Aldric grabbed my chin. “Hey, look at me. We’re almost to the entrance. Keep your eyes on me.”
I nodded as my muscles started to relax, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of horror. We had to keep moving. I let Aldric take the lead, keeping one hand on his shoulder.
The sound of metal hitting rock increased as we neared the front. The double iron doors opened before us, inviting us in.
I froze in the doorway. “Let’s make this quick.”
Aldric squeezed my hand. “We can do this.”
In one swift motion, we stepped inside as the doors slammed behind us.
Nineteen
The inside of Tartarus was not the burning inferno I had envisioned. The walls and ground were covered in black rock. Steam escaped between the cracks. Every twenty seconds, a low rumbling came from somewhere underneath us, rattling the stones at our feet.
The main entry way was one big dome. No windows or skylights. No other visible doors. Scattered around the room were steel cages littered with bones. My stomach turned as I caught the scent of death.
There was no sign of Dragos. No sign of anyone. The air was stagnant, like it hadn’t been breathed in centuries. I crept slowly around the dome, following the walls. My heart raced and adrenaline coursed through my veins.
Aldric stiffened. “Did you hear that?”
I strained my ears. Screams, from deep down below us. Panic filled me. I paced the room with my eyes glued to the ground. I had to find an opening. I ran my hands along the rocky floor, pulling at every exposed edge.
Aldric froze as the screams got louder. “Are you sure you want to go down there?”
I looked up while continuing to feel around. “Val and Seven could be down there. Dragos is most likely down there. We have to.”
His face was as pale as a ghost, but he nodded and got down on his knees to help me. Aldric didn’t fear much, but Tartarus was the stuff of nightmares. It was taking everything I had just to hold it together myself. Besides, I was pretty sure when those doors shut behind us, they weren’t planning on reopening them.
My finger caught a ledge and I felt it budge. “Help me lift it.”
We lifted the round steel hatch and slid it over. A narrow staircase descended into the darkness.
I started forward when Aldric grabbed my arm. “Let me go first.”
I nodded. “Watch your step.”
The screams were bloodcurdling. They bled through the walls of this demonic hall of torture and pierced my ears like daggers. I clung to Aldric’s back for dear life.
As we reached the bottom of the steps, torches lit up by themselves. They ran along the corridor that stretched out before us. I pushed past Aldric and crept forward. Darkness filled me. It spoke without speaking. I could feel it in my bones, pulling me toward something.
Aldric shook me. “Gray? You, all right?”
I drew in a sharp breath. The present shifted back into focus. “I’m fine. Let’s keep moving.”
I knew by the way he was looking at me that something was off. He sensed it. I blacked out with my eyes open. And they hadn’t shifted.
All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Footsteps pounded toward us through the screams. Aldric stiffened and we both held out our weapons.
A mass of blood red curls came bouncing around the corner, panting and dripping in sweat.
I let out a sigh of relief. “Val. You made it. Did you find him?”
Her heart raced. “Not exactly, but we know where he is. Seven is trying to pry the door open.”
Aldric and I exchanged a relieved look and dashed after her as she ran off. She led us down three more corridors. They were narrower than the sewers in London but smelled of the same must and rot. I held my breath to stop myself from gagging.
When we reached the door, Seven was kicking at it without success.
I pulled his shoulder. “It’s spelled. Force isn’t going to work.”
Seven grunted. “My magic’s not working on it either.” He gritted his teeth.
I clasped his hand. “Let’s try together.”
He nodded and placed his free hand against the door. I did the same. I commanded the Narcissus energy to focus on unlocking it. I let it pour out of me and onto the steel. It began to burn as smoke rose from my throat. I gripped Seven’s hand harder and planted my feet on the ground. His body trembled next to mine.
It was getting harder to breathe as I pressed more of my magic out. It scraped at the door like a wild animal. Seven clenched his jaw and let out a low guttural growl. I stole another breath and gave one final push, crying out like a banshee. A wave of nausea hit me, and the door flew open.
Aldric rushed to my side as I keeled over. Seven braced himself against the wall. Valentina sauntered past all of us, ghostlike, and stepped through the doorway.
I had to lean on Aldric as we followed after her. Seven shuffled in behind us. I let out a gasp. Death was everywhere. Bodies—they hung from hooks, some were nailed to walls, and others were crushed to pieces. This was the burning inferno I had envisioned.
The four of us stood speechless, our mouths gaping open. Broken arms reached for us as we scooted past their writhing bodies. Their faces twisted in horror and agony as they screamed at us. This was the nightmare that I had been dreading my whole life.
Valentina spun around and around, scanning the room for her brother. I hoped that we would find him but prayed that he was not in here.
“Dragos?” The panic and fear in her voice was bordering on hysteria.
Aldric’s pulse raced, but he appeared to be the only calm one between us. “I’ll search the far end.”
She nodded and stifled a sob. Seven and I each took a side. I tip-toed from body to body, cringing as I peered into their bloody faces. My heart ached for every soul in here. Did they deserve it or were they taken the way Dragos was? Did anyone deserve this?
It wasn’t my place to judge or decide, but Dragos didn’t belong here, and I had already made up my mind that I wasn’t leaving here without him.
After what seemed like hours of mental warfare, Aldric called out. “I think I found him.”
Valentina flew to the other side of the chamber with Seven and I right behind her. She collapsed to her knees in a heap of sobs.
I scanned the walls and spotted him. My heart dropped into my stomach and the room began to spin. He was hanging on the wall. A massive spike stuck out of his back.
All I could muster was a whisper. “Is he…alive?”
Seven pushed past me. In one swift motion, he lifted Dragos up and pulled him off the spike. He laid him down on the ground and covered him with his jacket.
Seven looked up, his eyes glowing like firelight. “He’s alive, but only by a thread. We’ll have to heal him before we can move him. He won’t survive the journey back if we don’t.”
I shuddered and looked away. Why would anyone do this to him? His flesh was torn, his face was battered, and his eyes were swollen shut. He wasn’t just spiked, he had been beaten. My heart ached for him. It ached in my head and in my bones.
Aldric placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “He’s going to be okay. He has to be. I’m not going to let him rob me of killing him myself.” He winked.
I knew he was trying to lighten the situation, but this was far more serious than he realized. This wasn’t some sort of spell or poison. This was an attack on the flesh. Ten more minutes and that spike would have torn clean through and taken off Dragos’s head.
My eyes burned black. “This is all my fault.”
Aldric snapped, “Gray, you didn’t do this to him. Don’t blame yourself.”
I threw my hands in the air. “The only reason he’s down here is because of me. He wanted to help me get the pomegranate seeds, so I could defeat Jezebel and—”
“And rescue me.” Aldric looked down and let out a deep sigh. “See, it’s not your fault.”
He was blaming himself. It didn’t make me feel any better and it didn’t chang
e the fact that I left Dragos behind. I chose Aldric, like I said I would, and now Dragos might die because of it.
Valentina whimpered. “Gray, I need you.”
I rushed over to her, leaving Aldric muttering to himself. Seven hovered over Dragos’s lifeless body, whispering in his ear. His wounds were more brutal up close. His skin was torn, and dried blood stained his body, but he was breathing. That was all we needed.
Valentina turned to me, her eyes wild and desperate. “He needs your blood.” I nodded and used my dagger to slash my wrist.
Aldric threw Valentina an annoyed look. “Why her blood?” Sharing blood between Dhampirs was intimate and sacred. To Aldric, it was like I was sleeping with Dragos all over again, except this time in front of him.
Her eyes shifted to red. “Gray is the only one with the Narcissus in her. It might be the only thing that can save him.” Her voice shook.
Aldric snarled and turned his back as I held my open wrist over Dragos’s mouth. Blood trickled onto his lips like rain drops. He flinched as his hand flew to my mine. He clamped down hard and drank with an animalistic fury.
The gashes on his chest began to slowly stitch together as if he was being sewn up with an invisible thread. His heart pumped faster as my blood filled his veins. The color returned to his face just as his eyes flew open.
Seven pried my wrist from Dragos’s mouth. I hunched over and stumbled forward, lightheaded and dizzy. His face blurred while tiny stars danced around him. Seven put a vial to my lips and urged me to drink. The liquid was bitter as it raced down my throat. Willow bark. I blinked a few times to clear the fog out of my eyes. My limbs were heavy, but everything was shifting back into focus.
Dragos caressed my wrist as the wound began healing. The brightness in his eyes returned as he stared up at me.
His lips parted, cracked and dry. “Esti al meu.”
It was a whisper, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
Aldric whipped back around, his nostrils flared. “What did he say?”
A knot formed in my chest. “Nothing. He’s out of it.” Dragos hadn’t spoken to me in Romanian in decades. Aldric didn’t know what it meant, but it was only a matter of time before he would decipher it.
Valentina threw her arms around Drago’s neck as he sat up. “Oh, thank Apollo. I thought I lost you.”
Dragos winced from her hold. “I’m not that easy to get rid of, little sister.” He winked, but was looking directly at Aldric, who tensed as they locked eyes.
Seven pulled him up to his feet. “Where are the demons who did this to you?”
Dragos sneered. “If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been unconscious for Apollo knows how long. How should I know?”
Seven chuckled. “Glad to see you’re feeling better. And you’re welcome.”
Aldric tugged on my arm. His eyes narrowed. “Can we get out of here now before whoever did this to him comes back?”
His muscles tightened, and his jaw clenched. It was like we were taking two steps backward. His trust in me was broken, and his hatred for Dragos ran even deeper.
Seven hoisted Dragos’s arm around his shoulders. “Lead the way.”
His wounds were healing, but his bones were still too weak for him to walk on his own. Valentina ducked under his other arm, causing him to wince in pain.
I marched back toward the entrance with the others following close behind. Aldric muttered under his breath as we climbed the stairs that led back to the dome room. I didn’t even know where to begin to fix this hole between us.
Dragos’s words repeated again in my head. Esti al meu, a term of endearment that he used to whisper to me when no one else was listening. Like it was our little secret. It used to fill me with passion and excitement. Hearing him speak those words again now, in front of Aldric, only made me cringe and shrink back with uneasiness. My cheeks were hot as Aldric eyed me with suspicion.
As we reached the top of the stairs, we all froze. A monstrous figure stood in front of the doors. It was Cerberus—half man, half beast with a serpent for a tail. With his arms folded, his lips curled into a wicked smile as he blocked our way out.
Twenty
Dragos flew into a rage and charged toward Cerberus just as Seven reached out and yanked him back. Valentina stepped in front of him as a shield. Cerberus eyed us with amusement. The slight twitch of his fingers reminded me of Lucien, making my skin crawl. My eyes burned black as I imagined what I would do to Cerberus if I had the chance.
Seven pushed Dragos behind him and stepped forward. “Get out of our way.”
Cerberus laughed as his tail slithered up and curled around his neck. “Everyone is free to leave except you.”
My heart raced. This was what Cerberus wanted all along. He knew that Seven would return with me to rescue Dragos. I pulled out my daggers and crouched down. Aldric prepped an arrow in his bow and aimed it at Cerberus’s head.
He laughed harder. “These doors will not open unless I allow them to. Even if you succeed in killing me, you will be trapped in here forever.”
Seven pushed our weapons toward the ground. “He’s right. You can’t fight him. Just go. I’ll catch up.”
This was madness. He was going to sacrifice himself for us. I couldn’t let him do that. I couldn’t leave another friend behind in this damned place.
I shook my head. “No. We leave together. That was the plan.”
Seven’s face fell, sadness filled his eyes. “I told you, Gray, if I came here I would not leave without my wife. Please, go. You have more important battles to fight on the other side.”
The weight of his words hit me like a ton of bricks. Seven never had any intentions of coming back with us. He would rather die down here with his love than live up there without her.
I sheathed my daggers and glared at Cerberus. He nodded with a smug smile plastered on his face. He stepped aside, and the doors opened. He eyed Seven like a piece of candy. I shuddered as I imagined him being strung up on that wall with the others. He was bigger than Dragos and would suffer longer before he died. It made my stomach turn.
We each took turns embracing him and whispering our goodbyes. Valentina’s chest heaved as she sobbed into his shoulder. He nodded at Dragos, who pulled her away.
I stood in front of Seven and wiped a bead of sweat off his face. “I will find a way to get you out of here. You and your wife.”
He smiled, but his eyes filled with sadness. “I’m sure you will, brave one. Just not today.” He kissed my forehead as my eyes brimmed with tears.
I paused at the doorway to look back one more time at him. He was many things—the pirate captain of the mighty Resistance, a fierce warrior, and a descendant of the gods. But above all else, he was my friend, and I knew in my heart I would see him again. I had to believe that.
I whispered, “See you on the other side.”
He held up his chin and forced a smile. I held his gaze until the doors closed all the way, trapping him inside and locking us out forever.
The four of us returned to the ship, dragging our feet the whole way. We gained one but lost another. A blow to our spirits that we were all feeling. The journey home was caked in silence. We kept to ourselves as we each grieved for different things and for different reasons.
Dragos peered out to sea. His face was healing but torment coursed through his eyes. I didn’t want to imagine what they did to him in there, but I had to know.
He flinched as I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
I drew it back. “What happened out there? When I came out of the river, you were gone.”
He clenched his jaw. “There were too many of them. Hundreds. Cerberus grabbed me. I told them I was alone and they believed me. I couldn’t let them take you too…”
Tears streamed down my cheeks. “Oh, Dragos. I’m so sorry. I should have never asked you to come with me.”
His eyes bulged as he whipped around to face me. “Yes, you should have. They would have taken you instead. You have no ide
a the things they did to me in there. You don’t ever want to know.” His fingers trembled as he gripped the side of the ship.
I nodded and took a deep breath. “Aldric knows…about the cabin. I told him everything. He was still willing to help save you. Maybe you could go easy on him?”
Dragos snickered through gritted teeth. “He only came for you. Trust me, he’d have left me to rot if it was up to him. He might as well have put that spike in my back himself.”
I drew in a sharp breath. “That may be true, but he’s dealing with a lot right now. I need to be there for him. I need to fix things between us.”
Dragos spat, “You do what you have to do, Gray, but I’m not going to make anything easy for Aldric.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. It was no use. I walked to the other side of the ship and stared out into the horizon. This rescue mission only reinforced Dragos’s feelings for me even more. Neither one of them was going to let up on the other. I cursed myself under my breath. What have I done?
Upon arrival at the Hall of Secrets, Dragos went straight to the healing clinic for further observation, Valentina went to the armory to let out some steam, and I sank down in a chair in the study with a bottle of whiskey.
Aldric watched me from the doorway. The outline of his silhouette cast a shadow on the floor in the glow of the firelight. It made his skin glisten and his eyes flicker, highlighting his chiseled features.
He sauntered over, relaxed for the first time, and sat down next to me. “I’m sorry about Seven. He was a good man. A good friend. I know it wasn’t easy for you to walk away.”
I blinked back tears. “He made his choice and I have to respect it.”
He drew in a sharp breath and raised an eyebrow. “Have you made yours?”
My stomach was in knots. “Aldric, we’ve been over this. I want to be with you, not Dragos.”
His eyes flashed from milky white and back to blue. “What did he say to you back there?”
Flesh and Bone (Blood and Darkness Book 2) Page 11
