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I steadied my stance and held on tightly to Morpheus' arm, but the world around us felt like it was spiraling out of control. When I glanced up at Morpheus, I could see he was struggling to keep us connected, though it seemed futile in the end and it was a battle we would lose.
We looked at each other, and I was suddenly reminded of the first time I met Apollyn - the uncanny similarities between Morpheus and Apollyn were astounding. How a villainous person could spawn three courage and loyal sons was a mystery to me.
As the last vestiges of the cave slowly disappeared, Morpheus uttered a warning under his breath, "Stay away from Apollyn. Don't trust a thing he says."
Chapter 15
Sadie
My eyes snapped open, the pain jolting my senses in a ferocious wave. My head felt like a hundred horses were galloping through my temples; I thought it would implode from the pressure.
I forced myself to my feet, battle-hardened from the onslaught. I staggered forward, trying to discern if I was even alive. The last time I was knocked out of the void, I hadn't landed that hard. Maybe that was the void's way of sending me a message: keep out.
Pfft. It wasn't like I was going to listen. If I did that, nothing would get done. No one ever got anything done...doing nothing. I learned that from my father. I was going to do something come hell or high water.
The first thing I noticed was that my apartment door was ajar. Wisps of evening air drifted in and I shivered as I wondered what could have caused it to be open.
My eyes quickly searched the sofa and fluffy cushions where Loki usually slept, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Loki?", I called out.
He didn't come. And that was odd.
I scrambled to the door and peered out down the corridor, but there was no sign of my cat. My apartment led outside and I knew it wasn't unheard of for pets to want a breath of fresh air even though I'd never had one growing up. I knew Loki sometimes preferred to take in the fresh air, even though I'd recently adopted him. But I knew that much about him. He loved being outdoors, particularly in Shadow World, which was strange because Shadow World was full of shadow demons and demon/human hybrids. Maybe he enjoyed being chased around all the time. Whatever it was, he had no right to escape without me knowing. And here I was again, speaking of a cat as if it were human. Crap.
As I stumbled back towards my flat, I was overwhelmed by a sickly sweet smell of magic in the air. Despite having grown up deeply immersed in the world of the supernatural, I'd never encountered a power this strong. Who or what could have brought me back here? What did they want with me? Worst of all, where was Loki?
I shut my eyelids and concentrated. I used my magical powers to search for any hint of my cat. Then, a spark of energy came to me from the other side of the flat.
"Loki," I whispered, hope rising in my chest. It was getting dark, and I would have to wait until morning to search for him again. But I was determined to get back to the Shadow World before the sun set.
I sprinted to the other side of the apartment, following the trail of her energy. I inched around the corner, the hairs on my neck standing up as an unmistakable warning.
Shifters.
Wolves.
A guttural roar echoed through the dank hallway, sending a chill down my spine. I was surrounded by a menacing packof shifters, their snarls revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth and savage yellow eyes burning with rage.
They sniffed loudly and I heard their thoughts as if they were my own. It is the girl. The scent matches. Sadie. Catch her. Don't let her escape.
My heart raced as I realized I was completely surrounded. I was frozen, unable to turn back or flee the danger that seemed to close in on me.
I knew without a doubt what this was and who this was. Shifters from Samson's pack. These were Samson's wolves.
Suddenly, one of them shifted from wolf shifter form into human form. Half-clothed, he rose to full standing height and pointed.
The man said, "We're here on orders from Samson. He insists that you come to his estate and if you refuse, you will be dragged there."
I raised my hands, focusing my magic. The wolves advanced honing in on their target—me. Their growls grew louder. I used all the strength I had to fire a blast of magic at the approaching pack.
The wolves yelped as my magic exploded against them, sending them tumbling backwards in surprise. I used the moment to make my break, sprinting past their snarling jaws.
My heart raced as my feet flew across the pavement, my shoes slapping against the ground like thunder. I could hear them behind me, their feet pounding with every step, gradually gaining on me. The hems of my skirt billowed behind me, a target they were determined to seize before I could escape.
Suddenly, I felt like I could run anymore. I had magical powers but they had speed and strength. They would run all night to catch me rather than go back to Samson empty-handed.
My feet pounded against the pavement as I ran, my arm outstretched. I extended my free hand and felt the fabric of theShadow World rip open with a shimmer of energy. I jumped through and whipped my arm back, the rift snapping shut just as the shifters reached it. I watched as they skidded to a halt, their claws digging through the soil.
