The tears would not stop. “You don’t know that. What if she is like this forever? I need her. I can’t do any of this without her.”
Seven placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “You need to be brave. Aldric is right. Valentina is the strongest woman I know. She would not want you to blame yourself.”
With the Narcissus flower clutched to my chest, I stared out at the horizon. We made it past the Ninth Gate, the banshees, the Mourning Fields and the vicious guardian demons. I resisted the Reflection Siren and lived to tell about it. I should’ve been happy. Relieved even. I felt nothing.
As we flew past the skeleton trees, Aldric raised up his hands and cracked open the sky. It sucked us in and pushed us out and back into our world. The first of our kind to ever travel to Hell and back, but it would mean nothing if my best friend didn’t wake up.
Twenty-Five
My screams echoed through the Hall of Secrets as we ran. Seven clutched Valentina’s lifeless body to his chest. The Keeper ushered us into the healing clinic where Seven laid her down on one of the beds. The room was bare and sterile. There were three beds covered in white linens, a small lamp, and no windows.
Across the room, there was a table covered in herbs, amulets, and tonics. A healing station with a collection of tools that would be used to bring her back. What if she didn’t come back? I shivered, seeing my breath exhale out before me. The Keeper shoved us out of the room and closed the door behind him.
I slumped down against the nearest wall. Aldric and Seven pacing in front of me only added to my apprehension. Hours went by as we waited. Devastation filled me like a disease. It stretched into every corner of my mind, tugging at my sanity. To me, this was worse than the Mourning Fields.
It was almost morning when the clinic door finally opened. The Keeper emerged, pale and gaunt. I jumped up and rushed over to him. Aldric and Seven darted over, almost colliding into each other. The Keeper seemed so small and childlike in that moment. He stood before us with shoulders hunched and dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I cannot bring her back.”
His words sucked the air out of my lungs. The room was spinning. Aldric reached out an arm to steady me as my knees buckled. I hunched over, heaving and gasping for air. This can’t be happening.
Seven punched the wall and stormed out, causing all of us to flinch. The sound of his fist hitting stone was louder than thunder. It reverberated down every corridor. I shoved Aldric’s arm away and jumped up.
“I…I need to see her.”
The Keeper nodded. “Of course, but I must ask, did you get the flower?”
I stiffened. “I did. But I would take it all back if it meant that I could save her.”
Valentina’s chest moved up and down as each breath filled the space between us. Her eyelids fluttered. She was still in there. Lost in her own nightmare. It should have been me. I should be the one lying there, not her. I was supposed to protect her.
My heart throbbed. What had the Siren done to her? She looked peaceful, but a war waged on inside her head. If I didn’t pull her out soon, she would be lost in there forever.
“You should get some rest. I will keep watch.”
My body tensed. Of course, he would keep watch. That is what he did. He kept things.
“I’m not leaving her side.”
The Keeper sighed. “I am sorry to say this, but it is not you, nor I, who can help her.”
I snapped, “You know everything and yet you know nothing. I am not giving up on her. If the roles were reversed, she wouldn’t give up on me. I will find a way.”
I clenched my fists into her bed sheets, choking back tears.
The Keeper’s eyes widened. “You’re angry. You have every right to be. I admire your tenacity, but do not forget why you went to the Underworld to begin with. Valentina would not want you to forget. She knew what was at stake, and for you, she would do it again. No matter the risk.”
He was right. Valentina knew the risk. We all did. But she was lost because of me and I needed to fix it. The answer was taunting me this entire time. It called to me quietly, but I had been pushing it away. Now, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew what I had to do.
I would do anything to get her back. Even dance with the devil. I couldn’t avoid it any longer. The Keeper’s eyes darkened as he watched the wheels spin inside my head.
I looked him straight in the eye. “Only blood can save her now.”
The Keeper shook his head, confused. “Gray, feeding is not going to bring her back. Don’t you think I tried that already?”
I drew in a sharp breath. “You don’t get it. I’m not talking about feeding. I’m talking about blood…her blood. The blood she shares with only one other person.”
The Keeper’s eyes lit up as my words sank in. “Yes…he is the only one who might be able to reach her.”
A lump formed in my throat as we both thought what neither of us wanted to say.
Dragos.
If I had to make a deal with the devil, I might never see my soul again. After everything, I wasn’t even sure if I still had one. When I was a child, I believed in fairytales. I dreamed of princes charging in to save the day. Champions of good who would slay the monsters under my bed. I knew now that fairytales did not exist…but the monsters did.
They lived and breathed and walked amongst us. They cursed us and poisoned us with their very existence. We had to be our own heroes. Our own champions. No one was coming to save us. And to beat them, I had to join them. I said I would do anything to save her and I meant it. I only hoped that Aldric would still be there when it was done.
The horizon was calm and peaceful. I, on the other hand, was anything but. I stood on the hill outside the Hall, gazing out at the Sea of Magia. My insides twisted and turned as the reality of what I had to do began to sink in. What was I going to say to Aldric? He already sensed something was off, back in the Underworld.
After he pulled me out of the Siren’s song, he was anxious about what I had seen. We were linked, but I did not see him until he pulled me out. What if he had been there the whole time, watching me and my visions of Dragos? If so, he would never forgive me for it.
Seven sloshed up the hill, shaking me out of my reverie. “I assume you have a plan.”
I shot him a look. “I do. But not everyone is going to like it.”
Seven scoffed. “Aldric doesn’t need to like it. He just needs to be on board. Saving Valentina is all that matters right now. He can work out his jealousy issues with your ex-boyfriend after she wakes up.”
I sighed. This thing between me and Dragos was becoming a thing between me and Aldric. The tension around us was thick and it was spilling out for everyone to see. But Seven was right. It wasn’t about us.
“I take it you’re up for a little adventure?”
He smirked. “I’ve already prepared the ship.”
I found Aldric in the study. I watched him from the doorway as he sat in front of the fire, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand. He was pensive, his gaze lost in the flames. With my stomach in knots, I took a deep breath and sat down next to him.
“Aldric, I’m going to tell you something that you aren’t going to like. In fact, you’re going to hate it.”
I waited to get a reaction, but he said nothing. “I need to find Dragos and bring him back here. I believe he is the only one who can help Val. And I need you to be okay with it.”
The silence between us was deafening. A faint flicker of contempt flashed in his eyes, but his face remained blank. This was the first time I was unable to read him. His thoughts were closed off to me.
My hands trembled when our eyes finally met. His expression was cold and vacant.
He let out a deep breath. “I know. I knew the second it happened that he would be the one. I’ve been going over it in my head for the last three days. You’re right. I hate it.”
“Aldric…” I didn’t know what else to say.
He leaned in close and
gently took my hands in his. His breath was warm on my face, but it sent shivers up my spine.
“Gray, I trust you. I know that this is about saving your friend and nothing else. But…I don’t trust him. So, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going with you.”
The look on his face told me there was no talking him out of this. If this was how he was going to be okay with it, then I had to let him come. I let out a deep breath, slightly relieved, but more surprised.
I was expecting more of a fight, but I was grateful that he didn’t give me one. Today, I needed all my energy for the dark road ahead. Today, I would have to open a door that I had spent the last four years barricading shut.
Twenty-Six
The only sound in the night was from the waves crashing against the sides of the ship. I kept my distance from Aldric and Seven, lost in a riptide of my own thoughts.
I hadn’t seen Dragos since that night in the ruins of the Wolf and Crescent. Looking back, a part of me tingled with excitement when I first laid eyes on him. All those familiar feelings came flooding in, only to be quickly clouded with anger for what he did. Then came the sorrow and the grief from the broken shards of my heart. The twisted agony of being ripped apart from the inside out.
He seemed to revel in it. My pain made him stronger. And then came the realization that he never loved me. Like a cold, hard slap in the face, leaving me forever stunned. All the while, Aldric had watched from the shadows. He watched me flinch, and cower, and agonize. And I was so caught up in my emotions for Dragos, I didn’t even sense Aldric there.
Tonight, Aldric watched me like a hawk. His eyes searched my face for answers I didn’t have. I didn’t know what to say to him. My past was my burden, but it was driving a wedge between us and I didn’t know how to make it stop.
I needed Valentina more than ever. She would have known what to say. My heart sank. I kept hoping a sign would come from The Keeper, telling us to turn back. Telling us that she had woken up and we could turn the ship around. Anything to keep me from going after Dragos. But there were no signs. No messages. Only the sound of the waves, mocking me with each splash.
My anxiety was building as we neared the edge of Diana’s Forest. Seven and I had both agreed that the safest way to get to Dragos would be through Arcadia. Aldric remained quiet as we discussed our plans. Seven made it clear that his opinion was not wanted. My focus was on the task ahead, not on Aldric’s feelings. Though, I would have to face them eventually.
I dreaded the walk through the forest for many reasons. The main one being that Seven would hang back with the ship while Aldric and I would have to suffer in awkward silence. I hated this rift between us. Things were always so easy and smooth with him. This new distance was strange, and it left a hole in my heart. We were linked, but we were closed off to each other.
The air was crisp, and the leaves crunched under our feet like broken glass. I sucked the cool air deep into my lungs, hoping it would help calm my nerves. Aldric came to a halt and put his hand out in front of me. His pulse raced as they came into view. Arcadia and Lycos appeared out of nowhere, just a few feet ahead of us.
“Hello, sister. I see you have come to pay me another visit. You’re not getting sentimental on me now, are you?”
I nearly choked. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
Her eyes glistened with amusement. “You must be Aldric. My, you are handsome. Come to join us finally?”
Arcadia licked her lips and looked him up and down. It was all I could do to keep my eyes from rolling back in my head.
I gritted my teeth. “You know that’s never going to happen. I’m here for Dragos. I need you to summon him.”
Arcadia’s eyes widened. She squealed with delight. “Gray, I didn’t realize you two had an open relationship. I don’t think Dragos will want to share, though. He’s rather possessive over what belongs to him.”
Aldric stiffened and clenched his fists. The more she spoke, the more I wanted to punch her in the face.
I shook it off. “Enough with the jokes, Arcadia. Valentina is sick. She is…she needs Dragos. He would want to know.”
Lycos stepped forward. “What happened to her?” His voice was deep and raspy.
Arcadia shot him a look of annoyance for speaking.
I shook my head. “It’s complicated. Let’s just say she’s trapped inside her own mind.” I couldn’t let them know we had the Narcissus flower.
Arcadia huffed. “What? I’ve never heard of that.”
I snapped, “Well, it must not exist then. Seriously, do you ever get sick of listening to your own voice?”
Arcadia gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief.
Aldric intervened. “That’s why we need Dragos. Maybe he knows something we don’t.” He shot me a look, daring me to read between the lines.
Lycos stood tall and firm, like a statue. Yet there was a warmth emulating from him that I hadn’t noticed before. A genuine concern. “You are right. He would want to know. We will contact him.”
Before Arcadia could protest, Lycos put a gentle finger to her lips to quiet her. It was hard to tell who was controlling who at this point. Either way, I was grateful for his influence.
Arcadia’s smirk returned. “Yes. We’ll get Dragos for you. I’m looking forward to witnessing your heartfelt reunion.” She chuckled, looking back and forth between me and Aldric.
I wasn’t going to let her have the last word. “Lycos, thank you for your help.”
Lycos gave a quick nod and turned to leave. Arcadia rolled her eyes. She spun on her heels and stomped off after him, leaving me and Aldric alone in the forest.
Words unspoken held more power than the ones that leave your lips. In silence, there was truth. It was louder than thunder and lasted longer than the eternal night. I didn’t know what to say to Aldric because I didn’t know what to say to myself. Our love for each other was not in question. It was the unseen forces that hovered, just beyond our reach, that made me uncertain. It was the past spilling into the present. We were in a constant state of war. With ourselves, with each other, and with our enemies. Our link was weakening, and we both could feel it.
“What happened to you in the Siren’s song?” I was hoping he wouldn’t ask me that, but I knew it was all he could think about.
I hesitated. “I don’t want to talk about it. Not here. Not now.”
His face turned red. “When then? I almost lost you in there. Something had a hold on you. I need to know what I’m dealing with.”
My hands were shaking. I didn’t want to think about those visions. “But you didn’t lose me. You brought me back. That’s all that matters.”
He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “He was there, wasn’t he? In your head. Dragos. He was the reason I almost lost you.”
A pang of guilt stabbed at me. “Aldric…it wasn’t like that. Please, can we talk about this—”
I cut myself off when I heard them approaching. It had only been a few hours, so I was surprised to see them back so soon. Aldric stiffened at the sight of them.
Dragos and I locked eyes. With nostrils flared, he charged toward me with lightning speed. The ground shook with each thunderous step.
Aldric grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him. “If he lays one hand on you, I will rip out his throat.” His voice was cold and full of malice. My whole body shuddered.
In one quick stride, Dragos moved in between us and grabbed me by my shoulders. “Where is she, Gray? How could you let this happen? You were supposed to protect her.”
He shook me hard as he shouted. I had never seen him so angry. So frightened for his sister.
His voice got louder as he continued. “I let you live because of her. I let you run around, playing your little games so that she could have a companion. She wasn’t supposed to get hurt,” he spat at me.
I was dumbfounded. He squeezed his fingers into my flesh as his eyes bulged, crazed and bloodshot.
Aldric pounced on him like a
wild animal. Dragos knocked me to the side as he came crashing down on him. Aldric snarled, his eyes turning white. He sank his fangs into Dragos’s neck. They rolled around on the ground, clawing and snapping at each other.
They were going to kill each other.
I charged forward without thinking. I wedged myself in between them just as Dragos’s hand flung at me with a force that sent me flying into the air. I gasped for air as my back slammed into a tree. Panic rose in my chest as I struggled to breathe. I was on the verge of blacking out.
Aldric growled louder. I jumped to my feet and looked around. They were both covered in blood, their clothes shredded as they took turns pouncing on each other.
Lycos and Arcadia looked on with blank expressions, and no intentions of jumping in.
A burning sensation formed in my chest. My blood pressure rose as they continued to hiss and snarl at each other. This wasn’t about them. Like a tidal wave, everything hit me. My pain, my anger, my magic. It welled up inside me like one gigantic ball of hate. I threw my head back, flung my arms at the sky, and unleashed all of it.
Magic coursed through my veins, down to my fingertips, and out of me as I shouted, “Disparo.”
Dragos and Aldric were thrown backward with such force, it was as if an invisible hand had reached down and pulled them apart. With their eyes wide and their breaths heavy, they glared at each other. It was the opening I needed. I let them have it.
“How dare you behave this way. Both of you. Valentina is fighting for her life and all you two care about is whose bite is bigger. You disgust me.”
Aldric looked away, uncomfortable, while Dragos continued to stare daggers at me.
I charged at Dragos but stopped inches from his face. “And you. This is just as much your fault as it is mine. You abandoned us. You were supposed to protect us both. But you were too busy playing house with the Consilium to care. And it is because of her that I let you live. So stop with this temper tantrum and help me wake her up. If anything happens to her, there will be nothing stopping me from ending your life.”
Blood and Magic (Blood and Darkness Book 1) Page 16