Book Five: Chapter 81

There was a grinding sound that filled the basement, low and mournful, vibrating through the concrete floor and making her teeth rattle. Beth aimed her flashlight at the Vault, and relief washed over her when she saw that the wall had been smoothed over. The seams in the stone were still faintly visible, jagged little gaps that suggested the opening could still exist beneath the surface, but whatever had been trying to escape was no longer coming through. The eerie bouncing and clattering from the other side had stopped, leaving only the sound of her own ragged breathing and the faint hum of magic that hung in the air.

“Yes!” she shouted, pumping the Grimoire into the air triumphantly. Her victory was short-lived. The sword whipped past her like a vengeful serpent, slicing open her forearm from elbow to wrist. Pain shot up her arm in a white-hot flare, and she cried out, tumbling off the freezer.