by Raven Steele
This stopped me. I’d been so focused on destroying what I could of Korin’s that I failed to miss how easy it had been to find these people. They should be guarded. Maybe this really was a trap.
But I couldn’t find it in me to care. I needed to free these people and hurt Korin where it counted.
Loxley scratched at her arms. “We have to go. I have a bad feeling about this.” She turned towards the crowd, focusing on the sobbing woman. “We’ll come back for you, I promise.”
I growled, grinding my teeth. No. I was sick and tired of letting Korin win. We were going to save them now, then burn this place down.
A look of anguish on her face, Loxley turned, shoulders hunched, and left the room. I didn’t follow. Instead, I walked over to one of the cages and pulled out my sword, banging on one of the locks with the hilt.
“Samira,” Briar warned.
“Go ahead and leave,” I told her. “I’m staying.”
She ground her teeth together. “I swear to you, we will come back for them after we know more about this place. Besides, what are we going to do with all these people who are addicted to Scorpion’s Breath? We don’t have any more holy water. Plus, these people could be compelled, just like the ones at the college. They might attack you as soon as you open the doors.”
I shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“Samira!” Briar’s voice came out different now, more commanding. She was using her Alpha voice. “Come here.”
My eyes snapped to her, my fangs descending as anger rolled over me. “Don’t you ever try and compel me.”
Her face softened, tears sparking her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it, I swear.”
I studied her, my chest heaving. I’d had enough of Korin trying to control me, I didn’t need one of my best friends to try to do it too. But I could feel the sincerity pulsing from her, and I calmed my breathing.
The sound of chains clanking together caught my attention. I peered into the cage of people I was trying to set free. My eyes widened as I recognized one of the women inside. It was the girl Mateo and I had drunk from together at Nine Lives. Guilt plagued me, and I sucked in a breath, my lips parting.
She came towards me, slipping her hand through the bars to cup my face. “I recognize you.”
I nodded, afraid to speak. I was so ashamed.
“What’s your name?” she asked, her voice drawling as if she’d just woken from a long nap.
I stepped back a little. “Samira.”
“Samira,” she repeated, as if tasting it on her tongue. Her arms fell limply to her side. “You drank from me with your lover.”
“I’m sorry,” I stuttered.
“Don’t be! It was one of the best nights of my life.”
I frowned, looking around. “But it shouldn’t have been. And now you are prisoner to a very dangerous man.”
She nodded. “More like a demon.” She shrugged, her gaze falling to the floor. “It isn’t so bad. The drugs make everything better.”
“Believe me, you won’t feel that very soon.”
Her glazed eyes found mine again, and she smiled. “It doesn’t matter. We’re not going anywhere. There are three of you, dozens of us, and hundreds of them.”
“No,” I choked out and lowered my head to the bars. The girl was right.
“Guys!” Loxley hissed from the door. “Let’s go.”
Briar moved next to me. “How long have you guys been here?”
The girl nodded towards the other side of the room. “Lucy’s been here for two months.”
Briar looked at me. “We should have enough time to come back.”
Shaking my head, I tightened my hand on my sword, but the chains rattled again and the girl reached for my hands. “You must go. Come back when you know for certain you can save us.”
Briar tugged at me. “Come on. We’ll come back, I swear it!”
I let Briar drag me away and as soon as we were out of the room, I smashed my fist against the wall. It crumbled under my fist. Growling, I reluctantly followed Briar and Loxley down the hall, but along the way I slashed my sword against every painting I could, trying to release some of the anger burning inside me.
“So much for being subtle,” Briar grumbled, but she didn’t stop me.
“Where are the guards?” Loxley whispered as she lead the way, fear tingeing her voice. She reached behind her back and pulled out a dagger she’d been concealing.
We reached what must be the center of the cathedral. It was an open space that rose at least fifty feet above us, where a chandelier hung the likes of which I’d never seen before. It was made of silver and reminded me of an upside down, much larger version of the skeleton trees outside. Its metal protruded sharply into the great space, and the spines twisted and turned within each other. A tangled mess of pointed blades and sharp edges, looking more like a giant weapon than an impressive piece of art.
It hung from an intricately painted ceiling of angels and demons, but toward the edges of the ceiling, a dark storm of grays and blacks had been painted all around. White lightening broke up the darkness. The painting was so vivid, I could practically hear thunder raging from within it.
“This way,” Briar said, after taking several more photos. But as soon as she turned her back, I moved in the opposite direction, determined to at least destroy something.
If Naburus was here, I would kill him, regardless of what anyone else said.
I jogged towards another wide hallway lined with rows of mirrors level with my head, all the same size and shape, on each side of the hallway. If I turned to the side even a little, I’d see an image of myself, rage bleeding from my dark eyes, fangs extended. I barely recognized myself.
I lowered my gaze to the floor, unable to look at myself any longer. Maybe I needed Naburus to come to me. I was wasting time wandering these halls.
Making a fist, I smashed through a mirror. It tinkled and cracked. More. I needed more noise. I smashed and thrashed with my sword, as loud as possible.
“Samira! What the hell are you doing?” Briar raced after me.
I stopped and whirled around, my chest heaving. “I’m only going to say this once. Leave. Now. Get Loxley and go, because I’m not stopping until I feel his blood on my hands.”
Briar clenched her fists tight. “Whose? Korin’s? The Phoenix’s?” When I turned back around and continued to break all the mirrors, she called, “You’re insane and going to get us all killed!”
“I said go,” I snapped back just as I sent a mirror crashing into a thousand shiny slivers. One of the shards caught moonlight spilling in from a window in its grasp. It’s light reflected back into my eyes, momentarily blinding me.
“I don’t like this,” Loxley said, her voice faint as she stumbled behind Briar. “I’m feeling sick.”
I continued down the hallway, my path of destruction still raging. Where was Naburus? Come out and play, Naburus, I wanted to shout.
At the end, I reached another set of double doors.
Loxley had stopped several yards back from us, her mouth agape. “Don’t go in there.”
Grinning, I placed my hand on the door handle. I felt no more magic than what the rest of the cathedral contained.
“Don’t go in there, Samira,” Briar warned.
“Naburus could be in there,” I growled, feeling my hungry pulse in my hands.
“Who’s Naburus?” Briar asked just as I shoved open the doors and stepped inside.
It was a giant room with black shiny floors and great black pillars that reached from the ceiling to the floor. At the back of the room was a raised platform with a single throne made from silver. Its back mirrored the chandelier, and had spears and twisted branches rising high above it. I immediately wanted to destroy it.
Briar’s stepped inside, her eyes wide. “This is super weird.”
Just as the words left her mouth, the air began to shimmer in great waves until an image took shape. Not just one, but many. Too many.
The doors snapped shut behind us, leaving Loxley outside. At least she was safe. For now. I hoped she’d be smart and get the hell out of here.
I sucked in a breath as rows and rows of Hydes appeared, soldiers ready for battle. And seated beyond them, on the raised metal chair, the Phoenix slowly smiled.
Chapter 28
I sucked in a breath, fear slamming into my chest. The Phoenix had been here the whole time. They all had. Just waiting for us. And I’d foolishly led us into his trap because I wanted to kill Naburus. I quickly scanned the room again. There was no sight of the feeble vampire.
Growling, I faced the Phoenix, my sword squeezed tight in my hand. If he was going to attack us, I would be ready for him. Briar stepped next to me and grabbed my arm to keep me from moving forward. With her other hand, she rubbed at her eyes as if she wasn’t really seeing what was appearing right in front of her.
When the image didn’t go away, she whispered, her voice cracking, “Don’t move, Sammie. I don’t know if you know it yet or not, but we’re so screwed.”
The Phoenix rose to his full, intimidating height. “I would say ‘welcome’, but you weren’t invited.”
Briar lifted her hand and slowly backed up. “Whoops! Our bad. We’ll be going now.”
The Phoenix descended the steps in front of him. “Did you not think I knew the second you set foot in my kingdom?”
Briar forced a grin. “We knocked on the front door, but no one answered. You look busy, though, with all these people. We can come back if—”
“Stop talking,” I hissed at her from the corner of my mouth.
“It’s either that or piss myself,” she hissed back.
The Phoenix walked between a row of Hydes toward us. “I’m impressed you didn’t free my prisoners, but lucky you didn’t. You would’ve found a place with them.”
“You couldn’t contain us,” Briar blurted.
He stopped moving and smiled. “Ah, but I have a place for special people like you, young Komira. Where I’d put you, you’d never get out. Would you like to see it?”
“Would you like to see me shove your dick in your mouth?”
I tried to take a breath but my chest was too tight. “Briar!”
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
His expression darkened. “That mouth needs to be sewn shut.”
“So I’ve heard.”
He stared at Briar, the intensity of his gaze increasing. My heart skipped a painful beat, and my breathing stuttered at what I feared might be about to happen. I’d seen and felt the same look in other powerful beings I’d encountered over the years.
Briar’s lips snapped closed and out of thin air a needle and thread appeared and pierced Briar’s lips. She cried out as it quickly sucked into her skin only to reappear and do the same thing over and over in a matter of seconds. I tried to grab it, but it moved too quickly for even my vampire speed. Before I knew it, the needle disappeared, leaving her mouthless.
Briar screamed a muffled sound and dropped to her knees, clawing at her mouth.
“That’s better,” the Phoenix said.
I stared down at her in horror until a cold and fierce anger filled my veins. How dare he mutilate her! The only thing stopping me from racing forward was instinct, the kind that spread fear though every pore on my skin—the absolute knowledge that even with the Kiss, I was no match for him. His nose flared, and I knew he could smell it, my fear.
Forcing absolute control over my body, I met his dark gaze. “What do you want?”
His eyebrows lifted. “What do I want? You’re the ones who broke into my palace, so the real question is what do you want?”
I didn’t miss a beat. “I want to destroy Korin.”
“Interesting.” He clasped his hands in front of him and proceeded forward until he was ten feet in front of me. Briar hadn’t noticed. With tears in her eyes, she was trying to tear at the string holding her mouth closed. She was breathing too quickly from her nostrils. The sensation of having her mouth closed might be making her feel claustrophobic. I knew that was a real fear for her—I needed to get her out of here.
“Korin is my ally,” the Phoenix said.
“He will betray you. Korin never plays well with people for long.”
He laughed. “You think I’m afraid of Korin’s betrayal? I know all about Korin, and for now, I want to use him. He serves an important function. Until then, we will work together. But,” he looked me up and down, “when the time comes, if you’re still alive, I’d be happy to let you destroy him. He is too conceded and power-hungry for my taste. There is only one master who deserves all the power.”
“Trianus,” I said, glancing down worriedly at Briar. She was really beginning to panic.
“Yes. He will rise soon, and all glory will be his. Every knee shall bend. Those who survive his cleansing, anyway.” He tilted his head, eyeing me thoughtfully. “I think I’d like to see you destroy Korin, but I’m not sure you’ll survive him. Time will tell.”
“We’d like to leave now.” I didn’t know what else to say. I couldn’t fight him and all these Hydes. Even if I fully unleashed the Kiss, I don’t think I would survive. Besides, if I did that, the Kiss would seek pleasure in watching Briar suffer. Already I could feel its long dark tendrils pressing at the spaces between my organs, trying to expand in excitement and anxiousness.
“What about what I want?” His voice was cold and cruel, and he stared down at me from his unnatural height with black eyes. His body was surrounded by darkness, as if his very presence repelled goodness and light. A power pulsed between us, pressing against me, making goosebumps prickle my skin. I shivered, unable to repress it, and he slowly grinned. “I didn’t want my palace polluted with your filth. But here we are.”
“We won’t return.”
He laughed out loud. It was a harsh biting sound, something that belonged in another world. “You lie. We both know it. You will return to save those people, but I hope you will believe me when I say it would be a futile task. Those people belong to me now. They are my soldiers.”
Briar’s face turned a deep purple. She was attempting to suck in as much air as she could through her nose but having a hard time. Another few seconds of this, and she’d pass out.
Taking a risk, I turned my back to the Phoenix and crouched in front of Briar. I grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly. Her wide eyes moved to mine, revealing a flood of desperation.
I sucked in an exaggerated breath. “Breathe, Briar. Right now. I need you conscious.”
She nodded and inhaled a sucking, choking breath through her nose.
“Again.” I breathed in and out slowly, and she followed my lead. “That’s it, do it slowly.” Tears sparked her eyes, but they were the tears of someone who was furious. “Calm down, take another slow breath.”
She did as I ordered, and when her color began to return to normal, I straightened and faced the Phoenix. “Let us go. Please.”
His gaze moved from Briar to me. By the way the corners of his mouth turned up, he’d found my interaction with Briar amusing. “As you probably already know, you two are very valuable for what it is to come. I’d like you to stay alive awhile longer, but truly it’s not necessary. We have both your blood … stale, but your blood nevertheless. However, I can’t let this slight against me go unpunished.” He paused, ticking his head to the side, a motion that looked too human on him. “I enjoy a good gamble, and so I’m going to gamble on your survival.”
I swallowed through tight thickness in my throat. “I don’t understand.”
Briar’s breathing finally regulated. She struggled to her feet, puffing air from her nose as powerful as a bull. Power gathered around her. The Phoenix seemed to notice and glanced at her, but he didn’t look worried. “You’re going to fight my soldiers.”
I blinked, my gaze wandering to the rows and rows of Hydes who still stood immoveable. There must’ve been at least three hundred. “You can’t expect—”
“Kill th
em,” he ordered. His gaze snapped to mine, then he blinked and completely disappeared.
Briar gasped and looked all around, then her shocked gaze turned to me as if to ask, “Where did he go?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer. The Hyde soldiers carried out their orders and rushed us with deadly looks in their eyes.
The doors behind us flew open with a bang. In their place, Loxley stood tall and brave, gasping for air. “Run!”
I didn’t waste a second. I whirled around and grabbed Briar’s shirt, yanking her with me as I sprinted from the room.
The second we entered the hallway, Briar’s mouth snapped open and the thread disappeared as if it had never been there. A string of profanities sounding like one long word spilled from her mouth as we ran away from the Phoenix.
“Faster.” I nudged at Loxley’s back. Shifter wolves were fast, but vampires were faster. I could easily zip past them, but I’d never left friends behind before and wasn’t about to start now.
The Kiss buzzed inside me, loving every drop of the adrenaline racing through my body. It wanted me to stop and fight the hordes sprinting after us, satisfy the craving for blood and violence. Gritting my teeth, I fought against the urge, skipping forward faster to force my feet in the right direction.
Loxley skidded around a corner into the grand entryway and headed toward the front doors. She slammed into them and wooden splinters flew in all directions as we barreled through it.
All three of us leapt down a long flight of stairs. Briar and Loxley dropped and rolled to withstand the impact. I paused to make sure they didn’t break anything, but Loxley jumped up, taking a sharp right into a section of the grounds. Briar and I glanced back at the cathedral as a sea of Hydes poured from the shattered front doors. There were so many that several had to crawl and leap over the tops of others to get at us.
“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.” Briar turned after Loxley with me right behind her.
“Can you do that psychic thing with Angel?” I yelled at her over the pounding of my heart.