She nodded stiffly, then stepped into the background, clearly unwilling to engage in the conversation any further.
Clemmins looked around. Faced with our combined resolve, he slowly nodded with a sigh. “I see,” he said. “Well, I guess it’s time for me to use my board privilege. I will authorize your mission and source your provisions, as long as you report back during your journey.” He furrowed his brow and looked questioningly at the vampires. “If that’s even possible.”
“Unfortunately, communication is difficult in the Immortal Plane,” Dorian explained. “We did some basic tests while we were in Scotland, taking human technology through to the Immortal Plane to see if it still worked.”
“It didn’t,” Neo said succinctly. “We tried, but human technology can’t communicate through the barrier between planes.”
“In fact,” Dorian said, eyes narrowing as he recalled the unfamiliar information, “according to the human researchers back at the VAMPS camp, any technology that uses electricity or… electromagnetic waves”—he glanced at me for confirmation, which I gave with a short nod—“won’t work in the Immortal Plane. The same way that magic doesn’t work in the Mortal Plane.”
“So, there will be no way of communicating with the Bureau while you’re gone?” Clemmins asked, sounding unenthused by the idea. “No backup, no extraction plan, limited resources, and the risk that even if you do find useful intel, you’ll have no way of getting it back to anyone at the Bureau who could then use it to help close the tear or fight the creatures coming through it before you die horribly?” I blinked at the length of his monotone deconstruction of our plan.
“Your concerns are justified, I won’t deny that,” Dorian said. He looked at Clemmins squarely, and they exchanged the look of two leaders who knew they only had bad cards to play. “But we can’t simply do nothing. We vampires have our ways of getting information out, and we will get it back to you however we can. We both want the same thing: to save both vampire and human lives. Right now, you’re fighting fires as they spring up. We have to go find the source.”
Clemmins interlaced his fingers with a solemn look of understanding. “I know.” He sighed deeply. “I envy you. You get to go on the offensive while I’m left playing defense, stuck with all the politics and paperwork.” He ran a hand over his short curls, pursing his lips thoughtfully. “All right, I’ll arrange things on this side. We’ll get you to the Immortal Plane.”
Hope and fear swelled inside me, the feelings warring with one another. On the one hand, the prospect of finding answers thrilled me. We could save the world. Literally. But danger and unspeakable power waited for us in the Immortal Plane. Could our team survive it?
My eyes softened as they landed on Dorian and the rest of the gathered team. We would figure this out together.
Chapter Eleven
Clemmins pulled out his phone and stepped out of the tent.
With a smile, I sat back down on the box next to my brother as the others began to talk quietly among themselves. Zach frowned and flicked my knee.
“Don’t get too excited to jump into bizarro land,” he chided me. “You may be capable, but that place is lethal.”
I studied his face. “You’re not coming with us?” I’d assumed he would take one of the empty spots.
Zach looked at his dusty boots. “It’s not that I’m afraid to go… well, I mean, I am. But it’s not just that.” He glanced at Gina, and she shuffled closer to sit beside him. “The group needs to stay small, and there’s nothing I bring to the group that others don’t already provide. Roxy is better at combat and survival. You’ve got leadership and strategy covered.”
I began to protest, but he held up a hand.
“Honestly, Lyra, I’m not fighting fit again yet.” He massaged his thigh where he’d been shot just a few months before. “My leg is nearly healed, but I’m not ready for a fast-paced, rough mission. Especially if the Immortal Plane is as bad as everyone says.”
“We both think we’ll be of more use here,” Gina chipped in. Apparently, they’d engaged in telepathic communication, the way couples sometimes did. “We can be the human face of the group at the upcoming summit. After all, Zach spearheaded the public relations campaign with Major Morag, and I’m prepared to take on more public speaking duties.”
Unfortunately, they made a lot of sense. My shoulders fell in disappointment. “I’d feel a lot safer in there knowing we had each other’s backs,” I said, “but I understand.”
Dorian drew everyone’s attention with a sharp whistle. “If you’re coming with us, get some rest. Those who don’t need it can come gather supplies right now,” Dorian said. “Even if you’re not joining us, please come help us prepare.”
A shiver of apprehension ran through me. We only had twenty-four hours to prepare ourselves. Who knew when we would return? I needed to talk to Dorian about this mission. There was a lot we needed to cover before we set off for the Immortal Plane.
Sike, rubbing his arm nervously, went over to Dorian. “I’d like to go, too.”
I cocked my head and stared at him while he faced Dorian. His plucky sense of self seemed changed. What had happened? I remembered Louise’s uncomfortable expression during our discussion of her pain.
“Are you sure?” Dorian asked with a pointed look. It wasn’t unkind, but it seemed he’d thought Sike would stay in the Mortal Plane. “This is going to be very dangerous, and we’ll be moving fast and quiet. I thought you would want to be with Louise while she recovers back in Scotland.” I hadn’t told Dorian about their situation, but apparently he’d found out somehow.
A shadow of pain flickered through Sike’s eyes. He shook his head. “No, she… it’s too difficult. She doesn’t want to see me. She’s in pain when I’m around.”
Bravi frowned at Sike, but her eyes were soft. “What do you mean?”
“What, she doesn’t like you anymore?” Kane asked gruffly. “Did you offer to murder her enemies? Women love that.”
Laini shot a weary look at Kane, who seemed completely serious in his romantic advice. Roxy snickered but caught herself and turned it into a cough upon seeing Sike’s face fall.
Remind me never to let Kane give Dorian relationship advice.
Sike rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s complicated.” His voice turned harder, more passionate. “Look, I don’t know if she even wants to be friends or what anymore. I just want to help out, and I can’t sit still right now. I know I’m not the strongest fighter, but I’m smart, I’m quiet, and I can be practically invisible when I want to be, which is ideal for this mission. I won’t be a burden.”
Louise’s rejection had wounded his pride, but he lifted his determined face to Dorian. I felt my heart squeeze with compassion for our friend. He just wanted to make Louise happy… even if that meant leaving her and discovering his own destiny in combat.
Dorian squeezed Sike’s shoulder roughly in a brotherly fashion. “Of course, Sike. Nobody thinks you’re a burden. You can only improve a team.”
The smaller vampire broke into a relieved grin. “Thanks. I’m ready to get to work.”
The air shifted. Sike’s impassioned declaration sent an electric charge through the room. Who could resist the charm of a guy ready to take on the world to prove himself?
Bryce smacked his fist into the palm of his hand. “I think everyone’s ready for a new adventure.”
I nodded in agreement. My muscles felt lighter as I stood and stretched. Although my body was sore and still woozy with jetlag and crashing adrenaline, the upcoming mission into the Immortal Plane eclipsed the pain.
“Maybe we’ll even be able to bring the vampires that are in hiding back to Scotland with us,” Laini said hopefully. “And if they’ve been evading detection this entire time, perhaps they can help us infiltrate the Immortals’ city.”
“If they exist,” Kane chimed in.
Laini’s theory was sound enough, though Kane had a point. If these refugee vampires did exist, I just
hoped the Immortal enemies weren’t counting on us to lead them straight to the hidden group. In the back of my mind, I wondered whether the surviving vampires existed and whether they could help us unlock the mystery behind the Bureau board’s connection to the Immortal Plane. What I did know was that I was going to have to use every bit of my strength and wit to find out.
Filled with new energy, I began helping with preparations.
“Get some rest,” Gina told me, but I couldn’t be persuaded. I stifled a yawn. Okay, maybe I could be persuaded, but I would help as much as possible before I passed out on a cot.
My body might have been tired, but my mind was alive with ideas and wondering what awaited us on our mission. Who awaited us. As the day wore on, I passed Dorian several times as he delegated instructions. I liked that he was taking over for a moment, and I even appreciated a few lines of advice from Kane. They knew the Immortal Plane best. I was happy to help, but I itched to discuss our plans together.
After a good six hours of sleep, I woke in the late afternoon to join the others. I united with some of my human teammates and a few Bureau soldiers for a decent meal over a fire in the evening. Scraping up the last of the rations, I headed to the mess station to rinse my dingy metal tray and placed it with the other dirty ones on the side. I wiped my hands roughly on my uniform pants. My mom might not have raised a lady, but she did raise a soldier.
“Decent food?” Dorian asked behind me, his voice nearly making me leap.
I shrugged as I faced him, trying to keep my racing heart calm. “Military grub. Can’t complain, though,” I said.
He gestured over to a small stony rise beside the camp. “Care to join me?”
I nodded and followed him as he headed out into the soft night. The murmuring of voices faded behind us as we climbed up to a small collection of rocks nestled in the hillside’s edge. It gave a perfect view of the city… and its destruction.
We’d tried our best in Moab. I only hoped our best would be enough in the Immortal Plane.
“I’m nervous about leaving behind all our tech,” I admitted as we settled on the smooth surfaces of the large rocks beneath us. “It’s scary to think we’ll have no way to communicate with the Bureau or even each other.”
Dorian offered a confident half-smile. “Well, at least your guns will work. It’s not a hopeless situation in there, just very different.”
“The guns will be useful for as long as we have ammo,” I said dryly. “And if our silencers malfunction or break, we won’t be able to shoot without drawing the attention of everything for miles around.” I looked toward the strange greenish glow, backlit by burnt orange, that outlined the rippling thunderclouds concealing the tear. The smoke from Moab had mostly dissipated throughout the day, clearing the air enough to allow us to admire the strange phenomenon.
When Dorian first took me through the tear back when we first met, there were no thunderclouds—the tear hadn’t been visible at all. That felt like a lifetime ago. When I thought about pre-vampire Sloane back in the Bureau, I hardly recognized her. When Clemmins had offered us our jobs back, even offered promotions, part of me knew I should have been happy. Instead, the idea of going back now—maybe of going back at all—felt wrong. It certainly wouldn’t help further our goals to gain the vampires’ asylum and bring about a peaceful world for humans and vampires. The Bureau was in the process of changing, but Congress would be watching it like a hawk. I could probably get more done if I circumvented all that bureaucracy. If it were up to me, I’d get a Fenton-like donor to bankroll an independent mission to fix this mess. Maybe I can buy a lottery ticket before we go.
The best way I could help our cause was by going to the Immortal Plane with Dorian and our team, even if it looked terrifying from our current vantage point. Would the little that Dorian had told me about the Immortal Plane be enough to prepare me for being there? Not just for a few minutes in the sky, but really being there? We had no clear idea how long our mission could take—it could be days or several weeks. I needed to know more.
“What can I expect in the Immortal Plane?” I asked quietly. My hand feathered over his long fingers, the cuts and calluses of his hands comforting me. He was silent for a long moment, gathering his thoughts. I didn’t rush him.
“I’m not sure what I can say that’ll prepare you for it. The Immortal Plane is… so very different from everything you’re used to,” he confessed, the lightning from the tear illuminating the sharp lines of his face. “But not everything is like these creatures coming through the tear. Not everything wants to kill you on instinct. Things can be beautiful in a strange way over there.”
“Cool,” I said. “And what about the things that do want to kill me?”
He smirked. “Don’t worry. You’re you, and I’ll be there.”
I was somewhat skeptical that not everything would want to kill me, especially when I mentally catalogued every fight I’d been in with an immortal monster. The soul-scourger with its burning mist, the shrieking decay and its acid breath, and now the empty swarm and their almost indestructible stone shells. The monsters inside the Immortal Plane certainly wielded advantages.
Dorian smirked at me, and I realized I was staring off into space, letting my mind run wild with thoughts.
“You’re plenty tough enough,” he assured me. “I wouldn’t bring you if I doubted you for a second. I wouldn’t want to do this mission without you.”
I studied the shadows beneath his skin, barely visible in the dim light of the tear. He needed to feed before we waded into treacherous territory. He caught my frown and nodded, understanding immediately.
“I’ll feed whenever I can while we’re in the Immortal Plane, don’t worry. Being at anything less than full strength in the Immortal Plane is far more dangerous than here. The dangers we face there will be tough on everyone,” he said. He squeezed my hand tightly. My chest buzzed with a dull ache. “You’re right about my recent feeding habits. It took me a while to realize it. I must admit, I can be a little stubborn.”
He was right about that. A warmth bloomed up alongside the hollow burn in my chest. Even though he could be as stubborn as they came, moments like these told me I’d made the right choice. Our struggles together would be worth it if we worked together.
“A little?” I replied, raising a brow and pursing my lips.
He chuckled, and I wanted to trace the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes.
“Very stubborn,” he amended. “But this time, I know I have to support our team to the fullest on this next mission.” He scowled irritably. “Unfortunately, I also know that means I won’t be able to steal you away to kiss in spare moments.”
I smiled at a few memories. There was nothing I wanted more than to be close to him, but the Immortal Plane had no mercy for romance.
“Not that we’re likely to have spare moments in the Immortal Plane,” I pointed out reluctantly. Keeping things professional for our mission would help both us and our team. There would be no romantic breaks in an entirely new dimension filled with danger.
That meant our last moment for the foreseeable future was now.
I leaned my head against him, enjoying the way he stroked the back of my hand with the rough pad of his thumb. For a moment, we stayed like that. The distant sounds of camp became a dreamy soundtrack in the background.
Dorian pushed my chin up, and our noses brushed. Why waste a perfectly good opportunity? I smirked, leaning up to kiss him. He murmured approvingly as his kiss burned against me. I raked my hand up his neck and wove my fingers into his dark hair, pulling his lips against me harder.
The pain swelled in my chest. I pulled away an inch and sucked in a sharp breath. Dorian’s eyes lowered in disappointment, but there was understanding there, too. My memory of discussing love with Halla swam to the forefront of my mind. A pleasant heat washed through my body, soothing the pain. Although we hadn’t named the feeling yet, there was the beginning of love here.
But the curse hung
over our heads like a determined storm cloud. I looked up and ran my hand lightly over his strong jaw. His cheekbones had grown sharper over the last weeks. My heart burned, and I pulled my hand back to myself.
“I’m worried about you,” I breathed. “It might be hard on my body while you’re at full strength in there. I’m not sure you’ll be able to handle it.” Still, hope flickered right alongside the burning sensation in my chest. With Dorian, I always felt a sense of the impossible, that we could do anything if we were together.
“The distance created by feeding will be temporary, just for while we’re in the Immortal Plane,” Dorian said. “And I will not admit defeat with us. Once we get back to a place where we don’t have to worry about safety, I will go back to fasting if it means we can… spend time together.”
His determination sent a shiver of pleasure down my spine.
“Well, maybe I’ll be less judgy about you starving yourself after being deprived of your touch for a few weeks,” I joked. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be, but there was no point arguing now, when he intended to feed the next chance he got.
His smirk twitched, but his eyes turned serious. He squeezed my hand for a second. “Our relationship—our thing—is important to me, even when we need to prioritize other problems.”
I laughed, pleased by the little moment of budding romance in the midst of our lives filled with action and war.
“I didn’t realize we had a thing,” I teased and winked. “I feel the same way, Dorian.”
The warmth overtook the pain almost completely. I inhaled his cedar scent, hoping it would overwhelm the lingering acidic odor from the tear. I wanted to enjoy Dorian in this moment, while we weren’t in combat or immediately strategizing to save lives.
I leaned my head against his chest again. “We can be close once we’re out of combat.”
It was as much of a promise to myself as it was a reminder for him. But I couldn’t forget that it could be a long time before we found ourselves free of conflict. At least we could share that sobering worry together.
Darklight 3: Darkworld Page 13
