by Tina Folsom
Enya nodded. “The portal will blow five minutes after the last circle. Make sure you don’t miss the bus. There won’t be another one.”
Ryder, Hamish, and Manus grabbed their equipment and turned to leave, but Enya noticed something. “Where’s Zoltan?”
Ryder looked over his shoulder. “He wasn’t here when we arrived.”
“What?” Panic rose in her. “He has to be here. I left him right here. He was going to watch so that nobody could ambush us.”
Ryder shrugged. “Sorry, that’s all I know. Gotta go.”
“I’m sure he’s not far,” Manus said, but he didn’t sound convinced.
Ryder’s group moved out, leaving her alone with Samson and Amaury.
Enya didn’t like the way Samson and Amaury now looked at each other.
“He didn’t betray us,” she snapped. “He would never.” She looked around the small cave. No signs of a struggle. No blood.
Samson cleared his throat. “Maybe he had to draw somebody away from the portal.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “He’ll be back. Right, Amaury?”
Amaury nodded. “We can’t wait around here. We’ve gotta rig that vortex circle. He knows the timeline. He’ll show up.”
Though she wanted to look for Zoltan, Enya knew her first duty: to destroy the vortex circles. Samson and Amaury needed her to make them invisible so they could reach their destination undetected and set up the explosives. People were counting on her, and the faster she could get this part of her job done, the earlier she could look for Zoltan. Because she wouldn’t leave without him.
The vortex circle assigned to Enya’s team was the one where Enya and Zoltan had arrived and whose guards they’d killed. When Enya saw from afar that new guards had been assigned to the circle, she turned to Samson and Amaury.
“They discovered that the guards were gone,” she whispered. “Zoltan and I stashed their bodies behind some rocks. They might have found them, which means they’ll be prepared.”
Samson shrugged. “Can’t help that. And it doesn’t change the plan.”
Amaury nodded and pulled his dagger from its sheath. “Yep, still the same plan.” He looked at his stopwatch. “Gotta hurry.”
Enya nodded and pulled her dagger too. “Do it cleanly.” Then she motioned to the two vampires to follow her. They kept their footfalls light and approached in total silence. Only Enya could see them, Samson carrying the equipment, Amaury ready to strike. Enya motioned to the guard standing near the first tunnel entrance to the left, then pointed to Amaury, while she approached the guard who stood at the fourth tunnel entrance, which was located directly opposite the first one. When she reached him, she cast a glance over her shoulder, and saw Amaury in position, looking back at her.
She mouthed, One, two, then whirled to the guard and stabbed her dagger into his heart, making sure to immediately sidestep him, so none of his blood stained the shirt Zoltan had lent her. The demon collapsed with a soft gurgling sound, and she heard a similar sound from behind her, attesting to the fact that Amaury had killed the other guard.
Enya rolled the guard over so she could retrieve her dagger. She wiped it clean before she slid it back into its sheath. Then she turned to look at Amaury. He was doing the same.
She walked over to him. “Let’s hide the bodies,” she said in a low voice, then added to Samson, “We’ll only be gone about fifty yards, but I might not be able to keep you invisible while I’m that far away.”
“Don’t worry, my hearing is excellent. I’ll hear anybody approach before they can possibly see me. Now go.” He was already opening his bag of supplies and pulling out a hand-crank drill to make holes in a strategic rock that would cause the magma chamber below it to open up and fill the vortex circle with lava.
Together, Amaury and Enya carried the first body to the same spot where Zoltan and Enya had deposited the other three demons. When she reached the spot, only two of the demons were still there. One was gone: Yannick.
“Shit!” Enya cursed. “Yannick is gone. He was the traitor who worked against Zoltan.”
“You think he wasn’t dead?”
She shook her head. “Oh, he was dead. Zoltan and I made sure of it. I think somebody took his body.”
“Why?”
“Because somebody cared about him.” It was clear all of the sudden. “He had a partner. Yannick wasn’t the only traitor.”
“Well, soon it won’t matter whether he had help or not.” Amaury pointed his thumb over his shoulder to where Samson was working. “Let’s get the second body.”
They did just that. By the time they were done, Samson had made good progress, and Enya made sure that all three of them were invisible again. Amaury helped Samson place the explosives for maximum impact, then they attached the fuses and the timer. Samson was just setting the timer when both vampires froze. A second later, Enya could hear it too: dogs. The Underworld was on full alert.
A few more seconds, and Samson rose. Then he and Amaury grabbed several rocks the size of footballs and basketballs and piled them around the explosives, hiding them as well as the timer without crushing the latter.
“Done,” Samson announced.
“Let’s go,” Enya said, and together they traced their way back to where they’d come from.
The direction they were heading was almost devoid of demons. Zoltan had chosen the space for the Stealth Guardian portal well. It was off the beaten track, yet close enough to the three portals to reach within a reasonable time.
When Enya, Samson, and Amaury reached the portal, Quinn was already back with his team, Logan and Aiden, and was busy rigging the portal itself. For obvious reasons, it had to be destroyed. They couldn’t leave a functional portal in the Underworld, potentially giving the demons a way out of their fiery grave.
“Almost done,” Quinn said without looking at them.
“Good,” Enya said, then told Aiden, “I have to find Zoltan.”
Both he and Logan shook their head. “There’s no time,” Aiden said. “The first vortex circle will blow in”—he looked at his stopwatch—“thirteen minutes.”
“That gives me nineteen minutes to find him and transport back.”
“That’s suicide,” Aiden said, “and you know it.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I admit I don’t know Zoltan well, but I know one thing: he wouldn’t want you and the baby to perish. He would want you to save yourself.”
She knew that. But it didn’t mean she had to agree with it. “Well, he’ll just have to suck it up, won’t he? Because I’m gonna find him and bring his ass back.”
“That’s if he wants to be found,” Logan said.
Enya glared at him. “You’re wrong. I need to find him. Save him.”
“Save him? From what? From himself?” Logan asked.
“Zoltan and I killed Yannick, the traitor. But his body is gone, even though I know he was dead. Which leaves only one conclusion: he had a partner. And that person is now hunting down Zoltan. Probably already has him in his claws. I have to help him. He would do the same for me.”
Just then, Manus stepped into the cave, followed by Ryder and Hamish. For a split second she hoped that Zoltan would be right behind them, but he wasn’t.
“Our circle is rigged,” Manus announced.
“I’m done here, too,” Quinn added.
“Then let’s get the hell out of here,” Manus said, and laid his hand on the portal’s symbol, opening it.
“Thanks all of you,” Enya said, and turned away, but she felt a hand on her shoulder, making her turn her head.
Aiden looked at her. “Let me help, at least.”
She shook her head, her heart filling with gratitude. “I can’t let you do that. You have to get back to your family.” Then she cast a look over the rest of the group, all of whom were looking at her. “With a bit of luck, you’ll see me soon.”
Before anybody else could protest, she walked out into the tunnel and made herself invisible. One glance at her
stopwatch and she took off running.
Eighteen minutes until the portal home would blow.
Eighteen minutes to find out what fate was in store for her.
Eighteen minutes to find Zoltan.
34
Zoltan had made a mistake. He’d heard voices and dogs in the tunnel and wanted to ascertain that the demons they belonged to weren’t entering the small cave where the Stealth Guardian portal was located. He’d stepped into the tunnel, but hadn’t concentrated hard enough to make himself invisible—after all, it was still new to him—and promptly been spotted by Tamara and two male demons she had in tow, and the dog they’d brought. There was no going back, or Zoltan would have risked them following him and running straight into the arms of the arriving Stealth Guardians and vampires.
He’d had to draw them away from the portal, or the dog would sniff out the invaders. In theory, it should have worked.
Zoltan was still the Great One, and all demons followed his orders. When he ordered the three demons to head toward his study under the pretense that he needed to show Tamara something he’d discovered, they walked with him, the two men behind him, the woman in front. But they never made it as far as his study.
After walking for five minutes, turning several times until they reached the throne room, which they needed to traverse, the two demons behind him kicked him in the back of his knees, making him stumble and fall forward. He managed to brace his fall and whirl around, pulling his dagger from its sheath as he jumped up.
“The fuck!” he said, and jumped toward the two demons, who clearly were in Yannick’s camp and didn’t know yet that their leader had been killed. “Tamara, help me kill these bastards.” He was already exchanging blows and kicks with the two assailants. He managed to drive one of them back, cutting into the demon’s arm, making him lose his dagger. The dog, no doubt smelling the blood, jumped onto the injured man.
“Tamara, damn it, a little help here!” he thundered, and chanced a look over his shoulder.
Tamara stood there, her dagger in her hand and a sneer on her face. “And why would I? You killed Yannick.”
Continuing to fight against the other demon, Zoltan gave denial a shot. “What? Yanick is dead? What happened?”
But Tamara didn’t fall for it. “As if you didn’t know. You fucking bastard!”
It was clear: she was part of the conspiracy.
Zoltan kicked his opponent, slammed him against the rock wall, then dove after him to ram the dagger into his heart. But there was no time to celebrate this victory, because the injured demon had managed to recover his dagger, and stabbed the dog, killing the poor animal. He jumped up and wielded the blade in his good hand. However, he wasn’t quite as coordinated with the left. Tamara seemed to see it too, because she charged toward them.
Zoltan lunged sideways to get out of her path. “Fucking uppity bitch!”
She whirled around, snarling at him. “Yeah, well, that’s for dumping me after using me.” She motioned to the other demon to attack from the opposite side, then barreled toward him again.
Zoltan pivoted, managed to grab the attacking male demon, and used him to block Tamara. Her blade drove into the demon’s chest, killing him instantly.
Tamara growled, utterly pissed off now. As she shoved the dead demon out of her way so he wouldn’t take her down with him, she snapped, “And just so you know: you’re not that great in bed!”
Zoltan let the insult roll off his back like water off Teflon. She wouldn’t be able to distract him. “Wish I’d never fucked you. That’s ten minutes of my life I’ll never get back.”
They circled each other like prize fighters. It was one against one. Yet it wasn’t an even fight. Zoltan was bigger, stronger, tougher. However, he had to hand it to her: Tamara didn’t give up, showing neither fear nor respect for her ruler.
“I enjoyed killing Yannick,” Zoltan admitted, knowing it would rile her up. “I admit I didn’t suspect him, nor you. I thought Vintoq was the traitor. All clues led to him. Kudos. You had me fooled. But all good things come to an end, don’t they?”
Tamara glared at him. “Yeah, like your life.”
“Then let’s get this over with,” Zoltan said, waving her closer.
She pounced, but he’d anticipated her move—he’d seen her in battle training often enough and knew her preferred moves—and sidestepped her, then spun around to get behind her. It would only take one quick swipe with his dagger, and her throat would be slit, but he never got to execute the move.
Searing pain shot through him and spasms followed, crippling him. It wasn’t Tamara, nor was it another demon surprising him. “Not now,” he said through a clenched jaw, but there was no use. This was the second wave, the one Wesley and Charles had predicted would happen within twenty-four hours, of Zoltan’s turning back into a Stealth Guardian. And it was more debilitating than the first.
He stumbled and fell backward, barely able to see. But what he saw was sufficient to make him realize that he wouldn’t survive this event: Tamara was staring at him, first stunned, then grinning in that conniving way he’d always hated about her.
She laughed, and the sound echoed in his ears as if she was in a different cave.
As he landed with his back on the ground, Tamara towered over him, her eyes roaming his body. Something she saw seemed to surprise her. She shook her head and jumped onto him, landing on his chest, causing air to rush from his lungs. With her dagger she scratched his neck with a curiosity usually reserved for kids dissecting their first frog in biology class. “You’re bleeding red! You’re not even a demon. You’re one of them.”
He tried to lift his arms, but felt paralyzed, unable to move, to even lift a finger or turn his head. Pain clawed at him, wrung him out and spat him out. He’d never felt so helpless.
Tamara realized it too. She threw back her head, laughing like a cartoon villain. “Killing you will be the sweetest feeling.” She pressed her dagger to his throat, ready to drive it through his flesh. “I’m gonna take it slow, so you’ll savor your own death.”
Tamara was suddenly pulled back, her body lifting off him.
“Over my dead body!” It was Enya. Her voice. Or was he hallucinating already?
“Bitch!”
No, definitely Enya. She was here, saving him.
Relief and the knowledge that he would survive flooded him. With it, the pain dissipated, and movement was reanimating his limbs.
He heard a body slump to the ground and saw Enya’s face appear in his field of vision. She crouched down next to him. “She’s dead.” She gripped his arm. “Can you move?”
“Yes.” With Enya’s help, Zoltan rose. By the time he was standing on his own two feet again, his strength had returned. Yet he felt different. He touched the spot where Tamara had broken his skin and felt the blood there. He looked at his fingers. “She told the truth. It’s red. I’m bleeding red blood.”
Enya nodded. “And you have a Stealth Guardian’s aura. But we’ve gotta get outta here now.” She looked at her stopwatch. “Shit.”
An explosion rocked the Underworld, nearly swallowing Enya’s last word.
“The first circle,” Zoltan said, and took Enya’s hand. “We’ve got six minutes.”
They hurried out of the hall and into the next tunnel. He didn’t know how he knew, but he was certain that he and Enya were invisible, which could only mean that Enya was making them both invisible so they could escape.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Bad luck. I collapsed just when I had the upper hand. If you hadn’t come in time, I would be dead.” Knowing how little time they had left to make it back to the portal, he added, “You shouldn’t have risked looking for me.”
A second explosion echoed through the tunnels, making the ground beneath their feet vibrate.
Enya shot him a glance. “If you think you can shirk your duties as a father, think again. I’m not gonna let you off the hook that easily.”
“That’
s what I love about you: you speak your mind.” He grinned. “And there’s no way I’ll be an absent father. I’m afraid you’ll have to deal with me, whether you’re getting sick of me or not.”
Another boom, indicating the explosion of the third vortex circle, blasted through the tunnel. This time, Zoltan felt the shock wave physically, as it sent a strong gust of air through the tunnel system.
“Five minutes,” Enya said.
“We’ll make it,” Zoltan said, his words more a wish than certainty.
They ran faster, Zoltan choosing the shortest way to the portal, which was equidistant from circle two and three and a little farther from circle three, which had been the first to blow. As they ran, they encountered panicked demons, all running in different directions, some charging toward danger without knowing it. Every time Enya and Zoltan had to squeeze close to the tunnel walls so as not to collide with them. Yet there was no need to remain quiet—demons were shouting and screaming in the confusion, nobody realizing that they were already doomed. Even the dogs seemed perplexed at the goings-on, whining and barking nervously. Nobody was paying them any attention.
For a moment, Zoltan thought of the animals’ lot. They were innocent, yet they would pay the same price as their demon masters. He wished he could free them and bring them to the human world, but it was impossible.
“How much farther?” Enya asked. “I’m all turned around.”
“Just a minute more. We’re almost there.”
He caught her looking at her stopwatch, a ray of hope illuminating her face. Yes, they would make it.
At the next intersection, Zoltan turned right—and came to a rocking halt. He spread his arms wide so Enya couldn’t race past him.
“What?”
But he didn’t have to tell her what had made him stop, because she saw it too now.
“Oh God!”
But God had nothing to do with what lay before them: a river of lava, cutting them off from the tunnel that led directly to the portal. The portal that was only two hundred yards from their position—so close, yet so far.