Unmade (Unborn #4) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,9

the knot in the wood. It’ll make the exit smoother.” I did as he asked and altered our trajectory. Only feet away from our target, his grip tightened. “And don’t let me go,” he growled.

Then we crashed through the tree into the skies of Earth.

“Which way is the Underworld?” I asked.

He quickly pointed in that direction, then looked back at me, his bloody features tight. “Bad idea, new girl.”

“We are not going to the Underworld,” I replied, “but we are going somewhere not far from there. Somewhere no one will find us.”

“Then you’d better get us there fast, because Kaine is going to be on your tail in a second.”

I let a little laugh escape, and Oz tensed as it coursed through me to him.

“Perhaps.”

“What did you do?”

“I sent a little farewell present at him as we exited the portal. I wonder if the lightning web will seal it for long?”

He shook his head, though I had little doubt it pained him to do so.

“Never a dull moment…”

“Be quiet. You need to preserve your energy.”

For once, he did not argue—did not fire back an inflammatory response.

“So, where are you taking me?” he asked, releasing my arms. The cold wind felt so bitter without his skin against mine.

“The cabin I lived in when above,” I said. “The one I moved to when I was old enough to leave Demeter’s home. The one where I spent months at a time in solitude.”

A faint growl echoed through his body to mine. “And if the gods know of it?”

“Then I will deal with them, though I highly doubt Demeter would think I would ever go there of my own volition. She knows how I hated it, though it was better than remaining with her. She will assume I am hiding out with my father where Deimos’ brother cannot go.”

“I can’t wait to run into fake Mommy one of these days,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “I should have killed her when you went to see her.”

“If anyone is going to kill Demeter, it will be me.”

His laugh caressed me in a way I would not have thought possible. “We can flip for it.”

3

We arrived in the dense woods not far from the cabin. It was thickly camouflaged by trees and magic, which forced me to land about a mile away and walk the rest of the distance. In the muted light of the forest, I could see that Oz’s wounds were healing. The depth and breadth of them had improved, and his bruises had faded. The swelling in his face was almost gone. It made me wonder just how continually they had beaten him to keep him in the state I had found him in. Then I wanted to go back and burn the in-between down.

“Why are you making that face?” he asked, assessing the forest around us.

“I am angry. This is my angry face.”

He gave a quick nod. “It’s not bad. You should use it more.”

“We should take cover,” I said, heading toward the cabin. Oz kept pace beside me in silence. Minutes later, we arrived at the timber-frame building that only I could see. The magic prevented foreigners—those that had not set foot inside it before—from happening upon it. It was the safest place for us to be.

I moved to open the door, but Oz caught my arm.

“What are you doing?”

“Opening the door,” I said matter of factly.

He looked to where the building stood, and his brow furrowed. “You lost me on that one, new girl.”

I grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. Oz’s eyes went wide when what I could only assume appeared to be woods before him turned into the interior of the tiny home.

“Holy shit—”

“You can express your awe once we are hidden inside,” I said, pushing him through the door. “We still have enemies hunting us. I would prefer not to wait out here for them to arrive.”

“You’re sure this is a good idea?” he asked.

“There is much you do not know, Oz. For now, I think this is our safest option.”

He stared at me for a moment, then released me before stepping into the small space. “Well, isn’t this just cozy as fuck…”

I stepped into the single-room home after him. The bed at the far end remained as I had left it. The tiny dining table, only large enough for two, sat untouched. Everything was in its place, and the dust on the floor held no footprints other than those Oz had just made.

Demeter