Cade kept pace. “You think all my altruistic actions are for personal gain?”
“Yes.” I wasn’t going to beat around the bush.
“Then why bother being friends with me?” There was a note of seriousness in his voice.
“Are we friends?” I teased.
“Yes. You can’t pretend otherwise.”
Something about the seriousness of his voice hit me. “‘I know you’re not a complete jerk. I’m only kidding.”
“I know. Unlike you I don’t take everything said about me personally.”
“You called me a pervert. That was different.” And it had felt worse considering I had no idea where Wyatt was.
“Who used the word pervert?” He raised an eyebrow. “You did. I only made a joke that you made worse yourself.”
“Hello?” A female voice asked from somewhere far off. “Is there someone there?”
“Anastasia?” Hunter called. “It’s Hunter.”
“Where are you?” Her voice was louder this time.
“We’ll find you.” I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to reassure her when I had no idea how I was going to pull it off, but I felt as if I had no choice.
“Who is that?” Anastasia called back.
“I found some friends along the way. Don’t worry.” Hunter grinned.
“You sure you can trust them?” Her voice wavered.
“We kind of have no choice.” Hunter spoke the truth. None of us had a choice if we wanted to get out of there.
“My mother taught me to only trust those who deserve trusting.” Anastasia’s voice lilted.
“Yeah well, right now you have no choice.” Troy managed to vent his frustration while calling out to her.
“Unfortunately.” Cade looked down at the ground.
She didn’t reply, so I decided I needed to add something. “I don’t know if you can trust these clowns, but you can trust me.”
“Who are you?” There was a hint of amusement in her voice.
“Hailey Kaye.” I wasn’t sure if my name would mean anything to her, but maybe it would help if I was forthcoming.
“Wait. We have a mutual friend. Vera. I guess she’s Vera Florence now.”
“You know Vera?” I looked at Cade to gage his reaction. Vera was the wife of another Pteron we both knew very well.
“Ok, enough of this catch up. Are you going to show yourself?” Troy snapped.
“I would if I could. Trust me. I’d rather not be alone.” Her voice was filled with worry and sadness.
“We will look for you, but for now, follow the light.” Hunter spoke gently.
“I can’t see light.”
“Really?” Hunter asked with surprise. “This light is really bright.”
“I can’t see anything.”
“Can you normally see?” We needed to know if this was a new issue or not. That would make a really big difference in terms of how to proceed.
“Yes. That thing did this to me. I don’t know how.” She made a strange sound, which I thought might be stifling a sob.
“The Scarber?” Troy clarified.
“I have no clue what it was. A monster with talons and fangs. Awful looking.”
“We’ll find you.” I still had no idea how, but we would.
“I guess I should keep talking then, right? You can follow my voice.”
“That would be great.” I tried to make my voice sound remotely positive and enthusiastic. Even with light I had no idea where we were going. The walls all looked the same. Grey stone. The floor and ceiling too. I was sure we’d run into more glass walls, and I didn’t even want to know what else lurked down there.
“Do you guys know why we are here?” she asked. “Hunter and I talked about it when I first found him, but we couldn’t figure it out.”
“Not exactly,” Cade replied. “Probably something our ancestors did.”
“Why are we held responsible for their mistakes?” she asked a very legit question. It was one of many I had absolutely no answer to.
“Who knows if they are mistakes. But they did something to make someone angry. Either that or we are somehow useful to these people.”
“You are all so young and naive.” Troy groaned. “I can’t believe you are the ones I’m stuck with.”
“Oh, please enlighten us,” I used mock formality.
“They want us for our blood and our power.”
“What power?” There was such sadness in Anastasia’s voice.
We had to speed up. I hurried down the corridor and ran into a metal wall this time.
“What is this, a maze?”
“Probably.” Troy leaned up against the wall. “Seems like something a Scarber would do.”
“Have you met one before?” I turned around. “Keep talking, Anastasia.” Wall or not, we had to find her.
“I’ll try singing instead.” She broke into a beautiful and haunting song.
Chills ran up and down my spine, and I realized we didn’t need to move through the metal wall. Her voice was coming from another direction. I backtracked, turning right after I passed the others. I focused on the beautiful sound, turning right, then left. I hit another metal wall before realizing I was in the wrong direction and heading left again.
“Hailey?”
I glanced over my shoulder when I heard Troy say my name. “Sorry, yes?”
“You asked if I’ve met a Scarber before this one.”
That got my attention, and I stopped in my tracks.
“Yes. Have you?”
“None of the times were pretty. The trouble is they blend in so well. I’m surprised Veronica didn’t massacre thousands before she took us. Scarbers are resurrected by Demons. They hold some demonic properties. Their power is nearly insurmountable.”
“Maybe she’s going to do the massacre now.” Cade shrugged.
I glared at him.
“Just saying. We really don’t know for sure.”
“Let’s not go down that line of thought.” We had to stay positive, or we had no chance of defeating her—or getting out of the basement. “What helpful information about Scarbers can you share, Troy?”
Anastasia switched to another song— this one was in a minor key and felt full of anguish and sadness. It had something to do with a sailor lost at sea.
“Nothing that won’t make you so fearful you can’t help us.” There was nothing mean in Troy’s voice this time. It was honest.
“Troy, please know I mean this with the deepest respect, but why did you even bring it up?” Eloise put a hand on her hip.
He appeared nonplused. “I was asked a question. I answered.”
“Next time maybe don’t answer.” Eloise clasped her hands together. “Please.”
“Let the record reflect this fairy is asking me to lie.” Troy raised his chin.
“I’m a Pixie. Not a fairy.”
“My mistake.” He smirked.
“Guys?” Anastasia stopped singing. “Have you forgotten about me?”
“No, of course not.” I followed her voice again, but I once again hit a metal wall. What was I doing wrong?
“Can you tell us anything about where you are?” Cade leaned back against the latest wall we’d found.
“I already told you I can’t.”
He dug the toe of his shoe into the ground. “I know, but what about your other senses?”
“I can’t hear anything but you guys.”
“What about smells? And feel the ground, anything different?”
“I don’t smell anything. I’m sitting on the ground, and it’s just rough stone. There are small spaces between them, but it feels like stones or rock to me.”
I heard what I was sure this time was a sob. “Is it cold?” It felt cooler now than where we started.
Eloise took my hand again. “Not sure how much that will help.”
“I’m cold, but I’m also weak. I need the water.” Anastasia sounded even further away now. What was going on?
“We’ll get you to water soon.” I mustered as much confidence as I could in my voice. Maybe being a Lightness could help us, except I barely knew what a Lightness was. Too bad Jesalyn couldn’t have stayed around longer to help.
“Every maze is solvable.” Cade straightened up. “We need to determine the pattern.”
Troy sighed. “Ok. Figure it out.”
“You make that sound easy. It’s not.” Cade sounded just like I had when they told me to just make my light work. Nothing about our current situation was easy.
“Anastasia?” I spoke quietly, but sure my worry was in my voice. She didn’t answer, and my concern spiked. “Anastasia?”
“Maybe we’re walking further away,” Eloise suggested. “Should we turn around?”
“Or she’s too weak to answer.” Troy spoke out loud what I already feared.
Eloise groaned. “Troy, you are starting to grate on my nerves.”
“Only starting to?” I’d grown tired of his negativity ages before. “The reasons don’t matter. We have to find her.” I wasn’t going to have blood on my hands because we couldn’t figure out a maze. We were Pterons, a Dire Wolf, and a Drago. We were impressive and powerful creatures on our own. Together we should have been unstoppable. “Cade, get working on that pattern thing. For all we know we are moving in circles.”
“That’s possible.” Cade examined the wall. “That’s very possible.”
“Well, get us out of the circles. Ok?” Then I heard something. I strained my ears. It was slow but distinguishable. “Do you guys hear that?”
“What do you hear?” Hunter asked. The poor guy was still stuck in his loincloth. I’d nearly forgotten about that.
“I can hear something dripping. Like a leaky faucet.”
“You hear water dripping?” Eloise asked for clarification.
“I can’t tell if it’s water, but I don’t really want to think of the other possibilities.”
“Like lighter fluid or something?” Troy spoke another of my fears out loud.
“Troy!” Eloise suddenly screamed. Her voice echoed off the walls and then everything started to crumble.
December 10, 1945
Mrs. Delford
I was tired of taking notes. I was tired of pretending to care about the stupid words coming out of all these stupid mouths. As far as I was concerned these men all had the blood of my husband on their hands.
“We will work with the appropriate leaders to draw up a plan,” the old man drawled on. It was time for him to retire whether he wanted to or not. Yet I still sat there transcribing his words. It would have been easier to use a typewriter, but that wasn’t an option. Everything was old fashioned with The Society. Including their desire to help the weakest species. It made no sense. I wanted to quote one of that species own—Darwin. He’d been right about the survival of the fittest. And that was how we should have dealt with things. We should have let the humans destroy themselves. We could have gone in and picked out some of the strongest. I would have done it myself if I’d had the power. One day I’d have it. One day I’d find a way to enact revenge.
I noticed one man staring. His piercing green eyes watched every motion of my pen. He caught my eye and smiled, tilting his chin up ever so slightly to acknowledge me.
I was pretty sure I knew who he was even though we’d never met. He was a Drago. Not royalty but one of the brothers. I was surprised he even bothered to smile. He was powerful enough to get what he wanted and didn’t need to make friends. But maybe his smile had meant more. Maybe he was interested. I looked down at my black skirt suit. I was dressed conservatively, but even then I knew there was plenty about me a man might find attractive. What I lacked in my magical power I made up for with my sexual appeal. I smiled back even brighter, determined to get to know the Drago as soon as I could.
5
Wyatt
Memories of Dara darted through my head. I wasn’t sure why I’d even wasted my time with her. Maybe it had been boredom, but more likely it was pity. She’d lost her husband, yet she was stuck taking notes in that room day after day. Had he left her so little she couldn’t even take the time to grieve? I’d never planned to let anything intimate happen between us. I didn’t play around with witches. We were too different—it would never work. But her facial expressions had been so amusing that I’d entertained myself by sending her flirtatious looks. I didn’t want to be sitting through those proceedings any more than she did. I was in a bad place, disillusioned by the evil humans had managed to amass without the help of supernaturals. Maybe they weren’t worth saving anyway. I knew in my heart that wasn’t true, but distracting myself with a witch wouldn’t hurt them. It wouldn’t hurt anyone. At least that’s what I told myself back then. I had no excuse for my behavior. I was far too old to be playing those sorts of games, but sometimes we do the unexplainable. I’d never told the others about Dara—too embarrassed to admit I’d been used.
“He’s not quite the right color. Are you sure this is going to work?” Dara walked around me, leaving plenty of room. She was tense; I could practically feel her fear. Unlike Veronica, she was afraid of me. That might work to my advantage later.
“It’s going to work. He’s close enough. Besides I have a plan to make his color more pure.” Veronica flipped her hair off her shoulder. “You should know me well enough not to doubt me.” There was a warning in her words that was not lost on Dara.
Dara stepped away from me. “I’m not doubting you. I’m just making sure we aren’t acting prematurely.”
“That’s very wise.” The human robot broke his silence. “Very wise, Dara.”
“Thank you, darling.” She cooed in his ear. “I am glad you agree.” She ran her hands up and down his chest.
He didn’t seem to notice the way she touched him. She had to have been using very strong magic. “I will always agree with you because you are always right.”
Veronica grinned. “I want one of these. He’d be far superior to my Sol.”
“I still don’t understand what you ever saw in him. Was it just that he was a Seer?”
“No, it was more than that.” Veronica sighed. “It’s hard to explain. Love is that way, isn’t it?”
Love? What the hell did that monster know about love? The only thing she understood was hate.
“It is.” Dara took a seat on the stool Veronica had vacated. “And to think I thought I might love that one.” She pointed to me. “Oh all right, I didn’t really think so. I thought about it though. About what it would be like to fall for someone practically immortal. I knew I’d never be his true mate so I wouldn’t get his longevity, but it didn’t mean I didn’t daydream about it sometimes.”
Daydream? I had to be the one dreaming. Were they seriously having some messed up type of girl talk with all of this going on? Things were getting weirder and weirder.
“Men.” Veronica shook her head. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
“We can live without them, but then life is less satisfying.” Dara’s eyes ran up and down Daniel’s body.
“I can’t wait to see her face.” Veronica cackled again. “Talk about satisfaction.”
“Oh yes.” Dara laughed. “Little does she know what’s coming.”
Neither of the women needed to tell me who they were referring to. I knew it from the cruel smiles on their lips. I wanted to believe Hailey was somewhere safe and far away from Veronica, but I knew it wasn’t true. No sense trying to delude myself.
“Hopefully she’ll quickly join our cause. We could do great things once we have our third.”
“Agreed. But what if she doesn’t agree?” Dara crossed her legs.
“We kill her.”
I felt fire well up deep inside my chest. It rose, moving into my throat and then out, sending flames across the room, scorching the stone walls and floor as I struggled to control it. This was a different flame—hotter, wider, and completely separate from me. I needed to stop. The burning inside my chest wa
s getting worse. Then it stopped as quickly as it started.
“Wyatt!” Veronica snapped. “Is that any way to behave in front of company? If you aren’t careful I will have to do what I warned you about.”
“Hurt her? Torture her in front of him?” A look of pleasure crossed Dara’s face. Once again I asked myself what I could have possibly seen in her.
Veronica grinned. “Among other things.”
Dara laughed. “I love the way you think, Veronica.”
“There’s a reason we work so well together.”
“Yes, there is.” Dara jumped to her feet. “Will you ever turn him back into a man? I wonder if I’d still find him as attractive now that I’m older and wiser.”
Veronica watched me. “He’s still a very attractive man. I understand why she wants him. Of course, we have plenty of other things to offer her if his appeal isn’t enough to hold her interest.”
“You think she cares for him more than she cares for the queen? I’ve heard they are close.”
“She’s destined to be his mate. Their connection must run deep. You know how rare it is for a Drago to mate.”
“That’s true.” Dara pursed her lips. “What have you told him so far?”
“Him?” Veronica pointed at me as if Dara could have been talking about anyone else. “Almost nothing. Why tell him anything? He has to do anything I say anyway.” Her eyes twinkled. She was enjoying her power over me.
“True, but maybe he has something to add to the plan?” Dara laughed. “I’m only kidding.”
“When is Randolf arriving?” Veronica edged toward the doorway.
“Any minute now.” Dara walked over to examine the damage caused by the flame. “I hope he’s happy enough with what you’ve done.”
“There’s no pure emerald anymore. It’s not my fault Randolph killed him. Wyatt is close enough.”
“I suppose.” Dara turned from the wall. “And if he doesn’t work we can always get rid of him.”
No emerald anymore? I tried to understand what they were talking about. I brushed away my anger at Dara’s comments. They didn’t matter. Getting to Hailey before they hurt her was the most important. Even more important than shifting back to my normal self.
Tempt_The Pteron Chronicles Page 4