Shadowed Fire (Veil of Midnight Book 1)

by A. Vers

  “And when I get you both to the consulate, I will travel back to Midnight with my parents. I’ll go back home and this whole crazy thing will be over.” I laugh softly, but the sound is empty. Strained. “Life can go back to normal.”

  Nix watches me, the fire in his irises seeming to mute. To quiet.

  It breaks me surer than his words.

  But I don’t know what else to say.

  All the like in the world won’t change the things I need to keep hidden. The other side of my power that no one can know about. In time, I could accept what Chol really is. Who he is. But what I am… He doesn’t need another beacon over his head. No matter how much I wish otherwise.

  That, more than even Nix’s quiet resolution—more than the Fíanac—is what made me close the distance at Wicked. We both seek to protect those we care about, even at the expense of our own happiness.

  Nix’s vibrant gaze scours over my face, and the soul piercing quality of his irises seems to take my measure. It’s like he can see everything I’m thinking, and that scares the hell out of me.

  He dips his head in stoic acquiescence and lays down across from me. I follow his motions, pillowing my head and pulling the pelt up as high as I can. He does not speak, does not reassure me in anyway that I am making the right choice.

  We stare at each other for what could be minutes or an eternity. Outside, a log falls with a soft crack, and the flames rise higher, highlighting his crimson hair.

  His softly glowing eyes are the last things I see as the ache in my soul quiets into a fitful slumber.

  Chapter 23

  I wave one last dejected goodbye to Mat and follow Chol and Nix into the Void. They are both quiet this morning. Distant. But it is more of my own making than theirs.

  Chol awoke me with a gentle smile and a soft kiss on my cheek. My arms had raised, to pull him closer and revel in his touch as I had for the last few days. But Nix’s gaze was hard to ignore. Even now, every motion seems to hold new weight. A focus that I cannot shake.

  So I do not push forward to grab Chol’s hand as we go. To force him to see me. Because Nix’s words left an empty place in my chest. A hole I am no longer sure how to fill. Chol would help me to ease the odd pain. To wash away Nix’s heat and his fierceness as a cambion prince can. But it seems wrong now. Evil to ask him to.

  Like I betrayed them both.

  My head hangs, and I twirl the thin bit of orangish rock on the leather thong about my neck. It is not as rare as some of my jewels, but it is special to me.

  Mat was insistent I take it. That it would help protect me. As she forced me to take the many herbs in the bottom of my pack. Herbs I have no knowledge of how to use.

  I sigh and look out at the Void. The broken landscape is all hills and dunes of the same cracked and weathered soil under my illuminatix orb. But both Mat and Nix swear Hemlock is only a few hours east. Once we reach the city, the convergence point should be easy enough to find. And then it will be a direct route to the consulate.

  To being able to go home.

  We trudge along in the dark, footfalls muffled by the thick layers of fabric around our boots. But the padding keeps our feet from sinking straight through the cracked earth, and the going is easier.

  After what feels like leagues of walking, the distant tips of Hemlock rise across the horizon. Spires in green, blue, purple, and every cross of shade in between, tower high into the Void, lit from below and within by a wealth of power that hums in my bones even so far out.

  I pull my amhara up behind my eyes.

  Flowing lines weave in and around the spires; a network of markings that dome high into the Void. They even jet across the plain, pulsing in time to the great beat of the city’s heart.

  “Wow,” I breathe.

  Chol and Nix glance at me. It’s the first word spoken between us in hours, and the soft echo in the silence leaves my face heating.

  I motion to the city. “Their wardings are amazing.”

  Chol smiles and grabs my hand. “Then wait until you are inside of them.” He tugs me along after him.

  I peer at Nix, but his hooded head is turned away, fixed on a point I cannot see.

  Chol pulls again and I begrudgingly jog over the packed ground. Soon the soil gives way to a sky blue expanse of flowers. They trail over the shallow hills before blanketing out as far as the eye can see in a carpet of slim bell like shapes.

  The distant walls of Hemlock shimmer and shine, casting a soft ring of light to see by. Chol steers me to a high gate set deep in the glowing walls, each panel made of symbols that whir and spin.

  Two obscured shapes move just behind the light. The strange symbols vanish and the guard’s faces grow clearer under the caps they wear.

  “We seek transit by convergence,” Chol says, voice holding the authoritarian quality of a prince. “And lodging if the transit has already passed.”

  The men raise twin poles made of a clear glass. One gate panel shimmers and fades to the side, leaving the way open.

  Chol urges me inside, Nix right on our heels.

  I step into Hemlock, gazing up at the illusion ward visible even from the outside. Bright skies and sunlight illuminates the city, bringing with it a human spring of warm breezes and floral scents.

  My mouth hangs wide at the colorful shops, well-dressed beings, and strange vehicles that move along the streets. There are no tires, and each one hovers a foot off the ground, but they roll along, bubble like cabs dark and secluded.

  “Hemlock is one of the largest cities in the Void,” Chol says, taking in my expression with a grin. “With the convergence, they have many of the amenities of Earth.” His head tilts. “Albeit funner, magick-powered versions.”

  My head whips this way and that, the sense of adventure building in me where Emerald City had failed.

  “Do we have to go to the consulate so soon?” I ask, already knowing the answer, but unable to contain the thread of hope at exploring such a grand place.

  Chol’s mouth parts to speak.

  “If the transit has not ran, we will need to make the trip now,” Nix snaps, drawing my attention from the brightly lit city to the crimson and ruby sweep of his hair. “We need to get topside as soon as we can,” he amends with a shrug, face tight and shoulders pinched. But he will no longer look at me or Chol.

  The prince gazes between us, his brows furrowed.

  I glance away and toy with my hair as guilt riddles my insides. He’s right.

  So I drop the strands and square my shoulders. “Of course,” I say with resolution. “So where is the station?”

  Ѻ

  The depot for Hemlock is an enormous crystal building with an open ceiling and a clear view of the illusions outside. Tall banks of cabinets, that Nix calls lockers, holds chiseled out mechanisms for special keys. I watch as a family of blue-hued Fae open their locker and pull out a slim bag before heading toward the city.

  “So you can just keep things in them?” I ask, gaze following the family back out into the streets.

  Chol chuckles. “If you are staying for a day or so, but don’t want to haul everything around, it comes in handy.”

  My head bobs, though it is still such a strange practice.

  “Humans have them too,” Nix adds and his tone is mild once again. Almost empty. “In their train stations and subways.”

  “Subways…” I mutter the word under my breath.

  Why have I never heard that word?

  “It’s like a train below ground,” Chol clarifies.

  I grimace. “Why on Earth would you want to ride a train underground? Wouldn’t the earth cave in around you?”

  They exchange a look. Chol busts out laughing and even Nix cracks a real smile.

  My eyes widen.

  Chol laughs frequent enough, but it doesn’t stop it from making him shine like the sun.

  Nix’s smile on the other hand is so rare that it leaves me staring. His face glows a bit, like some of the weight he carries is gone. For
a moment, I get a glimpse of the carefree man he could have been.

  And it makes my chest ache.

  I suck in a breath and look quickly away.

  The counter nearby is long and several attendants wait, idly gliding their fingers over the vibrant displays before them.

  Walking over, I smile politely.

  A petite blonde Fae peers from me to the wall of cookie and ash scented muscle that crowds my spine. She takes in our dusty clothes with mild distaste. “Yes?” Even her tone is snide.

  “We need three passes for the next transit topside,” I say, my smile fading.

  Her eyes widen, but she goes back to her screen. “The next departure is in 15 minutes. That will be…” She taps out a quick rhythm and more lights glow. “Twelve stone.”

  My head whirs. To go to Earth?

  She waits, smiling now at my obvious hesitation.

  I exhale and slip my bag around my body. The loose stones and coins in the side pouch gleam. Though the stones are empty now, as a mimir, they hold more value as magick banks than the currency of the Void. But to get Chol and Nix topside and safe, there isn’t much I won’t pay. I pick out twelve and slide them over the counter, leaving the fabric much lighter.

  She takes three slips of paper and glides them below her display.

  Curved writing scrolls across the tops, the inlaid incantus activating at her command. I take them as she passes them over.

  “Thanks,” I mutter.

  Turning to the guys, they both watch me. Though Chol appears to be pouting, Nix is more contemplative.

  “What?” I ask, passing out the tickets.

  “You know this means we need to board now, right?” Chol asks.

  Right.

  My head hangs a little, but I try to shrug it off. “No sightseeing, Chol. We need to get topside.”

  Their silence is palpable. I look up, gaze going between them.

  “That is the saddest face I have ever seen on a woman. Even when I leave in the morning they don’t look like that,” Chol says, and I can’t decide if he’s joking or not.

  Nix scoffs. “Then you obviously aren’t doing something right.” His vivid irises remain fixed on mine as his words ring in my ears.

  Does he mean—

  He looks away, and I exhale in a shaky puff.

  “Sayah.” Chol grips me about the waist and pulls me closer. His body is hot, feverish with his hunger. But not an ounce of amour trickles from him.

  I shrug, pass held tight to my chest between us. “I’m okay.”

  He makes a sound and lowers his head to mine. “I swear to bring you back. Just you and me. We will spend however long you want here.” He nuzzles me sweetly. “And you can even drag me through the girlie shops.”

  A small laugh leaves me.

  He gives me a gentle peck on the lips before pulling back. I should move away. I need to move away. My stomach quivers as he leans in again.

  His kiss blankets me, cocooning me into his warmth and the sweet scent of his skin. With a casual swirl of his tongue, my lips part, letting him inside. His fingers dig into my lower back, lifting me higher against him until the hard press of his body is burned into mine.

  The pass starts to slip from my fingers so I can hold him tighter, but he eases away. I suck in air, panting, as he does the same.

  His eyes shine down at me like twin moons. “I don’t think that’s ever going to get old,” he murmurs.

  Something dark moves out of my peripheral.

  I turn to find Nix already walking away. Taking a page from his book, I offer Chol a smile and disentangle myself from his heat.

  He frowns at me.

  “What?” I ask, my easy teasing falling miles too short. So I turn and start walking after the Hallow. “He’s not getting the window seat. I am.”

  Chapter 24

  The transit is a wide, two story container made of thin, polished stone and raw power. Weavings and demon fire roll around the outside as we approach, holding it aloft on the enchanted platform beneath it. Each section is blanketed in symbols and markings that I am not sure if even Father would recognize. I gaze up at it in awe--and a touch of fear.

  “And this is supposed to carry us topside?” I ask.

  Chol chuckles at my tone and gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. Though there is a question in his gaze, he remains at my side. “It looks a lot more complicated than it is,” he says, still smiling. “The demons use their magick to create transports to and from the Abyss. It encloses them in wards and protection, allowing them to move between plains without…ill effects.”

  “The transit is similar but it uses the convergence points, places where the veil between Earth, the Void, the Abyss, and Heaven are thinnest,” he continues.

  My head cocks. “Like a hall with different doors?”

  He nods. “Exactly. The transit would be your body and the veil between, the doorways. As long as you know which one you want, it makes getting there easy.”

  His explanation helps to assuage some of my fear. I follow him onto the platform and into the softly glowing interior. The wards buzz around me, and a large grey male, just inside, extends his hand.

  “Pass, please.” His voice is like tumbling rocks.

  I hand over the slim ticket.

  A silver and red gauntlet pulses over his hand as he checks the pass’ validity. He hands it back with a nod, and we flow with the rest of the passengers into the transit.

  Each ‘car’ is designed like a spacious front room. Chairs and tables rest along every wall. Open views of beaches, deserts, and forests give the sitting areas color and life, and I realize why the whole transit glows. Chol takes in my expression with a wink.

  “Wouldn’t want to just look at nothing the whole trip, would you?” he asks.

  I start to nod when a dark-clad figure jostles into me. For a moment my heart races with fear.

  But this is no assassin. Indeed, he is thinner and much smaller. And a hell of a lot younger.

  The kid keeps going, pushing past Chol who is already several paces ahead without a backward glance. I huff and trail after the cambion through each area.

  Passengers barely look up as we go, drinks in hand and amicable smiles among them. Murmurs of Earth and the places they visited seem commonplace. Like a holiday away from home.

  Chol steers me into what may be one of the last sections on the transit. Weaving lights span the roof in a kaleidoscope of color. Circular tables with umbrellas face an enormous metal tower in the center of the room. Though it seems to go on forever, by the illusion, the very tip is still visible a long ways above.

  Nix sits as far under one of the umbrellas as he can get, arms crossed and legs splayed out before him. It’s a casual look, but the thick cloak tucked over him says otherwise.

  “They have a drink bar, if you’re thirsty,” he says as we approach.

  I look around.

  Sure enough, a long, clear bar spans the far corner, lit within by little swirling prisms.

  I drop into one of the chairs as Chol stalks off to the bar. “This is insane,” I mutter.

  Nix gives a noncommittal grunt in response.

  I look at him. “Is that how you want to communicate now? Growls and grunts?”

  He blinks. For a moment, there is almost a trace of innocence in his expression. It twists my insides before he looks away.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His words are sharp, hard. Surly.

  Gods above he’s infuriating.

  I narrow my eyes. “You’ve been even more standoffish since you got to the Parax compound.” He shifts a bit away but doesn’t deny it. I reach and lay a hand on his arm. He’s hot even through the cloak. Feverish.

  His eyes turn to me.

  “What’s wrong, Nix?” I ask, softer now.

  He appraises me in silence for a beat. “So you’ve made up your mind about Chol, then?”

  I blink and start to lean back. “I don’t—”

  “Know w
hat I’m talking about?” he asks coldly. His smile is sharp. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to, Sayah.”

  My temper flares. “What is with you?”

  He glowers and rises to his feet. I stare up at him. His jaw flexes. “How long are you going to lead him on?”

  “I’m not—”

  He laughs but it’s almost cruel. “Yes, you are.” The smile fades fast. “We will be topside in two hours. At the consulate a little after that. Time is ticking for you to say your goodbyes. Unless you’re not going to now?”

  My heart skips a beat.

  “Why does my trying to make him happy for a little longer equate to me leading him on?” I ask, almost pleading for even a trace of the dark warrior who told me his fears in the coach? Or the one that sat with me in Wicked days ago?

  My head spins.

  Days? Has it really only been days?

  His teeth grind. “Because the longer you wait, the worse it’s going to hurt in the end.” He racks his gaze over me. “And believe me, Sayah, it’s going to hurt. So stop it now. Before it’s too late.” He walks off, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans and his shoulders hunched.

  I watch him go, teetering on the edge of my seat. Do I go after him?

  Why do I feel like I need to?

  It was never my intention to be anything for either of them. All I wanted was to protect Chol and help Nix. To do my duty as an ambassador. But it’s safe to say that I suck at my job. Because the one thing I need protecting from the most is them. The two beings I cannot have.

  Ever.

  But Nix was wrong.

  It isn’t going to hurt.

  It already does.

  Chapter 25

  We walk through the streets of New York. No one seems to notice the three young adults. Or more precisely, no one looks at me at all.

  Oddly enough, coming through the convergence left both men relying on glamour to blend in. Even in the Void, in order to hide his magick, Chol was using one. But on Earth...