Uh, Alku, I say to the unicorn, just how close are we to Louhi’s castle?

Castle Synti? Alku asks, a tremor to its voice. Don’t tell me you want to go there.

No! No, I just, well, I don’t know if Sammalta filled you in on what’s happening with Rasmus, but it turns out he’s Louhi’s son.

What?! the unicorn exclaims, its wings slowing. The son of Louhi? You should have told me that before we took off.

Would it have made a difference?

Yes! I most definitely wouldn’t have flown so close.

It’s then that my focus goes to the tip of the unicorn’s black iron horn and the space beyond it. At the blurry white horizon, a dark shimmery structure emerges, like something from a twisted fairytale. It looks like Shadow’s End in one way, yet there’s something inhuman about it, like it wasn’t built by Gods at all but something else, something of another world, some place worse than this one. The sight of it makes me feel like I’m going to throw up, a physical aversion.

That’s it, I think grimly. That’s her castle.

Castle Synti, Alku says. They say it was built by Old Gods whom she conjured through the veils, came straight from Kaaos and enforced the castle with pure evil.

Enforced with pure evil? Probably not up to code.

Suddenly the energy behind me changes as if Rasmus is glowing with the same sort of energy that’s coming from Louhi’s castle. Before I can turn around, his hands are around my neck, squeezing hard.

Holy FUCK!

Alku! I scream in my head, my hands going to his and trying to pry his fingers off. They’re holding me like a vice, they’re that strong, my windpipe bursting with pain. He’s choking me!

Hold on! Alku yells.

I’m about to tell him I can’t hold on, I’m trying to pull Rasmus’ hands away from my throat, unable to take a breath, but the unicorn suddenly veers to left.

My scream is choked. Instead of trying to knock Rasmus off-balance, I’m falling to the right along with him, my hands shooting out to grab hold of Alku’s mane but it’s too late.

We’re falling through the sky, right down toward the Star Swamp.

I’m going to die, I think, and not because we might land on a snow-covered patch of Oblivion, but because, despite the fact that we’re free-falling, black-eyed Rasmus is still holding onto me.

With the little energy I have, I manage to twist around mid-air, separating myself from Rasmus moments before we crash, gasping for breath.

I hit the ground hard, snow flying up all around me, and I sink for just long enough that I know I must have gone into the water, into the swamp, and that it’s all over for me for eternity.

But then I realize I was just sinking through the snowdrift and after a couple of seconds, I do a quick internal check of my body. I’m not in too much pain, just sore and cold and my neck is bruised, but I think I’m all intact.

Remembering where I am, I quickly get to my feet, trying to be as careful as possible because if I’m not dead yet, one wrong step might fix that.

The snow falls off my clothes and I frantically look around. Alku is hovering above me, relief in its eyes, but Rasmus is nowhere to be seen.

Oh fuck. He didn’t…he didn’t fall into the swamp, did he?

On one hand I would be relieved because he was just trying to kill me but…fucking hell, Rasmus is my brother now. And that sharked-eyed psycho wasn’t Rasmus at all. He’d been possessed.

Stay still, Alku commands, coming closer to me, the wings beating hard enough to blow my hair back. It’s like standing under a helicopter. I don’t want to land in case there isn’t ground beneath me.

I glance around anxiously. In the distance, the shiny black façade of Synti Castle stands like a sentinel guard. Between us is nothing but sheets of white snow and ice. No sign of Rasmus. No patch of land Alku can trust.

Alku comes closer now, lowering its horn. Grab hold of my horn.

“Are you kidding me?” I cry out. “Then what? You’ll fly across the swamp with me holding on? I’ll let go. I won’t make it.”

I’m starting to panic. I can already feel the sensation of trying to hold on and my hands slipping. Falling a second time I know I won’t be so lucky.

You don’t have a choice, Hanna, Alku says. We’re closer to Shaman’s Way than you think and I know you’re strong, stronger than you give yourself credit for. You can do this.

I glance down at my arms, arms that I was once self-conscious of because of how muscular they naturally are. All those years of fighting and lifting weights and going to the gym might finally come in handy. Maybe Alku is right. Maybe I have to view the unicorn horn as doing chin-ups. I’ve spent a hell of a lot of time hanging from those bars. I just have to hold on.

Tags: Karina Halle Underworld Gods Paranormal
Source: readsnovelonline.net