Finally I get to my apartment, creating a portal right inside my kitchen until I see the blue linoleum tiles on the floor. I step right through. The flames dissolve.
I’m back inside.
I take in a deep breath and look around. It’s stuffy as hell, so I open all the windows to get in some fresh air, then I go to the front door, checking that it’s locked. It is. I was able to open it when I was in the Black Sunshine, so it’s good to know it remains locked in the real world.
I putter about the place, trying to make it look a little more lived in, otherwise Elle’s going to really think something is off. Then I go into the kitchen and pull out an Anchor Steam that’s been sitting in the fridge for ages.
I close the fridge door when suddenly I hear the front door close behind me.
I whirl around, and gasp, the beer slipping out of my fingers and shattering to the floor.
Atlas Poe just unlocked the door, no key needed.
I open my mouth to scream but the sound dies in my lungs.
Atlas walks toward me, his dark coat flowing behind him, and with a flick of his fingers, my arms slam to my sides, my legs doing the same, cementing me to the ground.
I can’t move. It feels like I’ve been wrapped in electric metal chains, squeezing me tight, making my hair stand on end.
Atlas slowly approaches, his finger still pointed my way, blue sparks in his eyes. Like before, he’s wearing all black, and in the daylight of the kitchen, he looks like an ink blot, a horrible stain.
“There you are, Lenore,” he says to me, a sinister edge to his voice. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
I try to move again, try to focus on breaking the chains, but my mind is going wild, competing for speed with my racing heart. I can’t think, can barely breathe.
“You won’t be able to break these binds,” he says to me, coming closer, stopping just a foot away. He reaches down into his trench coat and pulls out a glowing knife, the blade of the mordernes. I stare at it in horror, intense fear prickling my skin from head to toe.
I manage to tear my eyes off the blade, the blue electricity wrapping around it, matching the blue sparks in Atlas’ eyes as I stare at him, trying to talk, my mouth moving but nothing coming out.
“Ah,” he says. “Perhaps I should allow you to speak a little. Don’t bother screaming, it won’t work.”
I feel a jolt through my throat. “The fuck are you doing?” I manage to say, but the words come out in a low whisper. I’m unable to raise my voice even if I tried.
I should still try, though.
I close my eyes and scream, except nothing comes out but a hoarse whisper.
“I told you,” he says, slowly walking around me. His eyes burn, and he feels more predator than witch. He stands behind me and reaches out in front of me with the blade, pointing it at my heart, pressing the tip against my skin. I inhale sharply, trying to move the metal away from my breastplate, the blue energy already singing the fabric of my top.
“What do you want?” I whisper, trying not to lose my nerve. Kind of hard when one of the few things that can kill me is poised to stab my heart at any moment. “You’re not a slayer.”
“How do you know what I am and what I’m not?” His breath is hot on my neck, setting the rest of me on edge. “You know nothing about me.”
“And you know nothing about me.”
He lets out a bitter laugh that ruffles my hair. “I know more than you do, more than your parents do. Why else do you think I’m here?”
“I don’t know why you’re here,” I tell him. “If you want my parents, they’re at work.”
Atlas places a hand at my throat, his palm burning my skin.
What the fuck is this guy?
“You know I’m not here for your parents,” he grumbles into my ear. “I’m here for you. Your parents are of little consequence to me. The guild will discover what they did and punish them soon enough.”
“If you hurt them…,” I say, breaking off as rage takes hold of me.
“As I said, they are of little matter to me. I won’t hurt them. The guild will.”