Lissa
After the guard committed suicide by shooting at Ilya, who wore one of Zaria's medallions, Ilya was moved by Ivan's orders. Zaria and I followed.
I hoped we were headed to the proper facility this time; Ilya was forced into a van, still wearing heavy chains. I misted Zaria and me into the van and hovered over Ilya's left shoulder while two more guards glared at him from seats across from his, their hands on the grips of their pistols.
I wanted to laugh and tell them what happened to the last guy who pulled a gun on Ilya, but I didn't. I had no idea how Zaria had built those medallions, but they worked like a charm.
A really, really, special charm. Vampire Baikov is obsessed, too, isn't he? I asked Zaria, once we'd settled in for the ride.
Yeah. Nobody I've seen so far knows where the facility is, or they're obsessed and can't reveal the knowledge of it.
I sure hope we're going there now.
Me, too.
Refizan
Breanne
Somewhere behind us, and unknowing, Lissa was fighting a battle inside the Solar Red temple.
Here, on the outskirts of the city, amid farmland where they'd gathered to storm the temple and put a stop to so many things happening in the future, lay the bulk of Liron's army.
Ashe had built a shield around the temple area, so strong that nobody could get past it unless he allowed it.
Only those Ra'Ak originally involved in the slaughter were there; these that we faced had come to join the fight. More than a thousand Ra'Ak, in addition to other creatures Liron found to support his cause, now faced off against us. Except for the temple battle, the only thing that stood between the city of Ordinandis and Liron's approaching army was us.
To me, it looked like a smaller version of the final God Wars battle, there were so many set against our small battalion. If the nature spirit of Refizan hadn't come to our aid, these would have hidden themselves from us until they attacked the Solar Red temple, and by that time it would be far too late to do anything about it. That thought terrified me.
"Ready to dance with these devils?"
My eyes widened at Hank's appearance, and what followed him—an army of High Demons, in full Thifilathi.
Except for two, who were Thifilatha. Reah, the Queen of Kifirin, and Lexsi, her Crown Princess, had come to fight beside us.
We needed them—they were more dangerous to the Ra'Ak than the males were.
"How did you know we needed you?" I blinked at Hank, who was still grinning at me.
"God of War, remember?" He tapped his chest. "Now, time to get down to business. He became Thifilathi, then, to lead his troops against the army of Ra'Ak, who'd caught his scent and were now bellowing their challenges.
"Shall we give them what they want—a real war?" Ashe took Hank's place, as Hank's twenty-foot Thifilathi roared and stalked toward the Ra'Ak. Behind Hank, his High Demon army lifted their voices in a thunderous growl of their own.
"Oh, sure," I said, as Edward, one of Reah's mates who was also the Elemaiyan War Eagle, swooped overhead with a piercing cry.
Russia
Lissa
You think this is it? I sent to Zaria as the transport rumbled over several speed bumps after turning into a large parking lot.
Adjoining that parking lot was a large building, newly-built in my estimation.
This hasn't been here long, Zaria replied. If they constructed a new facility, it could be the right age for the experimentation they've done.
While Zaria and I floated as mist over Ilya's head, he was ordered out of the transport, his chains clinking as he walked toward a steel door in the side of the building. The door opened, allowing vampire Baikov inside first, followed by human Baikov, a guard, Ilya, and then the driver and the last guard.
The door was shut and locked behind us, but that wouldn't keep Zaria or me inside. I was more worried about Ilya, to be honest.
A long hallway, built of painted cinderblocks, led into another room, and the scent of death and burning reached my non-corporeal nostrils.
People had certainly died here, and then they'd been cremated.
Along one side of the large room were huge doors with metal bars to lock them in place, and temperature gauges affixed to the wall beside them. It was a no-brainer what those were, especially since the word Krematoriy, written in large, Russian letters, was posted above them.
They needed the bones for bone dust. This is where the flesh of those poor souls was burned away and their bones harvested and ground to dust.
"Shall I show you what you will become?" Vampire Baikov turned to grin at Ilya. "I was told you might be able to resist us in some way, but once we have you in our oven, you can scream all you want. See if your help will come after you there."
"Let us show him around, first, to see what it is we do here," human Baikov said. "Shall we show him the bone room, Uncle?"
"Of course. That should make him wish for a bullet to the head, rather than what is now planned for him."
How well will that medallion work? I sent to Zaria.
Well enough, but that's not what worries me. I think we should grab Ilya now and get the hell away from here.
I didn't feel itchy, and that was my standard sign that something was wrong or that I was in danger. Instead, I felt nothing, even with a forced tour of Experiment Central.
Stay with me, here—we need to find the Sirenali and the bones, first, I cautioned. To get rid of them. Besides, Ilya is as cool as a cucumber. He's not even sweating, I observed.
Ilya sweating is also not my greatest concern. Something isn't right, here. I feel it.
I think there's something of concern here, too, but my proverbial skin isn't itching right now, and that's the best barometer I have.
Then I hope you're right—let's go—they're heading for the door at the far end of the room.
Ilya
"Oh, one more thing," Ivan Baikov had his hand on the doorknob, but stopped before turning it.
"Yes, one last experiment," Kornel agreed. "Shoot him," he barked at the closest guard, pointing in my direction.
His pistol was out quickly, and the bullet fired in my direction faster than that. Just as before, the bullet ricocheted and hit the guard squarely in the forehead, killing him before he slumped to the floor.
"What is it that gives you this protection?" Ivan Baikov approached me. "Is it someone? Tell me immediately."
Again, the compulsion rang out in his voice, and like the last time, it affected me not at all.
Tell him it is the medallion, Zaria's voice entered my mind. If he wishes to take it, allow him to do so.
"It is a medallion that I wear that protects me," I spoke aloud, lowering my eyes.
"Where?" Ivan demanded.
"Around my neck."
"Then I will have this, and you will die the next time I order it, eh?" He stepped closer and fumbled for the chain around my neck. I was grateful it was long enough to pull over my head, else he would have strangled me with it.
"This small thing? It kept you from dying?" Ivan dangled the medallion in midair as he scrutinized it. "Well, I will have it for myself, then, and be invulnerable in your place."
I watched, both angry and helpless as he draped the chain around his neck.
What happened next I will never forget.
I'd never seen anyone die like this. Ivan Baikov exploded in a blast of black ash and torn clothing, while everyone around us, except for the dead guard on the floor, ducked or ran.
Lissa
Well, hell. Nothing like an exploding vampire to force our hand. I materialized from my mist, as did Zaria. The guard who attempted to shoot me regretted it—for the full half-second he remained alive.
Ilya's chains disappeared immediately, and he punched Kornel Baikov so hard he fell with the first blow.
That's when Baikov's army showed up—or Liron's, actually, and there were suddenly six more of me to contend with, in addition to eight of Winkler's father, more
Phils, Lester Briggs, Bart Orfords and Kevin Millers. They must have taken every cell from the bodies of those last three, because there were too many to count in the time I had to try.
Our shields were up, but they were climbing over one another to cover the invisible bubble above our heads. Zaria and I were backing into the next room, stepping over what remained of Ivan Baikov. Ilya had already gone inside the room and was searching for a weapon of some sort to help us fend off our attackers.
Two had already died; he'd wielded a pen from a pants pocket and poisoned them, first thing. Yes, we could have grabbed Ilya and folded away, but we still hadn't destroyed the bones or found the Sirenali.
Shut the door, I shouted to Zaria, who was following me inside the bone room. With power she slammed it closed, then employed more power to thicken the door and the walls around it.
I was grateful; more vampires had arrived to join the army outside, and they were pounding into the door and the walls with all their strength.
"I have a shield around this room," Zaria told me. I didn't remark on the worried expression she wore; rather, I chose to study the piles of bones against the far wall, next to a machine that was surely a grinder of some sort.
"There should be more, I think," Zaria whispered, as the pounding on the door became louder and more insistent.
"More of what?" I didn't understand.
"More bones. I've Looked—they're emptying some of the remote prison camps for this." She swept out a hand.
"They're in trouble on Refizan," I turned to stare at her.
"You're in trouble here," a voice called out. That's when the floor caved and disappeared beneath our feet.
Refizan
Breanne
In the midst of the battle, I heard mindspeech from Refizan himself, but the message made no sense. Ashe had an impenetrable shield over our portion of the battle, and another over the Solar Red temple, so the original timeline could be preserved as well as possible.
They are coming, Refizan reported to me. I cannot prevent it.
They? I sent back to him as the ground began to crumble beneath our feet and the whirling vortex that appeared sucked all of us, friend and foe, into its midst, no matter how much power we employed to stop or fold away from it.
Wlodek's Mansion, Kent, England
Charles
Zaria's medallion sent a shock through me. Something had happened to her and Lissa, that was obvious.
When I reached out to Breanne and Ashe, there was no response.
This wasn't the time to panic, although I wanted to. Had Liron managed to outwit us all? That thought raced through my brain, and I was more than grateful that I'd placed the original Charles in stasis again and hidden him away.
Frankly, I needed to know where they were and what happened—to all of them. First, though, I needed to visit Refizan, to ensure that the original Lissa still lived.
Lissa
Trapped in a vortex. Zaria and I passed one another as we traveled at different speeds at different levels. I didn't know what had happened to Ilya at the last—he wasn't here with us—at least not that I could see. I worried that he'd been killed, but that wasn't my primary worry.
No, my primary worry was that no matter how much power I expended, I couldn't break away from this mass of whirling, grinding, grayish-brown air.
Zaria? I sent to her. Can you get away?
I haven't tried—I'm trying to make sure Ilya is all right, she replied. I think he's still in the bone room, but I can't be sure of it. I'm looking for him here, just in case he fell in anyway.
At least mindspeech still worked, but I was beginning to feel dizzy, and that wasn't a good thing.
Who did this to us? I asked. Who told us we were in trouble?
That was Liron's voice. Did you not recognize it?
Of course it was. Please tell me this is a dream after eating bad bananas or something. Or, better yet, tell me how to get out of this place.
I'm not sure we can do much to get out of it—we have to wait until we reach the next level.
There's a next level?
We're at a stoplight, I think. When it turns, we'll be sucked farther in.
Farther in where? I don't even know where the hell we could be.
Well, unless I'm wrong, we're headed to the universe that holds the rogue gods. Somehow, Liron managed to build a bridge between us and them—in two places. Here, and on Refizan.
Oh, dear lord. Liron was taking all of us down, and making it look easy.
Solar Red Temple, Refizan
Charles
I found Dragon and Lissa fighting Ra'Ak and spawn, while Solar Red priests attempted to flee the carnage. At least the innocent civilians were able to run past Ashe's shield, which remained intact.
Yes, I could get past it, because he'd given me permission long ago. So far, nothing felt amiss, here. I folded to the last known place where Breanne and Ashe had stood, not far outside Ordinandis.
The gaping hole was the first clue of what had happened.
Liron, somehow, had managed to pool enough power to build a bridge, and my suspicion was that the bridge in question led to the rogue gods' universe.
Where they waited to kill anyone who arrived.
Standing so close to this hole, I attempted mindspeech with Ashe.
Nothing came back. This chasm, like a black hole, was sucking everything into it, and had Ashe not built his shield around it, the entire planet would have followed them in.
That left me with the final question—where was Liron now?
Chapter 17
The Vortex
Lissa
A stoplight.
Zaria was correct. After what seemed like hours, and was likely only minutes, we were sucked farther into the vortex, only this time, she and I were left dangling in a near-vacuum at the center while the gray winds whirled faster around us.
It's like being inside a tornado, Zaria observed.
No cows or trees flying by, I pointed out, attempting to quell growing fear with humor.
Not a tornado, then.
Guess not. You think we're at another stoplight?
We haven't gotten there, yet, so yes.
How the hell did Liron do this? How did he put enough power together to create it? It had taken the Three last time to send the rogues to a closed universe and seal them inside.
I'm trying to figure this out myself, Zaria answered my first question. It may have something to do with this thing he did to send a past-self a message about his future-self's demise.
That doesn't make much sense, I admitted.
Nothing about any of this makes any sense, she replied.
Lissa?
I heard Breanne's mindspeech.
Bree? Bree, can you hear me?
I can hear you, but we're trapped inside a whirlwind and we can't get out. Ashe and I together couldn't put enough power into an escape. Even the High Demons are here with us, and with the Ra'Ak and the others, it's not pretty.
Same here, I responded. Nothing works. Zaria and I are trapped.
You expended power? Zaria broke into our conversation.
Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?
I'm thinking about that, okay?
How are the Ra'Ak reacting? I asked after Zaria went silent again.
Trying to snap and bite at everything they're whirling past, but what looks close can be far away—it's like we're trapped in a funhouse with the worst mirrors imaginable, and they're all swirling around us like they're angry, drunk and going way too fast.
So they haven't bitten or eaten anything? The Ra'Ak?
Not yet, but they're still trying. I figure they're putting every ounce of their power into it, too, but it's not having any effect.
Who else is there with you—on our side?
Reah, Lexsi, Edward, Hank and the High Demon army, Erland, Drake, Drew—several others who came to help. I only catch glimpses of them now and then when they fly past me.
I cursed then, long and loud, although the winds around us carried my spoken words away before they could become anything besides my breath.
We're falling again, Bree's words were nearly cut off.
They'd gone ahead to the next stoplight, no doubt, while Zaria and I still hung suspended at our last one. Bree? I attempted to reach her again, with no response.
We have to be at the same level, I think, Zaria said.
Yeah. I get that. How long will it be before we follow?
I don't know.
I wanted to shout at Zaria then, because her relative calm in this situation was beginning to frustrate me a great deal. Absurd ideas formed in my brain—of going to mist and blowing it outward, to destroy this massive tornado that tore its way around us.
Please don't, Zaria sent.
I was only thinking about it, I replied.
Thinking really, really, hard about it, actually. I had no idea what Zaria was thinking, but she'd gone into a lotus position as if she wanted to meditate. What the hell was that about?
Ilya
For whatever reason, I hadn't fallen into the chasm with Zaria and Lissa. Instead, I'd been left standing on a narrow ledge near the reinforced door, while my medallion settled itself around my neck again.
Yes, I wasted foolish minutes afterward shouting into that bottomless pit for Zaria, but there was no reply. I worried that she and Lissa had met their end, and the one who'd spoken at the last—a shining man with wings in the far corner—had murdered them after he disappeared.
He wasn't concerned for me or for anyone else inside this facility—he'd achieved his goals, I think. My goal, however, was becoming obvious. The unnatural army was still outside the bone room door, and they continued to pound on it, as if getting through meant they could march right in and kill me at their leisure.
"As good an idea as any," I told myself aloud. Inching along the ledge, which was uneven and barely the length of my feet, I worked my way toward the door—to open it and allow my attackers inside.
Blood Recall Page 22
