Novels by Olawunmi Michael 22

The blade bit into my skin, drawing a thin line of warm blood."I will not ask you a second time," the woman said from behind me. Her voice was steady and completely cold. "Where did you get that token?"My right hand twitched. The purple shadow claws wanted to come out, but Kaelen’s voice cut through my thoughts."Do not fight her," Kaelen warned. "She knows how to use that blade. If you use your magic right now, she will open your throat before your shadow can even form."I took a slow breath, keeping my hands where she could see them. My shoulder still ached from the fight with the hunter, but I forced myself to stay calm. "It was given to me," I told her. "By someone inside the palace who wants me to survive."The iron blade did not move an inch. "People inside the palace do not own Nightshade tokens. Malakai killed every single person who carried one twenty years ago. He kept their heads on the city walls for a month to show what happens to rebels."Through the gap between the wo

The glowing arrow left the bowstring with a sharp snap.I threw myself flat into the mud just as the light projectile ripped through the air above me. It hit the iron grate behind me, exploding into a shower of white sparks that singed the hairs on the back of my neck."Run, kid!" Kaelen barked in my mind. "The high hunters use heat-tracking weapons. He does not need to see your core to find your position!"I scrambled to my feet and leaped down the rocky cliffside, sliding through dirt and loose stones. Behind me, another arrow struck the rock I had just used for cover, shattering it into tiny pieces.My physical stats were level seventeen now. My legs felt much stronger, moving faster than they ever had when I was a simple mine worker. I leaped over a five-foot drop and landed hard in a garbage-filled alley of the lower slums.But the hunter was incredibly fast. I heard the heavy thud of his boots hitting the ground right behind me. He was already pulling a third arrow from his quiv

"You want me to be your weapon," I said, my voice cutting through the quiet cell.I did not stand up. I kept my knees on the cold stone, but I let the broken iron collar drop from my neck. It hit the floor with a loud clang. The purple shadow hand around my right wrist flared, its dark light reflecting in Lily’s eyes. She did not jump back. She did not even blink. She just watched the shadow hand with a look of intense calculation."I want to live, Ethan," Lily replied, setting her silver lantern down on a wooden bench. "And so do you. Malakai is using both of us. He thinks I am just a talented girl he can control with wealth and status. He thinks you are a dead man walking. We can use his arrogance against him."I looked at the leather satchel in her hand. "You sold me out to him hours ago. You stood right next to him while his mages burned me with holy nets. How do I know this is not another trap to make Malakai look like a hero when he catches me running?"Lily took a step closer,

A heavy iron collar snapped around my neck, pinning my head flat against the freezing stone wall.The two mages kicked my legs out from under me, forcing me to my knees. They attached heavy chains to my ankles and my left wrist, pulling them tight until I could barely move an inch. The glowing golden net that had burned my skin finally dissolved, leaving behind deep, painful marks across my chest and shoulders."Do not bother struggling," the older mage said, adjusting his white robes as he stepped back toward the thick iron door. "These walls are lined with sun-stone dust. Any dark magic you try to use will be crushed instantly. Enjoy your last night, demon."The heavy door slammed shut, and the sound of three metal locks turning echoed through the quiet cell.The only light came from a tiny magic crystal set high into the ceiling, casting a weak white glow over the damp room. I slumped against the wall, my breathing heavy and shallow. My right shoulder throbbed where Malakai’s light

The golden spear of light dropped from the ceiling, cutting a deep gash into the marble floor exactly where my feet had been a millisecond ago.I dove to the right, my fake silk robes tearing against the stone edges. The blast of hot energy blew my disguise apart. The purple mist dissolved instantly, revealing my true face, my ragged trousers, and the glowing purple shadow hand that replaced my missing wrist.High Priest Malakai did not look shocked at all. He simply stood by the giant statue, his face twisting into a cold grin."Ethan," Malakai said, stepping over the smoking line on the floor. "I must admit, I did not expect you to climb out of the Great Maw so quickly. But did you really believe you could fool me inside my own cathedral?"My heart squeezed tight as I realized the truth. He had known the entire time. He had known before I even stepped out of the lower tunnels."You knew it was me," I said, rising to my feet and raising my shadow hand."Of course I knew," Malakai sta

Lily held a golden ring up to the light, turning it slowly between her fingers. A small red gem on the band pulsed with a faint light every time the carriage bumped against the stone street."This artifact tracks the exact mana signatures of everyone who leaves the lower tunnels," Lily said, her voice completely smooth as she looked directly at my fake face. "But for some reason, Julian, your magic flow looks completely different right now. It is rougher. Why is that?"The countdown timer at the edge of my vision flashed. Twelve minutes left.My right hand, hidden completely beneath the long silk sleeve, remained tight. The shadow fingers were ready to form a blade at any second. Sitting three feet away from my own sister inside this small, moving box was the hardest thing I had ever done. She looked beautiful in her new black dress, a massive contrast to the ragged clothes she had worn just yesterday morning. Her betrayal had purchased this luxury."The ghouls attacked my guards," I