knit back together, and his breathing grew easier.
I stopped before he was fully healed—I didn’t want him chasing after me—and scrambled to my feet.
“Seraphia.” His voice was rough.
I looked down. His eyes were already open. Shit.
“Don’t let him catch you.” Lucifer’s words sent a frisson of fear straight through me.
I turned and ran, sprinting toward the door and out into the night. My cloak was heavy about my legs as I ran, and I pulled the hood up to conceal my face.
The thin sliver of a moon provided almost no light to see by, but it didn't slow me. I sprinted full out alongside the castle walls, reaching the city in minutes. The streets were quiet as I hurried through the shadows, trying to avoid attention. There were only a few people out, and if they noticed me, they gave no indication of it.
This time, I passed Torture Square without even hesitating. I was nearly to the library when I heard the growls. I flinched and ducked into the shadows of a butcher shop that was closed for the night.
Butcher shop.
Crap. The wolves probably hung out here for a snack. I should have taken the other side of the street. Frantic, I dug into my bag of weapons, pulling out a potion bomb. I squinted into the darkness of the city.
The wolves prowled closer, eight of them, massive and heavily muscled. Their teeth were bared, and horrible growls came from their throats.
A memory of Lucifer, broken and bleeding, flashed into my mind.
These wolves were terrifying and deadly, but I didn’t want to harm them. Not if I could help it.
“Good boys.” I raised my hands, trying to make my voice placating. “Would the good boys like a snack?”
Quit chatting, idiot.
They weren’t going to fall for it, and I didn’t have time to spare.
I spun around and hurled my potion bomb at the glass window of the butcher shop. I ducked as it exploded outward, covering my head to protect myself from the glass. It sliced into my arms and back, pain singing through me.
The wolves growled and yelped.
When the dust cleared, I looked up. They hadn’t been harmed, and I didn’t feel like I’d gotten a mortal wound, but the butchers shop window was blown out.
I lunged for it, grabbing up a fat steak and tossing it at the wolves. The biggest one leapt up and snagged it out of the air. I grabbed another steak and threw it, then another. I chucked eight in total, then gestured to the window. “It’s all yours, friends.”
They looked between me and the window, then approached it. I backed away slowly, then turned and sprinted for the library steps. When I looked back, they were deep inside the butcher shop.
Thank fates.
One obstacle down.
I took the stairs two at a time, racing to the top. The thin moon shed a watery light on the terrifying, gorgeous architecture. Swoops of stone, soaring turrets, and deep black glass. As I climbed, I dug the key out of my pocket. Finally, I reached the top.
Skin tight with anticipation, I looked back at Hades’ fortress, expecting to see him flying toward me on golden wings, like some terrible, beautiful specter.
I saw nothing.
I wasn’t out of here yet, though. I turned back to the door, finding it no longer blackened. With trembling hands, I raised the key to the lock and slipped it inside.
As I’d hoped, it clicked cleanly and easily, the lock popping open. I pushed my way into the dark library, then turned and locked the door behind me.
The library was silent, so quiet that I could hear my blood rushing through my veins.
I turned, looking up into the cavernous darkness.
A chill ran over me.
All libraries were hallowed space, as far as I was concerned. And this one was no different.
But damn, it was creepy.
The shadows were deep and dark, making it impossible to see much of anything. When I stepped forward, candles flared to life.
The long black tapers filled the air, floating ominously overhead. Wax tumbled down their sides, but never dripped to the ground. To my left and right, enormous hearths flared to life. The golden glow made the shadows stretch deeper, but the overall effect wasn’t cozy.
A sharply peaked roof towered overhead, making the entry foyer feel cavernous. At the back, dozens of enormous shelves towered toward the ceiling. As before, they were covered in gorgeous, glittering spiderwebs. Unlike the spiderwebs back home, they didn’t look dusty and sticky. Instead, they seemed to glitter