by M. R. Polish
“Hey, we don’t know where they’re at. You can’t blame yourself.”
I nodded and followed him to the door. I grabbed the tail of his shirt as he opened it slowly and looked out in the hall.
“Come on,” he said.
He didn’t have to tell me twice. We didn’t get far before Luna and Dregan appeared. Luna had blood around her face. “Oh my gosh, Luna, what happened?”
She limped over to me. “Crossbreeds. We tried to help. I even tried to wake you from your sleep.”
I remembered the howl in the distance when Meadow was with us. It was a trap. She distracted us so we couldn’t help. “Where is everyone?”
“Down here, hurry. I think Torres is hurt and Adonia too.”
We ran, following our wolves outside to the back of the hotel where a part of the woods started. “This way,” Luna called out to us.
I spotted them first and ran faster. Hela was hunched over my dad, blood covering them both. Ian ran to my mom, who was motionless on the forest floor. He checked her pulse and nodded. Relief that she wasn’t dead flooded me.
“Hela, we’re here.” I reached out for my dad, but Hela growled. “I need to help him, please,” I pleaded with him.
“He’s disorientated. Whatever is flowing through Torres’ veins is flowing through him, making him sick. I think it’s poison. He doesn’t know it’s you, he just knows someone is trying to touch his guardian.” Dregan came up and nudged me with his muzzle.
Well, that made sense, but it didn’t help any. “Can you talk to him?”
“Both Luna and myself have tried. He’s not understanding us.”
I looked at Ian, who seemed deep in thought. “What can we do?” I asked.
“Jarak told me once that you possess a wolfing power. Can you use it to put Hela to sleep?”
“A wolfing power? I don’t even know what that is!”
“He said Adonia, Victor, and you have it. You can use magic against guardians.”
I rolled my eyes upward. “Ugh, why am I always the last to find out what I have?”
“I think that’s a little irrelevant right now.”
He was right. I’d have plenty of time to vent later. I held my hand out and let magic flow from me to Hela. I channeled the same energy I used when I learned how to connect myself with those around me and let my magic flow to where I felt Hela’s core spirit. I felt him resist me but I persisted, not willing to give up. His eyes looked heavy and he toppled over. “Good, now that we know that works, help me with my dad.”
“Now that you know about that, remind me not to piss you off.”
I would’ve laughed if I hadn’t seen my dad’s wound. A deep laceration on his shoulder made me cringe. He was lucky his arm was still attached. The only reason I thought he was still alive was because whatever did this to him was also hot—hot enough to singe the skin and stop the bleeding—well, that and the fact that my mom was still alive so they were immortal. As long as she lived he would retain his immortality. Unless the crossbreed who did this used Belladonna.
I glanced at Ian. “I don’t know what to do. We need to wake my mom.”
We both darted to her side. I felt out with my energy and focused on hers. A sleep spell. I could fix that, I thought excitedly. I waved my hand over her face and her eyes began to flicker.
She sat up and looked around to grasp her bearings. Without saying anything she half ran, half crawled to my dad. “Torres, please be okay.”
I bent down beside her. “Mom, I’m here, I can help. Just tell me what to do.”
She sniffed back her tears and nodded. “We need to work together with his spirit to heal him.”
After what felt like hours of pulling his spirit to the surface and holding it there, my mom was able to use her powers to seal his wounds shut so he could start to heal.
“Will he be okay?” I asked. I needed to know the truth. I needed to be prepared. I already lost one dad and couldn’t lose another this soon.
She nodded, but I could feel her uncertainty. “He will be just fine.”
Ian helped me stand and held me a little longer than normal. My mom stood up and touched my arm. “Es, they took Ailaina. I’m so sorry.”
It felt as if my soul hit the ground. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” Flashbacks of the underground dark cell filled my vision. The black demon shadows that tortured me still scared me and I could still feel the horrible pain they inflicted. Was Ailaina there? Was she alone or with Jarak?
Ian rubbed my back. “Shhh. It’ll be okay.”
“No, Ian, they have Jarak and Ailaina. Nothing is okay.” I was breaking down; I could feel it all the way in my fingertips.
“Jarak?” My mom spun around to face us. “What do you mean they have Jarak? I thought you said that the B.O.M.B. took him?”
Ian clenched his jaw. “That’s what we thought.”
She swallowed deeply. “I need to get some help. If Julie has crossed sides we could be in real trouble.”
“Who can help us?” I was seriously beginning to doubt anyone’s loyalty.
“Moriah, possibly Gabriella. I’m not sure where Valis and Tamlynn are, but they might be able to help too. They are looking for anything that will help us with the Reaping Spell. I know of a couple other witches that aren’t afraid to go against Nicholas too.”
“Well, then, what are you waiting for? You should get a hold of Moriah.”
Chapter Eleven
Escape
Jarak
It took me a minute to realize I wasn’t in the interrogation room at the B.O.M.B anymore. Everywhere I looked was pitch black. I couldn’t see anything, not even my hands in front of my face. That’s when I noticed my hands were no longer tied either. What happened? What was in that shot MaryAnn gave me? Ugh, my head still pounded fiercely, even with my eyes closed.
Being in the dark wasn’t that bad, but not knowing what was around me didn’t settle too well. I felt out for Maztic and nearly choked when I couldn’t feel him. Inside I felt empty. I called out to him again, but nothing came back to me. “Maztic?” My breathing picked up and I stood up with my arms out trying to feel around. “Where are you?” Nothing was as bad as not knowing where he was and why I couldn’t feel or hear him.
The light nearly blinded me when someone opened the trap door. I looked around as I blinked rapidly. The high walls were made of dirt as well as the ground. My stomach flipped as I realized I was underground. I wasn’t in the same hole that Es was in before, but it was the same concept. Different house, different hole, but probably the same jerk who used them. I wasn’t sure what was going on, or how deep the betrayal went inside the B.O.M.B., but right now I wouldn’t trust anyone from the agency. It was definitely corrupted.
“I brought you some company,” a voice called down to me, followed by a thump and a small whimper.
The door shut, leaving us in total darkness. I crawled on my hands and knees, feeling the earth for whoever was thrown down with me. Finally, my fingers met with warm skin. “I can’t see you, but I won’t hurt you.”
“Jarak?” a small hoarse whisper asked. I knew that voice.
“Yes. Ailaina? Is that you?”
“Yeah.” Her voice was all but gone. It worried me even more that she was here. “How did they get you? Where is Es? Is she okay?” Ailaina moaned as she tried to sit up. Whatever they did to her was bad. She was in too much pain for just being thrown down in the pit. “Are you okay?”
“I think so,” she said. “I just hurt everywhere. We tried to fight them off. Ian and Es were sleeping. Adonia placed them under a spell. One minute we were talking outside to let them sleep, and the next we were surrounded. We were so outnumbered that not even with Hela, Dregan, and Luna could we win.”
I could hear the tears in her voice. I could only imagine what happened. I should’ve been there to help, but Julie tricked everyone, including me, and I was betrayed and stuck in this damn hole. “It’s okay, I’m gonna get us out of here.”
> “How?” her voice squeaked.
I wasn’t sure how, but I knew I wouldn’t quit until I died trying.
Esmerelda
I slipped on my boots and zipped up my hoodie. I didn’t know where Nicholas was hiding, but I was going to find him. No more playing around. No more dreams. I wanted my friends back. I needed my life back.
Ian slammed the door shut as I opened it. Crud. I thought he was sleeping. “Where do you think you’re going?”
I hesitated and glanced away, unable to look into his eyes.
“Princess, you think after what we’ve shared you can just leave me behind?”
“That's why I am leaving. I can’t lose anyone else. Especially not you.”
He put his fingers under my chin and moved my head so I had to look at him. “And you think I could stand to lose you?”
“I, uh, I need to do this. It’s my destiny, not yours.”
“My destiny is the same as yours. As soon as we, you know, that sealed the deal. I can’t lose you, Es. I love you.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. “I love you too.”
“If you think you need to go, then fine, we’ll leave right now, just the two of us, but you can’t get rid of me. I gave my heart to you and a guardian can only give it to one person, one time.”
“I know, and you have mine.”
He pulled me in and kissed me deeply. It ended all too soon with a clearing of the throat. Ugh, so not what I wanted. I didn’t want to say goodbye to anyone.
My mom stood with her arms folded by the hotel bed that my dad and Hela slept on. “You would leave without saying goodbye?”
“Mom, I just wanted to…” How was I supposed to tell her I wanted to leave?
“I know, but a goodbye would be nice. You’re an adult now. I can’t stop you, though I want to. Just know that within three days, Moriah will be here, along with Gabriella. She’s getting in touch with Valis and Tamlynn. They found something on the Reaping Spell and want to fill us in anyway. We will find you.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
She raised her brow. “Ian, take care of her. Don’t leave her.”
“Never,” was his reply.
I threw the map down. “This is worthless. Seriously a waste of time. I’m never gonna find him on a flippin map.” To say I was angry was an understatement.
“Use your power, Es. You can use the map with your energy to locate him. I’ve seen it done before.”
“Who in the bloody hell showed you that?”
Ian cleared his throat. “Lauren,” he said in a quiet whisper.
Well, that explained that. I wanted to be upset that he had a fling with her once, but since she was dead and he told me he loved me, I couldn’t find a reason to be mad about it. “Well, how did she show you?”
“Once upon a time, before she ever met me, she was in love with a warlock, the one she was assigned to protect, and he gave her a gift.”
“I see. So what happened to this warlock?”
“He died saving her from Nicholas when he was starting to build his army of breeds.”
The reality of what could happen with me or Ian weighed heavily on my shoulders and I couldn’t help the shiver that coursed down my spine. Immortality was not a promised forever. “I guess I need to keep practicing then.”
I sat back in the passenger seat of the car and lifted the map up to study it some more. Okay, it couldn’t be all that hard. Could it? Every time I felt out for Nicholas, my head played tricks on me and I saw memories of Ailaina or Jarak. I couldn’t concentrate long enough to find anything on the map. All I could think about was what kind of gift I should give to Ian. I knew I could only give one, so it had to be perfect.
The sun shone down on me making me squint. I snapped my fingers and my sunglasses dropped onto my palm. Ian chuckled. “I still think that is the coolest trick you do.”
“It would be cooler if I could snap my fingers and make the spot on the map magically appear.” I snapped my fingers for effect.
“Yeah, that too.”
I slid on my shades and blinked to make sure I was seeing the map correctly. With my sunglasses on, I could see a shimmering spot hovering over a certain area on the map. Oh my gosh, I never would’ve guess that a pair of generic sunglasses would be able to help me on this journey. “Ian, look, I think I figured it out.”
He leaned over to look. “I don’t see anything.”
“I didn’t either until I put on my glasses. Put yours on and look.”
He slid his on and leaned back over. “Ho-ly. Is that where Nicholas is hiding?”
I gave him a big smile. “I think so. I think we found him.”
“That’s great, but that’s a big area to cover looking for him. At least it’s narrowed down though. You need to call your mom and let her know. We can head out that way and meet them there.” He started the engine and took off down the highway.
I glanced back down at the mysterious shimmer and felt excited about it. Maybe, just maybe, this nightmare was almost over. With any luck, I would make it before something horrible happened to Jarak or Ailaina too.
Jarak
I lifted Ailaina up on my shoulders, but even together we weren’t quite tall enough, or strong enough, to reach the trap door. Even my usual strength was fading fast. We both slumped to the dirt floor. “It’s no use, we can’t reach it that way.”
I could hear her heavy breathing. “We have to try again. There has to be a way out.”
Just then, the door opened and filled the hole with blinding light. I shielded my eyes as I tried to adjust. “So, lover boy, are you ready to come out and play nice?” It was Julie. Just the sound of her voice made me sick. “I can get MaryAnn to bring in another shot of Crimsonite and knock you back out if you’d prefer.”
“Go,” Ailaina whispered. “Get out while you can. Maybe you can find a way back to help me.” Her trust in me made my heart sing. All was not lost. I still had friends that I needed to help.
“What do you want, Julie?” I asked, not masking the disdain in my voice.
“I want you to love me. It wasn’t that long ago when you thought what we had was real.”
“What we had was never real. You and I both know that.”
“Listen, Jarak, either you come up and play by these rules, or you don’t come up at all.”
Ailaina grabbed my arm, but stayed in the shadows. “Please go, this might be the only way.”
I gave her a slight nod, and then looked up at Julie. “Fine.”
Julie lowered a rope like ladder. “And if the little friend tries anything all deals are off.”
I gave one last look at Ailaina. Tears streaked the dirt on her face. My heart yearned to comfort her, but I couldn’t. I needed to get out to save her. I was just worried that in order to do so I may have to sell my soul—or worse.
I climbed the rope as quickly as I could. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to be out of the dark pit. Julie gave me a one of her fake smiles. “I knew you’d make the right choice. In the end it will always be me that you choose. Let’s go get you cleaned up before you meet with Nicholas.”
My stomach churned. I didn’t want to meet with him, I wanted to kill him. I could still remember when I found him with Es. I almost lost her to the Belladonna poisoning, but now I lost her to my brother.
I followed Julie out of the underground room we were in, trying to memorize every step so I could find my way back to help Ailaina.
Another exciting thought filled me when I realized that I would be able to hear Maztic now. “Maztic?” I tried weakly in my head.
“I’m here.” His voice was weak as well.
“What’s going on? Why haven’t you shown up?”
“After they took you from the plane, they put you in a secure room that my spirit couldn’t enter, and the underground pit was the same. Whatever magic is being used, is stronger than me. I’ve tried to reach you.”
I knew just by his tone h
ow tired he was. “I know you did. We’ll figure this out.”
Julie stopped once we reached the first story of the house, then turned to me. “You’re awfully quiet. You wouldn’t be talking to Maztic, would you?”
I shook my head. “No, just a lot to take in.”
She gave a coy smirk. “I haven’t seen him, but I guess that would be normal seeing as how Nicholas has a strong hold on the spirit element. He wouldn’t be letting him get through to you. He’s placed a barrier around the house forbidding all spirit wolves access.”
So, that’s why Maztic sounded so far away and tired. He was literally trying to fight against a blocking spell that was made to stop him. It was hard to understand why we were becoming vulnerable to magic after all these years.
Julie continued through the house, stopping at a door. “You can clean up in here. I’ve already laid clothes out for you.” She reached up and kissed my cheek before running her fingers down my face and jaw. “It’s good to have you on the winning side. I’ve waited years for this.”
Her touch burned my skin like acid. I wanted to pull away but knew better. “You’ve been dead for years,” I reminded her.
“Oh, but this started long before I died.” She spun around on her heel and left me to stand alone.
“Damn,” I cursed as I ran my hands through my hair. I decided to clean up while I had the chance, and hopefully the water would wash away the ill effects Julie left on my skin. Besides, I needed a chance to think things through. I needed to find a way to save Ailaina before it was too late.
I got dressed and leaned over on the counter. I hadn’t come up with a better plan than to just barge through the house and throw the ladder down to Ailaina and escape. It wasn’t a tight plan since Maztic couldn’t help me, something that made my soul ache. I wasn’t used to being without him and my body was getting weak without his spirit. Maybe that was what Nicholas wanted – to keep me alive but weak and at his disposal. No guardian that I ever knew of lived without their spirit wolf, and with every minute I became weaker I believed there was no way to live without Maztic. He was a part of me.