Mercy Temple Chronicles Box Set 2

by Ciara Graves

  I took the glass, chugged the green potion, gagging the whole time, and waited to vomit it all over my living room. Nausea built within me, then ceased, as did the tremors from the fever.

  Gigi rested her palm to my forehead and cheek, nodding to herself. “Better. It’s going down.”

  “Why would Mercy use dark magic?” I blew out a shaky breath as my strength slowly returned.

  “She might not have had a choice.”

  Damian’s look told me he was imagining the same horrors I was of what Mercy was enduring.

  She abhorred dark magic and anyone who used it. She must have been beyond desperate if she gave in.

  I pushed to my feet—or tried to. It took two more efforts, then I was staggering around my living room to the front closet where my safe was. I opened it and pulled out all the weapons.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Gigi asked.

  She and Damian followed me. I handed daggers and holsters to Damian to hold, then proceeded to remove whatever else I had left after our attack on Sector 2. “Going after Mercy.”

  “You can’t,” Gigi argued, tossing the weapons onto the kitchen counter. “Rafael, stop.”

  “No. I know where she is, and I’m not wasting another second standing around, doing nothing.”

  Gigi tsked. “You need a plan, a thought-out plan. Damian, a little backup here.”

  I loaded my rifle and set it aside, leaning it against the wall, then reached for the shotgun. I had a handful of shells in hand when Damian reached around me for the one sword and the few bombs left in the safe. Two were explosive. The third would release an electrical charge into the air, stunning anything within range.

  “Seriously?” Gigi yelled. “What happened to making plans?”

  “When do our plans ever actually work out? Attacking Sector 2 without one worked out just fine,” I reminded her.

  She ran her hands through her hair, pacing away from us. “Stubborn.”

  “You want us to not find Mercy?” I growled.

  “That is not what I said, and don’t you dare stand there and give me that look, Rafael. I want her found just as much as you do, but you really think Mercy would be happy if one of you dies on a poorly planned rescue mission?”

  I finished loading the shotgun and placed it next to the rifle. “I know the layout of where she is—or most of it, at least.”

  “And? The two of you are going to what, waltz in and shoot the place up?”

  I exchanged a glance with Damian, then shrugged. “I was thinking we’d blow the place up, whatever the place is. Shuval might not even be there. Or her army either, for that matter.”

  “Or they could be, and you’re walking into a trap,” Gigi shouted in aggravation, reaching for her cell phone.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “Backup. A couple of hours, that’s all I’m asking for,” Gigi begged. “Please.”

  “Until dawn,” I told her. “Then we’re moving out.”

  Gigi scrunched her face, clearly annoyed, but she didn’t argue. She took her cell and stepped outside the front door.

  “Do you know what sector she’s in at least?” Damian asked.

  I paused in the middle of reaching for another box of rifle ammo. “Sector 13.”

  “Shit.” Damian bashed his fist into the nearest wall, putting a hole through the sheetrock. “Sorry.”

  I motioned to the rest of my destroyed place. “Really?”

  “Think you might want to find a new place.”

  “If we survive.”

  He didn’t reply, and we went back to gearing up.

  I headed to the bedroom to grab different clothes, then took a quick shower to wash the grimy sweat from my skin. By the time I was changed and had returned to the living room, my apartment was far more crowded.

  Bowen had arrived, armed with daggers strapped at his side, and two short swords at his back. Horace had a short sword sheathed at his hip and his gun on the other side. Todd was here, too. As well as Sycamore. He and Gigi stood in the living room, talking quietly, their heads close together.

  “We almost ready?” I asked.

  The sky was getting lighter outside. The morning was wasting away.

  “Almost. Gigi and Sycamore are working on an escape plan. Another portal.”

  I was about to start arming myself when the door opened, and Nor stepped inside. He had two guns holstered at his side, and a knife sheathed at his lower back. He was dressed in black combat boots, pants, and a black t-shirt. He looked nothing like Chief Nor. This was the same fighting demon I’d walked into battle with, back in the day at Sector 2.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Damian called. Said you know where Mercy is.”

  “The Hunters. You’re meeting with them. You didn’t tell them about this, did you?”

  “No time. Rickshaw can handle them without me. This is more important.” He held out his hand toward me. “I told you I’d help you find Mercy. I’m going to keep my word.”

  I hesitated momentarily, contemplating. But Nor chose to be here, risking his standing with Rickshaw and everyone else he worked with.

  I took his hand. “Thank you.”

  “Alright, you crazy idiots,” Gigi announced. “We ready to do this or what?”

  “You have a way to get us out?” I asked.

  “Oh, we do. Just get there and get Mercy.” Gigi squeezed my arm. “Bring her home and come back to us alive and in one piece. Got it? We will need all of you alive to take down Shuval. Don’t be a hero.”

  I grabbed the shotgun and racked a round. “Just be ready to get us out of there. We’re going to be facing down an entire army of hybrids and who knows what else.”

  I made for the door, leading the charge.

  We’re coming for you, Mercy. Just hold on.

  Chapter 7

  Mercy

  I groaned, wondering why my head hurt so bad. I lifted my hand to rub my forehead, but something restrained my wrist. I tried my other hand, but it too was held down.

  Panic set in and my eyes shot open when I realized my ankles were trapped, and I noticed there was stone beneath my back.

  “Shit,” I whispered, tugging on the manacles. “Oh, come on.”

  “Too bad you’re still alive,” Envy mused.

  I twisted around until he came into view, standing near the other stone slab. The room was filled with red-cloaked figures, but they weren’t chanting yet. I took that as a good sign.

  “What is this?”

  “It’s what Shuval wants. The curse will finally be lifted, and you’ll become one of us. Very cultish sounding, isn’t it? One of us, one of us,” he repeated, cackling madly.

  I spat more curses.

  He tipped his head and backed away, saying those three words over and over until he finally trailed off.

  Throttling him wasn’t good enough. As soon as I was free of these damned chains, I’d dig his heart out and chop him into pieces. I yanked and strained, willing my mage fire to catch and melt the manacles. Nothing worked. I was trapped on this stone slab. All I could do was wait.

  My face and head ached from when Envy knocked me out. Before he did, I’d sent a message to Rafael. Or I thought I did. I had no real way of knowing if he received it or not.

  I cringed, remembering I used evil magic to do it, then fell back to the stone, glaring at the hole in the ceiling far above me. How long had I been out for? A day? Longer? How long did it take Shuval to recover after performing the ritual last time?

  I counted off the seconds in my head, then the minutes, but no one else joined us.

  Searching for Envy, I eyed the cloaked figures. With their hoods drawn, it was impossible to tell which one was him. The chamber was too damned quiet, and my mind wandered, as did my eyes. I had nothing else to do while on my back, chained to a hunk of rock, waiting to potentially be killed by some crazy dragon.

  I thought of Rafael for a while, hoping the dark magic didn’t hurt him too
badly. Thinking of him depressed me, so I focused on the mosaics overhead and the dragons featured in them. They appeared fierce, strong, unstoppable.

  I’d told Horace once that I would never want to shift into dragon form if it came from dark magic. In this instance, I was ready to go back on my words. A dragon that strong wouldn’t be held back by simple manacles. I could tear this place apart, bring it down around Shuval’s head and destroy every inch. Then I’d set it on fire for good measure.

  Chomp on Shuval’s bones, too.

  My vision became unfocused, and the dragons shifted and moved around the ceiling. If it was from the lack of sleep or the hit to the head, I couldn’t tell, but the mosaic seemed to come to life. The dragons burned the cities with their fire, chased away the armies, turning their enemies to charred piles of bones.

  “I sense you’re beginning to come around.” Shuval had appeared to my right at some point, wearing the same cloak she had the last time I was in this room.

  I startled, flinching, then cursed when my movement—or lack thereof—reminded me I was restrained. “Nope. Just bored out of my mind. Do you keep all your guests waiting? Shitty hostess, I’d have to say.”

  Shuval smirked. “The wait is over.” She waved toward someone to the side.

  The doors creaked open.

  The chanting had already started. How had I not heard it until now?

  Two hybrids dragged a third figure between them. When the head lolled back on the blond-haired man, his mouth opened, and fangs came into view.

  “A vampire? Because I don’t have enough issues on my own, you’re going to stick me with possibly burning to death in the sun and drinking blood?”

  “If you think I don’t know that you’re trying to buy time, you can save your breath,” Shuval said with a wink. “However, I will inform you that as smart as you are, you appear to have missed the obvious.”

  I glowered at her. “And that would be what? You’re an evil bitch?”

  Her hand shot out and wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air. Her face was only a couple of inches from mine. Her hate-filled eyes burned into my very being. “Once this curse is lifted, you will learn your place. You may be powerful, but you will never be strong enough to defeat me,” she whispered harshly. “I have let you run your mouth, but no longer.”

  She released me.

  I sucked in a breath.

  “And my hybrids do not bear the weaknesses of other races. Only the strengths. That is why it has taken me years to perfect this ritual. You’ll thank me when it’s over.”

  She smoothed her hand over my scarred cheek, laughing when I tried to bite her fingers off.

  “I’ll kill you the second you free me from these chains.”

  She patted my cheek, then took her spot on the raised stone. On the other stone slab, the chains rattled. The vampire hissed and growled, but then the hybrids backed away.

  “Save your strength, Mercy. You’re going to need it. Let us begin,” Shuval announced and spread her arms wide.

  I gritted my teeth, fighting to get out. The air turned heavy. I struggled to breathe. My skin prickled and the stone beneath me grew hot, then cold.

  The vampire’s hisses turned to screams.

  The manacles tore into my skin as I jerked against them. Blood oozed from my fresh wounds and then a burst of evil magic shot through my body. I gagged on the bitter taste, my stomach churning.

  My back arched off the stone. The sickening sensation turned to sheer agony.

  A red whip lashed out, wrapping around my body, from my head to my feet. This was different than what I’d witnessed the last time she did this ritual. The whip constricted. Just when I thought the pain couldn’t get any worse, it doubled.

  It was like a giant beast dug its claws into my body and was tearing me into pieces. The scar on my face burned in agony. I threw my head back and forth, needing to get free.

  “Don’t resist it, Mercy,” Shuval told me, her words somehow reaching me through my shrieks. “It’ll be much easier if you don’t.”

  “Screw. You.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  The pain intensified and my last thought before my mind shifted into severe panic mode was of Rafael.

  Then there was only the agony and wondering if I was going to survive this.

  Or if Rafael was going to find my dead body.

  Chapter 8

  Rafael

  It was go-time.

  My motley assortment of crew members—AKA Mercy’s rescuers—were cocked, locked, and ready for action. Giving mercy to our opponents was the last thing on our minds. You could put money on that.

  “I don’t like this,” Nor muttered.

  “You don’t have to like it, but this is the plan,” Damian whispered. “Stay down.” He dragged Nor lower behind the short brick wall.

  Our small rescue party had followed my lead out of Sector 21 and straight into Sector 13.

  Todd stayed behind to do what he could to assist Gigi and Sycamore.

  Sector 13 had changed since we were last here, only a couple of weeks ago. There were patrols of witches, reapers, hybrids, and nefaries. Pretty much anyone who’d joined Shuval’s ranks. She was building an army, and they were all gathering here.

  We barely made it out of the transport and to cover when a group of ten shifters surrounded it, ready to tear whoever came through it to pieces.

  We’d been weaving our way around the haphazardly placed buildings, creeping deeper and deeper into the heart of Sector 13.

  The images Mercy had sent me seemed to be from the inside of some ancient fortress. I continually checked around us for any hint of such a formidable structure, but mostly what I saw was a stormy, grey sky threatening to unleash a torrential downpour on us any second now.

  “Where are we going?” Damian whispered in my ear as we ducked lower behind the short stone wall.

  We’d been in here for a half-hour, and all our nerves were frayed from constantly being nearly spotted.

  “If I knew, I’d tell you.”

  “We can’t sit here forever,” Horace added. “Which way?”

  I shut my eyes and focused on Mercy. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I turned around slowly. “That way, about a mile south.”

  Horace held up his hand, holding us back, waiting until the coast was clear. The second it was, we rushed from around the short wall and hustled to get to another spot of cover.

  Mercy’s presence pressed against me, and my instinct screamed for me to pick up the pace. My rage was more than ready to emerge, but I kept it in check. Barely.

  Every time we passed a hybrid, I pictured ripping his head off.

  My will to find Mercy was the only reason I didn’t lose control.

  I guided us down a narrow alley, then threw my arm out to stop the others from rushing out the other end. It emptied onto a two-lane blacktop road and just beyond that was a park.

  A stone fountain—one that no longer had cascading water—squatted in the center of the park. A statue of a dead, crooked tree perched atop it.

  I stared at it. That was a weird topper for a fountain.

  I glanced around and found two patrols, one coming from either direction. I motioned everyone back. We pressed ourselves into the shadows of the alley.

  The patrols passed by, not looking in our direction.

  Once they were completely gone, I stepped to the mouth of the alley again, attempting to figure out which way to go.

  I shut my eyes.

  A strange, pulsing light appeared directly in front of me.

  I opened my eyes, and there was only the fountain.

  I closed them again.

  The light returned.

  “Which way now?” Bowen hissed.

  “We’re here,” I muttered, shaking my head. “She’s supposed to be here.”

  “There’s nothing here.”

  “I see that,” I snapped. “I don’t understand. She has to be here.”

 
“We can’t stand here forever,” Nor said from behind me.

  Damian and he argued quietly, then Horace chimed in.

  I tuned them out, shut my eyes, focusing on that pulsing light.

  Mercy was here, inside a fortress, that was somehow in the middle of this park. When I opened my eyes, focusing on that fountain, the tiniest shimmer caught my eye. Scanning the ground, I found a rock, picked it up, and drew back my arm.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Nor asked, snagging my wrist.

  I tore myself free and chucked it across the road. It should’ve hit the fountain, but it never made it.

  The image of the park rippled as if the rock had struck the surface of a pond.

  For a split second, I glimpsed the fortress that was, indeed, in front of us, hidden in plain sight.

  No wonder Damian and I found nothing the last time we were here.

  “How the hell are we supposed to get in there?” Horace squinted at the fountain as the rippling came to a stop. “That’s heavy duty magic.”

  “It’s there, though. Physically, you know,” I mused. “Which means, if we can see the door, we can make for the door, right? It’s just an illusion?” I glanced around to see them all in varying states of agreement or uncertainty. “Bowen, I’ve got an idea.”

  He nodded as he stepped forward. “I’m listening.”

  “Next time I throw a rock, you blur over there, see if you can find the door, then come back. Can you take us in there one at a time?”

  “I can.”

  “Without getting caught?” Nor asked, eyeing the vampire with a skeptical look.

  Bowen bared his fangs, hissing quietly. “If we had the time, I would explain to you who I used to be, but since Mercy’s life is on the line, I will simply have to prove it to you. Rafael, whenever you’re ready.”

  I found another rock. Bigger, this time.

  Bowen braced himself at the mouth of the alley while Damian and Horace kept watch on our end. Nor guarded all of our backs.

  I pitched the rock harder this time. The second it made contact, Bowen blurred out of sight. This time, more of the fortress was visible through the larger gap, and the ripples lasted longer. I strained to see Bowen, but couldn’t, then cursed when he appeared in front of me.