Passages (Alternate Worlds Book 1)

by Taylor Leigh

  Victoria glowered at him angrily. ‘I can do this! Don’t treat me like a child.’

  ‘You’ll do as you’re told.’ He turned back to her with venom. ‘Take my horse, ride to the keep. Stay there until someone comes and gets you. The temperature is going to keep dropping and I don’t want you out in this weather for long.’

  Victoria opened her mouth to reply but shut it again. What good would it do?

  Flynn stared at them. ‘I’ll go to my people; they hate the Blaiden more than they hate the Tartans. It will take convincing, but I can get it done.’

  Tollin turned and clapped her on the back. ‘Right. Go ahead, Victoria. I’ll go with Flynn on foot.’

  Andrew nodded. ‘Thed and I will head on to the village. We’ll all meet back at Miol Mor, if things go well.’ He turned to his brother. ‘If we hurry we might be able to beat the Blaiden to the village.’ He directed his gaze towards Victoria as he handed her his horse’s reigns.

  Victoria swallowed and grabbed his hands, not caring if he minded or not. His striking blue eyes slid down and focused intently on her.

  ‘Once you get to the keep, lie low. I want you as far from the trouble as possible. Forget whatever thoughts Tollin wants to put into your head. I need to know you’re safe.’

  Victoria squared her shoulders. ‘I can’t just sit back as you go off! I want to help!’

  ‘We should get out of here…’ Thedric said nervously.

  ‘If you’re so afraid, go already! I’m sure any straggling Blaiden would love to pick you off!’ Andrew snapped. He turned back to her. ‘Victoria…there could still be Blaiden out there. You wanted me to show more emotion, didn’t you? Well, look at me now. And know that I mean it sincerely that I need to know you’re safe. If you feel for me as strongly as you claim then you will swear to me and do this.’ His eyes shone.

  She smiled slightly, leaning in to him. ‘Don’t worry for me. I’ll be fine. And you must promise to be safe and not do anything foolish for your own glory.’

  He nodded his head. Not exactly a promise. ‘Do you know the way?’

  Victoria turned and pointed. ‘Just back along the road the way I came. I’m sure I can figure it out.’

  ‘Sounds rather vague.’

  Victoria shrugged. ‘So what’s your plan for defeating the Blaiden?’

  ‘I have several,’ he said evasively.

  Victoria grinned. ‘That’s rather vague!’

  Andrew showed a ghost of a smile. ‘Now, promise me you’ll wait at the keep. Wait till I—or someone else from the village—comes and gets you. If you don’t hear from anyone in a day, ride to Flotsen.’

  She swallowed.

  His gaze grew sharp. ‘Victoria…’

  ‘All right, I won’t. Promise.’ Victoria nodded and turned to the rest of the group. ‘You four be careful, okay?’

  Andrew dipped his head. ‘You as well. Don’t do anything stupid, if you can help it.’

  She smiled. ‘I’ll see you soon. Now go do what you do best; go save the village!’

  Andrew’s expression shifted, as if he were in a silent debate with himself about saying more, but he didn’t. He turned swiftly towards his own horse, which Thedric had already mounted, and swung himself up. Thedric flicked the reigns and the horse wheeled round. Victoria watched them thunder away from her and out of sight, down the road and into the darkened forest. Her heart sank, regretting she hadn’t thought of a better way to wish him farewell. Disappointed he hadn’t felt the need to.

  She turned back to Tollin, who had a mischievous smirk slapped across his rueful features. She took a deep breath. ‘I’ll do it. I want to go get the pods. I just…how would I destroy them?’

  Tollin’s grin widened. ‘Ah, Victoria, you are brilliant.’

  She shrugged. ‘Not like I’m going to just sit back and let you lot have all the fun.’

  Tollin stuck out his lips thoughtfully. ‘Fire? You could burn them. If you rode back to the keep you could get supplies there, assuming the Blaiden haven’t destroyed everything. Matches and whale-oil from the kitchen should do the trick.’

  Victoria nodded, making a mental list.

  Tollin nodded his head thoughtfully. ‘Right, yes. Get stocked up there. Find those sporepods and destroy them as quick as you can and then get back to the keep. It’ll be our little secret.’ He winked.

  Victoria jumped forward and threw her arms round him. ‘You be careful, okay?’

  ‘Of course!’ Tollin shooed her. ‘Go on! You know the way!’

  Victoria straightened, Tollin’s energetic attitude lifting her spirits.

  ‘If it isn’t too much trouble, I won’t mind you bringing back a souvenir!’ Tollin winked again.

  Victoria stared at him, trying to think of what he’d possibly want. Spores?

  ‘Just a thought,’ Tollin shrugged.

  Victoria nodded slowly. ‘Right…I’ll…see what I can do.’ She pulled herself up on Elberon’s back.

  Tollin grinned. ‘There’s a girl! Now get out of here!’

  Victoria smiled, cast one final look to where Andrew had departed and kicked Elberon into a run, regretting nothing more than leaving her friends behind her.

  * * * * *

  Reginald yanked his sword out of the body of a Denizen with some difficulty and the creature fell away from him with a gurgling snarl. He took a deep breath and told himself not to look down at his robes, not wanting to see how dirtied they were after the last few hours. Dust and blood was everywhere, even up in the higher layers, and Reginald knew he no longer looked himself.

  It was hard to keep up with Marus; he could tell that even Arkron was struggling. The gladiator had turned overly exuberant about his freedom and was feeding off of the revenge he was getting from the battle. It had brought him fully alive. Reginald had never seen Marus fight in the arena before, but if it was anything like he was seeing now, he understood why the gladiator was so adored.

  The Denizens had installed devices Reginald had never heard of before up in the highest layers. Arkron assumed they must have been plans from one of the lower Daemon Realms, and Reginald easily believed her. The damage the devices inflicted was devastating. Huge spiked metal balls were being launched from some point above them with loud explosions. The great projectiles blasted through buildings and wiped out troops of people, humans and Denizens alike. It was hard to know where the next projectile was going to fall and Reginald constantly kept his eyes glued to the sky, cringing each time he heard an explosion.

  A great blast rocked the area round them and Reginald watched as another massive ball hurtled down towards where Marus was fighting. He shouted and raced forward, pointing up as he ducked spiked maces and claws. Arkron grabbed Reginald by the arm and shoved him up against a wall as Marus finally looked to the sky. He rolled out of the way, smacking into the same wall. The giant ball smashed into the ground where he had been standing, completely obliterating the fallen Denizens. It began to roll down the winding road, like a marble dropped in a corkscrew pipe, rumbling out of sight, spikes yanking up huge sections of the stone road as it went. Marus pushed himself up and wiped a streak of dirt across his forehead. His dark hair hung down in wet clumps, dripping sweat into his face. His broad chest rose and fell heavily. Still, he managed a brilliant smile, blue eyes lighting up.

  ‘This is a lot more fun than I remembered. Glad I signed up!’

  Arkron scanned the skies. ‘It’s only fun because there aren’t any Daemons yet.’

  Marus huffed, thoughtful. ‘Yeah…’ He took a deep breath. ‘None of my friends are here, either.’

  Arkron put her hand on his shoulder. ‘I’m here.’

  He snorted. ‘Is that supposed to make me feel better?’ He grabbed her round the waist and pulled her close.

  Reginald pushed himself up off the wall. ‘Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but have you two forgotten what we’re doing? This isn’t a holiday!’

  Marus glanced over at him. ‘You’re talking pretty to
ugh for someone so short.’

  Reginald stiffened. ‘I’m not short!’

  Marus spread his hands. ‘Yeah? I think your height speaks for itself.’

  Reginald shoved forward and glowered up at the big man. ‘Oi, you listen here! I…’ He swallowed, suddenly realising just how intimidating Marus truly was.

  Marus crossed his arms across his chest. A smug smile ate up his face. ‘I’m not someone you want to mess with. Trust me. I’m too much for you to handle.’

  Reginald turned away, slumping against the wall. He needed to take advantage of the lull in the action to try and catch his breath. Sweat rolled off of his brow and dripped into his eyes. Around him, he could have sworn he felt a slight shift in the atmosphere. Something he didn’t think had anything to do with the pause in battle.

  The weather was changing dramatically. Reginald had tried to not notice, but with Arkron’s continual glancing up to the sky, it was hard not to. The wind was picking up, whipping at Reginald’s clothing with surprising force. Above him, the sky was clouding, everywhere except for right above the palace. That little piece of the sky was still perfectly clear, allowing a window to the shining stars above.

  The air was becoming thicker, as well. Invasive, perhaps would have been a better word to describe it. It was like something was trying to force its way into the same space Reginald occupied. Something invisible and impatient, trying to push him aside. The problem was, there was nowhere for him to go. The uncomfortable feeling was wrapping itself all round him, constricting him, as if it were trying to simply squeeze him out of existence.

  It wasn’t just happening to him. It was either a trick on his eyes, or the very structures, people, air around him was vibrating, reminding him of a plucked string. Then the trembling became more severe, till the road beneath him rocked in protest.

  The ground buckled again and Reginald pitched forward, narrowly missing falling on his sword as he threw his arms out wide. He smacked into the rock ground hard and felt his breath leave him in a whoosh! Again, the earth trembled violently. The buildings round him groaned and shook. What the hell was going on? Was a sandworm burrowing beneath the city? No, it couldn’t possibly be—there was a roar like a sandstorm and Reginald’s head yanked up. Something was cutting through the air, flashing, insubstantial, like a curtain. Reginald could see Arkron standing on the other side of it, rippling, like he was looking through a waterfall, and yet, he could see things inside of it, horrible grinning faces and strange buildings unlike anything he could have imagined.

  ‘Arkron!’ he cried in near panic. ‘What’s happening?’ His voice was almost lost over the roar of the curtain. Others were flashing round him, weak little blips here and there.

  ‘It’s a rift between Realms!’ Arkron shouted, voice high and nervous. ‘The link is almost complete!’

  Reginald staggered to his feet just as the curtain before him faded, howling, to a distant sheen. Others round him were still flaring stronger. He dashed forward towards Arkron, heart thudding in his chest in terror.

  Arkron’s lips were pressed tightly together. ‘We’re running out of time, less than I thought. These rifts are just random Realms. The stone is probably trying to find the right one, like flipping through channels.’

  ‘What?’

  Arkron shook her head. ‘Never mind. The point is, we have to break that connection before it randomly lands on the right Realm. Once that happens, I don’t think we’ll be able to stop it.’

  Marus jogged up, breathing heavily. ‘Well then, what the hell are we waiting for? We’re almost to the palace. Let’s get moving!’

  A distant boom! came from overhead and the three looked up in knowing dread. Through the smoky, dark sky an object sailed, lazily looping downwards, headed straight for them. It was one of the spiked projectiles the Denizens were firing from above, and it was falling fast.

  ‘Move!’ Marus shouted, shoving the others out of the way. He scrabbled for safety, tripping over debris.

  The ball hit the ground hard, narrowly missing Marus, but unlike the rest, it exploded. For a horrible moment, Reginald thought spores were inside. Like an egg dropped on the pavement the spiked projectile completely shattered, yet instead of a beautiful yellow yolk, what leaked from this orb was a thick blackness that rose into the air as if it had a life of its own. Before Reginald could even process what was happening, the sky above him and the city round him had faded to a pitch, soul-sucking blackness.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  He was blind. Around him bounced the cries of the confused and panicked. Marus’s voice came from somewhere, practically roaring. The eerie howls of the Denizens picked up, echoing down the streets, either trying to locate each other, or strike fear in the hearts of their enemies, he didn’t know.

  The vibrating noise of the Realm rifts intensified, throbbing against his eardrums like moths. He couldn’t breathe. The blackness pressed in on him, stopping him in his tracks. There was something in the darkness. With no sight left to him he had to rely on his other senses, and Reginald could sense something else there. Something watching him. The thin skin between the Realms was weakening, and Reginald wasn’t sure he was grateful he couldn’t see, or more worried. He wondered what it would look like when, as Arkron had said, the stone finally landed on the right channel.

  He stumbled against something in the dark, cursing as pain rocketed up his shin. On top of it all, his eyes were burning agonisingly. Whatever the blackness was that permeated the atmosphere, it was reacting badly with him.

  ‘Arkron?’ he choked out weakly. He didn’t want to shout too loudly. He had no way of knowing what else was out there.

  An animalistic snarl ripped through somewhere nearby in the darkness. Reginald staggered away from it. There was a grunt and the sound of metal sliding across something soft and a yelp. A familiar male voice swore eloquently.

  ‘Marus?’

  ‘Keep your voice down! We don’t know what else is out here!’ Marus’s voice came from nearby and hoarse.

  Reginald’s throat was burning as well. His lungs were reacting to the blackness as if it were a heavy smoke. He broke into a fit of coughing and stumbled into a solid object. It grabbed him.

  ‘Well, this certainly complicates things,’ Marus growled.

  Reginald blinked his streaming eyes. ‘We need to find Arkron. Do you think she’s okay?’

  Marus went quiet. ‘I don’t know. She was close to where that bomb went off.’

  Reginald’s lungs seized up and he coughed heavily. He pulled out a cloth and pressed it to his face, desperate for some sort of filter.

  ‘Stay here, I’ve got to try and find her.’

  Reginald truthfully didn’t want to be left alone again in the darkness. The idea terrified him. He and Marus might not find each other again, but he couldn’t stand the thought of losing Arkron. Not after all she’d done for him. ‘I’ll help,’ he stammered.

  ‘No! Stay here. We can’t all be stumbling round in the dark. Don’t move no matter what—unless it’s a Denizen.’

  ‘What?’ Panic rose in him.

  ‘Stay there!’ Marus snarled.

  Then he was gone and Reginald was once again left alone in the emptiness. The howls and shouts from the layers below bounced up through the invisible buildings. Reginald briefly wondered if this was what Hell was like. Perhaps he was already there. Perhaps the Realms had already connected and the Daemons were through.

  Wherever Marus had gone, Reginald no longer could sense his presence. He was lost in the void. Alone. It was as if Marus had never existed at all. His breathing sounded ragged and too loud. Reginald had never been afraid of the dark, but this was different. This was wrong. Unnatural. And bloody terrifying.

  As he stood there, fighting back his fear in the black, he became aware of something else: He wasn’t alone.

  A cold, slinking presence had suddenly ripped through the darkness, making Reginald jolt. It didn’t touch him in any physical way, but his mind�
�instinct perhaps—made him aware with an animalistic certainty that he was in the presence of a dominant, dangerous predator. A slight whimper passed, with some shame, through his lips.

  Without any sight left to him, Reginald strained on his other senses in the blackness. There was something here. Something alive. Something that definitely wasn’t a Denizen. He could feel its deep, pulling presence, as if it were drawing things in to it from its surroundings. Reginald’s insides began to flutter in a panicked, wild way. Something, something inside of him was straining, as if it were being sucked away from his body. Something right behind his heart. The resistance made him feel ill. Something in his body, something not flesh, was struggling to stay put as it was, with increasing force, being torn away.

  Reginald realised with dreaded certainty what it was: His soul.

  Something out there in the blackness was trying to pull his very soul away from him. He groaned in sickened pain, realising with some horror that it might actually succeed. He swore violently, sword going slack in his grip. His chest tightened, heart bursting. Like his insides were caught in a suction.

  Reginald trembled in pain as the pull grew worse. His insides were going to tear apart. He bit his bottom lip, sweat slid down his forehead in the hot darkness. Marus had told him not to move, no matter what he heard, but surely, the gladiator hadn’t imagined this.

  The monstrous presence was drifting closer. Though Reginald could not see it, he could almost feel its curiosity as it started to pull round him, like a blanket. Investigating.

  Where was Marus? The thing in the darkness couldn’t have eaten him, Reginald was rather sure he would have heard that. But…what if he didn’t hear it? What if Marus was dead now, devoured in the darkness, eaten by this creature, so horrible it didn’t even make a sound as it killed.

  Run, run, run, run, run. His brain chanted to his strained muscles, stuck in terror. He unconsciously took a step backwards, away from the invisible beast that was, though insubstantial to him, nudging against him in a curious, and increasingly forceful way. His heel kicked a rock and it grated along the road.