by Jaymin Eve
As they closed the distance between each other, the line of energy started to vibrate, starting small and moving up to large racking shakes. I was worried that I’d not be able to hold on to the line if it got much stronger, but I knew if I let go, the ritual would fail. And this was one ritual I couldn’t fail at.
Just when I thought I was about to lose my grip, the vibrations eased. Stupidly, I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that everything was going to be okay.
Little did I realize that this was just the calm before the massive ass-kicking storm.
Chapter 14
As the energy of the lalunas collided with that of the Seventine, everything around us stilled. This lasted for just a few beats of my racing heart. I was waiting for something to happen. I could feel the level of power along the line was insane, but there was no explosion or anything. Which was weird.
A sucking sensation started to flow around the stone room.
“What’s that?” My eyes flicked left and right.
I knew that the power of the Seventine and the lalunas was still contained in our arrow of energy, so it wasn’t either of them.
Brace’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the space. Then the screaming started. It was high-pitched, and my eardrums began to burn. The pressure built up. Finally the racket died off, and I felt more energy smash into my arrow.
“It’s Tenni.” Brace was the first one to figure it out.
I’d been a step behind him, understanding what was traveling along the arrow.
“She’s being called to her brethren.”
Grantham straightened. “The arrogance of the lalunas was enough that she would never have thought for a moment that her brethren were a weakness for her.”
It was true. They had believed they were untouchable. I could tell from the way she’d bragged about her plans, the lack of worry or stress she’d exhibited. Of course, we couldn’t have achieved this exchange without the help of my laluna.
I grinned. “Arrogance is blinding.”
Brace returned that smile. “For some.”
I shook my head at him. Silly Walker.
Time to bring my brother home.
I flicked my eyes to Grantham. “Do I say the words now?”
“Is the energy connected?”
I nodded. “Yes, they’re intermingling, somewhere about halfway along my arrow line.”
“Then yes, it’s time for the exchange.”
I sucked in deeply. Bringing forth the memory of the words, I opened my mouth and let them fall free. “Excrui changen velliuc mectre.”
The first joined me in saying the words. Its voice was mental, though, but that didn’t seem to matter.
The moment the last of the word mectre fell from my lips, energy ricocheted outwards. I hit the ground, and so did everyone else in the room, including Brace, which told me how strong the blast had been. I managed to hold onto my arrow by the speck of will that I still possessed. It was damn close. Rising from the depths, the cold power moved toward us, and again it started to vibrate.
Brace pulled me to my feet.
“The Seventine is coming,” I said.
Glorious. The first was still inside me, and I wanted it out, but knew we had to wait to let go of the arrow. The white of the glowing light started to fade out to red, and I knew the Seventine was about to emerge. I prepared myself for more evil to enter the world.
Thank you for your assistance today. You have furthered our plans monumentally, and I will see you again at the convergence.
The first tried to leave. I could feel it bashing against the walls I’d created in my well, the walls of the cage. But it was stuck. I still held power over it. I was feeling a little mean, so I took my time releasing the bond.
In that moment I sensed something new coming from the first. Fear.
What did you do to me?
I had no idea, so I didn’t answer. Somehow I could keep it locked inside and it hadn’t been able to free itself. It was an exhilarating feeling.
The rushing winds picked up again and the red light spilled across us all. Two shadows zoomed from the prison.
Hang on, what the hell?
Laughter echoed around us. Maniacal laughter.
“What did you do?” I screamed to the swirling mists.
You thought we wouldn’t know how powerful the lalunas were? How they were going to strengthen this prison. Of course we knew, but we had the means to free five and six. We took the wager.
No! They had done it to me again, really to all of us. We’d needed this so badly to lock away the lalunas and free Josian. Now five and six were free – holy eff balls. The princeps’ plan had not been as great as they’d thought. The cons seemed to be higher than the pros right about then, since only the seventh remained locked in the prison. I should have known that the Seventine would not take a deal which was heavily skewed in our favor.
My blood spattered as I turned to follow the mists. My throat was still bleeding. The pain had faded away though in the ensuing panic.
“What happened, Abbs?” Lucy was tucked under Colton’s arm.
He seemed to be supporting her in the energy rushing around us.
“Somehow they released five and six.” My voice broke as I explained. I swallowed with difficulty before turning hard eyes on Grantham. “Did you know this would happen?”
He had his hands against the wall, resting his head between them. I wondered what the hell he was doing.
His voice was gruff as he spoke. “The lalunas are now part of this mountain and the prison foundation. They’re no longer sentient, but have transformed back to the mineral elements from which they came.”
I felt a moment of sadness that I’d never have my little stone drop into my hand again, but it was better this way.
Finally Grantham turned to face us. “They freed two because I underestimated the power you would have after joining to the first. Together you could have done anything.” His eyes flicked back to the wall. “As well as checking on the lalunas, I was feeling the vibrations in the stone, talking to the minerals. We were lucky they only pulled the next two free. There was enough energy to free them all, but not enough time. And I’m guessing the Seventine didn’t want to risk upsetting the balance too quickly.”
My heart was beating rapidly. I snuggled myself closer to Brace, needing the comfort. His long arm swung around me and lifted me into his body. I was hardly even supporting my own weight now.
“Well, that sucks the big one,” Fury huffed. “But I’m looking at the silver lining. There’s still one imprisoned, and they need a shit ton of power to get it out. Supes will find the last girl and we’ll lock them away.”
I tried to bring my mind back to the positives, but with the remnants of the first’s energy still inside me, I was all out of whack.
As I had this thought Brace released the gates which had been separating our energy from each other, and his presence flowed through me. The heat and signature power load that was Brace washed away the lingering effects of what had happened, and I felt my neck burn a little as the cut finished its healing. My melancholy lifted, and I was able to put a more optimistic spin on everything.
“Okay, so Tenni is no longer a threat and we’ll get Josian back, right?” I faced Grantham and he nodded, but there was some hesitation which I did not like. “Not to mention that this prison is now as secure as it will ever be.”
As if to reiterate my point, the red light was fading out, but instead of its usual white glow, it shone purple. The color of the lalunas when they combined with each other.
“Right now we need to finish this up, find the last girl, and get these asshole Seventine locked away.”
Colton stood taller. “Are they still in this room?” His features were drawn as he shifted his eyes around.
It always surprised me that others weren’t as tied to the Seventine as Brace and I always seemed to be; left over connections from his possession and now my own.
“No, they left st
raight away.” I’d felt their overwhelming excitement; they thought they had this all wrapped up now.
I was going to stop them, no matter what.
“Where is Josian?” Lallielle’s voice was stronger. “I still can’t feel him, the bond is restricted.”
Dad. I mentally reached for him. But for the first time there was nothing, no reply.
“I can’t reach him either,” Grantham bit out.
Brace straightened, taking me with him, as I was still snuggled against his chest. “We need to go to his world and see what’s wrong. The lalunas’ power will no longer be controlling him. They’re now part of the stone.”
So where the hell was my father?
As we exited the cave I gulped down the lump that had formed in my throat. Outside was exactly how I pictured a war zone. Two sides, patiently staring each other down, waiting to move in for the kill. I could see our side, the Walkers, pixies, faeries, First Worlders and many others, had started setting up camps and shelters. The black ash which coated the ground was shifting in the air. It was not pleasant to breathe, but everyone looked to be dealing. I squinted across the distance as I tried to ascertain exactly what we were facing.
Ahhh, heck, freaking zombies again. And there was also …
“The same tree things that were on Crais.” Fury was also scanning the area. “They’re damn hard to destroy.”
She wasn’t kidding. They’d been practically impervious to her fire. And we didn’t have an army of dragoonas at our disposal right then.
My spirits lifted and I let out a joyous cry as a two-headed beast caught my attention. He was galloping across from the other side, clouds of dust raining around him. My feet started moving and I met him halfway, throwing my arms around both heads as best I could.
“Cere,” I cried, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I’d known he wasn’t dead. The bond between us was solid, but the worry had still been there. It was horrible to think that so much stuff had happened in the past few hours, events which had taken all my time and focus, and had prevented me going back to Crais to look for him. To make sure he was okay.
Cerberus then proceeded to sloppily lick my face, which only made me laugh and cry harder. Lovable beast seemed to have forgiven me.
Fury scowled. “When am I going to get my own ugly-ass dog?” Her hands dropped to her slim hips.
Cerberus gave her a snorting growl, but seemed to take no offence at her insult.
Then, as if she’d summoned the animal by speaking, I noticed something bounding across the center of the battle field. Way out in the open, in the space that separated both sides of the fight. I squinted my eyes, because it was small and fast. Darting, ducking, and diving through the dead plants, dirt, and ash.
Cerberus shifted next to me, letting out a bark when he too noticed the little creature. It didn’t stop moving, and it was hard to tell if it was colored black or if it was coated in ash. Finally, my eyes and brain registered what it was.
A kitten. A tiny, fluffy ball of cuteness.
“What’s that?” Fury took a step toward the runty-looking cat.
Lucy’s blue-and-golden eyes lit up. “Oh, my god, it’s a kitty. I always wanted a cat.”
Fluff-ball kept moving, disappearing from sight as it entered the masses that were gathered around. It suddenly appeared again and in one last speedy jump landed right in front of Fury. We all fell silent as we stared down, examining the new arrival. It was tiny, no larger than twelve inches tall, and it wasn’t dirty. Its coat was a shiny and fluffy black, with especially thick fur around the neck area. Like a mini lion.
Fury’s eyes widened then. “No way … no freaking way in all of Crais hell. You are not my animal.”
She wrenched her eyes from the cat, staring upwards into the sky. “Supes, deal with this. It’s tiny, and fluffy. No claws. No fangs. It’s … cute.” Her voice trailed off in horror.
Lucy cracked up then. I mean laugh out loud, hit the ground, she was that hysterical. “Whoever the Walker gods are, I think I love them,” she managed to choke out between her gasping laughter. “Fury got a kitten for her sacred animal.” The rest of her words trailed off, indecipherable.
“Supes gets a hellhound, Talina a water dragon, Delane a horse with a goddamned spear on its head.” Fury’s eyes seemed to be drawn back down toward the innocent little fluff-ball that was sitting so calmly in front of her. “No,” she barked at the kitten. “Go away, you are not my animal.”
I was worried right then that the Walker guide would be upset by this encounter. I glanced across to Brace to see his reaction. My mate had the smallest of grins, which told me there was no need to worry at that precise moment.
Fury suddenly dropped to her knees, bringing her face very close to the sweet little baby kitty. “What do you want? Food? If I give you something you want, will you go away?”
Brace laughed then, and the sound filled me with absolute joy. I didn’t hear his laughter very often. It made him seem younger, less burdened by all his responsibilities.
“That’s Crete. He’s always some variety of feline, and has the temperament to match,” he said to Fury.
I grinned at the Crais half. “Sounds like a perfect pair.”
Fury opened her mouth to say something, probably an insult, judging by the narrowing of her eyes, and at that moment Crete leaped at her. She had no option but to hold out her arms and catch him. Her eyes widened as the flood of bond crossed between them. Her white hair whirled before settling into place again. The kitten was so damn cute. He snuggled right into her, dark green eyes wide as they stared up.
“No,” Fury said again. “I will not be charmed by your cuteness. I need a monster, a warrior animal. Something that can rip zombies and tear creatures apart with its bare hands.”
Crete ignored her ranting, snuggling in further, closing his eyes and starting to purr. Fury just stared down at her new bundle of joy. She eventually staggered to her feet, her mouth continued to open and close, over and over, as if she had no idea what to do or say.
Lucy was still laughing, holding her stomach and wiping away tears. “She’s in shock. Fury is never speechless and look at her now. Hysterical.”
I couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped me. I knew Fury would be pissed off that I was laughing at her predicament too, but come on – of all the half-Walkers, it had to be Fury who got the fluff-ball.
Cerberus stepped closer to my side then. His movement drew Fury’s gaze. Her features darkened further.
Lucy swallowed the last of her laughter, wiping away the tears still streaming down her face. “I’ll take him if you don’t want him. He’s adorable.”
Fury snarled as Lucy stepped closer. “No! You are not Walker.”
And there was that arrogance we were so well known for. Fury didn’t even seem to notice that she had pulled Crete closer, snuggling him into her chest. Lucy winked at me, and I had the sneaky suspicion that she’d deliberately provoked Fury’s possessiveness.
“I can’t wait here any longer. Please take me to the stone world.” Lallielle drew my attention by gently grasping my arm.
Shit, she was right. I couldn’t wait any longer either.
“Yes, we need to get our Josian back,” I said firmly. “You all keep this under control here. Go and find Delane; she’ll have the rundown. And make sure Ria and Lucas haven’t killed each other yet.”
Everyone laughed, except Fury, who was still glaring at Crete.
“I want to go with you.” Lucy stomped closer. “You keep running off without me.”
I lowered my head and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Stay here, Lucy Loo. We’ll be quick, not worth dragging your butt across the worlds.”
She snorted. “You say that, and then you disappear into some weird drama and I get more gray hair worrying about you. Let me tell you, blond, green, and gray do not go well together.”
I half-rolled my eyes. Her dramatics were funny. “Okay, fine, you can come with m
e.”
“I will be there.” Brace’s voice brooked no argument.
Colton stepped in. “And don’t even think of leaving me out.”
Lallielle flapped her arms, her features tightening. “Yes, everyone is coming, and it’s time to move now.”
Fury finally lifted her face from the feline that had her sole attention, even though she’d claimed to not want Crete. “See you soon. Be careful.”
We stepped away from the crowds, back toward the mountain entrance. Lallielle took one of my hands, Brace the other. Lucy and Colton linked into our group. Cerberus shrunk down to his tiny size and crawled up onto my shoulder again.
“Ready?” I shifted my head to take them all in. Everyone nodded.
I closed my eyes and reached for a tether. I wanted to go to the main stone living area. My mind expanded and energy rose. I had the image firmly in my head – but there was nothing there. No tethers connected, no glittery strands. Exactly the same as when I’d tried to trace from pixie land. Why was this happening? I replaced the living room image with another, the garden area where Tenni used to be sequestered. Again, there was nothing.
I opened my eyes to find everyone watching me.
Lucy was blunt as always. “I’m guessing by the fact that we haven’t zipped across the star-system that there’s a problem.”
I blinked a few times, trying to get myself under control. I turned to the right and faced my mother. “There’re no tethers; his world is gone.” The pitch of my voice rose. I was pretty much screeching.
My hands were sweaty. I gripped Brace’s harder so that he wouldn’t slip away.
“I can’t open a doorway either.” My mate’s voice had me swinging my head around to meet depthless chocolate eyes. “There’s no other explanation: the world is gone; its tethers have been severed.”
Tears started to pour from my eyes. I couldn’t have stopped them if I’d tried. “Does that mean …” My voice broke and I couldn’t continue.
I wouldn’t even let my brain comprehend the possibility that he was, that my father no longer … no! He was alive.