I fight my way back through, trying to find Alyssa or Kane, but then the earth vibrates viciously, worse than it has all night, and I actually stagger from the violent shaking. I look over in time to see the cold, dark, vacant stare in Gage’s eyes, and my world sinks to the ground as everyone starts yelping.
I’m the only one not dropped to the ground, and Alyssa and Kane are forced to start vaporizing people, getting them out of the way. Drackus yells for me to get out, but I’m unaffected by the force, feeling no fear for myself.
He curses when I refuse him, but he’s forced to retreat, taking as many as he can with him as he disappears. Gavin drops to the ground, his eyes wide as Gage clenches his fist.
Before Gage can kill him for good this time, Morgana appears and grabs her love, dragging him away before anyone can stop her. Gage turns his cold smile on me, and I narrow my eyes before opening a portal behind him.
I’ll ice him just like I do Drackus.
But the portal doesn’t suck him in. In fact, it doesn’t even affect him at all as he stalks toward me. The power driving everyone to the ground lessens, and everyone starts getting out while Gage’s attention remains fixed on me.
“Gage,” I whisper softly, treating him like a rabid creature.
The castle-like compound behind me starts collapsing, too fragile under the force it has had to suffer tonight. But Gage doesn’t notice it. Instead, he comes closer to me, and even though I should run, I hold my ground.
“Run,” he whispers when he gets right in front of me, his lips twisting into a dark grin.
I stumble backwards, but I don’t run. Trust. I have to trust him. Somewhere inside the madness is the guy who would lay down his life to save me.
“No.” My one-word answer only sparks more menace in his already hauntingly scary eyes.
There’s only one thing to do. The portal wasn’t strong enough to drag him away, but a gate will be. There’s one place I can send him that will keep him away from the breathing plane for a few days—hopefully long enough for him to cool down. One place where he can wreak havoc without feeling guilt when he’s himself again.
“Your funeral,” he says, but I’ve already started the gate’s opening.
Despite his threat, Gage makes no move to hurt me. He glares at me, but then his feet shift when he feels the pull. The black hole behind him spreads, opening larger and larger, and I fight the exhaustion sweeping through me.
He growls as he struggles against its pull, and he digs his feet into the ground to keep from being tossed in. Blood trickles from my nose when the power exerting from me starts to take its toll. I can’t hold it open much longer, and he’s too damn strong to get sucked in.
I cry out when the force becomes overwhelming, but just when I’m about to face defeat, gold forms at the corner of my eye, and Chaz steps in within a blink, shoving both hands into Gage’s chest and sending him spiraling into the black hole.
The gate closes behind him, and Chaz catches me when I fall, pulling my arm around his neck to support me before dusting us out of the dark plane. When we appear inside Gage’s house, I’m a little surprised, considering this distance is a little hard to travel with vaporization, but it’s low on the pole for things to worry about.
“Kimber!” Calypso says, rushing to my side. “Why the hell did you stay behind?”
Wincing, I drop my arm off Chaz’s shoulders, and I stagger to the counter for support.
“Why do we always congregate in kitchens?” I ask absently, still trying to wrap my head around things while managing to find a bottle of whiskey.
As I twist the cap off, Drackus asks, “Are you okay?”
I laugh bitterly while turning the bottle up and taking a massive sip. “Oh, I’m fine. Just fucking fine. I just found out that your ex-fiancée, also known as Gage’s mother, is the one who murdered my parents and enslaved me. Oh, and I just sent my boyfriend to hell. Ironically enough, I sent him there to cool down. Uh-huh. Yep. Fine.”
My hand shakes as I take a long sip of the whiskey, making it bubble.
“Technically I’m the one who shoved him into the gate,” Chaz says brightly.
“Now that’s a dysfunctional relationship,” Dice says while pulling a stunned Karma into his arms and kissing her hair.
“Where’s Ella?” I ask.
“Kane and Alyssa went after her. Chaz took off to go get you before we could. We don’t know what has happened to her, and they’re not having any luck so far,” Calypso says with tears in her eyes.
Thad walks in, naked. Apparently he just shifted. “Anything?” Drackus asks.
Thad makes no move to cover up as he shakes his head. “Nothing.” Then his eyes move to me. “Where’s Gage?”
That has me taking another sip of whiskey.