by Susan Illene
“What? How?” Phoebe asked, stepping around her brother.
“Kill the slayer.”
“Absolutely not!” Aidan barked. Then he leaped through the air as if to tackle their father but fell through the image and landed hard on the ground. He climbed back onto his feet to glare at Throm. “This is just a trick—you’re not even real.”
“Am I not?” Their father looked down his nose at Aidan. “Then how is it I am able to upset you so easily? You may have shown a measure of discipline around your brothers, but I could always see through your act. More than two centuries have passed and you still behave like a child. I should not have been surprised when you disappointed me in the end.”
Phoebe balled her fists, shaking with anger. “You had over a thousand years to learn and grow, father, yet your entire emotional capacity could fit into a single raindrop. The fact you cannot see what an amazing person Aidan has become astounds me. As far as I am concerned, you’re just a cold and bitter old man who is best forgotten!”
“How I mourn Zoran’s poor decisions near my death.” Throm shook his head. “Because he was the only one smart enough to cast his emotions aside. He understood they would only cloud his judgment and weaken him.”
“I’m done listening to this,” Aidan said.
He spun on his heels and began walking the other way. He’d barely made it a few steps when the ominous sound of stone sliding against stone filled the tunnel passageway.
Aidan came to a sudden halt, pressing his hands against a wall of rock that had not been there before. Phoebe’s heart skipped a beat. Had their father just trapped them inside this cave? She’d never been fond of small spaces, but as long as she could get out of them she could handle it. This was like her worst nightmare coming true.
“Let us out of here,” she said through clenched teeth.
Throm’s expression turned pleased. “Swear a blood oath that you will kill the slayer as soon as you leave here, and you will be free.”
Aidan marched back toward their father. “I will never do that!”
“What about you, daughter?” Throm gazed at Phoebe. “Are you willing to spend an eternity here to protect your brother’s lover?”
She swallowed. The walls were closing in on her, and she could hardly think beyond wanting to find a way to escape. Would she be willing to kill the slayer if it meant not having to stay in this place a moment longer? Not just that, but they could get the orb and go home. This entire journey would be finished.
Then she looked at her brother’s face and saw the panic there. He truly loved Bailey. If Phoebe chose to kill her, she’d lose Aidan forever. They would fight, but she didn’t think her brother had it in him to hurt his own sister even at the cost of the slayer’s life. This decision fell completely on her whether she was willing to go that far to get what she wanted.
Closing her eyes, she uttered the words that would damn her forever. “No. I won’t do it.”
“Very well.” Throm’s form began to fade. “Enjoy your new home.”
As soon as he disappeared, Phoebe fell to her knees. “Dear Zorya, what have I done?”
Aidan moved to crouch down next to her. “Thank you, sister. I know that was a difficult decision to make, but I am indebted to you for it.”
Her throat was closing in and she couldn’t breathe. “I need water.”
“Here.” Aidan handed her a canteen from the pack he carried.
They had enough supplies in there to last them for a few days, but after that, they would slowly starve to death. A shifter could go a month without eating. They might grow weaker by the day, but as long as they had water, they could survive for a while. Between the canteen that refilled itself every hour and the water filtering down the cave walls, they had plenty. But how would she survive being stuck in this cave for that long, waiting to starve to death?
Chapter 23
Conrad
Conrad paced back and forth along the tunnel, no longer impressed when the limestone lit up whenever he got close. They could keep their hocus-pocus crap, tryin’ to keep him trapped inside this place like a caged animal. He just wanted out of here, and if it didn’t happen soon, he was gonna start bustin’ up some stones till he found a way out. Protecting a cave was only worth the trouble if you weren’t trapped in it.
What kind of messed up shit was this, anyway? One minute he, Bailey, and the others were standing together, and in the next they started disappearing one by one. Only he got left behind, still stuck in the same spot where they’d watched that jacked up movie, or flashback, or whatever in the hell they wanted to call it. That was hours ago. At least, he was pretty sure, but his watch stopped working so he couldn’t figure out the time anymore.
Movement at the top of the tunnel caught his eye. Was there something up there? The magical glow didn’t light up the roof of the cave like it did the walls, and it was hard to see anything. He squinted, trying to make out what had captured his attention. Just as he focused on a dark shape, a bat came flying straight for him. Conrad squealed like a little girl and fell on his ass. Fuck, that gravel didn’t feel too good.
He took a quick glance around to make sure no one had seen him. Ha! Who was he kidding? Wherever the others were, it wasn’t here. He’d walked from one end of this cave to the other and hadn’t found a dang thing. The way out no longer existed. Conrad couldn’t even find the other tunnels they’d seen when they came in, so all he had was this one.
He climbed to his feet and dusted his pants off, cursing because he’d gotten them dirty. No way was he going to have a chance to wash and press them smooth during the rest of this trip. Conrad hated dirty, wrinkly clothes.
His mouth was getting dry. He’d passed on carrying one of the two packs they’d brought with them, and now he regretted it. How was he supposed to know their group would get split up? Then he remembered a small pool of water down the passage with a plastic duck sitting on a rock above it. What the hell a yellow ducky was doin’ in this cave, he couldn’t say, but it had an old design with its red mouth yawning open that wasn’t common anymore. It may have been there a while.
Conrad returned to the pool, ignored the duck, and cupped his hands to scoop some water. He didn’t worry about it being contaminated or anything. He’d been on enough cave tours growing up to know that ones like this—especially if they were made of limestone—had pure water. It all got filtered through the rocks as it came down. He drank several mouthfuls before his thirst finally went away, but then he was left to wander around again. Too bad that guide wasn’t here so he could tell her exactly what he thought of the quest locations and their damn tests. She might not have anything to say, but he had plenty.
At the end of the tunnel where it had been dark, a soft light appeared.
Conrad tensed. What if the people who set this place up decided to test them by havin’ strange creatures attack them when they least expected? Like those fools in the movies, he still couldn’t resist moving closer. One careful step at a time, he walked toward the light all while planning his battle strategy. As he got closer, he slipped a folding knife from his pocket and glided it open. If they wanted to mess with him, they’d get a fight.
A dark figure moved within the glow, but he couldn’t make out a distinct shape. Whatever it was, he hoped it had eyes cuz he was gonna sink this blade in one of them. Let the creature try attacking him if it couldn’t see.
Then what had been a blobby shape took on form, and he stumbled to a halt. “Grams?”
“Hey, baby,” she said, smiling at him like it was all good. “I’m so glad to see you.”
Conrad wanted to believe it was her, but it just didn’t seem possible. Still, he folded the knife closed behind his back in case it was her. She always took his blades away. “Is that really you?”
“They said you might not believe it.” She sighed and moved a little closer to him. “But do you remember what I did for your eighth birthday?”
“Yeah,” he said, still skeptical.
S
he looked just like he remembered, other than the weird glow all around her. Same curly, gray hair from her putting it in rollers every night, and curvy body that said she cooked real good and had no problem eating everything she made. Her skin was dark like coffee without the cream, and she had the kindest eyes he ever saw. If she wasn’t his grams, they’d produced a perfect replica of her.
“I baked you a cake in the shape of your favorite toy car. What was it?” She tapped her chin, thinking. “Oh, yes. It was a Lamborghini, though I think you changed your mind about it the very next week when your dad sent you a Porsche.”
Holy shit, this woman knew things that no one else could…but that didn’t mean it was her. “They could have pulled those memories from my head or something. If you are my grandma, how did you get all the way up here? Last time we talked, you were still in Dallas.”
She ducked her head and let out a shuddering breath. “I am sorry you have to find out this way.”
“Find out what?” he asked, taking a step closer.
“I passed away two months ago,” she said, giving him a sorrowful look.
All this time, Conrad had been keeping hope alive that she was okay. He’d needed to believe that, figurin’ that when Bailey found a way home he’d go with her since they’d be going in the same direction. Her family’s ranch wasn’t too far from Dallas.
“It can’t be.” He backed up a step, shaking his head. “I would have felt it or somethin’.”
“It’s true, but I am in a better place now, baby. It’s okay.”
“They always say shit like that, but I ain’t ever bought it,” Conrad said, starting to get angry. He didn’t want to believe his grandma was dead. He couldn’t.
She shook a finger at him. “What have I told you about that language?”
It was her scolding tone that broke him. Conrad fell to his knees and trembled as tears ran down his face. He’d told himself so many times that he would get back to his grandma as soon as he could find a way, and now it was too late. Maybe he should have just tried jumping the damn chasm to get to her. Why had he thought he had more time?
She hovered close to him. “If it helps, your cousin Bryan was there. I wasn’t alone.”
“How—” Conrad swallowed. “How did it happen?”
“In my sleep,” she said, her voice gentle. “My medication ran out, so we knew it was only a matter of time, but I didn’t suffer.”
“I’m sorry.” He wiped his wet cheeks. “I shoulda been there.”
She gave him a teasing smile. “And what could you have done?”
“I woulda found you some more medicine. No way would you have gone out like that with me around.” Conrad stood, anger rising. “Bryan should have gotten it for you.”
She sighed. “He tried and almost died twice. The streets weren’t safe.”
It was easy to forget that most people didn’t have a dragon slayer with them when they went around town. Even with Bailey, Conrad had gotten shot by looters once and almost died. He had to remember Bryan wasn’t much of a fighter and trying to grab anything from a pharmacy would have been dangerous. Conrad supposed the fact his cousin tried at all should have counted for something, though it was hard to acknowledge that. Letting Bryan off the hook wasn’t easy when it meant they’d lost their grandma.
“So what are you doing here now?” he asked. As much as he appreciated getting to see her again, he didn’t think the people who’d designed the test did this as a favor.
“They brought me back so that I could make you an offer,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her.
“What offer?”
“Your parents are living in the new American government territory,” she began.
Conrad’s chest tightened. He hadn’t even let himself think about what happened to his parents. Since they served in the army, he figured they would have been on the front lines fighting the dragons as soon as they arrived. He and Bailey had seen up close how hard it could be for the military to take them down. Conrad had figured he’d lost them, though he’d never voiced that fear out loud. Bailey had tried asking him about it, and he’d just told her he didn’t know where they were.
“You mean that safe zone they set up on the East Coast?” he asked. The suggestion that his parents were still out there left him stunned. He wasn’t as alone as he thought.
She nodded. “Yes, baby. The military has them working in Asheville, North Carolina. They’ve been there…well, since soon after the dragons came, and they’re helping protect people. I know they’re worried about you.” Her gaze softened. “If you leave now, you could be with them in no time.”
Conrad frowned. “I can’t even get out of this cave, much less all the way to North Carolina.”
“Don’t worry about that.” She took a step closer. “If you promise to go straight there and leave all this behind, you’ll find your path open.”
Conrad put his hand in his pocket and grabbed the orb fragment. “What about my friends? What about us stopping anyone from getting the orb?”
“Take the single piece you have with you. You’ll be so far away no one will ever find it, and without your fragment, no one can ever put the orb back together,” she said and smiled. “Everyone will be safe, and you’ll be with your parents again.”
He didn’t know what to say. It all sounded so reasonable, and the thought of finding his family after all this time was like dangling a carrot on a stick. He’d hardly let himself dream he might see his mom and dad again, much less believed it. Could his grandma be telling the truth? Could Conrad leave, never look back, and make his way to the East Coast on his own?
“Grams.” He worked his jaw, trying to figure out what to say. “I got a girlfriend and Bailey and other friends who count on me. Are you sayin’ I gotta leave them all behind without even tellin’ them goodbye?”
Her gaze turned sad. “Your friends here…some of them are already failing their tests. This is the only other way to keep the orb fragments from getting in the wrong hands. I know it sounds difficult, but you’ll be protecting them. This is why you were chosen to hold the first piece because those who designed these trials suspected something like this might happen.”
“I don’t—” He rubbed his face. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say ‘yes’ and everything will be fine.” She gave him an encouraging smile.
Conrad turned his gaze in the direction he knew would be the way out if they opened it back up. If his friends really were failing, could he leave them behind?
Chapter 24
Danae
Danae sat huddled in the cold and dark, shivering. She’d pulled the blanket from the supply pack and wrapped it around herself, but she still couldn’t seem to get warm. Being trapped inside a dark cave for who knew how long and unable to see had taken a toll on her. She’d been afraid of the dark as a little girl, but she thought she’d gotten past that. Guess not.
When Danae first found herself separated from the others and sealed inside a cave room alone, she’d tried finding a way out. She’d ran her hands over the rocks, searching for a crevice or some sort of exit. There was nothing. Who knew how far into the caverns they’d taken her, and for that matter she could be stuck in an unexplored area. These bastards who’d designed the trials probably thought it was funny to make them miserable in their quest to get the orb. She wished she had some kind of magical powers that could force the rock open so she could leave, but that was definitely not a part of her skill set.
A soft light began to form about ten feet away. She squinted, trying to adjust to it after sitting in pitch-black darkness for too long. It brightened at a slow and steady pace, giving her eyes the time they needed. About five minutes passed before two shapes began to form inside the light. She stood, shrugging off her blanket.
“Who’s there?” she asked.
No answer. The shapes began to coalesce into human forms. Though her heart pounded hard against her chest, she moved closer. Something about th
ose shapes seemed familiar. Then the faces began to emerge and she cried out when she recognized them.
“Mom? Dad?” She leaped forward in an attempt to wrap her arms around them, but went right through their silhouettes to smack into the cave wall. The pain stunned her for a moment, but it wasn’t that bad—just a scrape across the cheek.
She spun around and discovered they’d moved to the middle of the cave room. Both of them watched her with love and happiness in their eyes. She’d thought she would never see them again since they’d been vacationing in Scotland with her younger sister, Candace, when D-day came. There’d been no way to find out what happened to her family or contact them. She’d tried to imagine they were okay, and that things weren’t as bad over there as in America. Maybe it was silly, but sometimes a person had to lie to themselves if they wanted to keep getting up in the morning.
“Hello, sweetheart,” her father said, his brown eyes as comforting as ever.
Since the last time Danae had seen him during Christmas break almost a year ago, he’d grown his brown hair out so it was medium-length instead of super short like he’d kept it while she was growing up. Other than that, though, he hadn’t changed much. Her father still looked strong as ever despite being in his mid-fifties now.
Maybe it was a stupid question, but she had to ask, “How are you guys here?”
Her parents exchanged glances, then her mother met her gaze with regret lingering in her eyes. “The mystical forces that run this place brought us.”
“All the way from Scotland? That’s impossible!” Even with being a sorceress, Danae found that hard to believe. Nothing was powerful enough to transport people across thousands of miles and do it in such a short span of time. This had to be some kind of trick. These people might look like her parents, but they couldn’t actually be them.
Her father cleared his throat. “If we were still alive, that might be true—”
“You’re…you’re dead?” she said, a hitch in her voice. She didn’t want to believe it, but she had learned enough from Verena to know some sorcerers could bring back the dead temporarily in forms like this. Her chest tightened. If that was the case, this could all be real.