by T. A. White
Tate didn't fault him for his doubt. He was right. These were different and if she hadn't visited Ai's hidden chambers or the one where she'd met the minor god Owl, she would have agreed.
"Don't be fooled, my friend. The ancients were tricky and devious. They hid all the good stuff behind lock and key, only to be accessed by the chosen few," Christopher said. Disillusionment and grim reality filled his gaze. Tate had the sense he spoke from personal experience. "Am I right? Tatum Allegra Winters."
Tate stared back at him in challenge.
"Let's go," Ryu said, intervening. "We're not going to escape this place by standing around."
"But we could finally learn the truth of this world’s beginnings," Peter objected as he looked around. There was a faint hint of greed in his expression.
"Truth is always dependent on your perception," Tate said, seeing through jaded eyes.
"You didn't always think that way," a voice said in her ear.
Tate spun, searching for the person who’d spoken.
"Tate, are you alright?" Ryu asked, his eyes concerned.
"You didn't hear that?"
His head tilted. "Hear what?"
Tate was quiet for several seconds. "Nothing. I thought I heard something. I was mistaken."
"Lying, my friend? It is good to see you haven't changed."
Tate didn't respond.
"You should take the lead since this is your memory," Christopher said. "You never know what might jump out of it."
Tate hesitated in mid step, her attention shooting to Peter. "Is that a possibility?"
"No, of course not," the voice teased her playfully. "Well... maybe."
Peter looked unsure. "I don't know. This is beyond the realm of anything I've heard of."
The voice only Tate seemed to be able to hear started crooning a lullaby. "There were once five friends, closer than could ever be. One by one they fell to treachery. The first to fall so powerful and bright, noble of spirit and tasked with flight."
The others were waiting as Tate tried to ignore the voice which sang of the sad fate of the five friends.
She stepped forward, her heart in her throat as she took in the place that was at once familiar and strange. She'd seen it in glimpses in her nightmares, but never this clearly.
The tunnels of Aurelia were mostly empty of anything the Saviors left behind. Tate had to wonder if that was because so much had been scavenged over the years or if it was like Christopher said and the people who'd gone before locked away their knowledge. Why, was the question. Was it to safeguard it? Or pretend it never happened?
Tate moved through the room, stepping around or over the debris littering the floor, the men following silently.
The voice in her head had stopped speaking but it still softly hummed the lullaby from before.
They reached a hallway, one familiar from the time Tate had spent in the tunnels. Unlike those, this didn't glow in the same way, as if possessed of its own inner light.
Tate walked further down the corridor.
"How do you know you're going the right way?" Christopher asked.
Tate paused, flicking him a glance before continuing.
"Fine, don't answer me. Figure this all out by yourself," he said.
There was something towing her along, a compulsion. She was losing the fight as she inched closer and closer to her destination.
There was a feeling of horror inside, as if what she was about to face might change everything. She wanted to turn back and rush forward at the same time.
"One sacrificed to the next world, the other to the darkness. The last to the betrayal of all," the voice started singing again as Tate reached a door.
Another scene overlaid this one. Jaxon’s back was to her as he walked away, saying over his shoulder, "Sometimes you're incredibly hard to love."
Tate was drawn to a table with a body spread out on it. A woman lay there, her hair golden, her skin chalky white. On her arm was a dragon.
Tate's eyes widened. She knew that dragon. She'd examined her endlessly, trying to figure out all her secrets. Ilith. Her body curled around the naked woman's arm, a tattoo as she was on Tate's.
"See. I told you, you were the betrayer," the voice whispered in her ear.
"What are you doing here?" another voice thundered from behind them.
Tate and the rest whipped around as a man strode toward them, his expression furious as he walked through the image rather than around it as the rest of them had.
"Jaxon Kuno," Peter said in awe.
No. Not quite.
The resemblance was uncanny at first glance, but the longer she looked, the more differences she could pick out. The eyes, a line of the nose and jaw were softer. This man was taller and broader, his coloring slightly off. He was a slightly faded version of a Silva, one who wore Jax’s likeness.
The Jaxon lookalike fixed Peter and Christopher with an irritated glance, flicking his hand at them.
They disappeared, the scene swallowing them as if they'd never been present.
He faced Ryu, his expression stoic as he contemplated the dragon.
"Wait!" Tate shouted, starting for the two.
The Jaxon lookalike lifted a hand and Tate was frozen in place. Ryu noticed what he'd done and crouched, a terrible snarl escaping from him. His hands curved as if they were talons.
"A dragon. Better than others I've seen, but still flawed," the lookalike said, cocking his head. He stepped closer, lifting a hand and setting it on Ryu's shoulder.
Ryu fell to his knees, a pained scream ripping from his throat.
The lookalike's head fell back as his eyes closed.
Tate strained against the invisible bonds holding her in place. She couldn't even lift a fingernail to help Ryu and was forced to watch as he continued to make those agonized sounds.
The lookalike’s expression shifted as satisfaction filled it. "You'll do."
The pain filled screams cut off abruptly as the lookalike stepped back, watching as Ryu collapsed facedown onto the ground.
"What did you do to him?" Tate asked, fury in her voice.
The lookalike clasped his hands behind his back as he studied Tate. "I've improved his connection with the dragon."
It wasn't the response Tate was expecting and she was stuck staring at him, not knowing what to think.
"He will have less trouble now." The lookalike tilted his head as if considering something. "If he lives through the transition period and can find his way back."
Tate's eyes caught on Ryu's still form, her heart beating loudly, desperation filling her. She wanted to go to him.
She forced herself to concentrate on the threat in front of them instead. She couldn't do anything for him locked in place. It meant she had to be smart rather than just relying on gut instinct.
"Let's talk about you, shall we?" The Jaxon look alike arched an eyebrow.
Tate glared at him, pressing her lips together. "You look like him, but you aren't him."
The lookalike's lips twitched, even as his gaze remained dark and impenetrable. "Very good. Most assume I am Jaxon Kuno. I allow the assumption when it suits me."
"What do you want?" Tate asked.
It was clear he wanted something. Why else would he appear in this place?
"First, let's get rid of your tag along," he said.
He pointed at her. At first, Tate felt nothing. Then searing agony burned through her mind. It felt like someone was trying to shove a white-hot needle into her brain, inserting it a millimeter at a time, setting everything alight on a sea of fire.
There was a popping sensation, one felt in her mind and her chest at the same time as a force seemed to be expelled from Tate. Abruptly the pain ceased.
She looked behind her, almost unsurprised to find the dim form of the man who’d risen under Aurelia, drawing himself up from the ground, dusting off imaginary dust.
"You," Tate said. She took a step toward him.
"He's not actually here," the J
axon lookalike said. "It's the only reason I could expel him."
The man smirked at the two of them. His face was exactly as she remembered it. Handsome but cruel. His hair still long. This time he wore clothes over his impressive physique.
"I'd hoped to stick around a little longer," he said, his lips twisted cruelly. "But I didn't realize there was an avatar watching over this place."
The Jaxon lookalike didn't say anything, just watched the other man with an expressionless face.
"I'm surprised he gave you a face so similar to him," the man said. "Jax never struck me as particularly narcissistic."
The lookalike didn't say anything.
"What are you doing here? What is it you want?" Tate finally asked, finding her voice.
The man slanted her a look Tate fought not to back away from. "No, I don't think so. I'm not giving you any hints. You'll find out soon enough. Better to just take what I want."
He stepped toward her, his hand outstretched. A purple light flew from his fingertips and Tate almost tripped over her feet trying to escape it. She knew if she let it touch her, bad things would ensue.
The lookalike shouted a string of words. A thunderclap filled the space, knocking Tate to her knees as the man hissed a curse. He ran toward her. The lookalike appeared as if from thin air between them and waved his hand, the ground beneath him trembling.
"This is my space. Your shade is not welcome here," he said.
An invisible breeze howled into being, eating away at the man's form.
"Soon, Tatum. Soon."
The rest of him crumbled like ash to float away on that invisible breeze.
The lookalike heaved a sigh. "This string of events is unfortunate."
"How was he inside my mind?" Tate asked, getting to the heart of the matter. She felt violated on so many different levels. The thought of that sadistic bastard touching her thoughts, trying to influence them, was enough to make her want to throw up.
"It's more like he was piggybacking off you," the lookalike said, struggling to find the right words. "Examining your surface thoughts."
"To what end?"
He shook his head. "That, I do not know. There are many possibilities. It would be pointless to guess."
Tate bit her tongue against angry words. She was all too aware of her precarious situation. He'd dropped Ryu like it was nothing, sent Christopher and Peter to who knew where, and just expelled an angry former savior from this dreamscape.
If she pushed too hard, she could very well put herself in even more danger.
She needed to be smart.
"Who are you?" Tate asked, though she had a sneaking suspicion she already knew.
The lookalike gestured to their surroundings. "I am the caretaker of this place. I have domain of everything you see and much of what you do not."
Tate's gaze was suspicious as she looked around. The glass lake. Funny how it appeared just when they needed it most. It made her think nothing was as it seemed and his reach extended further than anyone had ever guessed.
"Why have you brought us here?" she asked.
His lips curled. "To test you."
Tate was quiet, studying him even as he did the same to her.
He acknowledged her patience with a small nod. "I was placed here in the event you ever walked the world again. Should you ever stray this far, I was to test you to ensure your courage and morals were as they once were."
"Did I pass?" Tate asked after a long moment.
"I am undecided."
Tate finally realized who he reminded her of. He spoke with that same detached intelligence as Ai. He was part of the world, yet not.
Tate had to wonder if they had more in common. She wavered over asking him, the urge momentarily strong. Along with it the question of why Ai had stopped speaking with her.
"Why would I need to be tested? What does it matter if I've changed?" Tate asked instead.
"Because he wanted me to entrust you with something. He said only you had a hope of handling it. Given the visitor I just threw out of my territory, I would say his fears have started to come to fruition."
Tate burned with questions. She'd never been so close to answers of her past. This man didn't have the same reticence Ai had over discussing what had happened before her sleep. It was almost enough to make her forget what he'd done with Ryu.
"This entire trip down memory lane was meant as a test," Tate said, thinking aloud.
She didn't see the point in it. The scenes had jogged memories. She now recalled being in them, the things that happened, but not the events surrounding the memory. There were still huge gaping holes in her memories.
"In part. It was meant as a reminder of who you once were and who you could be again if you so choose."
Tate hesitated, looking around again. A part of her wanted to delve deeper, to find other memories and piece them together until the broken tapestry of her mind was whole.
She'd start with the woman who had Ilith on her body. There must be a reason Tate's nightmares featured that scene so often. Facing the truth would be the first step in understanding why her mind was so fixated on it and why she was filled with a great sense of loss when she dreamed of it.
He seemed to read her mind, and gestured behind him, his expression inviting. "You may continue if you wish."
Tate hesitated, waiting for the catch.
"However, the longer you spend in this realm, the weaker he will get," he said as his eyes flicked to Ryu. "Eventually he will die."
Tate froze in place.
"You must make a choice. Your past—or him."
"Him." There was no hesitation, her voice firm and resolute. "Always him."
She spun on her heel and strode to where he lay, crouching beside him. Relief lifted the weight off her shoulders when she felt his chest rise under her palm.
"He may not return from the journey I sent him on," the lookalike said.
"And if he doesn't, I'll return here and do my best to end your waste of an existence," Tate ground out.
The fake Jaxon lifted an eyebrow, the faintest edge of amusement touching his eyes. "You might find that more difficult than you anticipated."
"I get the feeling it wouldn't be the first impossible task I've undertaken," Tate said, not taking her eyes off him.
"Indeed," he murmured.
He disappeared from view. Tate blinked at the spot he'd just been, still on edge, ready for anything. She didn't think he'd give up that easily.
"This will hurt," his somber voice said from behind her.
Before she could whirl, his hand settled on her shoulder. Blinding pain seared through her, making her brain short circuit and turning her vision dark.
"You were exactly as he said," fake Jaxon murmured in her ear. "I'll see you again soon."
Then the world broke apart, turning into millions of small shards as it fractured around her, leaving her in nothing but darkness.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tate blinked up at the bright sun, her face hot and tight from the beginnings of a burn.
"Ryu!" Tate lurched upright as memories of the fake Jaxon and his proposal crashed back.
She looked frantically around, whipping her head back and forth as she searched. She spotted Ryu face down not far from her.
She scrambled to her feet, staggering over the sand and sank to her knees beside him. She hurriedly held her fingers to his neck. He had a pulse. Thank all the Saviors.
She didn't have time to feel more than a second's relief when a small sound warned she was no longer alone.
She went still, her gaze fixed on the fist-sized rock beside her.
Tate grabbed it and whirled, rising halfway as she clutched the small rock in her hand. It wasn't much, but something was better than nothing.
A person stood before her, the fox mask hiding their expression. Their posture held surprise, as if they were shocked at Tate’s presence.
They lifted their hands, showing they were unarmed.
T
ate hesitated.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Tate demanded, not quite ready to drop out of her defensive crouch.
They made a calming motion as they edged forward.
She narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth. This person thought she was defenseless. She was about to show them the error of their ways. Ilith wasn't the only dangerous one in this partnership. She'd been a force to be reckoned with long before her soul was joined to the dragon's.
She straightened partially, infusing confidence into her gaze and posture.
The Morain advanced over the sand on whisper silent feet, their hands held in a non-threatening manner the entire way.
"I'm not here to hurt you," the fox assured her. The person's voice was muffled and low. Tate couldn't tell if the fox was male or female.
"That'd be a change." Tate found it hard to believe after everything that had passed.
"We never meant to bring you harm, Tate."
Tate arched her eyebrows at the person in disbelief and surprise. How had this person known her name? She ignored the question and the unease it sparked for the moment.
"I can't feel my dragon. I'm stuck in the middle of a desert with the very real possibility of dying from dehydration, and my friend is unconscious at my feet. I'd hate to see your definition of harm, if this isn't it," Tate said.
Granted, some of that was a direct consequence of actions she'd taken, but the Morain were responsible for putting her in a situation where she’d had to make the best of a sequence of choices.
"We never intended this. You would have remained safe if the heretic hadn't interfered."
"After you kidnapped me."
The fox inclined their head.
Tate scoffed. "In my experience, it’s usually not a good sign of your intentions if you have to kidnap somebody."
The fox was silent as they hesitated. Tate used the time to take in her surroundings. They'd changed again. The glass lake was nowhere to be seen. If Ryu wasn't still unconscious at her feet, she might be tempted to think it was a mirage or hallucination her heat exhaustion had dreamed up.
Endless sand dunes stretched against a cerulean blue sky behind her. To her front, the ground was hard-packed clay, cracked and parched, as cliffs stabbed the sky's belly.
Somehow, they'd managed to end up exactly where they needed to be, but she didn't know how.