Shadow Reign (Shadow Puppeteer Book 2) by Christina E. Rundle Page B

argued.
    “You’re either very brave or very stupid, going into a world you know nothing about without the extra hands,” Kelaino said.
    “I’d bank on stupid,” Rose murmured.
    I wasn’t going to let this go. “What good are frightened girls going to be in a fight? They aren’t trained and they don’t have weapons.”
    “They aren’t going to fight, they’re going to serve as bait for the locals,” Rose said.
    Kelaino gave the slightest nod and motioned for the crew to push the girls towards the circle. They didn’t go willingly over the line, smearing the blood circle. Once inside, they huddled together, still chained at the ankles. I couldn’t fight this decision. I had nothing to bargain with. There were too many lives on the line and I had nothing to sway the argument.
    The veiled woman said something and Kelaino looked down to study the circle. I knew what was coming, but Utan was far faster. He grabbed the one remaining girl outside the circle by the hair. She cried out and struggled as he dragged her to the circle and yanked her head back, exposing the length of her neck.
    Amber flashed in my mind. Her spirit was closer now, and just for the brief second, I saw her struggling like this girl with the blade against her throat. It was Rose who cut her. I dug my fingernails into my palms, and the pain cleared the vision.
    “You want blood? I’ll give you blood. How much do you need to close this circle?”
    I felt numb towards my offering. What was a little more blood loss when it would save a life?
    “No blood is needed if you can open the portal without closing the circle. The focus is set, you just need to open the door,” Kelaino said. The veiled woman’s voice went higher in pitch and Kelaino raised a hand to stop her. “The passage has been opened many times in this very circle. She can’t screw this up.”
    I was with the veiled woman on this. I didn’t actually want to go through the doorway. I almost did once and it literally pulled the skin from my body. It was a feeling I never wanted to experience again, but for Rex and this girl, I didn’t have a choice.
    I felt the slightest spiritual nudge from the doorway and bumps grew along my arms. Amber was near again. I wanted Katrina. I trusted Katrina’s wisdom. She was one of the few women I’ve met that I actually liked. Strong and in control, Katrina was someone to take into battle. Though she couldn’t tell me anything directly, she gave me more confidence.
    The blade slid deeper against the female’s neck and blood dotted her skin. My heart pounded as the vampires slid closer. They weren’t even attempting to contain themselves. Their eyes went completely black, ready to strike. I had to try this or she was going to die.
    “Okay, I’ll open the doorway,” I said.
    Three robed females started walking the circle with burning sage and candlelight, but the smell never reached inside. In fact, the air within the circle smelt sweet like summer roses.
    “Give her the package,” Kelaino ordered.
    A sith tossed a backpack into the circle and I caught it. The girls shifted when I bent down to examine the contents, clearly afraid something would jump from it. I couldn’t imagine living in the world they did, seeing the things they’ve witnessed while stuck here.
    The only thing I cared about was ammo for my guns and I wasn’t disappointed. There was enough ammo here for me to take out an army. We were going somewhere serious if she thought I needed to be this loaded.
    “When you get to the Realm of the Gods, look for the mountain. The Prism of Shadow will be in the graveyard,” Kelaino said.
    That was a lot to remember. I was looking for a Prism of Shadow in exchange for Rex. That’s all I needed to know. How difficult could it be to locate?
    “There isn’t a map in here,” I said.
    “No one’s returned from the realm to draw a map,” Rose said. She wore her hatred like a mask. It twisted her features. “Is that going to be a