by Linsey Hall
Arach’s mouth crooked up at the corner, and she laid her hand on Rowan’s shoulder. Her grin turned downward quickly, and her brow wrinkled.
“What is it?” Nerves echoed in Rowan’s voice.
I felt them myself, every muscle in my body drawing tight with tension. Cade shifted closer to me and wrapped his hand around mine. Comfort surged through me, but not enough to drive away fear for my sister.
Nothing would ever drive that away.
“They’ve broken something inside of you.” Sadness and concern echoed in Arach’s voice, something I’d never heard from her before.
“I can’t say that I’m surprised.” Any fear in Rowan’s voice was covered with wry humor. She had to be freaking out right now, but Rowan was never one to show fear.
“How do we fix it?” Ana demanded.
“I don’t know,” Arach said. “But it is important that you do.”
Rowan’s gaze turned serious. “Can you help me recover my memories? I know how to find the Rebel Gods, but the information is harder to access than I expected it to be.”
“Shouldn’t we focus on fixing you?” Ana asked.
“This will fix me. We need to get them. They are dangerous. To the world. To us.” Shadows drifted across their eyes. “They’re planning something big. I know it. I can feel it. Right at the edge of my mind.”
“We’ll find them, Rowan,” I said. “I promise.”
“Rowan is right,” Arach said. “The Rebel Gods are the greatest threat right now. Rowan can work to recover her magic, but the most important thing is stopping the ones who are hunting you.”
Rowan turned back to Arach. “So, can you help me remember?”
“I can certainly try.” She drifted toward the chairs by the fireplace. “Come.”
We followed her, taking seats around the flickering flames. Ana, Cade, and I squished onto the couch, while Rowan and Arach took the two chairs.
I leaned against Cade, drawing strength from him. I was doing that more and more lately, but wasn’t sure I wanted to examine the reason. It might even have to do with the L-word, but right now, I needed to be focused on Rowan, not myself.
Arach leaned toward Rowan, her expression searching. “What do you remember?”
“I’m not sure.” Rowan frowned. Her dark hair gleamed in the firelight. “But I do know that Cocidius and Eris won’t be in their godly realms. Not anymore.”
“Agreed,” Cade said. “We know where their realms are located now. It’d be too dangerous to stay there.”
Rowan nodded. “I think they have another location. Some place I’ve been, but it was hard to get to. They’re planning something big. And there are more of them.”
“How many?” I asked.
Her brow creased. “I don’t know.”
“That’s what I’ll help you remember,” Arach said.
“How?”
“Lean forward.” Arach gestured with her hand.
Rowan did so, and Arach’s chair levitated slightly to shift across the ground and move closer to Rowan. It stopped right in front her, and Arach leaned in, touching her shimmering white hand to Rowan’s temple.
Rowan gasped, her whole form glowing slightly.
“I’m giving you a bit of my power,” Arach said. “Trying to clear the blocks on your mind. Just focus.”
Rowan nodded and closed her eyes. Tension pulled my skin tight as we waited. Rowan had said the Rebel Gods were planning something big, but even if she hadn’t said that, I’d have guessed it.
Now we just had to hope that Arach could help Rowan remember.
The room was silent as Arach fed her magic to Rowan. It crackled on the air, feeling like bubbles against my skin. Even my own mind felt clearer. Like I might be able to access forgotten memories if I tried hard enough.
Briefly, I was tempted to think of my mother. But I focused on Rowan instead. Her brow creased as she searched her mind, intense concentration on her face.
Finally, she stiffened and gasped. “They’ve found a way to track Bree’s magic.”
I swallowed hard. “What?”
“A complex spell. I failed to capture you in the fae realm, but they found a way to track your new magic from the Norse gods.” She paused, clearly trying to unravel the memories in her mind. “They aren’t quite finished yet—something about the spell isn’t complete—but soon, they’ll be able to find you.”
“And with her, us,” Arach said.
“I don’t have to stay here.” The thought popped quickly out of my mouth.
“Don’t be silly,” Arach said. “You’re part of the Protectorate.”
“But you do need to bring the fight to them,” Cade said. “Don’t give them time to find you.”
I couldn’t agree more. “Do you know how long we have until they can find me?”
A deep furrow cut through Rowan’s brow. “Um…a few days? A week? It’s all foggy.”
“Okay, we can work with that,” I said.
“What do they want?” Ana asked.
“Our power. Worshippers. Misery on earth. I don’t know how it all fits together, or what the final plan is. But it’s based in those three things.”
Ugh, great.
“Can you recall how many there are?” Cade asked. “And where they are?”
“There are at least a dozen,” Rowan said. “They only needed the three to control me. Cocidius, Eris, and Chernobog. And they have a higher, more central godly realm. Not like the little ones that belong to each individual god. This one is bigger, and created with all their magic. It is remote, so it is safe. It’s like their headquarters. Only gods are strong enough to enter it—and those who are given their permission.”
“Like you?” I asked.
She drew in a ragged breath, her face pale. “I went once. But what did I do there?” Her brow creased. “I can’t remember.”
“There is a stronger block on your mind here,” Arach said.
Rowan’s breath came faster. She was clearly trying to force the memory free.
“Calm yourself.” Arach’s voice was soothing. “You may not remember. That is okay.”
“How did you get there?” Cade asked. “That’s the most important part.”
I met his gaze and nodded. We could go. We might not be invited, but he was a god and I was a Dragon God. So that would allow us entrance.
Rowan licked her lips. “Um, through an underground place. It was dark, and deep. A man… A guide… You can find him at the darkest part of the world. In Darklane. Where the worst magic comes from. There is an entrance, and he can lead you. He’s called the Gatekeeper.”
“Twenty bucks it’s dangerous,” Ana said.
Rowan smiled, and a tiny spark of happiness flared in my chest.
“I do remember being scared. And tired. I went with Cocidius once, I think, but it’s not easy to access their godly headquarters.”
“Perhaps that’s one reason only Cocidius, Eris, and Chernobog were with you,” Ana said.
“Maybe.” Rowan nodded. “That sounds right, actually. The others can leave. And they will, for the right cause. But they’ll stay in their lair if given the choice. It takes great magic for them to leave and walk upon the earth. That’s why they had the stronghold at Kart-hadasht. It was easier for them to go there, and they could bring their minions and give them orders to do their bidding on earth. It was much easier than bringing minions to their headquarters.”
“Do you remember any other details about their lair, or the journey to reach it?” Cade asked.
She bit her lip. “Look for the matching symbols, in order of smallest to largest. Press them.”
“That’s a bit odd,” I said.
She frowned. “I know. I have no idea what it means, but I think it’s literal.” She leaned back, face sad. “But that’s all I remember.”
Arach removed her hand and drew away. The glow faded from Rowan, who looked even more bummed without it.
“I’d hoped to remember more,” she
said.
“That’s hugely helpful, though,” I said. “Cade and I will go immediately to their headquarters. Do some recon.”
“I want to go,” Rowan said.
“Same,” Ana said.
“You aren’t gods,” Arach said. “Not yet. You won’t be allowed access. It will be difficult even for Cade and Bree.”
“And you need to work on getting your magic back,” I said to Rowan. I rubbed my chest, still remembering the terrible feeling of my own magic fading.
As if she felt the same thing, Rowan rubbed her own chest. “I do. Though I have no idea how.”
“We’ll try to help,” Arach said. “The Protectorate has resources.”
“Thank you.” Rowan’s gaze brightened. “But I want in on the big fight. When we finally go after the Rebel Gods, I want part of the action.”
Determination blazed in her voice. I couldn’t blame her. She wanted vengeance for the last five years.
So did I.
“I think it goes without saying that I want a piece of the action too.” Ana grinned.
“I have a feeling that we’re going to need everyone’s help when it comes time to defeat them,” Cade said. “But for now, we’ll do recon.”
Arach turned to me. “According to the notes that Jude and Hedy left for me here, you’ve advanced quickly through your training, Bree. Albeit in an unorthodox fashion.”
“Thank you.”
“When you finish this job and destroy the Rebel Gods, your training will be complete. You’re about two years ahead of most trainees, but you’re a special case.”
“Ha. A special case. I’ve been told that before.” I grinned at Ana and Rowan.
Arach cleared her throat.
My smile dropped. “I’m sorry.”
“As I was saying, once you are done with this, you may advance to any division you like as a true member of the team. With a full salary.”
“Wow, thank you.” Happiness flared in my chest. I’d almost made it.
“You’ve earned it.” Arach turned to my sisters. “And you will, too, when your power comes in.”
“I hope so,” Ana said.
“For now, my biggest concern is the Rebel Gods.” Rowan had a slightly haunted look about her, and it drew me back to the present.
It didn’t matter that I’d almost completed my training. My sisters needed me. If we didn’t defeat the Rebel Gods, my training wouldn’t matter.
Nothing would matter, because we’d be dead.
2
An hour later, Cade and I set off for Magic’s Bend. Ana and Rowan had gone to work on Rowan’s magic, leaving Cade and I to start the recon.
Mayhem flew alongside us as we walked through the enchanted forest at the edge of the Protectorate grounds. She did circles around the trees, zipping up and down the trunks to fly through the new-growth leaves. The forest was vastly recovered from the damage last month, but it would only stay that way if we managed to defeat the Rebel Gods.
Worry tugged at me, and I glanced at Cade. “If they can find me using my magic, that means they can take out the Protectorate.”
His face was set in serious lines. “Aye. If they have a dozen gods, they could level this place.” He reached for my hand and gripped it in his stronger one. “But it won’t come to that. We’ll see to it.”
I squeezed his hand, liking his assurance. This was my home now—I’d do whatever it took to protect it.
The clearing with the portals beckoned us, and we stepped up to the one that led to Magic’s Bend. It glowed with white light. I stepped through, and the ether sucked me in, making my head spin. After a moment, it spat me out in the now-familiar alley in the Historic District.
I breathed shallowly, trying to avoid the smell of pee that permeated the alley after a weekend of partying.
“Drunks really favor this alley, huh?” I asked.
“Aye. Perhaps the Protectorate should have checked that before putting the portal in the party district.”
“Hindsight, and all that.”
Mayhem zipped right out into the street, disappearing as if she had business to attend to.
“No doubt off to find more ham,” Cade said.
“I’d say that’s a safe assumption.” I followed her onto the street and hailed the nearest taxi.
A glittery purple car pulled to a halt, and we climbed into the back seat. It was covered in pink leather, and I was pretty sure this was the same cab we’d taken when we’d come here seeking Cass’s help.
“Darklane, please,” I said.
The pixie driver saluted, then pulled a U-ey right in the middle of the street, careening toward Darklane.
I gazed out at the view as we passed, enjoying the sight of the largest magical city in the world. It really was quite the place. Would the Rebel Gods attack it, as well?
I had to assume so. Eventually, at least. Their kind didn’t stop at one tiny taste of power. They wanted it all.
Rowan, Ana, and I were just the beginning. The fuel for their evil deeds.
The cab stopped abruptly on the main street, right before the turn into Darklane.
The pixie turned around and grinned, popping bubblegum that matched her green hair. “And here we are! Not driving down that road. You understand, I’m sure.”
“Aye, thanks.” Cade handed her a twenty and climbed out.
I followed and headed down the street, then took a left onto the main road that cut through Darklane.
Like The Vaults back in Edinburgh, Darklane was where the dark magic practitioners lived. As soon as I stepped onto the cobblestone street in this older part of town, the light dimmed. It was as if the clouds were perpetually over the sun when you were in Darklane. True, we were nearing sunset. But it was even darker here than it should have been.
“So, Rowan said that the guide to the gods’ headquarters is in the darkest part of Darklane. And I’m not sure where that is,” I said. “I think we should stop by Aerdeca and Mordaca’s place and ask them.”
Cade nodded. “Aye, they’re our only friends in Magic’s Bend. Or in Darklane, at least.”
Even if they weren’t our friends, they were still our best bet. The FireSouls might live on the other side of town, but they stuck to the right side of the law. Aerdeca and Mordaca, on the other hand…
If it was creepy, they’d know about it.
We set off down the street toward their shop, the Apothecary’s Jungle. Three-story Victorian buildings loomed on either side of the street, their once colorful paint now blackened by age and dark magic.
Eyes seemed to peer out of the windows, making my skin crawl. A form drifted out of one of the walls, and I dodged into the street.
I glared at the figure, a middle-aged man with a creepy smile and three eyes that blinked at different times. He wasn’t a ghost, so I had no idea how he walked through walls.
“Hello, pretty lady.” He waggled an oblong object at me. Was that a hot dog? “Would you like to buy some sausage?”
I gaped at him as he pointed up to a sign over his head. Darklane’s Finest Sausages.
He waggled the sausage again, and it flopped in the air.
I stifled a chuckle. “Boy, that is tempting. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to turn you down right now. Maybe later, though.” Not.
He opened his mouth—no doubt to convince me more—but I hurried down the street.
“Finest sausages!” he called after us.
“Darklane is weird,” I said.
“You didn’t want the hog dog he wobbled like a corpse’s—”
A bat flew down from a light post, cutting him off.
I laughed. “I think I know where you were going with that, and no, I don’t think I’ll be returning.”
We continued down the road in silence, passing a few more creepy shops that radiated dark magic. Nothing to compare with the three-eyed sausage man, of course, but I definitely preferred the Grassmarket in Edinburgh to Darklane.
The Apothecary’s Jungl
e looked closed as we approached, the door shut and the curtains drawn. The sign hanging over the door fluttered in the breeze, and we climbed the stairs to the house that had once been purple or blue, from the look of the paint peeking through the grime.
Cade knocked.
A few moments later, heels clicked toward the door from the inside.
When Mordaca opened it, she was in full Elvira getup, her black bouffant at least eight inches high and her makeup so heavy that it looked like a mask. The black dress plunged low, revealing a serious amount of cleavage.
“Well, well, to what do we owe this pleasure?” she purred. Her gaze raked over Cade.
“We were hoping you could give us a bit of information,” I said.
She grinned, ruby lips parting to reveal perfectly white teeth. “It’ll cost you.”
She really was fabulous, in the most old-school horror film kind of way.
“Doesn’t everything?” I asked.
“But of course. What is it that you want to know?”
“Where is the darkest part of Darklane? Where the worst magic comes from?”
Her brows dropped low, and she gestured us inside. “Keep your voice down.”
“Really?” I stepped inside.
“Of course,” she hissed. “The darkest part of Darklane? Why the hell would you want to go there?”
“Even we don’t go there.” Aerdeca descended the stairs, her white satin pantsuit gleaming in the light of the chandelier. Her blonde hair fell like slick water around her face.
“We just need to find it. It’s important.”
“You’ll die,” Mordaca said.
“I don’t know, I’m pretty tough.”
“She is,” Cade said. “You should see her in a fight.”
I grinned at him.
“You can’t outfight the Master of the Crypt,” Mordaca said. “One touch and you’re dead.”
Master of the Crypt? Hopefully we wouldn’t run into him in our pursuit of the Gatekeeper.
“And he can’t be reasoned with,” Aerdeca said.
“Not that we know much about it,” Mordaca added.
Aerdeca nodded, and I studied her dark eyes, believing her. They really didn’t like that place.
“We really don’t have a choice,” I said. “Where would we find it?”