Unveiled: The Cursed Trilogy, Book Three by Betty Legend (recommended ebook reader txt) 📗

“It’s not only about the dead land.” Phoenix’s gaze follows the birds as they swoop down and attack something moving on the top of a tower. “He wants to rule over everything. He wants supreme power.”

“Why?” I ask.

“He confuses power with acceptance and love,” Phoenix explains.

“You’re telling me the devil wants to be loved and accepted?”

Phoenix looks at me, his violet eyes affectionate as he strokes my cheek. “Doesn’t everyone?” I kiss his fingers before he takes them away.

“I can believe the devil once wanted to be accepted and loved, but now, his soul is lost to hatred and greed, if he even has a soul.”

“We can discuss the devil’s soul later,” Cyrus tells us, studying the castle. “Right now, we need to figure out a way inside.”

Phoenix points to the tower. “Griffin, can you get to the top of that tower?”

Griffin takes a good look at it. “Yeah. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Can you get all of us to the top of that tower?” Phoenix challenges, a smirk pulling at his lips.

Griffin chuckles. “Definitely.”

“Climb on my back.” Killian steps to the front and discards his sweatpants. “We need to conserve your energy.” Shifting, his skin transitions to fur, hands and feet becoming paws. With a huff, he blows falling ash away from his muzzle. Brushing my fingers through his fur, I rub his neck and ear before climbing atop his large, sturdy back.

“Lead the way, babe.”

Killian is panting by the time we reach the castle. He normally carries me without any loss of breath. I know it’s the dry, ashen air here in hell. As I climb off, sweat covers my hands from his fur. Shifting back into man, he brushes his hand through his damp hair, his cheeks flushed. Cyrus hands him a bottle of water, and we pass it around until it’s empty.

Killian grimaces. “I hate this heat.”

“Me too.”

Griffin puts his hand over my head and cool droplets of water land on me, trickling down my hair and neck.

“That’s better.”

Killian points to his head, and Griffin does the same for him.

“Thanks, brother.”

“Anytime.”

Looking up to the top of the tower, Griffin gauges the height.

“I’ll take Killian first. He’s the heaviest.”

Killian gives an acknowledging nod. The two, stand side-by-side as Griffin’s magic leaves his hands and swirls around them. Inside the turquoise glow, their feet rise off the ground. Higher and higher, they lift into the air until they reach the landing on the tower. Worry builds in my chest as I wait several minutes for them to be visible or for Griffin to return.

“They probably had to kill a few demons.” Cyrus rubs my back just as Killian leans over the edge and gives an all-clear signal. With a breath of relief, I watch as Griffin comes back down.

“The landing is clear now.” Griffin has a new scratch across his cheek. Putting my hand to it, I release my earth magic, healing the wound. “Thanks, love. I’ll take you up next.”

Standing next to him, my smile erupts as my feet rise off the ground. Next to me, he winks.

“I got you, love.” Turquoise glow surrounds us, twirling around our feet and legs as we rise higher and higher. Reaching the landing of the tower, Killian takes hold of my waist. Keeping our eyes on our surroundings, we watch our backs as Griffin brings Phoenix, then Cyrus.

A squawking zombie-like bird spots us and swoops down. In wolf form, Killian leaps through the air, biting into the neck of the bird. Landing gracefully on his feet, he snaps its neck and tosses it off the tower landing.

“So much for that.” I watch it freefall and land on the ground below.

Shifting back into man, Killian wipes at his mouth. “That tasted disgusting.”

Cyrus adjusts the backpack on his shoulder. “Pretty sure everything here is dead or undead.” He gives a glance at Phoenix. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Phoenix smirks.

Looking at the layout in front of us, Cyrus points to the main building of the castle. “We’ll go across the tower wall, then search for an opening into the castle.”

“I’ll blow holes through walls if that’s what it takes to find him.”

Cyrus nods in approval. “If that’s what it takes, we’ll do it.”

Cyrus leads the way across the wall from the tower to the main part of the castle. On the rooftop, we spread out in search of an entrance. Phoenix finds it first and whistles for us to join him. It takes the strength of Phoenix and Killian to break the lock and push open the iron door. Once inside, it’s pitch black. Cyrus casts a spell, and a light orb emerges in his hand. With him leading, we follow the winding, dingy stairwell into the castle.

Echoes of screams can be heard as we descend the stairs. My muscles tighten, and Killian moves closer, his hand at my back. Using the wall as a railing down the steep steps, I peel my hand back from the dampness on my skin.

“What is this?”

Cyrus moves the orb toward my hand, and I gasp.

“Don’t touch it,” Cyrus warns. Taking a rag from the backpack, he wipes off my hand. My stomach grows nauseous.

“The walls are seeping with blood.”

“Are you going to be sick?” Cyrus asks, his tone soft with concern.

“No, it’s just… it’s so gross and sad.”

Killian takes hold of the hand Cyrus wiped clean. “Don’t think about it, sweetheart.”

Nodding, I focus on the task at hand—finding Emeric in this house of horrors.

Cautiously, we make our way to the bottom of the stairwell into a hallway with multiple closed doors. Putting my hands over my ears, I block out the terrifying bellows, screams, and screeches. Killian puts his hand on my back and ushers me forward to the next stairwell.

From the looks of it, we’re in a central stairwell of the castle leading to all floors. Keeping to it, we descend to the next floor. Coming out of that stairwell, it’s another floor of the same thing—closed doors with more