‘But you’re immortal.’
‘Only while we have our wings. Take those away from us and we die just as easily as any human. To ensure our race survives, even if it is without our immortality, we need to strengthen the bloodlines, do everything in our power to see our children take control of future generations on the physical plane. Only then can our legacy be assured.’
It all clicked into place. ‘That’s why you want Rebecca to marry Chris. Your legacy.’
‘With Rebecca at his side, Chris will be ready to embark on a political career, one that will see laws passed to benefit the Tr’lirian people.’
‘You’re crazy. You can’t just arrange people’s lives to suit your needs. What about what Chris and Rebecca want? Doesn’t that count for something?’
‘Immaterial. They are children of Clan Godden. They will do their duty, whether they like it or not.’ He scowled at me. ‘Without you to distract him, my son will bow to my wishes and I’m sure he will find no fault in the bride I have chosen for him.’
‘Chris is not your son. Just because you fathered his biological body does not make you his father. He has a soul, and a right to live his own life. So does Rebecca. You can’t force her to marry someone she doesn’t love.’
Doing that had poisoned Rhonda’s life for so many years. It was only since she was free of my father that she was able to live the life she chose and be herself. So many years of unhappiness and anger would have been avoided if she had not been forced to marry my father.
‘I won’t let you do this.’
Cade let out a loud laugh. ‘As if you could ever hope to stop me.’ He clapped his hands together. ‘You will be dead soon enough, and your tainted clan will die with you.’
Four of his men bounded forward, latching on to my arms. I struggled to break free, dredging up every ounce of energy I could to blast them with aether. I managed a small blast, sending one of my attackers reeling. But he swiftly regained his footing. I sagged in the grip of the other three, that one blast dangerously depleting my energy levels. Head lolling on my neck, I was dragged over to the bars.
I heard a click, and the sound of a gate being drawn back seconds before I was tossed forward. I fell to my knees, barely able to stop myself slamming headfirst into the floor of the makeshift cell. The gate clanged shut behind me. Then silence.
Silence filled with the shuffling of many feet and restrained breathing.
‘Told you not to trust Cade.’
It hurt to lift my head, my eyes having trouble focusing on Talaom’s swarthy features. He crouched down in front of me, not offering any assistance as I swayed in place. I longed to sink to the floor, to close my eyes and sleep for a week. A rumble coming from deep below the temple reminded me I couldn’t afford to rest.
Not if I wanted to live.
I stifled a groan and forced myself to stand. The Davilians crowded around me took a step back, expressions wary. I scanned their faces, feeling no kinship with the people Talaom had insisted were mine. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t do my best to save them.
There were no seats or beds that I could see in the cell, though over the heads of those crowded around me I spotted a corner of the room had been curtained off. From the smell wafting this way, it had to be a makeshift toilet area.
‘Have they been here the whole time?’ Aghast, I looked to Talaom for answers.
He gave me a grim smile. ‘Thankfully no, or the smell would be even worse. Until last night they were imprisoned in the level above. Guess Cade no longer feels the comfort and well-being of his enemies is a high priority.’
Another loud rumble made the floor tremble and many of those surrounding me dropped to the ground. What I saw in the gleaming black bricks at their feet added to the urgency thrumming through me.
Death heads.
Everywhere I looked, they were reflected in the bricks.
I spun in a circle, peering over the Davilians’ heads at the temple walls, catching glimpses of more and more death portents as people shifted positions.
I stumbled sideways, clutching hold of Talaom’s arm. ‘I need your help. Angellin is dying. We have to get these people out of here.’
He barked out a grim laugh, shaking his arm free of my grip. ‘In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a prisoner just like you. I’ve explored every inch of this temple. There’s only one way out and that’s the front door. A door which is guarded by a dozen of Cade’s men. Men who would not hesitate to kill every one of us. Of course, to get to them, we’d have to find a way out of this cell first. I may be strong but even I’m not capable of breaking through four-inch-thick bars, and the padlock they’ve got on the front gate is twice that size.’
‘We have to do something. They’re all going to die.’
His eyes met mine, pain in the dark gaze. ‘I know. I’ve seen the portents. I’ve tried everything I can think of, but it’s useless. We’re trapped. So unless you’ve got a miracle hidden up your sleeve, there’s nothing we can do.’
Someone called my name before I could answer him, and my knees buckled as I turned to face Rhonda, struggling not to look to see if her death portent was also reflected in the gleaming bricks.
A strong arm around my waist stopped me from tumbling to the ground. I knew who it was even before he said, ‘I’ve got you, Sis.’
Tears sprang to my eyes as I looked from Connor to Rhonda. ‘How did you get here?’ They were supposed to be safe at the penthouse, not trapped in a dying city that could collapse and kill us all at any moment.
‘I’m guessing the same why you did,’ said Rhonda, a disgruntled expression on her face. ‘Cades’s goons returned not long after you left last night. Flew us up here and dumped us in this cage. Seems he’s on a mission to destroy every trace of Davila he can, cleanse the Earth ready for the reign of Cade the God.’
I closed my eyes, determined to keep it together. When I was sure I wouldn’t break down, I opened them again and indicated for Connor to let me go. ‘We are not going to let him win. We will get out of here.’
‘How? I hate to agree with Talaom, but this cell is more fortified than most banks. Unless you’ve got a stick of dynamite tucked away in your pocket, I don’t see us getting out of here anytime soon,’ said Connor.
‘I’ll use aether to get us out of here,’ I said.
Talaom shook his head. ‘If you were in any condition to blast this cell open, you’d have been able to fight off Cade’s men and stop them locking you up with the rest of us. I saw the fight you put up. It was pitiful. You’re going to have to come up with another way to save us all.’
I resisted the urge to snarl at Talaom and instead said, ‘If I can connect with the aether that built this place I can get us out of here. But for it to have any chance of working, I’m going to need your help.’
He stared at me for a long moment, considering my words. ‘You really think you can do it?’
‘I do, as long as you can get everyone else to cooperate.’
Hope flared in his dark eyes. ‘What do you need?’
‘I need you to stop hating Cade, and Clan Godden.’
An uproar met my words, the fury they evoked from those Davilians near enough to hear setting the nether swirling. It rubbed against the aether cloak I had wrapped around myself, finding every little gap, forcing its way through, the stench overwhelming. I covered my nose and mouth as I fought to strengthen my defences against its insidious incursion.
I retched behind my hand, not able to stop my stomach from rebelling. With nothing to come up, all the nausea did was drive me to my knees again.
‘Tyler, what’s happening? Are you okay?’
Connor pulled me to my feet and I thankfully rested against him, breathing shallow as I forced myself to speak. ‘Their anger, it fuels the nether that is killing the city. They need to stop hating or they’ll never be free.’
They would remain in this cell and die in the city they’d poisoned with their hate, and Connor, Rhonda and I would die with them.
I looked over at Talaom, willing him to understand what I was saying.
His brows met in the middle, but he gave a nod. ‘What do you need?’
‘Get everyone to back up, get them as far away from me and the gate as you can. Then I need you, Connor and Rhonda to help me break the padlock.’
The angry mutters and dark looks that followed in Talaom’s wake as he ordered the Davilians to move to the back of the cell set the nether swirling again, but I was able to ride it out. The further away from me they were, the less the dark waves of their negativity made my stomach churn.
When Talaom returned to my side I said, ‘I need you to give me your aether.’ My eyes moved to Connor and Rhonda. ‘I’ll need to take it from the two of you as well.’
Talaom’s expression darkened. ‘You’re going to drain us of our natural energy?’
‘If you want to save your people, this is what you have to do.’ I let him process that for a moment. ‘There is not enough aether here for me to draw on, and I’m exhausted from trying to blast Cade’s men. You want this cage unlocked, I’m going to need to take some from each of you to do it.’
‘What about them? Can’t they help?’ Connor pointed at the Davilians crowded in the back of the cell.
‘They’ve been stuck here so long their spirits are warped. I need to get them out of here, and as close to the tower as we can get, so they can start to heal, and Angellin with them.’
Talaom’s eyebrows rose. ‘You think it’s possible to save the city?’
‘It will be up to them. If they can’t turn aside from centuries of war and all the hatred and grief that caused, then there is nothing I can do to save any of us. If they’re willing to work with me, there’s a chance I can stop Angellin from dying. But not from here. I need to get to the tower, to connect with the last bit of pure aether clinging to it.’
‘Let’s get to it then.’
I stumbled over to the cell door, head spinning and body shaking at every step. I had to lean against the bars to support myself as I shoved my hands through the gap closest to the lock. I twisted until my hands gripped the padlock and then called the others over.
‘Put your hands on me, and think positive thoughts.’
‘Seriously?’ Connor snorted. ‘Are we meditating or escaping?’
I huffed out a sigh. ‘The nether is doing its best to corrupt every ounce of aether in our bodies. To stop that happening, I need you to focus on good things, things that make you happy. I’ll then be able to harness some of the aether inside you and channel it into the lock.’
‘So you want me to think about girls with big–’
‘Connor, stop being an idiot and do what your sister wants,’ said Rhonda.
The reprimand had me smiling, as did the thought of the petulant expression sure to be on Connor’s face. It was a rare occurrence for Rhonda to chastise her precious son, and never happened for my benefit. Guess the threat of imminent death had its perks.
I closed my eyes and waited until they placed their hands on my back and shoulders to feel behind me for the aether stored in their bodies. Talaom’s was dimmer than the others, which I had expected considering his role in Clan Davila. What I hadn’t expected was the feeling of hope that burned deep within his spirit. For all his dark deeds, his guilt over taking his nephew’s body, he wanted what was best for his people. He wanted me to succeed in freeing them, and save the city, and was willing to do whatever it took to help me achieve those goals.
Rhonda and Connor’s spirits may have contained more aether, but their focus was on their own survival.
Whatever the motivations of those helping me, I would put their aether to good use.
As gently and as sparingly as I could afford to be, I drew it out of their bodies and let it pour into mine. With the fresh influx of aether my energy level increased and I straightened up, no longer needing to lean on the bars for support. But I didn’t have time to savour my newfound strength. Instead I channelled it out of my body and into the padlock, picturing the inner workings and the best place to strike.
I let go of the lock and stumbled backwards, taking the others with me.
A concussive boom echoed throughout the temple as the padlock split in half, each piece crashing to the ground.
Without the extra aether thrumming through my body, I needed time to rest and recuperate, but a rumble in the ground beneath the temple told me I’d have to wait.
‘We need to get to the tower if I’m to have any hope of saving Angellin.’ I looked over at Talaom, whose broad shoulders were slumped after having half his energy levels drained. ‘This time I’m going to need all of our people to pitch in.’
He gave me a weary smile. ‘Our people, huh?’
I gave him a similarly weary smile in return, choosing to remain silent as he started organising the Davilians and explaining what was to come. It was easier than telling him my change of heart wasn’t because I thought of myself as being one of them. It was my job as reaper to protect and provide for the souls of my clients. With the death portent appearing for every one of them, that made them my responsibility, even though they didn’t reside in Easton.
I slid the cell door open and stepped through the opening, listening for any indication the guards Cade had left behind were on their way to investigate the noise I’d made. Rhonda and Connor followed closely behind me as I ventured to the main door and peeked out.
No one was visible on the steps leading into the temple, and the area in front of it was also clear. I focused my eyes, letting my sight shift into the astral plane to make sure no one was lurking nearby, feeling for the presence of souls. All was still and silent.
‘We good to go?’ Talaom appeared at my side along with a woman with red-rimmed eyes. With long dark hair and eyes, and a marked resemblance to the body Talaom now resided in, this would have to be Talaom’s sister.
Blane’s mother.
My heart ached, unable to comprehend how hard it must be for her to see her son’s body walking around and know his soul was no longer in it. She flinched when Talaom reached out to touch her arm, moving back a step. I looked away from the anguished expression on his face at the rejection. I peered over the multitude of people waiting on my say so before they left the temple.
‘I can’t sense any guards, but we need to keep an eye out in case they’re still around.’ I chanced a look at Talaom, relieved to see he had managed to mask his pain. ‘How long ago did the death portents appear?’
‘They were already apparent when I got tossed in here.’
I blanched. ‘How long ago was that?’ I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious, hoping it had been mere minutes.
‘Twelve hours ago.’
‘Shit. We need to move fast. What’s the quickest way to get to the tower?’
‘Fly.’
‘That is not helping. You get twenty-four hours from the time the portent appears until the time of death. Half that time has gone already, and we have no way of knowing how much time passed before the first one appeared and you got here. This city is on the verge of collapse. We need to get to the tower now.’
Talaom’s nostrils flared. ‘The earthquakes are bad, but none of them have been strong enough to destroy the city.’
‘That’s not true,’ said a quiet voice.
I turned to the woman accompanying Talaom. ‘What do you mean?’
‘We’ve never had more than one a day before. Elder Abanos said soon there will be one massive quake, and when it hits Angellin will be no more.’
‘Let’s not be here when that happens,’ said Connor.
A rumble signalled the approach of another earthquake, this one lasting twice as long as any of the others I’d experienced so far. ‘We need to move,’ I said to Talaom.
He shouted out orders to the Davilians and they attempted to flee the temple en masse. Several people stumbled or were knocked to the ground as the crowd swept outside. Talaom waded in amongst them, pullin
g those who had fallen to their feet. He was then knocked to the ground himself, and I lost sight of him in the crush of people. I dived towards the last spot I’d seen him.
Rhonda grabbed my arm, pulling me into the open. ‘We need you more than we need him. You’re the only one who can stop the nether from destroying the city.’
I pulled my arm free, only to have Connor grab the other one. ‘Mum’s right. These people are counting on you. We’re counting on you. I’ll take care of Talaom. Mum will get you to the tower.’
Before Rhonda could protest he threw himself into the crush of people. White-faced, lips a thin line, she clutched my arm and dragged me along with her, following the flood of Davilians heading for a wide set of stairs leading up to the next level.
There was no time to talk as we tackled the first set of stairs, struggling to outpace the earthquakes as they rose higher and higher in the ground beneath the city. The sounds of rock cracking below us was swiftly followed by cries of alarm, but we didn’t dare stop to see what damage had been inflicted on people or Angellin. We reached the next level and sped to the closest set of stairs.
Thighs burning, lungs screaming, I forced my legs to keep pumping, head down, eyes on the legs of the person in front of me. I couldn’t afford to think about what might be happening to Connor or Talaom, had to block out the screams coming from below after each earthquake.
The rumble of breaking earth and rock appeared almost continuous now, the gaps between each quake shrinking to mere seconds. Nether writhed in the air around me, thickening, stretching its slimy tentacles over every inch of the city. I didn’t know what was worse, the physical abuse my body was undergoing, or the gut-wrenching nausea at being surrounded by so much uncontrolled nether. It felt as if someone had their hand down my throat and was trying to tear my stomach out.
I had no breath to spare to scream as I started to climb to the next level. Rhonda kept pace with me, breath coming in gasps that sounded more like sobs. I lost track of time, consumed by the need to keep going, sweat blinding me, hair sticking to my face. I knew if I stopped, took even a second to catch my breath, my muscles would freeze up and I’d be unable to take another step.
Silver Reaper (Reaper Series Book 3) Page 15