by Holly Hook
The closer we get to the victory site, the less warmth I feel in my chest from the Noble King. Or the idea of the Noble King. Maybe his spirit is gone, torn apart like his body, and I'm just having some wishful thinking.
The bus ride stretches out for minutes, even though it feels like hours. Buildings get farther apart. Brett keeps looking at his phone and out the window, maybe trying to see a landmark, and the driver, an older man, looks back at us like he's not sure what we're doing. But the glint in his dark eyes tells me we're not the first strangers he's seen on his bus, riding away from all the tourist areas. I know who he's encountered before, and the way he hikes his shoulders towards his ears as he speeds up tells me he hasn't had good experiences from strangers in the past.
After what must be an hour, the bus finally rolls to a stop near a concrete slab. A trail leads to several low buildings and more trees. It reeks like metal and chemicals. A factory. The driver pops open the folding door and waits, shoulders still high, as Brett waves to us to get off.
Once we're all on the concrete slab and Alex finishes rolling his luggage off the steps, the driver closes the door, turns around in a dirt lot nearby, and trucks it back towards the city, which I can no longer see among the rolling hills in the distance.
"You can tell he's met the cult before," Brett says as the bus rounds a curve.
"No kidding," I say, trying to lighten the mood. I sniff, but I smell that the distant buildings are full of chemicals, sweat, long hours, and other nastiness. The inside of my nostrils burn and Leonora frowns at me, pulling her shirt over her nose. While the landscape around us is hilly and beautiful, covered in wildflowers, the area just feels...off in a way that has nothing to do with the facility. I expected this uneasiness. It's as if the whole area around the victory site has attracted negativity.
And Cayden's out here somewhere.
For the first time in days, I feel our connection sparking to life, as if it's woken from a long hibernation. Tension flows between us as I close my eyes and pace along the concrete slab. Cayden's energy feels tense. Dark. Full of anger and helplessness. But as soon as I feel it, it's gone, leaving me with a racing heart. Opening my eyes, I catch my breath. "We're close. I feel him. He's out here and he's trapped, maybe in more ways than one. We're not waiting any longer to get him out."
Everly and I look right into each other's eyes. Longing fills me--the longing to feel Cayden's hand in mine, to take him home, to make love to him for the second time in my life. Anger follows. Darkness keeps wedging itself between us.
"Breathe, Brie," Everly says. "We all want to get him out. The cult's reeling us in."
"I agree," Mr. Russell says. "It's possible they're allowing you to smell him, now that we're close."
"I didn't smell him. I felt his presence and he's not in a good place," I say, shifting leg to leg. I want to give in to the animal inside and run to him right now, to tear out the throats of the other cult members before they can hurt or damage anyone else. "We're not close enough to pick up his scent yet." I look to Brett with a silent question.
He checks his phone. "We're still a few miles away from the victory site. But it looks like we're in the area of influence. I don't feel good in this area."
Karina looks to the facility. "Neither do I."
That's saying something. But I don't dare say that out loud. Karina's still not our friend and probably will never be. "Everyone," I say. "Let's get moving. We'll walk around the site before we go in. And we'll be patient and come up with a plan." And it kills me to add that last part.
Chapter Eighteen
The walk, even with the Russells, Callie, and Alex slowing us down, doesn't seem to take that long. Of course, having them with us means we can't shift and leave them behind, but it doesn't matter. The sun rises higher, making sweat roll down the back of my neck as we progress down the curvy road, towards an orange stone roof that pokes above some trees twenty minutes into our walk. The house is still a couple of miles off, and just as I realize this, a stench hits me.
Rotting wood.
I groan, as does Remo and Everly at the same time. There are, of course, Savage Wolves out here, maybe a whole pack that helps the cult guard their stupid, sacred clearing.
"Yuck," Karina says, holding her nose. "They're going to kill us."
"Only if they're in the area right now," Brett says.
"What are the chances of that?" Remo asks with sarcasm. "I bet it's much higher than fifty-fifty if they have Cayden."
I sniff again, and just underneath all that decay is a glorious forest full of divine nature. Cayden. My heart swells. Being around him so much has made me forget how amazing his scent is, like a piece of light shining through all the darkness. But along with his scent is that of burning hay and poison. The cult.
Brett curses and I know he's just smelled them, too.
The wind shifts, taking the preview away. I whirl and face Brett right there on the dead, deserted road. "Well, they must have expected us to show up during the daytime. We'll have to find the weakest point and then go in there."
"No kidding," Brett says, but at least he adds nothing sarcastic. "I smell them too. We should circle around and stick together, if you're finally accepting others' ideas. They probably have your mate in those silver chains they came and took, so he'll be weakened and unable to fight back."
I know that, and the thought makes my skin itch with a coming shift. But I breathe out and tell myself the truth. Cayden wouldn't want me to charge in there and attack. He'd never forgive me for it. But I'll have to do it. The cult won't keep him alive forever, and even if they did, what kind of life would he have? Cayden would eventually fall completely into the dark, and the cult will let him drag me down into that hole as well.
No matter what I do, things probably won't end well.
But we have to try something.
"I like Brett's idea," I say to the others. "We should circle around the back. The nasty smell tells me the Savages are probably near the house."
"But that means Cayden might be, too," Everly says.
I read the desperation in her eyes. She's seriously missing her twin. I can't imagine the bond they have, never having siblings myself. But it must be almost as strong as the one I have with Cayden.
"True," I say as the heavy pressure of being the alpha falls on my shoulders. Our fates ride on me. My legs tense, wanting me to turn back and run, to let someone else deal with this, but the pull to face our enemies tugs me in the opposite direction. My skin itches with a greater intensity and the warmth returns to my chest, the same warmth I felt when I pulled Alex out of the lake. Remus's spirit is still with me, and will be even more if the Russells can help summon him.
The Hunter looks right at me, waiting for my decision. Then he faces the direction of the house, weapons clanking inside his leather coat. "I am ready to hunt some Savages. Callie?"
"I'm ready," she says, reaching into her coat and drawing a silver dagger.
"You're going to need more than that. There's more than just a couple Savages here," I say.
"How about this?" Callie unzips her rolling luggage and pulls out her crossbow and then the warlock's pistol I forgot I gave to her just after she arrived. She nods to Alex, who does the same. We were lucky the driver didn't want to start any crap with us and ignored us to save his own skin. Callie's eyes shine with revenge and I know that if she must, she will shoot some cult members. Other humans. And that could be dangerous.
Alex gives me a curt nod. He's had to kill infected relatives in the past. He'll be able to do this, too.
"You're geniuses," I say. "Alex. The cloaking spray. Please tell me you have it."
The Hunter nods. "No one is going near that place without it." Pulling on his own leather jacket, he reveals several small, glass spray bottles in pockets inside his coat.
He sprays us down with the pine scent, which doesn't quite blend with the surrounding grass and flowers, but it's better than nothing. I can no longer smell the
others in our group, and at least pine, no matter where it is, won't stir the Savages up into a frenzy. I hope. We all step away from the road after that, into a cluster of trees. Callie and Alex ditch their luggage as they arm themselves. I watch as Alex and Callie load their crossbows with bolts and Leonora's parents pull her aside. The three of them step away to a small cluster of trees, set far back from the road.
"What are you doing?" I ask her parents.
"Our daughter is not going in there," Mr. Russell says. "The three of us will stay out here and try to summon Remus to you. I took your hair for a reason. We'll extend as much protection over all of you as we can from here."
Remo hesitates before he plucks a few of his. We all pluck a few hairs off our heads. Alex just takes a small one off his beard and Callie is sure to remove several from her head. The faint smell of nervous fear leaks through the spray that now coats her skin. As she draws close to me, I can detect it.
"Thanks," Leonora says, collecting all our hairs in her hand. Her eyes shine as she looks to Remo. She, too, is shaking. I'm not the only one who could lose my mate today. "Remo."
He kisses her, right in front of her parents, and drags it out. Time seems to stop as he holds her, shaking, like the universe itself could rip her away. But at last, he releases Leonora and takes a breath. "I'll be back."
"Promise me."
Brett taps his foot, waiting, but I glare at him to make him stop. So he obeys.
"I...I promise," Remo says.
"Leonora, we need you to sit," her mother says, taking a spot cross-legged on top of some now-flattened tall grass.
Remo backs away, dragging his feet, and looks at me. I want him to be able to keep his promise, and my mouth dries. I should say something to him but the words don't form. Instead, I just nod and go to watching the Russells open their packs, mostly hidden inside the trees.
"No passing cars will see them," Everly says to me. "The Savages won't smell them, either."
"So you approve. And we haven't seen any cars on this road."
"I approve of all of this," Everly says. She holds me in her tough, hazel glare, ready to fight. As I watch, Everly opens and closes her fists.
"The spray," Alex says to the side of me. "I'm not sure it'll hold if you shift, so beware."
"Thanks," I tell him as we leave the cluster of trees.
The roof of the mansion waits. It's a much better, old-world version of the old Hayde mansion back in Colorado and might even be its sister. Orange bricks make up the roof. I lead the way into another cluster of trees, away from the road, sniffing for any changes. No longer can I hear Leonora and her parents huddled in the trees together, trying to work the best light magic they've ever done.
"I'd curse the cult into the ground, but I don't have anything of theirs," Brett says.
"It's fine," I say, even though it's not. It's far from fine. I breathe in, trying to feel for those protective spirits the Russells have sent with us before. In this place, I can't sense them. Maybe it's the undercurrent of dread that runs under this place for miles, invisible but pumping out from the mansion in all directions, poisoning everything. The closer I lead us to the mansion, the worse the feeling gets. Each time my foot hits the ground, black pulses creep up my ankles.
"A lot of magic has been done here in the past," Karina says, breaking our silence. "Very dark magic."
"The cult's been around for centuries. It's had time to build up," I say, peeking through the trees ahead. I can make out the outline of the whole mansion now, but I can no longer smell the Savages. The wind's changed direction. As if any darkness here wants to mask them from us. "Don't let anything distract you. And it will try."
"Got it," Alex says. He walks behind me, checking the trees right and left with his crossbow out. Callie's doing the same, showing no signs of Romulus taking over. He could do so right now and destroy us all, but Callie's proven to be strong and has done nothing but give him a hard time. But how long will that continue here?
At last, the trees end, and I find myself looking out at a field that surrounds the mansion. Like the grass around the Hayde mansion, it's unkempt and vines grow up the sides of the house. I can't smell the Savages right now, but that doesn't make me feel better. Darkness pulses through my whole body now and I struggle to breathe. The sky appears to go from a bright, happy blue to a dark, storm-like shade even though it's still clear. A few flowers poke up from the ground, but whenever I'm not looking at them directly, they grimace. No birds chirp. I shudder. Even if someone completely normal came here, they wouldn't want to stay for long. Who couldn't sense all this unease?
No one speaks. I sense everyone standing just behind me, waiting for my directions.
"We don't cross this field," I whisper. The quiet unnerves me more than anything. This house is a fortress, with all the curtains inside closed. "Anyone inside could see us coming and attack. Our best bet is to stay under this cover as long as we can."
"Other things have been through this field," Remo whispers, pointing.
I follow his gesture to find several small trails through the tall grass, with stomped-down weeds and flowers. The rotten wood stench rises when I lean down and sniff the closest one. I also catch a whiff of rotting rabbits and their dying adrenaline that stains the field. A dead fox who dared to invade the area. And...I hope I'm not smelling a dead human near the back of the house, somewhere near or just under the surface of a pond. But I know better than to hope.
"We don't cross this field," Everly adds.
"The Savages have marked this place," I say. "Small territory, I guess."
"The cult doesn't want them to extend their guard too far," Alex adds.
"Which means they aren't far," Remo says.
I listen to the house, and though the house is still hundreds of feet away, faint footsteps echo out of it. The place has carpet inside, masking sounds, and the noise of a sink running follows. The inside of the house sounds so ordinary that it's disturbing. Like it's an island of sanity in a world of darkness.
"I have to leave," Karina hisses, turning away.
"Sis. This isn't dad's mansion," Brett says, grabbing her arm.
I don't have to turn around to imagine the looks on both their faces. "We're about to end this," I force, hating my words. "We can do it. Wait." I hold up a hand, telling the others to silence.
Amazingly, Karina and Brett still. I duck low, letting the leaves of the shrubs hide me as I listen to the back door of the house open. Then I squint, letting my senses pick up everything I can. Two men, both human, are walking to the back of the property. Though I can't see them from around the house, I can hear their robes swishing against their legs and the weeds. Then they must get on a trail that's bare, because feet scrape against dust. One of the men coughs as they pass near where the body must be lying.
"They're never going to get out here," the man says.
It's the guy with the scar, the guy I stole the pistol from. From the sounds of it, they're heading to the victory site, which Brett said was behind the house. Well behind the house.
I turn to the others and relay what I've heard. "There are still some people inside, and it sounds like two of the cult members are going to check on something in the back. We follow them. We can kill them before they can get back. The stench of death will blend right in."
Everly flinches and Remo does the same. They look at each other. "Kill?"
"As we've found out, some deserve to die," I say, unable to believe the words coming from my mouth. Trying to avoid looking at Brett and Karina, I continue. "I'm better now. I can handle it so long as I know we're doing the right thing."
Callie looks to me and then Alex, frowning. "Are you sure?"
Everly seizes my shoulder as I move away from the field and back into the woods. "Your weakness is still Cayden. If anyone will make you feel guilty, it's him."
"Cayden tells me things aren't my fault." I pull away from Everly and take the lead through the trees.
Callie curl
s her finger around the trigger of the warlock's pistol, ready to jump into action, while Alex keeps his crossbow out. He'll shoot me and Callie if things go wrong. And I want him to. There's no need to sacrifice the whole world for us.
"But he's still your weakness. And the cult knows," Everly says right behind me, almost like she's trying to stop me. "If something were to happen to him, you'd never forgive yourself. Brie, listen to me."
I whirl on her. "I am. Believe me. And look." I hold up my shaking hands to make my point. "I've been thinking about this since I got here. Since before that, actually."
Everly softens and frowns. "I just don't want you to do anything Cayden wouldn't want you to do."
I swallow. My throat's dry and painful. "I know."
Behind Everly, Callie shakes. Her uncle stands right behind her, expressionless. He won't look at her. We're all going to face our nightmares at the site.
We continue towards the back of the property and I can no longer hear the warlocks walking down the dusty trail, but I can smell them and traces of the Savages, too. Both reek of burning herbs and acrid poison. And the closer we get to them, the more dark our surroundings get. The sky, though still blue and clear, takes a stormy shade whenever I take my gaze off it. Shadows deepen under the trees, turning into ponds of darkness. But when I check to the left and right, the darkness flees.
I wait for the chest pressure to start in, but nothing follows, and I'm not sure if I like that. The Savage King could be waiting to strike.
At last, after we've walked for almost fifteen minutes through the trees, careful not to snap any twigs, I see the woods clearing up ahead. As I eye the distant lake of sunlight, my heart leaps into my throat and my stomach turns over. Stopping like I've struck a wall with my eyes closed, I gulp. "That's it. I know it."
Callie stands by my side and squints. "I think I can see more light up there?"