“Take me to her.”
The Elder bent at the waist with surprising respect then continued to lead Thane through Eirie. His boots tapped against the stone streets while the Elder’s were soundless. Other than their movement and the wind causing the ornamental banners to flap against the buildings, the city was silent.
They reached The Citadel gates. Only one-armed Fae stood guard. After the guard and the Elder shared a brief exchange, Thane and the Elder entered The Citadel. The sights of the courtyard and buildings were familiar, but the same eerie quiet penetrated the walled section of the city.
“Where is Darcie?” Thane asked as they were about to step inside the rectangular tower.
The Elder paused and grew silent. Thane suspected he was calling on whatever power allowed him to know Darcie’s location. He waited patiently for an answer.
The Elder inhaled deeply before replying. “She is with The Veritas.”
Thane did not hesitate. He had memorized the route on his first, and only, visit to Eirie. He’d been determined to learn all he could about the mystical realm and the illustrious city for his brother’s sake.
He navigated the halls of the tower, ignoring the Wise Ones he passed along the way. The beings had to step out of his path or risk being bumped into by the eager immortal. Des had said something didn’t feel right about Darcie’s departure, and Thane was beginning to feel it too. He knew he needed to get to Darcie sooner rather than later.
He arrived outside the tall wooden door and pulled on the metal ring to open it.
A feminine gasp reached his ears.
Thane nearly fell forward with relief as he stepped inside. Darcie stood in the center of the bland room, unharmed.
“Thane?” She looked between him and the Elder standing in the doorway. “What is it?”
A humorless laugh escaped him. “’What is it?’” he repeated. “You must be joking.”
Darcie rubbed her face. “Des sent you.” She sounded sad and exhausted. “How mad is he?”
“He isn’t mad. He’s worried.”
“I’m fine. I just needed space… I needed to think.”
“Did you consider thinking at the mansion?” Thane asked, gesturing to the bare room around them. “Or was there another reason you escaped to Eirie?”
She crossed her arms defensively. “This was the first place that popped into my head.”
Thane nodded and moved into the room. There was no point in chastising her rash decision. He looked at the old leather binding of The Veritas. “Mind if we speak somewhere else?” Being so near the spell book felt wrong.
“Sure.” Darcie looked at the Elder.
“I will escort you to the inner garden.” He moved without waiting for their response. His soundless steps would make him hard to follow if they waited any longer. Both Darcie and Thane picked up their pace to catch the male.
The walls leading to the garden were equally bare yet pristine, just like the rest of the building. The area rested in the center of the tower and opened to the sky. Lush bushes and flowering trees lined the area. A single fountain stood in the center. It was a pretty sight, and much showier than Thane had anticipated. The lack of decor inside the tower certainly didn’t match the grandeur of the welcoming garden. He’d assumed the residents of The Citadel lived like monks, forgoing any luxury or finery.
The Elder pointed towards the fountain. “I shall remain inside while you two speak.” With that, he ducked back inside the tower.
Thane spared Darcie a glance before walking towards the fountain. Gurgles and splashes of water increased as they drew near. The sound enhanced the scenery. He sat on the wall surrounding the fountain. It was two feet wide and made a useful bench. Darcie sat next to him.
They both stared at the rosebush in front of them, each of them lost in their own thoughts, trying to figure out how to begin. A cloud passed overhead, casting a calm shadow over the bush.
When sunlight reappeared, Thane broke the silence. “This isn’t really about staying in Greece. Is it?”
Slowly, Darcie turned her gaze to him. “What?”
“Your frustration, leaving without a word of where you were going… this isn’t because we all want you to stay at the mansion.” Her eyes widened, letting Thane know he was right.
She looked away, keeping her attention on the plant life. “What else would I be upset about?”
His chest pushed out as he inhaled and deflated with his exhale. “My guess would be about Des’ growing power and his inability to control it.”
Darcie leaned forward, pressing her palms into the edge of the wall. “And how he refuses to complete our bond?” She shut her eyes for a second, hiding the turmoil swirling behind her eyelids.
“I’m definitely not happy about that stuff.” She opened her eyes. “Especially not when it could save him from hurting people.”
Thane agreed, but his brotherly loyalty forced him to say, “He is only doing what he believes is best for you.”
“Exactly.” She rotated her hips to face him. “Des cares about what is best for me. But what about him? What about all the other innocent people who could be hurt by his lack of control.”
“Des cares about you more than anyone else in the world. His soul was made for yours” he reminded her. “I am not saying it’s right for him to ignore the wellbeing of others for your sake, but you have to understand that, to him, there is no one else who matters more. He loves you beyond everything. Sometimes, even beyond logic.”
Darcie’s eyes glistened. “But not enough to complete the bond with me.” Her words came out choked. She looked away and cleared her throat.
Sympathy filled him. He knew Darcie had felt rejected by his brother’s refusal. “You are nineteen, Darcie. Des is scared of you making the commitment before you are ready.”
“Why doesn’t he believe me when I say I’m ready?”
That was a good question. “I don’t know.”
Darcie blinked and brushed away the few tears which managed to escape and roll down her cheeks. “Did he send you to come get me?” she repeated the question from when she first saw him.
“He sent me to check on you,” he modified her words. “He wanted to make sure you are alright.”
She sniffed and nodded, staring off at a flowering bush. “I should go back.” Darcie stood and smoothed her expression, concealing her inner turmoil with ease. If Thane hadn’t seen the tears, he would never have guessed the composed young woman had cried moments ago. He feared she was picking up the unhealthy habit of masking emotions from his brother.
“Yes.” Thane pushed himself off the fountain’s wall. “I’ll go inform the Elder. He’d taken two steps toward the entrance when Darcie’s sharp gasp made him pause.
Turning around, Thane eyed her with curiosity. His body stiffened as he saw the whites of her eyes and the twitching of her limbs. He rushed forward and grabbed onto her shoulders just before she was about to fall back into the fountain.
“Darcie?” It was pointless. He knew she was in the middle of a vision. Thane held onto her protectively and waited for the vision to end.
He didn’t have to wait long.
Darcie’s consciousness came rushing back as she flung herself forward, breathing heavily.
“Are you alright?” he asked in between her breaths.
She lifted her head and stared at him in horror. “They’re coming.”
19
Thane saw the crazed look in Darcie’s eyes. He wasn’t sure if she was fully released from the vision. “Who is coming?”
Darcie jumped to her feet, forcing Thane to step back, but he did not release her shoulders.
“Take it easy,” he told her.
She shook her head furiously. “You don’t understand. They’re coming!” She tried to push past him, but Thane refused to let her move.
“Darcie. Stop. What are you talking about?”
Before she could respond a loud crash sounded from within the rectangular tower
. Thane turned but he saw no sign of what caused the noise. He looked back at Darcie with wide eyes.
Her face paled as she stared at the archway. “They’re here.”
The unease Thane felt the moment he’d arrived in Eirie magnified. It pressed against him, urging him to take Darcie and leave. Whatever she had seen in her vision, it was already taking place.
And it wasn’t good.
“Darcie, I need you to tell me what is going on.”
She continued to stare at the entrance to the garden. Her pupils constricted and shifted, looking like they were seeing more than an empty opening. “The rebels,” she finally answered. “They are here.”
Alarms sounded in his head. “We need to go,” he told her. “Get us out of here.”
Her wild eyes continued to stare at the building. In a flat, almost unfeeling tone, she said, “I cannot transport both of us.”
Thane cursed under his breath. “That’s fine. You can leave and get help.”
“No one would be able to come back with me.”
“Damnit, Darcie, I don’t care. You need to get out of here.” Their enemies would be more concerned with harming Darcie than him. She needed to escape to safety. He could hide until the threat of their presence ended.
Rather than listen to his command, Darcie shrugged off his hands and tried to rush towards the building. Thane quickly grabbed her arm and swung her around until she was back in front of him. Now, he faced the tower.
“Are you crazy? You cannot go in there.” She would be running straight into whatever attack the rebels had planned. Thane had no idea how their enemies managed to infiltrate the protected realm but trying to figure it out was pointless. They needed to escape. Immediately.
“Elder Niro is in danger,” Darcie cried back. Thane was relieved to hear some emotion return to her voice. “He needs my help.”
“The Elder is one of the most powerful beings alive,” said Thane. “He will be fine.”
Conflict warred within her, revealing the struggle in her expression. She wanted to believe him, but whatever her vision had showed made her doubt his words. “At least let me get The Veritas,” she pleaded. “We cannot let them get it.”
Thane’s brows turned inward. He clenched his jaw, unsure if he should agree to Darcie’s request or continue to insist she leave immediately. The Elder had claimed he and his colleagues had refortified the spell book to prepare for a potential robbery. Surely, the powerful beings had succeeded with that task.
Thane wasn’t allowed time to wonder.
Darcie lifted onto her toes and stared imploringly into his dark eyes. “Please, Thane. I’ve seen what will happen if that clan gets their hands on The Veritas. They will use its spells for evil and destroy the world as we know it. We have to stop them.”
Creator, help me.
Thane rolled back his shoulders and dropped his hold on Darcie. “I will follow you inside. You will get the book, and then you will get out of here. Agreed?”
She jerked her head once. “Agreed.”
Stepping in front, Thane called forth his power and moved towards the building. He entered and raised a hand for Darcie to stop. He scanned the hall. It was clear. With a wave, he motioned her to follow as he turned to the right.
Thane continued to lead them to the room which held the powerful spell book, stopping at each corner to ensure no enemies stood in their path. If it hadn’t been for Darcie’s vision and the initial crash, Thane would have doubted any rebels had infiltrated Eirie. He didn’t hear anything that made him think The Citadel was under attack. The idea of silence spells came to mind, making him wish he’d asked Darcie to weave such a spell among them. Just as he paused to turn and request the useful spell, a heavy black fabric was thrown over his head.
Thane fought against the oppressive material, but it was no use. No matter how he pulled or pushed, the fabric stayed in place, preventing him from seeing or moving effectively.
“Darcie!”
“I’m right here.” A slender hand latched onto his forearm. She was also trapped beneath the spelled fabric.
Thane realized the black material was the same which had formed the impenetrable curtain in Darcie’s room during the attack on the mansion. The same magical clan was responsible for invading Eirie—not that he ever doubted that was the case. Who else would have been resourceful or powerful enough to evade the mysterious realm’s protected entry? Darcie had been right to fear their ability. He should have listened.
A hard, brunt force collided with Thane’s back. He grunted and stumbled forward, crashing into Darcie. The pair struggled to remain upright.
“What was that?” she asked, helping him regain his balance underneath the shroud.
Before he could reply, a shrill male voice commanded, “Do not move.”
Both Thane and Darcie complied. Neither of them dared to disobey without the ability to see their enemies. Other than Darcie’s breath against his shoulder, Thane did not hear a sound.
Suddenly, a hand prodded him, pushing against the tender spot on his back. He hissed.
“Now, walk,” the unknown male commanded.
Thane growled when he was shoved again. “We can’t exactly move with this thing over our heads.” He wouldn’t make it two steps without tripping and knocking Darcie over.
Whispers traveled in the air. His immortal hearing allowed him to discern three different voices. They were trying to figure out how to proceed.
“Should we remove the shroud?”
“No, you fool! They are immortals. They will use their power to kill us right away.”
“Not if we leave the spell on their arms and only free their legs.”
Their debate continued, and Thane had no choice but to wait in the darkness for their decision. He used the time to come up with a plan of how to facilitate Darcie’s escape. He would fight to distract their enemies to give her the opportunity to transport out of Eirie. He was determined to not let any harm come to Darcie.
Finally, their captors made a decision. Thane heard chanting and felt a tight pressure wrap around his arms. The feeling traveled to his wrists, and an unknown force pressed them together. A spell had been used to restrain him.
Darcie’s gasp revealed she’d been restrained too.
The blackness lifted, and Thane blinked against the light. Focusing, he saw the semicircle of rebels around them. Unlike previous encounters, none of the rebels wore cloaks identifying them as witches and warlocks. Both the men and women surrounding him wore formfitting dark leggings and tunics adorned with armored belts. They looked ready for a fight.
Thane eyed the individuals. Using his enhanced vision, he searched for identifying characteristics. None of the rebels possessed the subtle glow of a lesser immortal’s aura, nor did they sport the brawny form of a werebeast or the pale skin of a vampire. The enemies around him were all descendants of Charmian, and they were trained warriors.
“Who are you?” Thane asked even though he already knew the answer.
“Members of Clan Negrisi,” the shrill-sounding male replied. The warlock’s gaze moved from Thane to focus on Darcie. His lips lifted in a cruel smile. “And you must be the infamous Darcie.”
Thane looked at his friend. The black shroud was wrapped around her torso in a kind of restraining jacket, but her head and legs were free. He was detained in a similar manner.
Darcie met the warlock’s stare, but she did not say a word. Her eyes were flat and cold, looking simultaneously bored and dangerous.
A witch stepped forward and spoke to her comrade. “We must go. The others are waiting for us.”
The warlock held up a staying hand, but he did not take his eyes off Darcie. He stepped closer until he stood less than a foot from her. Thane stiffened, but the spell wrapped around him resisted the tense movement.
“Where is The Veritas?”
So, they hadn’t made it that far into the tower.
Silence.
The warlock’s fingers shot
out a spell. Darcie hissed as it struck her cheek, whipping her head to the side. Thane growled and struggled against his restraints.
The warlock’s voice grew colder. “Where is The Veritas?”
Darcie looked back at the man. Her cheek sported a burned streak. Still, she said nothing.
The warlock clenched his jaw. Thane leaned forward, ready to barrel into the half-breed before he could hurt Darcie again, when a sharp crack reverberated through the halls. The sound was accompanied by a brief moment of darkness. Several thumps reached his ears. When the light returned to the hall, all of the warlocks and witches were collapsed into piles on the floor.
Shocked, Thane spun around. He sighed with relief upon seeing Elder Niro approaching from the end of the hall.
The heavily cloaked male lifted a hand and waved. The black shrouds fell away from Thane and Darcie, and their hands were freed from the binding spell.
“Are you alright?” The Elder’s otherworldly voice emanated from his hood.
“We’re fine,” Darcie said. She quickly got to business. “They are here for The Veritas.”
The hood tilted forward. “I know. Come. I will lift the enchantments so we can retrieve the book and leave.”
Thane and Darcie followed the Elder as he turned and quickly walked back toward the inner halls of the tower. Thane marveled at the ancient being’s speed. He had to pick up his pace or risk being left behind.
They arrived outside of the warded room. The door stood open.
The three of them stopped at the same moment. Wariness curled in Thane’s chest. He shot Darcie a sideways glance. Her eyebrows were narrowed, and her mouth was turned down with worry. They couldn’t remember if they had left the door open or not.
A beat of silence passed while they each thought of how to proceed.
Without a word, the Elder glided forward, his cloak brushing against the stone floor. With a straight spine and his head held high, he entered the bare room.
At first, nothing happened. The Elder stopped just inside the threshold and stared straight ahead towards the podium housing The Veritas.
Endured (Immortal Chronicles Book 5) Page 11