Darklight 3: Darkworld

by Forrest, Bella

  My heart fluttered. There was still no pain. “I’ll always have your back, but I need an equal say in these decisions. And I think that trying to take me on the mission to Itzarriol is dangerous for both of us, for our teammates, and also for the Hive. If we pass out and get captured, we put them at risk. You’re so busy trying to convince me to come, you haven’t addressed that problem.”

  He nodded stiffly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was managing you. The Immortal Plane… I just slipped into that mode without thinking when we arrived. On both professional and personal matters, I just turned into the guy who barks orders.” His mouth twisted into a sharp, sad smile. “I loathe having to be apart from you and having to act like this distance is okay.”

  I smiled softly. “I hate it, too.” A sad affection bloomed within me. How badly I wanted things to be different, but life was often unfair. I let out a hollow laugh. “But if we can barely be in the same room together, it’s hard to support each other.”

  “It does make matters difficult.” He rubbed his hand beneath his chin, eyeing the distance between us. “I have some thoughts. Thoughts that I would like to float by you, as an equal partner. Would you be willing to experiment?”

  I snorted. “Our entire relationship is an experiment.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, biting back a grin. “Let’s test how close we can get. We can put a number on it.”

  A number means cold hard data.

  “Now you’re speaking my language,” I said. “We use a scale of pain from one to ten. We stop when the pain gets to a three. That’s usually a constant buzz for me. No arguments. I don’t want either of us passing out. The team will be furious if they have to drag our unconscious bodies out of here.” I could already see Kane rolling his eyes and complaining loudly about lovebirds. We’d never hear the end of it.

  Dorian took a step around the table toward me, and I mirrored the movement. My chest began to tingle with the telltale start of the curse. It was a light pain at the most. “One.”

  Two more steps.

  “Two,” he said, eyes narrowing.

  I felt tiny beads of sweat pricking my forehead with our next steps. I was just waiting for the pain to spike unbearably, the pressure making my breath quicken.

  “Three.” I winced, the heat crackling in my chest.

  “Three,” he agreed, eyeing the distance. “Looks like about fifteen feet to me.”

  Fifteen feet? That wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. It was only about as wide as the kitchen in my family apartment back in Chicago. We’d basically just have the kitchen between us every time we interacted. Reflexively, I inched back, and he did the same. A sigh of relief escaped my mouth. It was doable.

  Dorian grinned at me. “See? We always find a way.” His expression became serious. “Will you at least consider coming on the mission? We can remain separated for the journey there, then go off in different groups.” He paused, as if consciously trying to ensure that his words were part of a sincere appeal to a partner and didn’t sound like a leader trying to inspire a follower. The sight warmed me. “You have a sharp eye and attention to detail. You’re quick thinking and strategic and aren’t afraid to make a tough choice if it’s needed. I know that if you had to get out of there quickly to avoid capture, even if it meant not getting a piece of information, you’d do it. I can’t trust everyone else, myself included, to do the same.” He met my eyes.

  I leaned against the back of one of the chairs, taking in his words. Eventually, I nodded. “I’ll think about it. Maybe talk it out with some of the others to get their point of view. Whatever I decide, I hope you’ll respect it and carry on with the mission.”

  He nodded, face somber. “I will. You’re right. Some things are more important than the two of us.”

  Something had shifted between us, and a stronger sense of respect had grown into the new space. It wasn’t shiny or romantic or exciting, but it was real and important. Too bad we couldn’t touch or comfort each other after our intense discussion. I had the strong urge to wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his chest. I wanted that physical comfort. My skin ached for it. But I would have to settle for talking across the imaginary kitchen for now. Fifteen feet was better than fifty.

  “I’m a tad less frustrated with all this now that we’ve talked it out,” I told him. “But only one single tad.”

  He laughed. “We should probably take a break.” He rubbed his chest. “I’ll leave first, but… please know that I wish I could stay here with you.”

  I let myself wallow in my sadness for a moment as I watched him go, clinging to the sweetness of his parting words. As his broad shoulders disappeared from view, my heartburn faded completely. A bittersweet mood settled over me as our conversation played repeatedly in my head.

  I headed back to the humans’ sleeping chamber after I heard Dorian’s footsteps fade away. That conversation had given me hope for us. It meant a lot that we’d been able to talk things through, that he’d given ground and apologized. The curse still lingered over our relationship, but this argument wouldn’t be the end of us. Dorian and I had come a long way from where we started, but finding a cure loomed a long way in the distance.

  In the meantime, I would gloomily contemplate the luminescent lichen on my chamber’s ceiling. But when I got back, I wasn’t alone.

  Bryce sat propped up on his pillows. He gave me a hardy lopsided smile.

  “You’re up,” I breathed and rushed to his side. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine,” he said, waving a hand in dismissal. His face filled with deep weariness as he shook his head. “Eh, what the hell am I pretending for? I crash-landed on a redbill, then had its giant dead body crushing me for what felt like hours. I broke bones and compressed internal organs that were not meant to be compressed. I’m feeling like crud.”

  If Roxy were here, she would have added that he looked like crud. I was a little less blunt.

  I chuckled. “It’s hard to pretend everything is okay in this place, but old habits die hard.”

  “It’s a soldier’s habit to pretend like nothing is wrong,” he said, tutting. “But it looks like I won’t be soldiering for a while, so I can be honest.”

  He held my gaze with no judgment. My ex-captain had the eyes of a man who’d seen too much, and I imagined my eyes looked more and more similar to his as the days went by. It was odd to think that he had been in charge of me just a few months ago. So much had changed, yet I valued his opinion even more now, after all our recent experiences.

  “What if I made a mistake coming to the Immortal Plane? I knew the pain could get bad, but not this bad.” I hung my head for a moment. It felt like a rookie’s tactical error. Was I losing my edge?

  Bryce cleared his throat. “Well, sitting in this bed, I feel like a bit of an idiot myself. I thought I knew a thing or two, but those vampires and Immortal creeps are in a different league.” He sighed irritably. “It annoys me how much this place unsettles me, but there’s no way to prepare for everything. That’s a lie only Boy Scouts believe. You just roll with it the best you can.” He shrugged.

  It was useless to worry about the things we couldn’t change. Bryce remained stuck in that bed like I remained stuck fifteen feet away from Dorian. It would be better to discuss the threats we needed to process. The Immortal hunters and their various magics came back to me.

  “I worry about the Immortals even more after witnessing them first-hand,” I said, recalling Inkarri’s powerful fighting skills and how she had wormed her way into my mind in search of answers. “Have you heard that the Hive has decided to help? Well, sort of.”

  “Oh, I did,” he said, giving a somber nod. “I can’t say I blame them for not wanting to stick their necks out after building up this quaint wee haven, but a safehouse and a guide to the city are nothing to complain about. At least you’re still going to continue with the mission.” He looked around the glowing chamber. “It might not be too bad to stay behind. I’m s
ure I can learn a lot around here while these old bones heal. I wouldn’t have chosen this situation, but I’ll try to make myself useful.”

  I started to reply that I probably wasn’t going to go on the mission and so would likely be learning alongside him, but someone knocked firmly on the wooden doorframe.

  Arlonne popped her head through the doorway, her wide eyes alive with unusual energy. She spotted me, and the spark faded. “I won’t interrupt.” She turned to leave, but Bryce called her back.

  “What is it?” he asked and let out a hacking cough. Sleeping for days meant he wasn’t used to talking this much.

  “I came to check on… both of you,” she blurted.

  He cocked a teasing eyebrow at her hesitation. I stared between the two of them, confusion and amusement fighting for control of my emotions.

  She drew herself up straighter. “Am I not allowed to check up on my team?”

  I clenched my jaw to keep it from dropping. Arlonne had just said her team.

  Bryce roared with laughter. “Well, you can give us some advice. Any wisdom for when you’re in a situation where you’re absolutely outclassed?”

  She narrowed her eyes as if trying to determine whether he was making fun of her. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t put it past him, and that gleam in his eye suggested it, but… he sounded completely sincere. I watched the exchange with fascination. What was happening here? Bryce waited patiently for Arlonne’s reply.

  “You have to learn to turn your weaknesses into strengths,” she said, then shuffled in place in an uncharacteristically awkward manner. “Glad you’re feeling better,” she muttered, then left without another word.

  I blinked, trying to process what had happened. Arlonne came to check on us? Or… My gaze shifted to Bryce, who seemed pleased with her advice. Perhaps she came for someone specific.

  “She’s right,” he said enthusiastically and placed his fist into his palm. “Time to flip the script, as the kids say.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the kids didn’t say that anymore. Funny to think I used to dislike facing Bryce after our missions back at the Bureau. Zach used to swear Bryce’s ruddy cheeks came from yelling at our stupid mistakes.

  “Could you imagine having this kind of conversation back when you ran our missions?” I asked with a short laugh. “It would never have happened while we worked together. You would have smacked me with a dozen insubordination write-ups.”

  “You’re right about that, lass,” he agreed. “Things certainly have changed, but I can’t say I mind it. We’ve been through a lot together. I won’t ever have children, you know, but our motley crew of dissenters is part of my family now.”

  Pride blossomed within me. I sat up straighter, feeling as though Bryce, by considering me one of his ragtag kin, had just given me the highest compliment of all. “Right back at you.”

  He smirked. “Lyra, I want you to go on this mission and give those Immortal jerks hell for me. For me and all my aches and pains. It’s your obligation as a soldier to go and kick some ass.” He lifted his bandaged arm an inch into the air, suppressing a wince. “Meanwhile, I’m going to do my duty as a soldier and sleep for another twenty-four hours.”

  I smiled weakly as he settled down to rest again, still unable to tell him the ass-kicking would need to happen without me.

  Lying back on my own bed, staring once again at the glowing ceiling, I thought of the hope in Dorian’s eyes, the respect for my ability in his voice, as he asked me to consider joining the mission. Arlonne’s words played over and over in my head: Learn to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

  Being unable to be close to Dorian was a weakness. However… I could be close to the other vampires. It was true Dorian and I worked best as a team together, but I also worked well with Laini. If Laini was my scouting partner, then I’d have someone to teach me about the Immortal Plane who wouldn’t send me into a coma.

  So much in this world was unfamiliar to me, but that also meant I paid close attention to everything happening around me. Perfect for a surveillance mission.

  Weaknesses into strengths.

  I was a human in the Immortal Plane. I was slower and weaker than practically every creature that lived here. I had no magic. But I did have a gun. Several guns, in fact. Also a few knives. From what the vampires had told me, my aura blended into the rocks and the earth and the trees, like the ultimate camouflage. In this world, I was practically invisible unless they knew what to look for.

  I clenched my fist, feeling the corded muscles in my arm respond. Weaknesses into strengths. Looking over at Bryce, I smiled again, but this time it was a feral grin filled with confidence.

  Who could argue with a soldier’s obligation?

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Are we sure this is the right place?” Kane asked.

  The Hive hung above us, a swollen papery globe that curved and jutted from the stone wall, its strange beauty barely visible in the dim cave. A few souls studded the walls to provide light. Kane, Dorian, Laini, Roxy, and I stood in the open cave on a small rocky protrusion jutting into the psychedelic water of the lake. Slick, glowing weeds covered the pebbly surface beneath our feet. The Hive vampires had carved a landing platform from the protrusion. Here, the strong smell of citrus had been replaced by a nauseating metallic stench with an undercurrent of burning sulfur. If someone bottled it as perfume, they could sell it as the scent of the devil himself.

  “They said the platform,” Laini muttered. “It’s the only platform I see.”

  In unspoken agreement, Dorian and I had placed ourselves at opposite ends of the little jetty. Unfortunately, it was barely fifteen feet. My heart burned even as I balanced as close as I could to the narrow end near the water. Dorian’s full strength came at a cost.

  He caught my eye and gave the tiniest of nods, lines of pain tight around his pale eyes. This was our reality. We just had to deal with it. Mission mode: on.

  The mouth of the cave yawned in the distance, a great gap of amber fire from the souls that clung to the walls. It both unnerved and soothed me. In the cave’s mouth, the jaspeths had built another hive on the side of the wall. They buzzed near their new hive, hazy shapes against the tawny light. The creatures briefly scattered as a large avian shape flew by the hive, circling down toward us. A minute later, Drigar landed by Dorian where he stood by the cavern wall. The redbill chirped worriedly, nudging his lethal beak into his rider’s shoulder.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be back,” Dorian said, petting the soft feathers of the redbill’s head. The Hive vampires had flown our surviving redbills here, but we had to leave the birds behind. Apparently, they couldn’t follow the path we would travel. What that path would be was still a mystery to me. All I knew was that the aquatic wildlings would have to guide us. I wondered if they would be anything like the stony golem Dorian and Arlonne had fed from. I couldn’t imagine something of that size and shape doing well in water, but I was operating under the logic of the Mortal Plane. Who knew how things worked here?

  Dorian rubbed Drigar’s neck affectionately one last time, then gently shooed him away. The redbill took off, going to nest with the Hive’s own flock of redbills, who apparently roosted deeper in the cave.

  I smiled. After everything that had happened, it was a relief to see Drigar alive and well. He’d saved my life from the shrieking decay, and I hated to imagine the lively redbill left in a heap on the ground after a tangle with the Immortal hunters.

  “Run the plan by me one more time while we stand here like our prom date just ditched us,” Roxy said, fiddling with the buckles on a jacket made of the same water-resistant material as the scouts’ capes. Both she and I had been outfitted in full vampire clothing, our Bureau camouflage uniforms working against their purpose at this point and drawing attention to us.

  Kane huffed. “Wildlings take us through the Gray Ravine. We get to Itzarriol. The Hive vampires have a tiny safehouse on the outskirts of the city that they are letting us use. We
get from the Gray Ravine to the safehouse, then spend the next several light cycles watching the city, gathering intel, and maybe, maybe sneaking in to try to gather some physical evidence if we’re feeling insanely confident that the risk would be worth it.” He swatted her hand away from the buckles. “Stop fussing with them.”

  Roxy punched him in the shoulder but stopped tugging at the unfamiliar garment. I understood her discomfort. It was like wearing historical clothing—the scratchy linen fabric didn’t stretch, and the gray, rubbery jackets just felt a little weird. At least we’d managed to keep our sports bras.

  I adjusted the pack on my back. We’d switched our original bags for smaller packs better suited for traveling light and for infiltration. They’d been provided by the Hive, who had wrapped them in special waterproof skins to keep our rations and personal items dry. My notebook and Dorian’s letter were wrapped securely in a second skin inside the pack.

  Laini stooped and began throwing pebbles in the water. In response, the water bubbled mustard yellow and neon blue, greedily swallowing the fragments of stone. A black toad, smaller than my hand and sporting four bulging yellow eyes, hopped by. It paid little attention to us.

  “What are you doing?” Kane asked incredulously.

  “They told me to do this,” she insisted. She frowned. “The Hive elders were very specific.” She tossed in a few more pebbles for good measure. A bubble rose from the steam and popped. I shifted from side to side. Should we all try? I opened my mouth to ask, then saw a trail of tiny shimmering bubbles rise to the surface a short distance away, and whatever was making them seemed to be headed toward us.

  The head of a creature with dainty, sleek features that I assumed was a wildling popped out of the water. Gray-brown scales covered her whole head, and she stared at us with pupil-less white eyes, a catlike mouth hanging slightly open to reveal needle-sharp teeth. Fins on either side of her head flapped in the same rhythm as the bright blue gills running down the sides of her throat. A webbed hand rose out of the water and beckoned us forward.