Shadows of Discovery by Brenda K. Davies
Chapter Fifty
Lexi bracedherself as the woman advanced on her. She couldn’t fight Becca’s powers, but if she could keep the woman from unleashing her abilities, she might have a chance at fending her off.
Lexi was about to rush at her when a door swung open and crashed into Becca’s face. The flames stopped dancing, and the friction in the air released. A bubble of laughter rose in Lexi’s throat as the door slammed shut again.
Once closed, Lexi could see Becca standing there with her hands covering her face. Blood poured down and dripped onto the ground.
She couldn’t see most of Becca’s face, but the shock in her eyes was evident. Lexi gawked at the door; she was fairly certain that when she tried that door, it wouldn’t open.
“You bitch!” Becca spat in a nasally tone.
Lexi couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She probably shouldn’t find such amusement in what happened; the palace might smack her for laughing, but she couldn’t help it. Even if it delivered a door to her face next, she loved this place.
“I didn’t open the door,” Lexi said in between her laughter.
“Who’s back there?” Becca demanded.
Her blood-coated fingers slipped on the surface of the knob as she tried to yank it open, but the door didn’t budge. It was one of the sealed rooms.
Lexi was still marveling over that when Becca spun on her. The blood spilling from her nose dripped off her upper lip to splatter the floor.
“You bitch!” Becca spat as she advanced on Lexi.
Refusing to back away, Lexi planted her feet apart as she tried to figure out how to deflect Becca’s powers while beating her ugly. When the flames in the torches danced higher, Lexi couldn’t stop herself from glancing at them.
Keep your attention on your enemy!
Brokk had drilled that into her head, and she was already screwing up. Refusing to be distracted by Becca’s abilities again, she focused on the woman. The hatred oozing from the woman was so thick it crept like insidious, poisonous spiders over her skin.
“I’m going to make you pay,” Becca promised.
Lexi suspected she was more interested in making her pay for being with Cole than for punching her. When Becca’s hands rose at her side, the flames shot higher. Their heat warmed Lexi’s cheeks as a breeze flowed down the hall. The breeze went from gently blowing Lexi’s hair back to causing it to whip around her as her clothes plastered to her body.
Standing on her toes, Lexi prepared herself to attack, and as Becca was about to unleash her power, she released a front kick that would have caught Becca in the throat. However, the dark fae was too fast and dodged in time to avoid it.
When Becca recovered, a burst of fire shot at Lexi. Throwing up her arms, she lurched back in time to avoid being charbroiled.
Becca planted her feet and lifted her hands at her sides. Lexi prepared to charge and tackle her when all the doors in the hallway swung open. The blast of air they created caused the flames to waver and distracted Becca. She glanced warily at the doors as they shut before flying open and slamming closed once more.
The cacophony of their closing rebounded down the hallway. The following hush was somehow as unnerving as the simultaneous opening and closing of all the doors.
It was like a poltergeist haunted this place, but Lexi thought that was too easy an explanation for what was happening. It was impossible, but she swore rage vibrated the walls. And apparently the doors in this place opened in and out.
Is the palace alive in some strange, inexplicable way? Or if it’s not alive, is it aware?
It was completely insane and improbable, but she couldn’t shake the notion it might be true. Then Becca’s eyes returned to her, and her power swelled once more.
She was beginning to loathe this bitch, but she had to give Becca credit. She was brave, considering it seemed like the palace was trying to kill her or maybe both of them.
When the flames rose higher again, Lexi heard something that made her blood run cold.