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Excerpt
When Kira stepped into the ballroom, she was taken aback by the number of shades that had crammed themselves into the large room. So many unhappy thoughts. Even filtering them out, she could hear them. Sorrow, anger, even hatred were the emotions that permeated this room. She wondered if it was because of the Gate. Were the negative emotions in here because Hell was thought to be such as unpleasant place? She reached over and took Gallegar’s hand. He looked down and smiled the smoky, seductive smile that tripped her heart whenever he flashed it at her. Here was love. No hate, or anger or sadness. Just his love for her. It was something to hold onto in this frightening place. Patrick stopped in front of the far wall. It was completely bare, with plaster peeling in long strips falling to the floor. The floor was bent and buckled in places. “Here it is, sugar. Are ya ready?” The shade glanced back over his shoulder at her. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and made her way up next to him. Patrick put out his hands and sent power streaming against the wall. “Show yourself…” The vortex appeared suddenly, taking everyone, even Patrick by surprise. Hurriedly, they all stepped back. It was huge, almost twice as big as Heaven’s Gate, and its power was much more intense. The swirling color was almost blinding to the eyes--a hot yellow-orange tangle of brilliant hues. The colors were so vivid, it almost made Kira sick to her stomach as she continued to stand there, battered by the Gate’s power. It reminded her of the pictures she had seen of the sun, with its leaping tendrils of flame. As she watched, her eyes became more used to the glare and she noticed something. “Did you see the vortex to Heaven moves clockwise, but this one moves counterclockwise?” Kira continued to stare at the Gate in fascination. “This is no memory…this is the real thing.” The Gate gave off an allure that repelled her. She remembered Patrick saying that was how the Gates pulled in only the people meant for it. It was then, all Hell…literally…broke loose. With a screaming roar like a runaway freight train, the Gate heaved. The vortex shuddered and began to pulsate rapidly. Like a whirling sunset, the maelstrom started to swirl faster and faster, till you couldn’t see the ribbons of individual light. There was a thunderous explosion and the Gate became one solid wall of a hot, burning, lava like mass. Smoke billowed and fog poured out over the ground. An acrid burning smell began to permeate the air, causing all nearby to choke and gasp for air. Strange lights flashed on and off, making everyone turn away to protect their eyes. At that moment, the Gate heaved again and sucked in Flora, who was lying amid the reflections of color. She screamed…this time, a sound of sheer terror. Without a thought for her own safety, Kira leaped into the burning mass of colored light. Heat slapped her in the face, making it almost impossible to breath, but she reached out and grabbed the shade by the forearm. Instantly, her hand began to burn. She felt herself being pulled into the storm with Flora. “Gallegar!” she screamed, refusing to let go of the shade. Gallegar saw her sliding forward. Saw that Flora was in the clutches of something stronger than Kira, and he lunged forward with one arm, grabbing her around the waist. He too gave a shout of pain as his arm began to burn when it was enveloped in the odd yellow light. Kira felt Gallegar grab her and then her stomach began to burn like acid had been tossed on her. She screamed again, but refused to let go of the terrified shade. She watched in horror as the flesh on Flora’s body began to burn. It shriveled and crisped, turning black. Then it began to peel away from her body and drop off, leaving muscle and bone that also began to burn and flake. The unfortunate shade’s hair melted, and her scalp peeled back, leaving Kira looking at eyeballs in a grinning skull’s head. Flora’s screams were like knifes in Kira’s ears, but still she held on. Once again she could feel herself slipping forward, even though Gallegar held her tightly. Behind her, Gallegar was fighting a losing battle. The strain on his arm was telling, and he didn’t have to look down at it, to know something horrible was happening. He shouted at Lucas and before he had even finished the shapeshifter’s name, his strong arm was linked with the vampire’s, providing the anchor they needed. He heard the shouts of the other Chosen behind him, but he was too dizzy to understand them. All he knew was he needed to keep Kira safe, no matter what. Lucas’ arm wrapped tight around Gallegar’s. The wolfman sensed Benjamin go into his extra strength mode and then grab Lucas around the waist. He was grateful for the extra energy. He had a feeling they would all need it. “What the hell has happened?” Koran roared above the screaming of the Gate. His hair whipped around him in the blasts of wind. The sheer heat made it hard to breath. He stood with Danolas at the edge of the Gate, hands lifted as he tried to decide what to do. Patrick was standing behind them, shouting at Ethereals to get out of the room. When he heard the question, he turned back, his face haunted. “The Gate has been opened! Somehow, the Gate was activated.”
***end of excerpt***
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