Gordon turned in a slow circle, his eyes wide as he tried to pierce through the void. Every sense felt dulled, warped. Even his light-enhanced vision was utterly useless here.
His heart pounded. He wasn't afraid of many things—but this? This was unnatural.
"What kind of spell is this?" he growled, lightning beginning to crackle faintly across his arms. "I don't care who you are, you've made a huge mistake dragging me into this—"
"Oh, I'm counting on that mistake," Seraphina interrupted sweetly, her voice now laced with venom. "Because it's in mistakes… that people expose their weakest selves."
A sudden flash of silver sliced through the dark, and Gordon barely jerked his head to the side as something sharp grazed his cheek. Blood ran warm down his face.
"I'm not here to fight fair, darling," she continued, her voice now circling him like a predator playing with its food. "This is my domain. My rules. And rule number one?"
Another whisper, this time directly behind his ear—
