“Time to go, Brother.”
“Where?” Panic rose in his chest. Was Thames going to go after Ana now? Was today the day he’d have to watch as Terrenia was destroyed in front of his eyes?
“Hopefully the last place we’ll need before restoring Luxe to its former glory.”
“Where? You could at least tell me that much.”
“I don’t think I have to tell you a damn thing.” Pulling a vial from his waist, he handed the healing liquid to Dakota. “Drink, so I don’t have to listen to your incessant whining about how everything hurts.”
“I don’t whine.”
“Either way, drink it.”
“No.”
Thames rolled his eyes. “Again? You do realize I could force it down your throat.”
“Then I guess that’s what you’re going to have to do.”
Stepping out, Thames made his way over to the throne. He took a seat, closing his eyes and chanting.
Dakota felt the intrusion into his mind, and tried to block it. Using all the power he had, he put up mental blocks, but Thames blasted through every single one of them until Dakota was watching himself lift the vial to his lips, tasting the liquid as it slipped down his throat, and feeling the excruciating pain as it healed his broken nose.
“See,” Thames said smugly, using Dakota’s own voice. “Not a damn thing you can do about it.”
He walked over to Thames’ unconscious body and pulled a key from the pocket of his cloak. Using it to unlock the choker around Dakota’s neck, the iron clattered to the ground and Thames rolled Dakota’s neck, stretching the aching muscles.
“You really need to take better care of yourself,” he said, disgusted.
“Maybe if I wasn’t locked in a cell, I could.”
“You don’t have to be. If you weren’t such a stubborn waste of space and actually came around, you could sleep in one of the great bedrooms.”
“No thanks.”
“Your loss.” Waving his hand, he conjured a portal with ease, and Dakota mentally groaned—something Thames picked up on since he was, in fact, inside Dakota’s mind. “Easy, Brother. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this next world.”
Stepping through the portal, Dakota watched helplessly as Thames emerged into downtown Seattle.
“No.”
“It’s time, Brother,” he said with a smile. “My, what an interesting world. Truly the most interesting of them all.”
“You should walk out into that street.”
Thames laughed. “I am no fool. I have no interest in being struck down by one of those cars. This is hardly my first trip here. In fact, I saw quite a bit of this world through Vincent’s eyes.”
Staying silent, Dakota was nothing more than a forced participant as Thames strolled down the sidewalk toward the police department.
Once inside, Thames headed for the nearest officer. “Hey, I’m looking for whoever is in charge.”
The man Dakota had known for nearly his entire career blinked, confused. “Dakota, are you drunk?”
“Of course not,” Thames responded with a laugh. “Just messing with you. How’s it going?”
“It’s good. Ashton’s back in his office, if you’re here to see him.”
“Is he the one in charge?”
“You’re in an interesting mood today.” Officer Brant Lippy smiled.
“I’ll just go see him then,” Thames said and headed for the hall. “Tell me where he is,” Thames demanded within Dakota’s mind.
“No thanks, I’m rather enjoying watching you act like a moron.”
“You either tell me or I’ll just kill them all.”
Dakota hesitated, not doubting for even a second that Thames would follow through on his threat. Finally, he answered, “Down the hall, turn right.”
“Good boy.”
Thames did as he was told, and before long was knocking on Ashton’s office door.
“Come in,” the familiar voice said gruffly.
Thames stepped in, and Ashton got to his feet quickly. His eyes widened, his voice going slightly shaky when he asked, “Dakota, what can I do for you?”
“I needed to talk to you about something.”
“If it’s about Texas, I’m… I’m sorry.”
“Texas?”
“Anastasia was a threat, I had to do something.”
Dakota began to panic and shoved at the barriers keeping him at bay. Thames didn’t speak as Dakota beat against them, trying to push out.
“What the hell happened in Texas?”
Ashton’s eyes widened, and a sharp pain radiated through Dakota’s brain. What the hell just happened? The realization brought him a surge of hope. He’d done it. For a moment, he’d managed to escape his mental prison.
“I—uh, you aren’t here for that?”
“No, not even a little. I want to talk to you about the life core,” Thames said.
“No! What happened?”
“Pull a stunt like that again and I’ll kill the man.”
Ashton’s brows drew together, confused. “Life core? What the hell is that?”
“Don’t play fool with me,” Thames warned. “You are head of this city’s Fighters. You must know where it’s being held.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
Thames crossed the room and wrapped a hand around Ashton’s throat.
“What the hell, Dakota? Let me go!”
“Tell me where the life core is.”
“I’ve already told you—I have no clue!”
“Then you’re of no use to me.” Thames closed his fist, and through his own hand, Dakota felt the sick cracking of bone.
“No! Stop! Let him go!”
Ashton’s eyes went bloodshot, his face turning an ashy white. Thames released him, and he crumpled to the ground. “Pathetic.”
“You didn’t need to kill him!”
“He was of no use to me, and I don’t have time for uselessness.”
Dakota watched, horrified, as Thames conjured a portal and strolled out of the detective’s office, arriving in a warehouse he recognized as the one Vincent used when Thames was in control.
“Now, where to begin. Tell me, brother, where would you start?”
“By impaling myself on something sharp,” Dakota responded. How many people were going to die before Ana found a way to stop Thames? How many more innocent lives lost?
He pushed against the barriers again, screaming inside his mind, but they didn’t give.
Thames laughed. “That little trick won’t work again. I let my guard down for a moment, and that’s on me, but trust when I tell you it was the last time.”
“No!”
“We were so close to finding it before. I destroyed this world looking until I was forced to rebuild it because the damned thing was nowhere to be found. I spent so much time asking, and no one has been able to tell me a single thing.”
Dakota didn’t respond. Didn’t tell him it was probably because this world didn’t believe in magic. Nothing he would say was going to change what Thames was about to do. So he would bide his time in silence, waiting and praying for an end to this hell he was being forced to live in.
Ashton was dead.
Nallia and the Jaitu were gone.
Who was going to be next?
26
Terrenia
Anastasia
“What is happening?” Anastasia asked over the loud buzzing filling the cave.
“It’s a warning,” Armes told her.
“A warning of what?”
“Another world is under attack.”
“Which one?”
He looked to the bright red light, then around to his brethren surrounding them. “Earth,” he said softly, turning to face her. “And Terrenia will be next.”
“Thames is in Seattle.”
“I do not know where that is, but the inhabitants refer to it as Earth.”
“I know.”
“You must stop him, Sorceres
s. If he destroys another world, millions more will die.”
“Try billions,” she told him, terror twisting her gut. “I don’t have the power I need to stop him. Not without the life core.”
“I will not give you that power. Not until I know I can trust you.”
“What do I have to do?”
“Stop him from destroying another world.”
“What part of he is more powerful than I am do you not understand?”
“You’ve stopped him before.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“He’s come to Terrenia before, has he not? We felt the darkness of his soul. Stop him again, Sorceress, and you may harness the power for your final battle.”
“Give it to me now, and it could be the final!”
“No.”
“Anastasia, we’re running out of time,” Vincent insisted.
“If he kills me and destroys that world anyway, know it’s on you.” She waved her hand, and a portal appeared. The Centaurs stepped back quickly, both frightened and enamored by the light.
She stepped through and into Ashton’s Seattle office. “Dammit, where is he?”
“Why are we here?”
“Because I need to know if he’s been spotted. Ashton would be the best one to tell me that.”
“Even though he tried to kill you?”
“Unfortunately.”
She stepped around his desk and nearly tripped on his body.
“It appears we’re too late.”
Ashton’s face was completely pale, his eyes wide with fear and full of blood. “Fuck!” she cursed and stood. If Thames killed Ashton, Dakota was going to be not only wanted, but hunted by this world.
“We need to get the hell out of here.”
“Go to my old warehouse.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s where Thames would go.”
“How do you know that?”
“He spent a lot of time in my head. Go.”
Footsteps sounded down the hall, and Anastasia conjured another portal. With one last look at the detective, and a sorrow-filled silent prayer for his family, Anastasia stepped through the light.
She stepped out and into the empty warehouse where she’d rescued Dakota all those years ago after Mitch and Vincent—or rather Thames—had gotten his hands on him.
“Any clue where he might be now?”
“No.” Vincent’s voice was tight, and Anastasia imagined being back here where he’d been the face of so much pain was not easy on him.
“You never found the life core?”
Vincent shook his head. “Not that I’d remember, most of my memories of that time are a blur.”
“So you’ve said.”
“It’s the truth.”
“I believe you.”
“Well, isn’t this a nice surprise.”
Anastasia spun quickly, her hand reaching for a blade that wasn’t there. “Thames,” she growled.
Dakota’s body looked worn, dark circles beneath his eyes gave his face a gaunt appearance, and the beard that had grown tremendously was filled with dried blood and dirt. “Good to see you, Sorceress. Although, I have to say I’m surprised.”
“Why is that? Didn’t expect to have your ass kicked this morning?”
He chuckled. “Not at all worried about that. While I wear this skin, I doubt you’ll do me much harm.”
His face contorted, turning pale before his eyes flashed blue. “Kill me, Ana!”
“Dakota?”
He shook his head again, eyes flashing amethyst, then silver. “He is becoming quite a problematic host.”
“Let him go, Thames.”
Dakota’s eyes landed on Vincent, letting Anastasia know he’d allowed himself to be seen by the other man.
“Nice to see you, Vincent. Tell me, is this bringing back good memories?”
“Hardly.”
“Either way, there’s not much here, it seems.”
Hand behind her back, Anastasia conjured a ball of flame meant to knock Dakota out. If she could get him back to Terrenia, she might be able to keep him secured long enough to find a way to separate him from Thames.
Then there would be no need to take the life core. This could all be over.
Not wasting time, she flung the flame at him, and it slammed into his side.
“You bitch!” he growled, using magic of his own to knock her back into the wall.
Her head slammed into the concrete and stars swam in her vision.
“Anastasia!” Vincent yelled, running to her.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t just kill you now,” he said angrily, calling more power to his disposal.
Anastasia pushed to her feet. “Because you can’t. You aren’t powerful enough or you would have already done it.”
The momentary flash of panic she’d seen when Dakota had taken over was enough. He was terrified, forced to do things he’d never have done otherwise.
He was being forced to kill his friends, and it was enough to push her over the edge.
She brought her own power to the surface, letting it build until she could barely leash it. Power whipped around her, sending her hair flying away from her face.
She screamed, letting it pour from her body, a wall of power slamming into Dakota and throwing him back.
The walls of the warehouse began to shake, the boxes stacked in the corners falling to the ground in loud booms.
“You’re going to kill us both!” Thames yelled at her.
“Good,” Anastasia growled. “Then at least Dakota will be free.”
“You’re a fool.” He called a portal and started to step through when Anastasia threw a ball of flame at him. It landed in his shoulder, sending him tumbling through the light and back to Luxe.”
“Dammit!” Anastasia fell to her knees, body shaking from the power drain.
“Are you okay?”
“No! He fucking got away! Again!”
“You managed to stop him, though, that’s progress.”
“For how long?”
She touched the back of her head, where it slammed into the concrete, and winced. Looking down, she saw blood at the tip of her fingers.
Getting to her feet, Anastasia stared at the space Thames had been.
“We need to get back to the Centaurs. Surely this will force them to let you have the power.”
Anastasia shook her head. “Will it be enough? I hit him with everything I had, and he lived.”
“You weren’t trying to kill Dakota, though.”
Anastasia looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “Yes, I was.”
Anastasia stepped through the portal and into the clearing where Tony waited.
“Anastasia!” He rushed to her. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“Had a run-in with Thames.”
“Was he inside the mountain? I knew I should have gone with you!”
She shook her head. “I went to Seattle.”
Tony’s face reddened. “Why the hell would you do that? Especially without me!”
“I didn’t have time to wait. He was going for the life core.”
The color drained from his face. “Did he get it?”
“No, I stopped him in time, but not before he got a few good hits in.”
“Fuck.”
“I only wanted to come by and let you know I was fine. I need to get back to the Terrenian life core.”
“You found it?” Eyes wide, Tony gripped her shoulders.
“I did. It’s being guarded.”
“By what?”
“Those creatures are called Centaurs. They’re apparently immortal, and only wake up when there’s a direct threat to Terrenia.”
“Where were they two years ago?”
She shrugged. “They must not have seen what was happening as that much of a threat. It wasn’t until recently Thames started taking the other world’s cores.”
“True.” Tony released her, and ran a hand through his hair. “Are you sure yo
u should go back?”
“They won’t hurt me.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I think they realize they need me. Stopping Thames in Seattle was a test—one I hopefully passed.”
“I don’t like this.”
She shrugged. “You don’t have to, it’s the only way.”
Her body was drained from all the power, and if she didn’t get to the life core soon, she imagined portaling anywhere would be impossible until she recovered. As it was, she’d taken a risk coming here first.
“I need to go.”
“Take me with you.”
“I’m sorry, Tony, but I need to go back alone. I don’t want them to view me as a threat.”
She touched his arm gently. “Just know that I’m fine, and I’ll be back as soon as I have the life core. Wait for me in the clearing with the Fawnis.” She started to turn away, but stopped. “Tell the Faeres their kind is safe. The Centaurs have been offering them shelter, and if they wish to return to their pool and recharge, they are free to do so and will be safe.”
“You be safe.”
She smiled. “I will be.”
27
Terrenia
Anastasia
Anastasia stumbled through the portal and into the cavern where the Centaurs waited for her. Falling forward, she was caught by Armes, who set her back onto her feet.
“You are alive.”
“Barely,” Vincent murmured, having skipped seeing Tony.
When the Centaurs regarded him warily, Anastasia asked, “So, they can see you now?”
“Yes, your uncle gave us quite the tongue-lashing.” Armes was almost amused as he spoke, the corner of his mouth lifting.
“More like an ass chewing, and one you deserved. Fucking morons.”
“Why?” she asked, taking a seat on the ground.
“They sent you to a world knowing something more powerful was there. They could’ve just as easily given you the life core and sent you on your way.”
“We needed to know we could trust her.”
Vincent rolled his eyes. “You would have killed her the second she entered the cavern if you didn’t trust her.”
Armes shrugged. “I suppose you’re right.”
Anastasia closed her eyes, tears burning in the corners at what she’d tried to do.
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