Sun Broken (The Wild Hunt #11) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,92

manage it.

I looked over to see Trinity watching me, a curious look on his face. I pointed to my wrist with my other hand and mouthed, “Need protection.”

“Ah,” he mouthed back, narrowing his brow. His gaze was focused on my hands, and before I realized what was happening, the sleeves of the jacket began to inch down my arms, folding themselves to fit through the shackles just enough so I could rest my arms without being too burnt. The pain was still there, but lessened and—for the immediate moment—I wouldn’t be getting burned.

“Thank you,” I mouthed.

I closed my eyes, relaxing my arms and pulling my focus inside. The sound of the dripping water seemed to grow louder, amplifying as I dropped further into trance. I narrowed my focus, homing in on the sound of the drip, the steady cadence as it dropped from the wall to the floor and slid through the hole. The rest of the world began to fall away as the sound reverberated in my mind. There was only the water, only the steady drip, only the liquid percussion.

Hello? I reached out, merging my consciousness with the essence of the water. Is anyone there? I listened, slowing my breath.

Then, slowly, echoing from someplace that felt so very far away, and yet so near, an answer came rushing past me.

I am here. We are here. Sister of the Water, what do you want?

I immediately realized that I wasn’t dealing with a water elemental—the energy was different.

I’m trapped, my friends and I are being held captive. Where are you? Can you help?

A pause, and I thought for a moment I had lost contact. Then…

I am not yet fully in your realm. I am breaking through and will do what I can to help you, Sister of the Water. Hold tight.

Frowning, I waited, holding myself deep in trance. I imagined a light, a flowing blue light to guide the way. I wasn’t sure who had been talking to me, or where they were, but the energy was friendly and I had to trust it. I knew that Herne would eventually show up, but would it be soon enough? Opening my eyes, I shifted focus so that everything was a soft blur as I waited.

A pale blue mist began to form on the wall near the water. I caught sight of it and poured all my focus into the energy guiding the mist as it began to grow and take shape. Whoever I had been talking to was there, coming through into our realm.

As the mist grew larger, taking the shape of a tall woman encased in swirling streams of turquoise and teal, there was a sound over by the entrance into the tunnels. I tried to hold focus, tried to keep my attention on the mist, but at that moment, Pandora stepped through into the cavern, a wicked grin on her face.

“Well, my pretties, you’re awake. Time to play, children. Time to see what Pandora has in her toy box,” she said, sliding the bag off from over her shoulder.

My stomach knotting, I jerked my attention back to the mist and the woman. She was growing stronger every moment, and Pandora hadn’t noticed her. I wanted to give her time so I took a deep breath.

“You may be coming to play, but when I play, I never lose. What about a game, Pandora? Winner gives all?”

“Brave words for someone chained to my wall,” Pandora said, smirking. She began to walk around the table toward me. I was shaking but the woman across the chamber was almost fully manifest. I had no clue who she was, but I knew she needed a little more time.

Trinity must have sensed the same thing because he hurked up a mouthful of phlegm and spit hard as Pandora walked by, the spittle landing on her chest.

“Got the money shot,” he said, laughing gleefully. “How about it, doll? You and me? Next time it won’t be my spit on your boobs!”

Pandora grew livid. “You insolent creature, how dare you? I’ll teach you exactly what you get for that kind of insult!” But instead of reaching for Trinity, she grabbed my arm instead. She yanked me so roughly that the manacles pulled out from the wall.

I screamed as I felt something pop, and the next moment, found myself sailing across the room to land against a pile of rocks. Something gave in my hip as I landed, whether bone or a muscle, I didn’t know. As the