the course her life was meant to take . . .
But judging by the screams in the distance, the gods had more important things to take care of than offering people signs. She was going to have to figure this one out on her own.
Â
Chapter Eleven
11:51 p.m.
9 minutes before the fall . . .
I t felt like only minutes from the time Shanna allowed herself to close her eyes to the moment the sound of ripping whistles woke her. She was hesitant to pull herself out of the cozy contentment of lying in Zachâs arms, but she pried open her eyes, immediately regretting the decision as she caught a glimpse of raining fire, visible through the loopholes in the Ravelinâs walls.
âWake up!â She reached over to shake Zach, but he was already struggling to pull on his jeans. She felt around the dark quarters for her own clothes.
As she dressed, she scooted her body around so she could see out the partially open door where Zach stood, watching in frozen fascination as the midnight sky lit up with bright orange fire and black smoke. He pressed a button on his watch, lighting up the cave-like cell with bright green digital numbers. 11:51. Hell was going to officially open in nine minutes.
Fear seared Shannaâs lungs as she fumbled with her shoes, her hands shaking so badly she couldnât work the laces. The ground beneath the Ravelin was rumbling and the sentinels all around them were shouting, making her blood pump in anticipation of what was to come.
Burning arrows, hundreds of them, whistled and sang as they soared over the fort toward the grassy hills surrounding the front side of the structure. Zach seized his sword, his gaze steady on the very thing that had Shannaâs heart pumping. The streets in front of the Castillo were no longer vacant. Hundreds of shadows inched their way toward the fort, making Shanna realize how freaking vulnerable they were sitting right outside the shadowsâ destination.
âThere are so many,â she whispered. She was getting ready to fall into a full-fledged panic, her skin slowly coating with sweat even though she was freezing. âZach, they have to let us into the fort! Weâre defenseless here.â
His gaze turned from the doorway to stare at her. For an instant, she thought she saw fear in the dark depths of his eyes, but he looked away before she could be certain. âStay put.â
âIâm not waiting here for them to find me.â
If theyâd have opened their doors sooner, none of those people would be in such danger. Shanna ground her palms against her temples, and before she could focus again, Zach had slipped out. Not able to see anything from the doorway, she moved to peer out one of the loopholes, quietly calling Zach every name she could think of as she tried to see which direction heâd run. She finally spotted him among a row of guards blocking the old wooden bridge, each holding a weapon similar to his.
Lights flickered to life around the top of the fort, casting the grounds around it in a faint glow that made it a little easier to see what the hell was going on, but that didnât bring much comfort. Not when she was completely alone.
Zach had left her there while he went to fight with the other guardsâhad assumed sheâd be safe in the damp, dark Ravelin. He was out of his ever-loving mind.
Their stances proclaimed their priority was to protect those already inside the fort, not those trying to get in. They might open the doors, but not if it meant jeopardizing those whose lives they valued most. What kind of Order of protection was this? It was bullshit!
Anger and frustration sent her back into the shadows of the Ravelin. She dug through the weapons bag, slipping the silver knuckles on before setting the shotgun in her lap. The silver stakes went into one back pocket, the daggers into the other. She loaded the shotgun and stuffed the remaining shells into her pockets.
Satisfied that she
But judging by the screams in the distance, the gods had more important things to take care of than offering people signs. She was going to have to figure this one out on her own.
Â
Chapter Eleven
11:51 p.m.
9 minutes before the fall . . .
I t felt like only minutes from the time Shanna allowed herself to close her eyes to the moment the sound of ripping whistles woke her. She was hesitant to pull herself out of the cozy contentment of lying in Zachâs arms, but she pried open her eyes, immediately regretting the decision as she caught a glimpse of raining fire, visible through the loopholes in the Ravelinâs walls.
âWake up!â She reached over to shake Zach, but he was already struggling to pull on his jeans. She felt around the dark quarters for her own clothes.
As she dressed, she scooted her body around so she could see out the partially open door where Zach stood, watching in frozen fascination as the midnight sky lit up with bright orange fire and black smoke. He pressed a button on his watch, lighting up the cave-like cell with bright green digital numbers. 11:51. Hell was going to officially open in nine minutes.
Fear seared Shannaâs lungs as she fumbled with her shoes, her hands shaking so badly she couldnât work the laces. The ground beneath the Ravelin was rumbling and the sentinels all around them were shouting, making her blood pump in anticipation of what was to come.
Burning arrows, hundreds of them, whistled and sang as they soared over the fort toward the grassy hills surrounding the front side of the structure. Zach seized his sword, his gaze steady on the very thing that had Shannaâs heart pumping. The streets in front of the Castillo were no longer vacant. Hundreds of shadows inched their way toward the fort, making Shanna realize how freaking vulnerable they were sitting right outside the shadowsâ destination.
âThere are so many,â she whispered. She was getting ready to fall into a full-fledged panic, her skin slowly coating with sweat even though she was freezing. âZach, they have to let us into the fort! Weâre defenseless here.â
His gaze turned from the doorway to stare at her. For an instant, she thought she saw fear in the dark depths of his eyes, but he looked away before she could be certain. âStay put.â
âIâm not waiting here for them to find me.â
If theyâd have opened their doors sooner, none of those people would be in such danger. Shanna ground her palms against her temples, and before she could focus again, Zach had slipped out. Not able to see anything from the doorway, she moved to peer out one of the loopholes, quietly calling Zach every name she could think of as she tried to see which direction heâd run. She finally spotted him among a row of guards blocking the old wooden bridge, each holding a weapon similar to his.
Lights flickered to life around the top of the fort, casting the grounds around it in a faint glow that made it a little easier to see what the hell was going on, but that didnât bring much comfort. Not when she was completely alone.
Zach had left her there while he went to fight with the other guardsâhad assumed sheâd be safe in the damp, dark Ravelin. He was out of his ever-loving mind.
Their stances proclaimed their priority was to protect those already inside the fort, not those trying to get in. They might open the doors, but not if it meant jeopardizing those whose lives they valued most. What kind of Order of protection was this? It was bullshit!
Anger and frustration sent her back into the shadows of the Ravelin. She dug through the weapons bag, slipping the silver knuckles on before setting the shotgun in her lap. The silver stakes went into one back pocket, the daggers into the other. She loaded the shotgun and stuffed the remaining shells into her pockets.
Satisfied that she
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