Page 100 of Tethered Fates

“Or not…” Golden trails off.

The two detectives and Kate start to argue, and the police officers are no longer even pretending they’re not listening in.

I’m about to say something, but there’s a loud BANG against the door that shuts everyone up. They all turn to the noise and the rattling handle.

Well, not everyone.

Kai, Golden, and Apollo wrinkle their noses as if they smell something rotten.

“Someone must be playing a bloody prank,” Jerome complains, stomping towards the entrance.

“Wait!” Kate calls.

But before Jerome can get there, the door is opened for him by someone with dark hair shot through with white—Emma.

Kai goes deathly still.

“Hey, Kai. Been a while.” Emma winks.

“Excuse me, miss.” Ryan steps forward, speaking in an authoritative tone. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Ryan, be careful!” Kate shouts.

“I can handle this, Kate,” Ryan reassures dismissively, as if Kate is crazy.

The station doors slam open again.

My stomach drops, the air in my lungs freezes, and I recoil as a mob of half-burnt, rotting corpses shambles inside.

“Yeah, Kate.” Emma’s grin widens. “He can handle this.”

Chapter Thirty-Three - Sen

Ramy drags a bleeding Elio out of the way as a wave of blood crashes into the door just as I slam them shut. We back up as the wood whines and distorts inwards, the glass creaking in its frame.

“Get back!” I shout, “Everyone, get back!”

We dart deeper into the mansion just as debris explodes inward.

The very walls shake with the force of something ramming against them as we run down the hallway. Elio’s blood leaves a trail on the green runners, then a wall bursts open in a hail of brick and smoke.

We make our way into the kitchen, jumping over the island as small swirling balls of shadow are tossed inside—imploding mid-air with enough force to knock off anything that hasn’t already fallen. A silent tidal wave of pressure pops my ears.

“So, how’s your plan to subdue her going?” Bran asks casually, his hair coated in plaster.

Tucked into a corner, Elio whimpers, face twisted in pain as his shaking hands clutch his wounded ankle. He must be healing himself since the bleeding has already stopped.

“At least they aren’t teleporting inside,” I say, as more of our home is destroyed.

“The…o-others aren’t powerful enough…” Elio gasps. “Only Summer can. The rings,” he chokes. “Not enough.”

Luc grunts as an apple hits his head. “And you can tell all that from the rings they’re wearing?”

Elio doesn’t answer, he’s too busy groaning.

More shadow bombs are thrown our way. The implosions are strong enough that the massive, silver fridge rocks back onto rubber feet for a second—before it lumbers forward, slamming down with a thunderous CRASH.

“No!” Ramy cries out, sounding genuinely upset.