard. I groaned, reaching back to rub my throbbing butt. “The way you all travel sucks,”
Magnus chuckled. “It takes time to get used to the power.”
I raised my head once again, a little taken aback at how normal he was. Very sleek indeed—his ripped body was decorated with a shiny pair of black dress slacks, and black dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves. The last time I’d seen him his black hair was slicked back—tonight it was nearly shaved to the scalp.
He grinned, his light brown eyes softened instantly as his lips curved perfectly with pearly whites resting behind.
This is the devil?
Magnus waved out with his arm. “Welcome to the Underworld, Nexi.”
A loud sharp bark of laughter escaped my mouth as I glanced out. “This is the Underworld?” I was expecting molten lava, not a gated community. “You’re kidding, right?”
Magnus shook his head, appeared to enjoy my amusement. “I told you before we are not caged underground.”
“Yeah, I remember that,” I grumbled. “I didn’t believe you.”
Magnus held out his hand, offering it to me. “Come.”
Being polite, I took his hand so he could help me to my feet, but I instantly released it—once again shocked at how warm he felt. I couldn’t sense an ounce of evil from him. As much as I tried to find a reason for that, I kept coming up blank.
One after another, we passed mansions that were lavishly decorated to the hilt with manicured lawns and million-dollar landscaping. There weren’t streets or anything that resembled a civilized Earthworld neighborhood. It was all grass with houses scattered around, in no real sense of order.
The lack of structure of it was unsettling for some reason. I couldn’t quite grasp why. It was just all types of wrong.
Magnus led me up a hill that was just past one of the mansions. A person in the window of the house caught my eye. My eyes narrowed, looked closer and there was a human smiling at me. Huh?
“Are there humans here?” I asked Magnus.
“No.” He smiled.
Confused, I looked back to the window. The person was gone. Creepy.
When we