by Rachel Jonas
Seconds later, the inward struggle ended, and I felt like a passenger in my own body—able to see, hear and feel, but completely powerless.
My gaze locked with Tristan’s as he continued to straddle me. From the look of bewilderment he wore, I guessed he’d been an unwilling host and had likely been taken for the same ride just like I now was. Slowly, he retreated, easing off the bed, but never taking his eyes off me as I stood against my will.
I’d come to find Tristan to be a smug little bastard while I held him captive. Nothing had broken him down. He always carried with him an air of being in control, even when I strung him up with no chance of breaking free. However, now, as every step I took forward prompted him to take one back, it was a very different scenario. The confidence he typically exuded was nowhere in sight. All I saw were the eyes of someone I once believed to be a friend scanning me with terror.
Purple sigils were beginning to glow faintly beneath my skin, and within seconds, they covered me completely. I was given a better view of my arm when the Darkness lifted my hand toward Tristan’s throat, evoking even more terror from Chief Makana’s favorite puppet.
“Thank you so much for your assistance.” The words left my mouth, but in a voice that was not my own.
Tristan’s expression, still laced with fear, turned furious as I believed he sensed his fate. “Go to hell,” he seethed, sweating profusely as he shrank deeper into the shadows.
I felt the corners of my mouth stretch tight with a grin as the Darkness leaned in. “After you.”
Before I could even comprehend its next move, Tristan’s throat was crushed in my palm, leaving me stunned as the light went out from his eyes. His body slumped to the ground and a sickening, euphoric surge pulsed through my limbs. The beast within me enjoyed the violence, the finality of ending a life.
“See what fun this can be?” the Darkness asked in thought. I hated that it had tapped into my head, communicating with me much like I communicated with the hive.
“Just … get me out of here. You promised you’d leave once I gave you what you wanted.”
My eyes darted toward the door when the Darkness glanced that way. It clearly had other plans. I couldn’t hear its thoughts unless it addressed me, but I definitely felt its intentions. It wanted to finish them off, wanted to use my hands to kill my family, my mates.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you what a terrible idea it is to make a deal with the devil?” it taunted, before more wicked imaginings brought on another sinister smile.
Panic set in and I had to push, had to try something.
With everything I had, I fought from the inside. Every passing second made me feel less in control, less … me, but I couldn’t let it carry out its devastating plan.
One foot moved toward the door, but I stopped it there, drawing my body in the opposite direction, toward the window. Tears and sweat mingled on my face as the literal struggle of good versus evil raged on inside my head.
I made it to the frame and pushed my torso out, gripping the side of the bungalow for leverage as I pulled my feet out behind me. While I expected to plummet down to the lagoon below, I was somehow clinging to the outer wall instead, scaling the wood siding while I breathed deeply. Willing my body to act against the Darkness had taken so much energy.
The control I had was temporary, and I felt that all too powerfully. So, while I could, I fled, taking flight from the back of the house where I wouldn’t be spotted, headed for the one place I knew I shouldn’t go, but the idea was to get as far away from that house as possible.
Out of options, I crossed the border, subjecting myself to the very hell I’d just escaped.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ori
I’d never felt her dragon call out for me so urgently. Which was the reason I leapt from my seat mid-conversation to sprint toward the bedroom, only to feel like I’d been gutted when I got there.
All that remained was Tristan’s brutalized body slumped in the corner, an empty bed, but no Noelle.
She fled and I couldn’t say how long ago, or where she’d gone.
Tension spread through my jaw and limbs, leaving me at a loss for words when my brothers caught up. Each stood and observed the same scene, likely drawing the same question.
Where was she?
The initial pull of a sharp twinge in the center of my chest was familiar. It was the same sensation that had guided me toward her on many occasions. Each time, it had been because she desperately needed me—whether she realized it or not. Seeing Paulo place a hand over his heart, I knew he felt it too, and chances are the others did as well.
“Kai, Ray? Gather the other hives,” I ordered, feeling the words pass through gritted teeth. “Paulo and I will head to the academy to collect Toni, Blythe and the others.” I scanned the room. “We’ll need all the help we can get.”
One by one, Noelle’s family slowly gathered at the bedroom door and I prepared myself to give the best explanation I could, but it wouldn’t be easy. In short, the very event we had been strategizing tonight … was upon us.
***
If the sheer number of our group didn’t make a difference, Hilda’s protection spell, Blythe’s charmed talismans around our necks, and a blessing from Spirit were our best defenses.
Everyone who ever cared about Noelle showed up in full force—the combined Firekeepers, the entire royal family, her closest friends, and us. Going into the north was always a risk, but with what I feared, this particular journey could very well be a death sentence for us all.
In my gut, I already knew she’d been claimed by the Darkness. It had primed her for this for months, slowly feeding bits of its dark energy to her soul, weakening her will to resist it. Like a virus, slowly breaking her down. Others Kai had saved, those who’d merely been infected, were often never the same afterward. Thanks to the toll being taken over had on their bodies.
Which was precisely the reason it needed Noelle—a virtually indestructible vessel.
Guilt was heavy in my thoughts as we passed through the border fires. I’d been so hard on her lately, blaming her for actions that weren’t even in her nature, out of her control. I could’ve been more understanding, kinder.
Now, I was too late.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was, yet again, too late to save someone who mattered. The realist in me had already accepted that as a fact, but I wouldn’t stop fighting for her. Not until there was no longer breath in my body.
This time, my heart was far more deeply entangled than it had ever been, which meant the dagger in it felt that much sharper as it twisted in my chest.
Embers crackled with each step our group took on this journey across the scorched terrain, land that had been burned beyond recognition. No one said a word, and all kept their eye sharp, looking out for Noelle or whatever else the Darkness might send to stop us.
“We should split up.”
The suggestion came from Liam. He didn’t stop scanning our surroundings to speak. Watching him, I got a sense of the dedicated warrior that earned him his reputation.
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” I said back. “The last time we had to cross over, it lured her to the prison. If the feeling in my chest is still in tune with her, then that’s where it’s taken her today.”
I had his attention now. Or rather, something I said did.
“She tethered herself to you?” Liam’s brow quirked with the question.
“Not quite. It wasn’t a choice,” I explained. “When Spirit bound her to the four of us, it was automatic, a part of our connection.”
For the first time since his arrival, I felt like he actually heard the words that left my mouth. Or, rather, that he believed them.
“We need to keep moving,” he asserted next, and no one objected.
“Noelle’s lucky I freakin’ love her,” Toni announced quietly from somewhere near the back of our caravan. When I glanced toward the sound of her voice, I spotted her peering around as sh
e breathed unevenly. “It’s like … you can feel the evil here.”
Her observation was spot on.
“We just have to stay focused. She’d do this for any one of us,” Marcela replied.
Liam glanced over his shoulder at the two who’d just spoken of his daughter. Granted, Noelle was a long way from home here on the island, but there was no shortage of love for her in Sanluuk. No shortage of family. Hopefully, her father was beginning to see that.
The silhouette of the pitch-black prison finally came into view. We avoided the burial grounds after Noelle’s account of what she faced there. It still baffled me that she survived being attacked, but I believed Spirit had something to do with that.
“Stay sharp,” I warned. “It likes to play mind games, make you think you see and hear things that aren’t really there. As long as we stick together, we should be okay.”
“Oh, great,” Manny groaned. “Yet another one of hell’s peachy attributes.”
Moving forward a few more yards, a quiet whistle from the right halted all our steps.
“Anybody else see that?” Ivan whispered.
“Yep, we’ve got company,” Caleb chimed in.
Noelle’s uncles, being hybrids like her mother, reminded me why it was nice to have wolves around. They saw everything.
“How many?” I didn’t exactly want to know, but asked anyway. Unfortunately, the answer I got didn’t make me feel even a little better.
“I count at least fifty.”
Declan’s observation brought a hush over our group.
“They’re just standing there, scattered all over the yard, just beyond the fence.” I glanced toward the queen when she spoke, noting how her eyes reflected in the light when her wolf stepped forward. “They’re all in … jumpsuits?” she said curiously.
My jaw tensed, recalling Noelle’s recollection of the prisoners she encountered inside. Apparently, some had been set free for this special occasion, and not to welcome us.
Beside me, Liam stretched his neck to one side, and then the other. Next, bright red flames burst from his body, and wings the size of the Firekeepers. We weren’t average dragons, and apparently, neither was Liam. Noelle spoke of his extraordinary life, and measures her family took to protect her mother while she was with child. His unique transformation had been a part of that story.
I faced ahead again, as my brothers and I from all five hives allowed our dragons to come forth. Seven, strategically poised surrounding Liam, burned the odd shade of blue I’d only ever seen on Noelle. This trait was one every dragon in her clan shared except her father and Dallas. There was no sense in pretending we could manage a sneak attack, so our best bet was a show of power.
Manny and Marcela disappeared behind the trunks of two large trees to undress, shifting quickly before Toni and Blythe rushed over to shove their shed clothing into the backpacks they wore—filled with charms and components for spells, should we need such things.
We were as ready as we were going to be, charging full-steam ahead to face the battle of our lives.
All for the chance of saving hers.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ori
The moment Noelle came to mind, my attention was pulled toward where I felt her strongest. There, several hundred yards away, stood a silhouette on the roof. A silhouette bearing faint purple light markings on the skin. The length of dark hair whipped wildly in the stifling air.
It was her, overlooking the long-dead prisoners she and the Darkness had set free. With the distance between us, it was impossible to make out her expression, but I imagined it.
A dark, satisfied grin.
She was no longer our Noelle. In that moment, I realized exactly who she belonged to.
She shrank back into the shadows as flames licked the soles of my shoes. I ran as hard and fast as I could, telling myself we only needed to get through this wave, then we’d be able to find and save her. It wouldn’t be anywhere near that easy, but easy or not, all our cards were on the table.
Feeling air surge into my lungs with every step, I led the charge, hurdling a section of wall that had likely fallen when this portion of the island succumbed to evil. Wanting to stick together, those of us capable of flying thought it best to stay grounded. We could manage better on land and protect one another as a unit. In instances such as these, there was no denying the safety in numbers.
An army of shadowy figures rushed straight at us, and we were ready. The clash of bodies as we pushed toward the prison told of our determination to make it inside. An inmate—still clothed in a filthy, orange jumpsuit—leapt toward me, only to be caught in midair by his throat. I held him about a foot out in front, using his body to shield me as I pressed closer toward the door. He’d clearly been infected at some point, but decaying skin and exposed ribs reminded me of the undead creatures that Noelle described from the burial ground.
Having gained a few feet, I turned up the heat, literally, letting my flames consume him. The howl that bellowed from his throat was unlike anything I’d ever heard. Within seconds, what remained of the rotting body fell to the ground in a heap of burning, decomposed flesh. The other dragons, following my lead, burned brighter as each moved through the sea of bodies, igniting each one they could touch. With three witches and three full-blooded wolves among us, our perimeter was well guarded. They managed to push the horde toward the center where every dragon steadily incinerated them.
“Marcela!”
The call from several yards away averted my attention to the right. Long enough to see the dark outline of a large, fur-covered body taking off into the trees. Toni followed, pleading with Marcela who’d gone to chase an inmate that slipped past.
‘It’s trying to divide us,’ I said, speaking of the Darkness as I dialed in to Paulo. ‘We need to get them back here. Quickly.’
‘On it.’ He shot into the air like a heatseeking missile while answering.
Our side was now down three bodies, but we kept pressing. The Darkness’ army had been brought down by more than half within minutes, and we forged onward, crushing the remains of burnt corpses beneath our feet. Beside me, Rayen took on four by himself. Using the sharp edge of his wing to remove the heads of two, lifting the others into the air—one in each hand—wailing as they went up in flames. Once they were no longer a threat, their bodies fell to the ground with a thud, adding to the slain that surrounded us.
In my peripheral, I caught sight of the queen and Liam. As far as royalty went, they weren’t the type to simply stand by and observe. They were knee-deep in the action. As the queen tore the head of an inmate clean off its shoulders, I didn’t miss the half-smile the rush of it all brought to Liam’s face. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he took pride in having her fight by his side.
It wasn’t hard to see where Noelle’s fearlessness had come from.
My elbow sank into the torso of an inmate attempting to catch me off-guard. When I lifted him into the air, Kai’s wing promptly sliced through what little flesh remained across his torso, cutting him in two. We each tossed our half of the body aside, quickly finding another to end.
The appearance of a bright fireball above signaled Paulo’s return. I breathed deep knowing he’d made it back safely. A quick scan revealed he’d successfully retrieved our two rogues as well.
‘All good, brother?’
I only had to wait until he finished stomping the skull of a uniformed guard to get a response.
‘For now, but we need to make our way inside.’
That wasn’t the answer I expected. ‘What is it?’
‘I think the ghouls Noelle fought at the burial ground are headed this way. Looks like she may have intentionally destroyed the seal around the site on her way to the prison this time,’ he explained, making that brief sense of relief leave me quickly. ‘They’re free and pissed off from what I could tell. One of them is huge, too, wearing a chieftain headdress.’
‘Great. Just what we need,’ I replied wearily,
coming within a few yards of the front entrance. Lucky for us, when the inmates were released, the seal on the door was broken. One less obstacle.
Breathless, sweating, and unsure of what the Darkness would throw at us next, our group gathered near the door. Turning back, we viewed the slain and those consumed by fire, scattered in piles across the yard.
Liam’s gaze met mine and the cold chill of distrust was still there. “You’re sure Noelle’s inside this place?”
An image of her standing on that roof only moments before returned, and I nodded. “Positive. I’d even go as far as to say she’s the one who sent the inmates out to greet us.”
The gravity in Liam’s expression was hard to miss. As was the moment the queen’s hand slipped into his, offering comfort as the full scope of their daughter’s circumstance became clearer.
“Paulo spotted more heading this way. Coming from the burial grounds this time,” I shared.
“Freakin’ zombies,” Dallas scoffed, disgusted as he shook clumps of flesh and dark, rancid liquid from his arms. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
Glancing around at our unlikely crew, I was pretty sure we all felt that way. We were a bit worn out, but still determined, even Noelle’s friends. Still wet behind the ears, they were, perhaps, a bit more shaken up than the rest of us, but no one could question their loyalty.
“Let’s keep moving.”
Liam nodded, agreeing with my suggestion.
The prison was too dark to even see my own hand in front of my face, so on instinct, every dragon among us blazed up, lighting the way. Not that the wolves and hybrids needed the help.
Nearly every cell was empty. Those that weren’t, held more of the undead we had just fought our way through—enraged monstrosities clearly desperate to escape, wanting nothing more than to finish the work of the other inmates. In vain, they reached for us, clawing at what was left of their tattered clothing in frustration. As we crept along, sticking close to the middle of the passageway and just out of arm’s reach, I recalled the conversation that took place mere hours ago, on the porch of the bungalow.