I wanted to touch his dark hair, and wondered if it would be as soft as Chester’s.
The thought of Chester was like a blow to my chest, and my misery quickly pushed through our admiration. I turned back to my work, overtaken by a new desire to stay focused. I wanted to forget, and throwing myself into work was the easiest way to do that. I’d done it whenever anything bad happened to me, including my father’s death. No happiness? No problem—I could just work through it.
I’d finished three weeks of planning before Drekvic stirred, raising his head and turning toward the hallway.
I almost jumped at his sudden movement, forgetting he’d been in the room at all. He had a red mark on his cheek from resting on my desk, and I would have laughed if I hadn’t followed his gaze toward Rakshina. She was behind the first gate, so I couldn’t hear her, but she looked worried as she gestured to let her through.
Standing, I walked around the desk and closed the door. It wouldn’t affect Rakshina, but it would keep any students from barging in while I used high magic to open the gate. When she was through, she dropped into the chair beside Drekvic with more force than normal. The large bags under her eyes stood out like bruises on her alabaster skin. I wondered if she’d gone to sleep since the short nap on Chester’s couch.
“I did some research,” she said, carefully rubbing the back of her neck around the still-healing gash from her run-in with her mate.
“About?” I asked, confused.
“Lakvas,” she whispered his name painfully. “I wanted to know what he was doing, so I reached out to some of my old contacts.”
I sat back down in my chair and turned to face her, picking up a pen and twirling it unconsciously.
“Who?” Drekvic asked sharply.
“I won’t tell you,” she replied. “They’re afraid for their lives, and dragging you into it would scare them even more.”
He opened his mouth to protest but she lifted her hand to cut him off.
“You didn’t mean to, but you abandoned us. That’s how everyone sees it. You went and got yourself killed for being power-hungry. The few who know you’re alive want to kill you since you don’t have any of your old powers. Don’t make this more complicated,” she snarled, almost sounding like herself. Still, she couldn’t quite hide the weariness in her voice.
He leaned back in his chair, glowering.
“Lakvas is going crazy, but not in the way I thought. He somehow found out that Fate is no longer around, and with the dark goddess missing, there’s no one to reset the balance. He’s somehow been drawing power from the gates, stealing their innate magic for himself. That’s why there was an open portal in the woods. You’ve opened them enough times to know the veils that separate the worlds are powerful.”
“That’s not good,” I said, biting my lip. “If there’s no balance, Fate says the world could fall into chaos. Magic could backfire with unpredictable results.”
“I know,” Rakshina replied, sitting up straighter and trying not to look like she could collapse at any moment. “The two siekewa I talked to don’t want him to continue ruining the veils, but he’s too powerful now, and without Drekvic to put him in his place, they don’t think anyone can stop him.”
“I will,” I said, tapping the point of the pen on my desk. The noise startled me and I set the pen down, trying to stay composed.
“I thought you’d say that,” Rakshina mumbled. “I wasn’t sure I should even tell you.”
“You’re supposed to tell me these kinds of things,” I snapped, unable to help myself. “If I’m supposed to be the new Fate, then this is just apart of the job. Can you take me to where Lakvas is? I want to see what else we can learn.”
Spying on an insane siekewa was a bad idea, but I was sick of doing nothing, and I was certain Rakshina would be able to help me. She hadn’t undergone a second transformation like Drekvic had; her siekewa nature still shone through her pale blue eyes and jet black hair.
“I’m going with you,” Drekvic said immediately, his voice firm.
“No,” Rakshina and I said together. I looked over at her, surprised that she would agree with me, but her pale blue eyes glared scathingly at Drekvic.
“If I could, I would try to kill you even now. I will not go anywhere with you, and your mere existence puts Ellie in danger. Lakvas is targeting you. The farther away from her you are, the better,” she continued, her tone almost murderous.
“You’ll need back-up,” Drekvic growled. My palms grew sweaty as I felt his magic build in the small space of my office.
“Ellie and I will be fine. Joy is our back-up,” she snarled back, her hands swirling with the force of her own dark magic.
I stood up abruptly, knocking my chair to the floor behind me.
“Stop it! Drekvic, go back home and wait there for me. Rakshina and I will see what we can learn.” My voice echoed, both my words and the power bleeding into them resonating through the room. Inwardly, I sighed. I really needed to learn how to control it. Drekvic would be furious that I forced him to obey when all I’d wanted to do was make a point.
Drekvic stood slowly, his hazel eyes hard with anger. “We’re supposed to be partners, Ellie. Remember that the next time you need my help after this and I tell you to go hide at home.”
He swept from the room, slamming the door behind him. I flinched and closed my eyes. The brief moment of comfort I’d taken from Drekvic was gone, and I felt the cold loss of what had been growing between us. I squashed the sorrow down before it could overwhelm me. I would deal with it later.
“Someone should watch him,” Rakshina said, her voice strained.
“My wards will warn me if anyone tries to enter the house with ill intent,” I replied. I’d set them up to warn me from anywhere when I started traversing realities often.
“Well, let’s get going then.”
I nodded, changing the sign on my door to read “Out for the Day” before I opened the first portal and we stepped through.
CHAPTER NINE
The siekewa village was dark, hidden in the shadow of a huge mountain and overrun with large trees. What little light managed to make it through was swallowed by black volcanic soil and ebony paving stones. Rakshina had changed into a black jumpsuit that accented her slim waist and covered the cairn on her necklace. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the dim surroundings, and I found myself drawing closer to her as we walked.
She had given me a disguise too, a black dress that fell to my knees. A combination of magic and make-up gave me the blue eyes and alabaster skin of the siekewa. She had used some sort of paste to turn my dark brown hair pitch black, and a liberal dose of perfume to cover up the foul smell of the dye. She made me take off Joy’s cairn and my sapphire ring.
“No siekewa wears jewelry except for Drekvic,” she had said. Thankfully the dress had deep pockets to hide both rings in. Joy was unhappy about it, but she didn’t really have a choice.
We stood on the edge of the forest for a long time before stepping out into the streets. Rakshina was nervous, afraid someone would recognize her. She hadn’t been well-known as a siekewa, and they mostly kept to themselves anyway, but once she had started collecting souls for Fate, news of her betrayal had been quick and widespread. She insisted we wait until evening, when most siekewa would be out courting souls, or too busy running errands to notice anything.
I kept my chin down, following her down the narrow streets. The buildings were all single-story and low to the ground, the wood of their exteriors dark and run-down. There were no windows, no landscaping, just the overgrown foliage threatening to swallow the village whole. I wanted to ask Rakshina about it, but didn’t want to talk out loud.
The silence was heavy, the pressure of it feeling like I was deep underweater. There were no birds, no vehicles, no laughter or voices like in Babylon, the collector’s city. Even Rakshina wore quiet, soft-soled boots that barely scuffed the walkway. I couldn’t stop the shudder that ran up my spine, and I moved as close as
I could to her side without holding her arm.
We had reached the far side of the village, where the sheer rock face of the mountain loomed above us. There was a large open circle to our right that stank of blood and magic. Instinctively, I took a step back, my lip curling in disgust. Thankfully, Rakshina led me in the other direction, into a large, open cave cut into the rock.
I couldn’t tell if it was natural or made by the siekewa, but it seemed stable. Rakshina beckoned for me to slip into a small nook drenched in shadow. She rolled her eyes when I shook my head and steped in first, putting a firm hand around my arm to drag me in after her. She made a simple gesture with her hand, and I felt an invisible blanket drape over us, heavy and suffocating. After a moment, the uncomfortable sensation vanished, and Rakshina held up her palm to reveal a glowing sphere of magic that lit up the little nook.
It was empty except for a small bench carved into the stone wall. Rakshina threw the light up to hover in the air above us as she slumped down onto the bench, breathing heavily. I turned around to see the entire cave and the open circle beyond. It was very dark, so I couldn’t make out details in either place, but I thought I saw a door recessed in the back of the cave and wondered if that’s where Lakvas lived.
“I’m sure you have questions,” Rakshina said, her voice a small echo in the enclosed space. I looked back, alarmed at her volume, but she shook her head. “My barrier will keep anyone from hearing or seeing us as long as they don’t pass through it.”
I nodded, taking a seat next to her, trying to relax. I assumed we would be waiting until Lakvas emerged and we could learn more about what was happening. I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk at all, but I knew the silence would bother me.
“What is this place?” I asked, meaning the village but gesturing to the giant circle. It was the only place where I could see the sky, and the moon was casting silvery shadows on the symbols etched into the dirt.
“He called it Hell,” she replied, looking out over the buildings. “I lived on the far side. I didn’t like the smell of magic.” She pushed an imaginary strand of hair out of her face and crossed her arms.
“He?” I asked, wondering if she meant her mate or my partner.
“Drekvic,” she said. “He said that since humans thought we came from Hell, that’s what we’d call the village.”
“Sounds about right,” I mumbled, unfortunately reminded of Drekvic’s bad sense of humor. Joy disagreed, and her intrusion only forced me to remember the look on his face when I’d commanded him to stay home.
Joy’s thoughts were preoccupied with Drekvic, and it was starting to get on my nerves. She tried to hide it, but I knew she was pining for him. If that’s how I was with Chester, no wonder she was fed up with me.
“Does Lakvas live here?” I asked, wanting to turn my thoughts back toward Rakshina and our mission.
“He used to live with me,” she whispered, tensely. I looked over at her, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes. She just stared out at the pale moon, her profile quiet and forlorn. “He stayed in the house when I left, and when Drekvic disappeared, he came to this cave. There’s a door in the back, over there.” She gestured to the faint outline. “It’s where Drekvic used to live.”
“I’m sorry, Rakshina,” I said, wondering how hard it was to love someone who did such horrible things.
“I chose this life, however misguided,” she replied, looking down at her hands.
“Why?” I wanted to take the question back immediately, but I couldn’t bring myself to fill the silence once I’d asked.
“I wasn’t…I was mentally ill,” she started, slowly picking her way through her tangled past. “When I was human, I thought my family was trying to kill me. All the medicine to make me better was poison. The straps to keep me from attacking them were to keep me a prisoner. I wanted them to die. I hated them for torturing me with questions, trying to talk to me. I thought they wanted information they could use to torture me. I hated them, Ellie.”
Her vehemence surprised me, cutting the quiet night like a knife. She suddenly shuddered, wrapping her arms about herself before continuing.
“Drekvic found me in a mental hospital, and I loved him. He was so perfect, with all the answers to my questions. I trusted him without hesitation, told him how my family was trying to hurt me. They were keeping me prisoner. I told him they weren’t my real family, and that somewhere, there were people that loved me and wanted me home, but I couldn’t get to them. He understood. He would pet my hair and listen to me cry. He was so kind.”
Her eyes were hard when she finally looked at me.
“He said he would kill them for me. He said he would take care of my fake family, that he would rescue me from my prison and help me find my real family.”
The fire in Rakshina’s gaze both captivated and horrified me. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, thinking I knew what would happen next and wishing that it wasn’t true.
“My only payment would be to let him into my mind. He said he could look into my memories and bring images of my real family up to the front. Of course, I agreed. I was sick and he took advantage of me. The deal was made, and he murdered my mother and father and sisters. I had two, you know. One was my twin.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. What else could I possibly say? My mouth was dry. I wanted to hug her.
“When he came back, he had my twin’s blood on his hands. He didn’t try to talk to me, he just grabbed my face and dug into my brain. It hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt in my life. He fixed the imbalances before he pulled up all the memories my sickness had hidden form me. All the memories of how much my family loved me.”
I saw a tear slide down her cheek before she looked away, angrily rubbing her face.
“I was uncontrollable. I attacked him, screaming and crying. He just laughed and dragged me through the first gate, pulling me all the way here.” Her gaze fixed on the circle. “I changed just there, all the goodness burning out of me as I turned into a monster. Just like him.
“He told me I was going to live forever, and that’s how long I had to gain enough power to kill him. He showed me how to collect souls. He showed me how to become stronger, and I vowed I would kill him one day. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I wanted to kill him for betraying my trust so completely.”
I reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder. She looked back at me, a new blank expression spreading across her face.
“That was how he changed us,” she said. “He’d manipulate our beliefs and gain our trust, and then use our hatred of ourselves and of him, to turn us into monsters.”
“You’re not a monster,” I told her firmly, pointing to the light she had made with her cairn’s magic. “Your light is bright as any, and your heart is good. Your past built you up to this moment, and your choices make you who you are. You’ve chosen good because of all the bad you’ve seen. There’s nothing monstrous about that.”
She gave me a small smile and turned away.
“I’ve never told anyone my story. I guess you’ve managed to get under my skin,” she said softly, linking her fingers together and stretching her long arms.
“Your secret is safe with me,” I replied, flashing a reassuring smile.
We fell into a comfortable silence. I didn’t want to ask anymore questions, and she didn’t offer anymore stories. I was left to ponder this new information about Rakshina and Drekvic as the night wore on. I didn’t realize sleep had claimed me until Rakshina patted my leg urgently, whispering for me to wake up and get ready to move.
I sat up, blinking, and saw a siekewa coming through the door we’d been watching.
“Is that him?” I asked, leaning forward and covering my yawn with my hand.
“Yes,” she said. “That’s my lover.”
CHAPTER TEN
Lakvas radiated strength. Having only seen two siekewa in my entire life, I’d assumed they were all like Drekvic and Rakshina—slim and willowy, power hidden behind their
lithe frames. Lakvas was all bulk and muscle and tight clothes. His rolling gait was deceptively quick, and as we slid from the nook, still hidden by Rakshina’s shield, we had to rush to keep up with him.
Rakshina refused to walk in the moonlight. Apparently, we would still cast a shadow, so we clung to darkness as Lakvas walked across the center of the clearing. He stopped on the far side to suddenly punch a large tree. I flinched at the sound of skin slamming into bark and couldn’t help my grimace.
Rakshina stopped herself from moving forward, her eyes squinting in pain. I took her hand in mine, squeezing it for support. She nodded and drew back from the edge of the shield, farther into the darkness. We watched and waited while Lakvas kept punching the tree, slowly making a dent in the bark as blood streamed down his knuckles.
I didn’t hear the other siekewa approaching, so when she came from the edge of my vision, I flinched. Rakshina’s fingers tightened against my hand, practically crushing the bones. I didn’t tell her to stop, and instead moved a little closer to her.
This new siekewa was a threat. I could feel her magic, dark and roiling, looming over her. I could almost hear the painful screams of the souls she kept. I wanted to save them, and for a moment it was all I could think about. Joy’s warning in my head stopped me from revealing myself, but I studied the creature, knowing I would somehow need to stop her in the future.
She was small, shorter than me by at least a foot, and looked like a true child next to Lakvas. Her long black hair was wavy and fluttered as she walked. Her dress was black with thin straps, made of a willowy fabric that accented the gentle curves of her body. She was barefoot, and if she felt any pain as she walked over the uneven dirt, she didn’t show it. The bright red scarf around her neck looked like a bloody gash across her throat.
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