by Alicia Rades
“No,” Jenna insisted with tears in her eyes. “No, I won’t accept that.”
“Forget it. The Soulless have taken everything from us.”
“You’re wrong,” she countered. “I still have you. I didn’t get you back just to lose you again.” Tears fell from her eyes when she blinked, dripping down her face and into the fabric of her dress.
“It’s inevitable,” I argued. “The Soulless have proven time and time again that they’re stronger than we are.”
I just wanted to spend my last few moments holding her, knowing that the last days of my life were spent in her presence.
“You’ve been given an opportunity to make this right again, Rugrat.”
“How?” my voice cracked. It felt as if a hole had been carved out in my stomach and was only growing bigger each passing second.
“Every moment in your life has led you right here. Do you ever wonder if maybe that’s what Synchrony wanted for you?”
I shook my head. “I had my chance, and I failed.”
“But what if we got out of here?” she pressed. “Would you give it another shot?”
“There is no getting out of here,” I argued. “Sondra’s knocked out, my magic isn’t working, and these bars are too close together for any of us to fit through in shifted form. Besides, don’t you think Fiona, Ryland, and Teagan would’ve tried everything possible by now?”
Jenna lowered her voice, though we were already speaking in hushed whispers. “I have an idea.”
My eyes darted to Venn, who lay curled up on the floor of his cell. He’d barely moved since I’d been locked away. My gut twisted in agony.
What about what Valkas said? I questioned myself.
Do you want to kill me now?
If I killed Valkas, I killed Venn. But if I didn’t kill Valkas, the rest of my friends would perish. The decision was almost impossible to make. I loved Venn so much, but if what I’d heard about Synchrony was true, his soul was being destroyed right in front of me. What if I never lived another life with him? Was I willing to give him up, not just in this life, but every life to come?
I honestly didn’t know.
“Rachel, he’s a lost cause,” Jenna whispered lowly, but her words cut deep into my heart like a knife.
My chest compressed. “What if there’s another way to break the curse?”
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t think there is.”
“Jenna.” My voice cracked. “I don’t know if I can do this. If Venn’s soul is damned because of me…”
“Rachel,” Jenna said softly. “I’m not saying you don’t care, because I know you do.”
“You’re damn right,” I said.
“All I’m saying is that when a hard decision comes along, you have to put aside your emotions.”
As much as I wanted to retaliate and tell her she was wrong, I couldn’t help but think that Jenna had a point.
“Well, that’s… a hard pill to swallow,” I said. That was the understatement of the year.
Jenna gazed down at our entwined hands. “I want the best for you, Rachel.”
A lump rose in my throat as I gazed at my sister’s teary eyes. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am for everything that happened to you. All I can say is that I’m glad that through it all, you found yourself.”
I reached through the bars and pulled Jenna into a hug. It was a little awkward and wasn’t the best hug we’d ever shared, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that my sister was here in my arms.
“Clearly, my big sister still has so much to teach me,” I said.
She pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “And you me. I just want to know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
She took a breath. “Where’s the Ravenite you told me about?”
I gaped at her. Was she implying I’d lost everything the Ravenite stood for? Had I?
“What happened to all the fight in you?” Jenna asked.
I shrugged. “I guess that’s another thing the Soulless took from me.”
“No,” she insisted. “They can’t take that from you unless you let them. I know, because I used to think the same thing. But you can reclaim it, Rach.”
“Jenna, you gave me this pep talk days ago, and look how great that turned out. This time, our odds are even worse.”
“So you admit we still have odds?” she asked.
I stared at her blankly. I didn’t know how to answer. Was I starting to actually believe what she was saying?
“We’re going to get out of here, but you have to accept that it may not be on your timeline. One way or another, we’ll make it off this island. Together.”
“You really think so?” I asked.
Jenna held her pinky finger out to me. “I pinky swear.”
I looked down at her finger, unsure if I truly believed her. But the fact was, Jenna had a point. If she felt—in the wake of everything—that there was still a chance, who was I to tell her she was wrong? The least I could do was stand beside her until the moment my soul left my body.
I twisted my finger around hers. “Pinky swear.”
“Let’s get started,” she said before hopping to her feet and raising her voice. “Okay, guys. It’s time to put our heads together.”
Ryland groaned, but Fiona, Ronark, and Andi all perked up.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m not ready to die down here,” Jenna said. “We still have work to do.”
Fiona stood. “Whatever it is, I’m in.”
“Me, too,” Andi said.
Jenna turned to Ryland and Teagan. They exchanged a wary glance.
I pushed myself to my feet and stood at the front of my cell. “I know how hard it must be to trust me after everything I’ve put you through. I haven’t always acted out of everyone’s best interests, but I want to make things right. I’ve always had a rule about death. If I ever end up facing it, I will fight until my last breath. And while my views on death might’ve changed since meeting you, the principle remains. You don’t have to forgive me, but I do ask that we can put our differences aside—at least for tonight—and finish this mission.”
“I’m with you,” Ronark said.
I turned back to Teagan and Ryland. Teagan dropped her gaze to him, where he still sat on the floor with his arms crossed.
Ryland shot me a skeptical expression. “We’ve spent a week down here going over every scenario to get through these bars. What’s your plan?”
“We need everyone’s help,” I said. “Ronark, what’s our best bet?”
“We go after Rogers,” he replied. All eyes turned toward him. “Think about it. Who’s the one person Valkas trusts?”
“Um… Valkas,” Andi stated like it was obvious.
Ronark sighed. “Besides himself. The only reasonable explanation I can think of for why we didn’t find the dagger on him is because Rogers had it. He’s the only person Valkas would entrust with it. It’s not like Rogers can use it against him, and the guy would do anything to protect it.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. Valkas didn’t seem like he'd trust anyone.
“Valkas suspected you might come after him,” Ronark pointed out. “But he wouldn’t have expected you to go after Rogers.”
“True,” I agreed. “And even if I did, he wouldn’t expect me to have a chance against him. Something on this island has been blocking my magic.”
“It has to be Rogers,” Ronark theorized. “He’s cloaked the island from outsiders. I’m sure he can do something to limit another witch’s magic, too.”
Fiona and Teagan shared a wide-eyed glance.
“What?” Jenna asked. “What is it?”
“That would explain why Sondra had trouble with her magic when we got here,” Fiona said. “But it only weakened her.”
“Me, too,” I said, thinking about the few times I’d gotten fire to rise from my palm.
“That’s why they beat her to unconsciousness and put the spell over her,” Tea
gan told us. “So she couldn’t use her magic to get us out.”
I pressed my lips together, thinking. “If Rogers can block witch magic, why not block shifter magic, too?”
“It probably affects the way we taste,” Andi theorized.
Ronark nodded. “That, or they don’t find it necessary. Rogers is only barely a high witch. His powers look impressive, but he has trouble maintaining them. He has the strength but not the endurance. He has to renew the spell cloaking the island every day, I know that much. A more powerful witch should be able to break down his spells.”
“How do you know?” Andi asked.
Ronar smirked. “I’ve been around a long time, sweet cheeks.”
“I thought only the witch who created a spell could break it,” I said.
Ronark shrugged. “Depends on how powerful you are. Like I said, Rogers’ magic is a little… touchy. His spells wouldn’t last long after his death if he weren’t around to maintain them.”
“How would one break his spells?” I asked. “I mean, if I wanted to lift the spell that’s keeping me from using my magic?”
Ronark breathed a heavy sigh. “Do you want the fast and easy solution or the slow and tough one?”
“Fast and easy,” I answered automatically.
“You’d have to kill him.”
Of course. I wasn’t at all surprised.
“Okay,” I said with a deep breath. “We’ll get to Rogers, get the dagger, and then kill Valkas. Any objections?”
Teagan was the first to respond. “Ryland and I are in, but how are we getting out of here?”
“Is anyone good at picking locks?” Jenna asked.
Andi raised her hand. “I can.”
“Perfect.” Jenna turned to me with a smile. “Rach, your corset. It can get us out of here.”
I glanced down at my dress in realization. Valkas could mock me all he wanted, but it was our ticket out of here. I reached for the bottom of my corset and tore the fabric, then grabbed on to the wire boning and pulled it out. I handed the wire to Jenna, who passed it along to Ronark and then to Andi.
“Once we’re all out, I’m going to stay here,” Teagan announced.
“No, babe,” Ryland disagreed immediately.
“I’m human,” Teagan pointed out. “I don’t have the strength that the rest of you have, and I don’t have my knives on me. There are hundreds of vampires up there. I would rather stay and make sure that no one comes down here and harms Sondra.”
A weight settled in my gut when I glanced to Sondra. I could see her chest rising and falling; otherwise, she hadn’t moved since I’d arrived. I didn’t want anything to happen to her, either.
“I think Teagan has a point,” I said. “Sondra can’t come with us. If someone comes down here to see we’re gone, they might hurt her even more.”
“I’m with you, Teagan,” Ryland said.
“But we need you,” Fiona objected. “You’re the biggest, strongest shifter here.”
Ryland smirked. “Thanks for the vote, sis, but I’m not leaving Teagan and Sondra alone. In fact, I have a better idea. We’ll head for the boathouse we saw when we came in. We’ll get a boat ready in case all hell breaks loose.”
Ronark checked an imaginary watch on his wrist. “By my estimate, the Awakening Ball is still going on. Security at the boathouse should be pretty thin.”
“That’s fine,” I said to Ryland. “We don’t want to be seen, so we should start with a small group anyway.”
“Well, I’m going with Rae,” Fiona insisted.
“Me, too,” Jenna chimed in.
“I’m not breaking us out of here just to stay down here,” Andi said as the lock on her cell disengaged. She quickly rushed out of the door and started on Ronark’s lock.
“If anyone’s going after the vampires, it’s me,” Ronark stated.
“Yeah, we need you,” I replied. “You know this place better than any of us.”
“Where will we find Rogers?” Jenna asked Ronark as Andi started fiddling with the lock on her cell.
Ronark stepped out of his open cell. “Rogers is part of Valkas’s security team, so he should be monitoring the perimeter of the ballroom. We should have no problem getting to him.”
Andi finished with the lock on my door and turned to Fiona’s cell. I rushed out of my cell and stood outside Venn's. Seeing him lying on the floor, shivering in pain, sent another wave of emotions to rise within me. I placed my hand over my face and steadied myself against the wall. My breath wavered, and a hot tear streaked my cheek.
“What are we going to do about Venn?” I asked in a shaky tone.
Andi finished the lock on Fiona's cell and started on the next one.
Fiona stepped forward to place a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do for him anymore.”
An involuntary sob broke out in my chest. I knew it was true. It was just hard to hear it said out loud. I couldn’t stand the thought of just leaving him.
“I know how hard this is.” Fiona’s voice cracked. “I don’t want to say goodbye to him, either.”
I reached for the bars of his cell and lowered myself to my knees. I felt another hand rest on my back to join Fiona’s and tilted my head up to see Jenna at my side.
I looked back to Venn, my heart breaking all over again. His back moved quickly to the beat of his breath.
“It’s like watching him slowly die right in front of me,” I whispered.
A sudden, horrible thought occurred to me to put him out of his misery, but I knew I’d ever be able to go through with it. The only thing I could do was kill Valkas. And with him, Venn would perish as well.
I couldn’t bear to think about it like that, as if Valkas and Venn were connected as one. It made me sick.
“Venn.” My soft whisper cut through the silence in the dungeons.
At the sound of his voice, Venn’s breathing slowed, and my heart lifted. Was he still in there somewhere?
“Venn?” I said in a stronger voice this time.
He lifted his head, and it was like another shot straight through the heart. His eyes looked straight through me. Silver eyes. Not Venn’s deep brown eyes I loved so much. It was like he was already gone.
I took a breath to calm my racing heart, but no amount of deep breathing or relaxation exercises could calm me right now. The love of my life was withering away before me, and I felt as if my heart was crumbling right along with him. This couldn’t be the end for us.
But it was. In this life, it was. And if his soul was damned, then we’d never live another life together. I barely had any time with him. I’d give anything for just a few more moments.
“Rae.”
A sharp breath crossed my lips as Venn spoke my name.
“Venn, are you still there?” I asked desperately. “I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve this.”
He pushed himself to a sitting position, and I thought for a second that I saw a light cross his eyes. I reached out for him, but Jenna pulled me back the same time Venn shied away into the corner of his cell. He curled his knees to his chest and turned his face away from me, like he was ashamed.
“You can’t save everyone, Rae,” he whispered so lightly that I barely heard him.
“Venn…”
He looked at me again, but his eyelids twitched, like it was difficult to meet my gaze—like it pained him. “Fiona’s right. You can’t help me anymore. The venom…” He gritted his teeth and sucked a deep breath.
My eyes went wide. Venn bit his lower lip, and I noticed for the first time his canines seemed longer than normal. Tears rushed down my face faster.
Venn forced the words out through shaky breaths. “The venom has already done too much damage. I can already feel the bloodlust setting in. I’m a danger to all of you now.”
“You just hold on,” I told him, but I didn’t know what for. I didn’t have a solution to this. And that ached to the very core of my soul.
Venn scoot
ed himself closer to me, eyeing my fingers around the bars. I bit down hard on the inside of my lip to keep from bawling like a child. He was just within reach, yet so far away.
“You have to go, Rae,” Venn said softly, looking me in the eyes. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”
“But Venn, we don’t have long before—”
“Exactly,” he cut me off. “We don’t have long. You need to go get that dagger.”
“He’s right,” Ronark cut in. “Someone’s bound to come check on us at some point.”
Fiona wiped at her eyes, then reached for my hand, but I pulled away from her. Venn was so close to me now, and I wasn’t missing my chance to give him a proper goodbye.
Goodbye. This couldn’t be it, could it? I wasn’t willing to believe that… yet deep down in my heart, I couldn’t deny it.
“Venn.” I squeezed my eyes shut, letting the tears stream down my face. Without thinking about it too hard, I reached through the bars, grabbed on to him, and pulled him toward me. “I love you.”
My mouth connected with his. It felt like kissing him for the first time. Fireworks went off in my chest, and a sense of peace surged through me. Yet it felt so comfortable, like we’d done this a thousand times before.
A split second later, his teeth clamped around my lower lip. Pain shot through my mouth, and the taste of copper rushed over my tongue. I screamed. Suddenly, at least three pairs of hands were on me, dragging me backward.
I forgot all about the blood in my mouth as Venn threw his head backwards and groaned in agony. Muscles rippled across his chest, like there was a power trying to escape out of his skin.
“Go,” he forced between clenched teeth. “I. Can’t. Control…”
Ronark dragged me to my feet. “We need to finish this.”
Venn’s heavy breaths filled the dungeon. He leaned forward and rested on his palms. He lifted his head, and I could just barely see the last bits of the Venn I knew staring out at me through those silver eyes.
“Go, Rae,” he whispered. “And know that I will never stop loving you.”
“I love you, too,” I called back as Jenna and Fiona began leading me down the hall. Teagan and Ryland turned to Sondra's cell, and I added, “We’ll see you soon.”