“They’re gone, probably got washed downstream,” he told me.
“Ashe,” I whispered, pulling on his arm. “Let’s just leave. Run away… be safe…”
He breathed out a sad laugh. “No, Syd. We can’t leave. We have to stay. I have plans for the Dragonborn. I have plans for when I’m PL, plans to make all of us safer and protected from the mundane world. I’m going to change things and make a difference.”
“And it has to be you?” I asked.
He flashed me a cocky lopsided grin, “Yes.”
I groaned.
My soldier let go of my hand before motioning me to go first through the narrow passageway. His mind swirled with productive focus, and I wondered if he were thinking of his plans to rescue George.
“You thinking about the rescue?” I asked, holding the glow basket up to guide my way as I ducked, shuffling through the narrow channel.
He let out a sigh. “Yeah.”
I huffed out a breath as we came to the broader sloped tunnel. It was sparsely lit, but I could make out a glow farther up where it met up with the more modern tunnels.
Ashe touched my shoulder, guiding me away from a low hanging stalactite. I shivered at the cool temperature now that we were away from the hot spring.
Turning off the central tunnel, he motioned to a small recess hidden in the shadows. He held the glow basket up to reveal a rotting wood door, held together with rusted iron lashings. He pulled the door open and it led into a narrow shaft filled with a rusty, old spiral staircase.
“Is this safe?” I asked, peering into the dark, unable to tell how deep or high the chute went.
“It’s a shortcut. Do you want me to go first?” he asked.
I nodded and handed him the glow. He stepped onto the first tread. It groaned with his weight and as he began taking the steps one at a time, the structure swayed a bit. I followed him uneasily, glad I couldn’t see how far down it went because of the inky darkness.
After climbing the spiral for several minutes, Ashe stopped, checked something before leading me out into a bright passageway.
“This is the residential corridor. We’ll meet up with Corbin before continuing,” he whispered.
I blinked to adjust to the brighter glows in the wide residential tunnel that spiraled upward through the rock.
“Is this where you live too?” I asked.
He shook his head, “No, I live in the barracks in the militia sector, but Corbin’s family still lives here, so he stays at home while he’s here.”
I sat down on a nearby bench, leaning against the wall. After waiting for several minutes, I got up, paced, and then sat back down again. My body sagged in exhaustion, but my mind was still on alert.
“What time is it?” I asked, my quiet voice shattering the silence of the empty tunnel.
“Almost midnight. Corbin’s bringing supplies,” Ashe reassured me as he reached over and clasped my hand, interlocking our fingers.
His dark hair stood on end, messy in a roguish kind of way and his jaw showed the faintest hint of stubble. Ashe was ruggedly beautiful, and not just physically. His soul was pure and good and honorable when I’d been in his mind. He worked tirelessly to do what he believed was right. I still didn’t agree with his break up speech in California, but now, after seeing it through his eyes, I understood why he’d done it.
Time seemed to drag by, nagging me to act, prompting me to move and defrost my frozen limbs, but we waited.
I leaned against Ashe, closing my eyes just as a sound echoed from farther up the tunnel—the sound of feet slapping the ground as someone ran toward us.
Ashe stood, standing between the runner and me as we waited to see who would pop out from the curve of the stone wall.
But before the stranger came into view, Ashe relaxed. Corbin came into sight, slowing his pace as he neared. The Eton Prime looked like a surfer with long sun-bleached blond hair that he tucked behind his ears, tan skin, and bright, curious brown eyes. He was a bit shorter than Ashe but stockier. He wore the Dragonborn black and gray camo fatigues, with the round dragon patch on the shoulder.
The two bro-hugged before breaking apart.
“Dude! So, you guys finally boned?” he asked with a wide smile.
Ashe clenched his jaw. “No. We didn’t.”
Corbin smiled, his eyes bright with energy. “What the hell was I supposed to think?! Choryth told me to bring you clothes!”
Ashe asked, “Did you bring my cell phone?”
Corbin cleared his throat, the smile leaving his face as he got to business. “Yeah, and supplies. I’ve got our climbing shit,” he paused before pulling rolled up clothes from his pack. “Sydney, I brought you both some dry clothes.”
“Thanks,” I said, unraveling athletic pants, a t-shirt, and a plain black sports bra that didn’t belong to me. “Who do these belong to?”
He looked away, trying to avoid my question.
“Corbin?” I asked, dropping my voice.
He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. They won’t be missed.”
I blew out a heavy breath and faced the Eton Prime. “Are these Lacy’s? She already hates me and now I’m borrowing her clothes?”
Corbin shook his head, his brow furrowed as if I were explaining something complicated.
“It’s fine, I promise,” Ashe said, then pressed his lips together. “You’re shivering. Go up to the bend just out of sight and change in the alcove there.”
I followed his instructions, my body stiff with cold. I could hear the guy’s low whispers but not what they said.
When I returned, Ashe stood talking to his friend, naked from the waist up as he changed.
I couldn’t help but watch him. Then his gaze met mine.
“Don’t,” he warned, pulling the new shirt over his head.
I widened my eyes in innocence, “What?”
He tilted his chin down, giving me a warning look. “I can feel your emotions even easier now.”
A teasing smile crossed my lips, and I shrugged. “I can’t help it. You’re a tease.”
Ashe shook his head, “You know who the tease is.”
A loud bark of laughter erupted from Corbin as he looked between us.
17
Ashe
The three of us were quietly continued up the old shaft toward the Northeast Lookout. When we reached the top of the stairs, I hung the glow basket on the hook before climbing the aluminum work ladder that someone had attached to the existing ladder with webbing. It made that hollow aluminum sound as my boots hit each rung. I reached up and my fingers brushed the hatch before I pushed it open.
Moonlight streamed down into the chute and I pulled myself up. Turning, I helped Sydney then reached down for the duffel Corbin carried. Once we were through, I closed the square lid.
Syd gazed out toward the north at the shadowed mountain that merged into an inky black sky.
“You’re able to call from here?” she asked.
I stood next to her and pointed toward a dip in the trees. “Yeah. There’s a cell tower in the ridge off the county road.”
She raised her eyebrows. “And this is the only way to make a call?”
Corbin chirped in, “No. You can use a landline inside the mountain, but to text or use a cell phone—this is the only way. We all do it. It makes me wonder why the PL doesn’t install an amplifier and run ports inside the mountain. It would make so much more sense.”
I shrugged. “You know Arthur and the Council? They aren’t exactly fans of mundane technology. They like to avoid it as much as possible.”
“Yeah,” Corbin said, handing me my mobile phone.
I let the device search for a signal before pressing Evgeni’s contact, then I waited.
Nothing happened for several seconds, then the line connected and began ringing. When the call went to voicemail, I hung up and tried again and then again. Just as I was about to give up, Evgeni answered in a sleepy voice.
“Ashe? Are we on?” he asked
, his voice clearing.
“Yes, we’re a go for tonight. You should know—something happened today.”
He cut me off, “About that, I’m flying to Briony tomorrow to meet with the Council and bring Sydney home.”
“Oh?” I asked, feeling defeated.
“Yeah, but I thought that maybe they could station you in California again. After all, I still have sway. No one pays as much in tithes as I do… Hey, are you okay? I heard about the coupling? I left word with med-bay to contact me if either of you came in.”
“Sydney was hurt by Eondian,” I began, “but she’s fine. I was able to… heal her.”
He was silent for almost a minute, making me check the phone to see that the call hadn’t dropped.
“Oh, Ashe. Tell me you didn’t complete the bond,” he asked, waiting to hear my answer.
Corbin and Sydney watched me intently, overhearing both sides of the conversation due to Garin’s loud voice.
Sighing, I turned my back to them and switched to Russian to prevent them from understanding the rest of our conversation. “Listen! We didn’t complete the bond, but it’s getting more difficult. I was almost unable to stop.”
“I told you it would be,” he said pausing. “But… all things considered, you’ve done well.”
After coordinating Evgeni’s end of the rescue, I clicked off the phone and pocketed it.
“Evgeni’s coming to get you tomorrow,” I told Sydney. “We need to get you back to your room.”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t. If this is my last chance to see George, I need to talk to him. I need to see him.”
Corbin and I exchanged a glance.
“We were going to leave from that lower south alcove. She could wait there until we’re ready to evac him,” the Eton suggested.
“Yeah. I can do that,” she said, shivering.
“All right. But don’t go anywhere. I don’t want you running into anyone—they’ll ask questions,” I told her, breathing a sigh out my nose.
Aaraeth and Eondian were still somewhere out in the woods. Their contentment irritated me. Pulling up the hatch, I tossed the duffel bag down onto the corrugated metal platform below. It landed with a loud bang and the three of us followed it down into the tunnel, spiraling down the rickety steps.
“Evgeni’s not going to hurt George, right?” Sydney asked, breaking up the sound of our footsteps and the occasional clang of metal hitting whatever the staircase used to be welded to.
Would Evgeni hurt George?
I narrowed my eyes in thought. “Honestly, I don’t think so, but I don’t know.”
“Ashe, hear me out, I’ve been thinking about something,” she said as her fingers brushed my shoulder. “Don’t you think it’s a little convenient that Evgeni never looked for me or knew about me? What if he arranged for you to be at my Awakening Ceremony? What if he thought we could create that bond? And maybe… him and George have been working together. Have you ever thought of that?”
“Seriously? No. No way. That’s not possible.” I paused to look back to meet her eye before continuing.
“I don’t know. I mean, Evgeni says he didn’t know about me…. But… how could he not know Celine was pregnant?”
I shook my head. “Look, I can see where you’re coming from. When you aren’t blocking me, I can feel the rhythm of your body. I know when you have your period…”
“Ugh, Ashe! Corbin can hear you!” she spat.
I laughed. “Yes, but listen—when you’re blocking me, I feel nothing.” I blew out a breath. “I know Evgeni, and if he knew about you, he would’ve raised you himself. Think about it? Think about Evgeni, he’s a strategist, but family always comes first for him.”
She sighed heavily and I let her pass me on the staircase.
Reaching out, I brushed her shoulder with my fingertips as we walked. “Trust me. If George had help, it was from your grandfather.”
On the ledge where we planned to leave with George, Corbin tossed the duffel to the ground. It was full of camping supplies for George in case he had to wait a few days in the forest for Evgeni to pick him up.
The wind buffeted us, swirling dust in the air and snapping Sydney’s hair around her face.
The Eton Prime hesitated at the door. “I’m going to grab the climbing kit and put the surveillance cameras into a loop. Stay here until I come back for you.”
“Want my help?” I asked.
“Nah. I’m better at this kind of thing.” Corbin closed the door behind himself before I could retort.
I turned to look back at Syd. She was sitting on the duffel bag, looking down at her hands.
“Are you okay?” The space was dirty, and a cricket crawled along the bag by her foot. “Syd? Say something?” I asked, bending down and squeezing her hands, making her meet my eyes again in the orange glow of the tunnel. “Do you still want to see George? You don’t have to stay. We’ll be all right.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “It’s just I got this idea stuck in my head that Evgeni knew about me. I just… I met someone—a Dragonborn man—when I was really young, like maybe six or seven. George and I were in Paris. I remember his shoes—they were fancy and looked expensive—like those custom Italian loafers Evgeni wears...”
“So does every other Dragonborn Prime over forty.” I pointed out.
“George left me with him for a whole day. The man took me to the Eiffel Tower, but after a while, I wanted George, and I cried. So, then he bought me crepes, and chocolates… and a fluffy pink dress. But I can’t remember his face…” she trailed off, her eyes unfocused as if trying to scavenge her memory for clues.
“Who was he?” she asked just above a whisper.
I crouched next to her and shook my head, “I don’t know, but George knows, and if you want, you can go to the range camp with him. That way, you guys can talk without having to rush, and maybe you can get the answers you're looking for.”
“Really?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. I can come get you tomorrow afternoon.”
“What’s the range camp?”
“It’s a gun range just outside the valley. There’s a whole camp and fake buildings for training.” I studied her face, but she didn’t meet my eye.
Her thoughts were on the stranger from her past and her two dads.
As if I’d read her mind, she said, “It couldn’t have been Evgeni. I believed him when he said he didn’t know about me—I felt the truth in his words.”
“I told you. But remember, Evgeni is coming for you, so I’ll need to bring you back to Briony before he gets here,” I told her.
Her eyes flicked back and forth between mine. “Okay. Thank you.”
I sucked in a breath, “Yeah, it’s no problem.”
A crease formed between Syd’s eyes as she stared down at her hands. “Have you done anything like this… this rescue before?”
“Yeah,” I whispered, smoothing her hair behind her ear. “I’ve done harder things, more dangerous things. Don’t worry. Corbin and I have been planning this for a while now.”
Syd was silent but nodded, lost in her own thoughts.
I paced the alcove. I’d wanted to walk farther out onto the ledge, but large double metal security gates blocked the way. I’d have to open them to get George out, but not until the very last moment.
Leaning against the bars, I reached out with my mind, looking for Eondian or Aaraeth. I found them still sleeping in the forest.
When I returned to Sydney, she glanced up at me with a strange expression on her face.
I knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in mine. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay. Do you want me to go with you to Range Camp with you instead of Corbin? That way, I can stay and be with you for as long as you want.”
She bracketed my face with her small hands, “No. I need answers, and the only way George will open up is if we’re alone. I’ll be fine.”
I nodded hesitantly. “If you’re sure.”
&n
bsp; She smiled. “I am.”
There had always been an aura about Sydney, one of sunshine, laughter, and happiness, and even during this stressful time, all that joy poured from her, warming me, strengthening me, and giving me courage.
I pulled her up off the step and held her against me. She smelled like the forest and the spring and Briony. If I could keep her in the circle of my arms forever, I would.
Resting my forehead against hers, I closed my eyes. “You’ll be okay with just you and George?” I asked again before pulling back to hear her answer.
Syd smoothed the fabric of my shirt with her palm and said, “Yes.”
“You’ll have to ride on Choryth. Corbin knows how to avoid the patrol and where to go. I trust him with my life.”
She hesitated, “I need to know what exactly happened with my mom and how she went to the dragon realm.”
I ground my teeth, anger filling me at her eagerness to listen to that liar George. I stared into her eyes, making sure she understood how sure I was. “She’s not there, Syd. That’s a lie made up by a desperate man to get your help… The information he has… it has to be something else.”
She cut me off, “No. He told me this while he was in jail. No drugs, no nothing. I believe him. He thought he was going to die. He didn’t lie to me.”
I tilted my head to the side, “Dragonborn can be lied to when it’s something that they want to believe.”
“No. I know what I felt. He really believes it. And he also said I have an anchor, and I’m the only one who can go and come back. Don’t you understand?”
I was shaking my head before blowing out a breath. This entire thing about Celine being alive and in the dragon realm was bullshit. And the worst part was that Sydney bought it hook, line, and sinker—from a man proven to be a liar, manipulator, and scoundrel. I mean, what kind of man steals a dead woman’s child and just keeps it?
But, I wouldn’t waste my time arguing with her. She’d find out soon enough.
“Let’s focus on the plan, not what-ifs. First, we need to free George—which will not be easy. You’ll be waiting here for hours, do you understand? Hours. Don’t leave this alcove.”
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