It worked, barely, and my arm returned to normal. But the ice kept traveling across the floor.
“Come on,” Eve shouted. “The door is iced over. We need to head up.”
Clutching a frozen Cordelia to my chest, I raced toward her. She dug into a bag that she must have pulled from the ether and yanked out a potion bomb that she hurled at the ice. It exploded in a blast of pink powder, and the ice stopped growing briefly.
“I don’t think it will hold for long. Come on.” She raced toward the stairs, and I followed.
Heart pounding, I pounded after her. We reached the second floor and sprinted into the nearest room.
“The window is our only option,” Eve said, pointing to the opening. “I can fly, but I can’t carry you. Maybe I can help you get to the ground, though.”
“You can’t touch Cordelia.”
“Why not? You are.”
“I’m using my magic to keep from freezing.”
“Damn.” She fumbled with the latch and opened the window.
I hurried to her side, looking out as fresh air rushed over my face. The ice wasn’t in the courtyard, thank fates. I looked back at the door.
The ice had crept up the stairs and was just beginning to enter the room. I could fight it with my magic if I had to, but for how long? Just holding Cordelia was making me feel numb and weak, and I had to constantly feed my magic toward the arm that held her.
“You need to get out of here, Eve,” I said.
“Not without you.”
“I’ll find a way.” I turned back to the window and leaned out.
It was nearly twenty feet to the ground below. Too far to jump. Too far to throw Cordelia so that I could climb.
My gaze caught on a few bushes at the base of the tower.
“I’ve got it,” I said. “Those bushes. You get out of here, though.”
She glared at me. “I’m waiting right outside the window, and I’ll grab you if you don’t get your arse out of here.”
“Deal.”
She called upon her glittering wings, climbed onto the windowsill, and leapt out into the sky, hovering effortlessly in front of me.
I ignored her and stared down at the bushes.
Grow.
I reached out to them with my power, glad that Hades had taught me how to use it. My power surged within me, calling to the plants.
For a moment, nothing happened. I had more power, but it was bound deep inside my soul. Though I could feel it, I had no idea how to access it.
“Hurry.” Eve’s voice was strained. “The ice is right behind you.”
Come on. I pushed harder with what I had, focusing on the bushes down below. They twitched, their branches lengthening and the leaves filling out.
Come to me.
They reached for the window. Frantic, I looked back. The ice was coming for me. Close. Closer.
I leaned out the window. The bushes had nearly reached me. Still clutching Cordelia, I scrambled onto the windowsill, swinging my legs out and over. The branches reached up and formed a prickly platform. I slid into their scratchy grasp.
Take me to the ground.
They seemed to understand me because they lowered me to the courtyard outside the tower. Eve flew beside me, ready to catch me and Cordelia if we fell. My feet hit the ground, and I turned back to the tower.
The bottom half was coated in a thin layer of ice that glowed with eerie blue magic. I staggered backward, heart thundering.
It was all over the building and growing fast. At this rate, it would devour the whole city if we didn’t stop it.
2
Seraphia
The blue ice spread up the stone wall of the tower, coating it in a thin layer of freezing death.
“What the hell kind of magic is this?” Was it a coincidence that it was here at the Shadow Guild Tower?
“I have no idea,” Eve said. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Yeah.” Frantic, I turned and ran. “We have to find Carrow.”
“Let’s meet at the Haunted Hound,” Eve said.
“Good plan.” With the Shadow Guild Tower empty and quickly freezing, the next best place to find them would be the Haunted Hound, where Mac and Quinn worked. The others often gathered there.
I tucked the stiff Cordelia under my arm like an American football and ran, digging my hand into my pocket as I sprinted toward the city gate that would lead me to the Haunted Hound. I found Carrow's number and dialed.
She picked up on the second ring. “Seraphia?”
“Cordelia is frozen.”
“What? How?”
“I don’t know. Dark magic of some kind.”
“Let’s meet at the Haunted Hound,” Carrow said.
“Already on my way. But there’s something wrong at the Shadow Guild Tower, a dark curse that’s spreading.”
“I’ll send Grey over to check it out.”
“Thanks.” I hung up, shoving the phone back into my pocket. My lungs burned as I ran. Cordelia was way heavier than she looked. Eve flew overhead, easily keeping pace with me.
We raced down the ancient streets of Guild City, passing by shop windows full of magical dancing displays. It was a rare sunny day, and the light glinted off the mullioned windows of the old Tudor buildings. People dodged out of my way as I hurtled down the street, but no one looked at me strangely.
Guild City was weird like that. A frozen raccoon hardly merited notice. Little did they know, it was more than just a frozen raccoon. I prayed the curse was confined to the Shadow Guild tower and not spreading to the rest of the city.
Finally, we reached the courtyard in front of the main city gate, an enormous, ornate structure. As we neared it, Eve landed at a run and drew her wings back into her body.
Together, we sprinted into the passageway meant for foot traffic. A portal at the end would take us to the Haunted Hound, our gateway to human London.
When we reached the portal, Eve gave me a little nudge. “You first.”
I ran in, and the ether spun me through space, spitting me out in the back hall of the pub. A half second later, Eve appeared next to me.
The sound of laughter filtered into the dim hall where we stood, and we hurried into the main room of the tavern. By the fire, the ghostly dog slept in her bed, and the low, timbered ceiling gave it a cozy feel. It was half full of the late afternoon crowd, and most of them were gathered around the small tables, chatting, or playing cards while they drank tall pints of beer and short, squat mugs full of tea.
We ignored the lot of them and raced toward the bar. I reached it and shoved aside a patron leering at Mac. Eve stepped up beside me. I placed the frozen raccoon on the bar. Mac’s eyes widened, and she waved her hand at the man. “Scram, Carl.”
The man left, and she stared at Cordelia, her face white. Her short blond hair was held back by a bandanna, and her plaid shirt hung open to reveal a tight T-shirt beneath. “What happened to her?”
“A curse,” I said. “It’s taken over our guild tower.”
Her eyes flashed up to me, shocked. “What kind of curse?”
“I don’t know. Carrow sent Grey to check it out. She’s coming.”
“Good.” Mac reached for Cordelia’s frozen, furry belly, but I stopped her.
“Wait.” I squeezed her hand. “It might not be safe.”