DARKHAVEN | "Three Sisters" Book One

Chapter Thirty-Six

Gia

The couple held each other close in the quiet of the drawing room. Gia's hands draped around Aleksander's shoulders while Aleksander's hands rested against her waist. Their lips locked in another kiss that made Gia feel like she was weightless, dreaming, floating or flying or soaring, or maybe all at once.

All at once, she decided as her eyes blinked closed again, as she let the weight of her body rest fully against Aleksander's. Lost in the heat of the moment, Gia's world narrowed again to only Aleksander-his touch, his lips, the way his hands moved over her skin.

It was then that something sharp and cold scraped at the back of her neck, like claws of ice tap-tap-tapping over her skin or mind or very being, like they were tugging at her magic.

The chill ran through her, and her body stiffened. She tore herself from the kiss, her breath unsteady as she glanced over her shoulder. Nothing.

Frowning, Gia turned back, ready to lose herself in him again, but discovered the Lord now wore an expression of almost terror-not a look she'd have ever expected to see from the High Lord she knew so well. His eyes were darting around, past her, above her, and his hands tightened on her shoulders.

Something was wrong-terribly wrong. She pressed a hand to Aleksander's chest, her heart thudding wildly as fear crept in and settled in her stomach like a weight. Her voice came out in a whisper when she just barely breathed, "Something's com-"

Before she could finish, the world exploded around them. The sharp sound of shattering glass filled the air, followed by the crash of heavy oaken doors being thrown open. Down the hall, it was coming from down the hall-from the ballroom, Gia realised with mounting terror.

A rush of screams ripped through the castle halls as a brutally cold, unnatural wind snapped through the corridors hard enough to snuff out the lights and send portraits careening from the walls on which they'd hung for decades.

Gia could say only two words. "My sisters."

She didn't hesitate. In one quick motion, she lifted the hem of her gown, her fingers slipping to the dagger strapped to her thigh. She drew it without thought and took off at a run toward the ballroom, her breath sharp in her chest.

Please be okay, she begged inwardly. Spirits, gods, please, please let them be okay. I should have been with them, I should have been there-I should have been there-

Aleksander followed close behind, his expression dark, filled with anger and something even more dangerous.

The wrath of Darkhaven's High Lord.

Roslin. Blodwyn. Gia's mind screamed for her sisters, desperate and wild. Please be okay. Please, gods, let them be okay.

The scene that greeted them was one of complete and total devastation.

Roslin

Roslin stumbled backward, her heart pounding in her chest as she clutched onto Novak for support, for something familiar. "What-"

She didn't have time to finish the sentence.

They descended on the room-dozens of them. Winged beasts and fork-tongued hellions, draconic creatures, wraiths in tattered cloaks and marauders with cruel, twisted blades, mortal men in iron mail wielding wicked weaponry.

The First Evil.

This shouldn't be, Roslin thought. This castle is completely warded, completely safe.