by S. D. Grimm
That sweet angelic voice asked, “What has she done to you? Ryan?”
“Stop calling me that!” As soon as he shouted, he regretted it. Not wanting to see her light anymore—or her sad, hurt, stupidly compassionate expression—he lay on his stomach, buried his face in his arms, and pretended to sleep.
“You should sleep,” the Mistress purred.
Why? So she could fill his thoughts with dreams of how she wished to wed him. Her vessel? Was that what she’d called him? What in Soleden did that even mean? If he stayed awake, he could still be himself. Right?
Ryan.
Was that his name?
“Do you remember me, Ryan?” The girl’s voice comforted him somehow, but he wouldn’t answer.
“I don’t think he remembers anyone, Serena.” Another soft voice. How many of them were here?
He didn’t peek. Didn’t want to see more faces bathed in strange, pure light.
He wanted to stay in the darkness.
“What did she do to him?” the first sweet voice asked.
Serena.
“Belladonna broke him, spelled him, and made him bond with the Mistress’s dragon. He belongs to the Mistress now.”
No. He was no one’s. He was a dragon in a lair.
Smoke’s hissing chuckle filled his mind, and Ryan pushed the thoughts away. There was a side of his mind where he could be free of Smoke and the Mistress. It was just a difficult maze to find his way back there now.
“Do you feel that, Madison?” Serena asked. “He’s using the good side of his heart. He’s fighting them.”
“I feel it, but half of his heart is hers,” Madison answered.
Madison. He saw her face in his mind. He knew her.
Heavens, he knew both of them.
“Keep fighting, Ryan,” Serena whispered.
“What should he fight for?” Madison asked.
“Hope. Don’t ever lose hope. I came here to rescue you both.”
Ryan laughed. “You’re in a cell like us.” He turned his head so he could see them.
The light still illuminated Serena’s face, and something bright burned in her blue eyes. “I’m not here alone.” She turned to Madison. “Your sister, Morgan, she sees the future?”
“Yes.” Madison’s voice seemed lighter.
Morgan. He recalled her, too. He sucked in a painful breath. He was supposed to free Madison, get some bloody key . . . and kiss Serena. Was it possible? Could he still fulfill his promise? He buried his thoughts so those sharing his head wouldn’t find them. They still had to believe he was theirs.
“But Franco claimed you for his own. The tattoo. He’ll feel your presence. How will you help us escape?” Madison asked.
Ryan popped his head up. Serena’s light still illuminated her face. She ran a shaking hand over the tattoo. “If he can feel where I am, then I’ll kill him. I won’t let anyone control me like that.”
“He won’t let you kill him,” Madison said.
Ryan swallowed. The thought of that man staking claim on Serena burned hotter than dragon’s fire. “Then I’ll do it.”
Her startled look morphed into the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “You’re back?”
Oh, how he wanted to be. But so much still clouded his thoughts. “Not totally.”
“Cling to hope, Ryan. Cling to all that is good. It will help you fight them. I will help you fight them.”
His heart ached for that to be true.
Chapter 31
Split the Pack
Ethan tossed another pitch-coated arrow into his quiver. A growl at his back sent a shiver down his spine. The maelvargs paced on the edge of their border, their spiked backs arched and drool clinging to their jowls.
Jayden wrapped a hand around his arm. “You ready?”
He faced her and pulled her in for a hug. “The firemilk is working?” He tried to keep the tremble from his voice, but it cracked anyway.
“Yes.” She looked up at him, her eyes a beautiful blue that reminded him of the way the sky used to be. “It’s better now.” She pulled aside her collar and showed him the healing wound. It wasn’t the same black, gaping wound as before. Melanie had said all the afflicted who had taken Quinn’s cure were faring better, including Jayden. But Ethan still worried.
Her beautiful smile filled her face. “We’ll be okay. You’ll see.”
He curled his fingers around her neck and rubbed his thumb over her jawline.
A tear spilled out of her eye, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Pulled him in and kissed him. He held her, never wanting to let her go. Her body fit so perfectly against his, and her emotions filled him, supporting his fragile hope. He let her feel his fear, and she pulled him closer. Rested her head on his shoulder. “Hold on to hope?”
He kissed the top of her head and spoke through a smile. “Anything for you.” He stepped back and waited for her to look into his eyes. “If anything like that happens to you again—”
“I’ll tell you. I promise.” Her eyes glistened. “I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“Hey, I forgive you.”
She buried her head into his neck, and a tear dripped onto his skin.
“Hey, don’t cry. You—”
“I killed that boy,” she whispered.
Ethan’s heart stalled. He closed his eyes and hugged her. “That wasn’t you.”
“It was me.”
“No. That was the Mistress’s hand in this. She’s trying to take over. We have to fight.”
She stepped back, brushing tears from her eyes.
Ethan touched her cheek. He took in every detail of her face. “Just hang on to that hope you were talking about. Okay?” He rubbed his thumb over her skin. A lump in his throat tried to choke him. “Can you do that for me?”
“Anything for you.” She sort of smiled.
Those words speared his heart and made him smile all at once. “We’ll get through this. You’ll see.”
The maelvargs whooped. It was like a gurgling, taunting laughter. Ethan stilled the urge to pull out an arrow, light it, and start picking these things off. Problem was, they’d already done that, and all it had done was attract more monsters.
A threat throbbed in his very core, and he froze. He headed closer to where Logan stood with the others. “Logan?”
Logan’s eyes widened. “It’s about to expand?”
“Stop!” Quinn shouted. She fell to her knees and began to draw one of her maps. Westwind backed up and whined.
This was madness. They were going to walk farther into this maze while the Mistress gained power every moment? Ethan clenched his fists. His best bet would be to mount Zephyr and fly over the whole level. Leave everyone behind. Face Belladonna himself and kill her. Send Ryan and Serena back and wait for Zephyr to come back for him.
He backed up while everyone else kept their attention on Quinn. “Zephyr?”
Morgan grabbed Ethan’s arm. She stared at him with her eyes wide. “Don’t.”
His heart clutched. “It’s not like she wants me dead.”
“Not yet. But after she uses you, the Mistress will kill you.”
“Ethan!” Chloe marched in front of him. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going alone?”
The hurt in Jayden’s round eyes cut through him like a knife in his heart.
“No! Jayden, I—” Ethan ripped his arm free of Morgan and glared at her.
“We have to move. Now!” Quinn buckled over and screamed.
“What’s wrong with her?” Jayden grabbed Quinn.
“Zeph!” Ethan called and the gryphon bounded to him. He lifted Quinn onto Zephyr’s back and looked at Jayden. Then he pointed to Quinn’s map. “Look. This part of the level has bridged across our road. We have to get to the other side before these monsters realize their section expanded.”
“It might be too late for that.” Gavin pulled out a pitch-covered arrow and lit it. Blue flame from the blue weed ignited on the end, and Ethan dipped one of his arr
ows in the flame. “But it’s a good plan. Go with them. Fly to the other side. We’ll fight our way through.”
“No.” Ethan grabbed Chloe’s arm and practically pushed her toward Zephyr. Quinn screamed again.
Chloe struggled. “Ethan, no! I’m—”
“Chloe.” He gripped both of her arms and pleaded with her. “Take Quinn to the other side. Please.”
“But you—”
“I’ll take Stormcloud with Jayden. Go.”
Tears filled her eyes and she glared at him, then nodded and climbed onto Zephyr. The gryphon took flight.
“Are you really coming with me?” Jayden asked.
“No. Melanie is a Protector. You’ll need her over there.”
“Ethan.” Melanie looked offended.
“The kid’s right,” Logan said. “Go over and protect them. We don’t know if this whole level will expand more.
Blue light pierced the dark. Maelvargs screamed, jumping back from the brightness. Feravolk began shooting arrows and racing through the dead land to find the other side where Quinn’s map said they’d be safe.
“You all have to get moving.” Melanie jumped onto the pegasus and held out her hand for Jayden. “If this will spur you to safety faster, so be it.” The pegasus took flight, and a burning wave raced across Ethan’s chest. He looked out to where the Feravolk raced through and maelvargs collided with them in battle.
The whooping laughs turned darker.
Men and women screamed, and Ethan knew what Quinn said was true. The laughter was paralyzing them. “Don’t let them look at you!” he shouted to remind them but doubted his words made it to anyone’s ears over the laughter and screams.
Maelvargs filtered into the crowd. Their yellow teeth tore into flesh. Spiked tails flailed behind them, stabbing into people as they ran. Ethan pulled back on his bowstring and breathed out. A fiery arrow sailed toward one of the beasts, hitting it in the eye. It screeched.
But the threat warning him was more than that. Quinn. Something had happened to Quinn.
He looked up to see her plummeting through the air, Zephyr fast on her trail.
Ethan pulled out his sword. Logan’s strong grip on his arm stopped him.
He stood there, the threat warning him and the look of love and confusion in Logan’s eyes detaining him. What was he supposed to do? Stay because it was Logan’s job to protect him, or listen to his talent? He pulled his arm free. “I’m sorry. I have to do this.”
“Ethan?” The pain in Logan’s voice speared him, but he ran toward the center of the bridge, flaming arrow in one hand and blade in the other. Logan, Gavin, and Rebekah ran with him, but he turned on his speed. As Zephyr caught Quinn, a maelvarg jumped and grabbed her dress.
Everything seemed to still while her scream touched his ear. He ran, the creatures moving back from him. Surrounding him and cutting off his way out, as if they wanted to lead him through. Send him straight to the Mistress. He drove his blade into one of the beasts that got too close.
Another lunged, and he chopped into its skull. It fell.
Ahead, Zephyr’s wings beat the air, and he clawed at the spiked creatures.
Chloe dove off his back and into the center of three of the creatures.
Ethan screamed and called on more speed. Zephyr dove in where Chloe had gone and came up higher with Quinn limp in his claws. Ethan’s stomach dropped. He—he’d hesitated.
“She’s alive,” Zephyr said.
Ethan waved his arm. “Take her. Go! Get her safe.”
“But Chloe!”
“I feel her.”
“I’ll be back for you.”
Zephyr’s talons punctured another of the beasts, and his hind quarters kicked a third away as he flew higher with Quinn.
Ethan barreled through the creatures surrounding Chloe. She held out her dying blue flame and slashed at their faces. Running as fast as possible, he headed toward the threat. Growls rung up around him. Heavy paws slapped against the dry ground. The threat in his chest burned, and a maelvarg jumped at Chloe from behind. Her scream echoed in his ears. Another landed on top of her. It laughed. She froze. Ethan slid to her, chopping his sword in between the eyes of the creature standing above his sister. It fell, dead.
Heaving, he turned and sliced into another. Blood, black and wet, dripped off his blade.
“Chloe?” Scarlet darkened her clothes. Ethan tried to get her to stand. The creatures hissed at him. Laughed. The sound wrapped around his thoughts. He shook his head and closed his eyes. Free of its spell, he opened his eyes and picked up Chloe. She cried out as he lifted her. “How bad are you hurt?”
Growls vibrated the ground. Glowing green eyes surrounded them.
They would herd him to her.
Chloe pushed his shoulder. “Why did you come for me?”
“I have to protect you, I have no choice.”
Shouts echoed behind him. Logan, Gavin, and Rebekah raced toward him, killing creatures in their wake. Rebekah stalled for a moment, and Logan killed the beast that had paralyzed her. She shook her head and started moving again.
Whooping laughter drew closer as the circle tightened. Then shrieks filled the air and a couple maelvargs flew, like ragdolls, into the sky. “This is your friendly rescue service.”
Claws wrapped around Chloe, and Ethan relinquished her to Zephyr. He jumped onto his friend’s back and grabbed feathers. Sticky liquid gushed between his fingers. “Zeph?”
“I’m all right. And I heal fast.”
Zephyr landed on the other side of the borderlands, gently setting Chloe on the ground. Ethan slid off his friend’s back. “Thank you for—”
“Always.”
Finally, the last of them made it through. They’d lost so many. And after the wounded were cared for, Logan walked up to Ethan, with Melanie, Gavin, and Rebekah in his wake. “Why won’t you let us protect you?”
Ethan bowed his head, and Logan’s question rang in his ear and weighted his heart. It was time. No more getting around it. He lifted his head and looked into Logan’s—his father’s—eyes. The love there stunned him. “I have to protect them.” He explained his talent. His curse. Whatever it was. Gavin rocked back on his heels. Melanie pressed her hand over her heart. Rebekah touched his shoulder.
And Logan’s head bowed as he expelled a breath. “Ethan, I wish you’d told me sooner.”
He looked up at all of them. This wasn’t the disciplinary action he’d expected. He’d thought they’d try to hold him back. Forbid him from running recklessly into danger.
“Son.” Logan touched Ethan’s other shoulder. “We could have helped you.”
“We trust you,” Melanie smiled.
Rebekah rubbed his back. “Your talent. It’s yours for a reason.”
“You’re not alone,” Logan said. “Let us help you.”
Ethan swallowed the rising lump in his throat.
Gavin leaned his arm on Logan’s shoulder. “You’re a lot like this one.” He winked. “But we love you, kid. We’ll listen.”
“Thank you,” Ethan managed.
Rebekah tipped her chin at someone behind him, and Ethan turned to see Morgan.
“Chloe and Quinn are both settled in the healing quarters. They’re with Jayden. And they’re asking for you,” Morgan said, but she walked past Ethan as if asking to talk to Logan.
He glanced at Logan who nodded, so he raced to see his friends. Zephyr’s sharp thought stopped him. “Did you hear her?”
“No.”
“Morgan. She told Logan that her powers seem to be weakening.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means she can’t see very far into the future anymore.”
Ethan’s chest squeezed. That meant one thing. They needed to stop the Mistress.
By the time he reached the bedrolls set up for the injured, Chloe and Quinn were both asleep. And Jayden had fallen asleep with Quinn cuddled up to her.
He sat down and leaned his back against one of the few tree
s that didn’t look sick. It was situated next to Chloe’s bedroll. Aurora settled next to her, and her shivering stopped.
They’d lost thirty-two today.
Quinn had suffered a bump to the head and a few minor scratches. Otherwise she was going to be fine.
Chloe slept, too. That creature’s huge jaws had ripped the skin from her back and chest clean to her shoulder. He could have lost her.
Between Jayden, Quinn, and Chloe, he was stretched too thin. There was no way he could protect all of them. And Belladonna was tracking him. She had to be telling the Mistress where to send these animals. Could he really trust the Protectors to let him do what his talent called for? It was settled; he had to figure out how to sneak away and face that woman himself.
Chloe’s eyelids fluttered and she opened them. She moved and grimaced.
“Hey.” He wasn’t sure where to touch her. “What do you need?”
“You’re still here?”
“We haven’t rescued Ryan yet, so you’re stuck with me.” He smiled at her normal biting comments.
She chuckled. Then she tried to sit up and hissed.
“Chloe, just tell me what you need.”
“I need to sit up, Ethan Branor.” She slunk back onto her bedroll. Not without another grimace.
“What happened to sitting up?”
She shot him a glare. “It’s not as comfortable as I thought it would be.” She moved the bandage aside and winced.
“Chloe—”
“Does this look all right?”
Ethan leaned closer, trying not to block the soft glow of blue firelight.
She pulled away from him. Her eyes grew huge. “Is it supposed to turn black?”
His heart jumped into his throat. No. “Black? Chloe, let me—”
She pulled her blanket up to her mouth and giggled.
Ethan slumped against the tree he’d been leaning on and let out a shaky breath. “Chloe Marie Granden, I—” He breathed again, still shaking, and nervous laughter escaped him. “Snare you.” He laughed a little more.
She pushed against his arm. “You should have seen your face.”
He shook his head. “Don’t you ever do that again.”
“I thought your heart stopped beating.” She smiled. When was the last time he’d seen her smile?