by K.N. Lee
A child had put him in his place… again. He couldn’t help but nod. “I suppose I can bring her by next time. Although, I hope we never have to return to this part of the Netherworld.”
Roderick cracked a knowing grin. “You’ll be back.”
“If you say so,” Halston said. He knew that Roderick was right. If they survived tonight, they would have to return eventually to finish what they’d started.
“Don’t play coy with me.” Roderick chuckled. “I get messages from the Oracle sometimes too.”
Halston stood up straighter. “Since when?”
Roderick thought a moment. “Can’t really remember. But yes, she speaks to me too.”
“Who’s the Oracle?” Tristan asked.
“I guess you’ll meet her one day,” Halston replied. He was more interested in what the Alchemist had to do with the Oracle. He wondered if they were from the same race. If so, then perhaps Halston had just solved one of the greatest mysteries.
“She will need to drink this one down in one gulp, while holding the enchanted orichalcum,” Roderick ladled the mixture into a vial. He covered the two stones in a protective material and handed them to Halston. He looked up at him and their eyes met. “The fire stone is for in case she runs into trouble. Don’t forget my instructions.”
“I won’t, “ Halston said. The purple cloth felt warm in Halston’s palm. He tucked it away into his inner pocket and nodded. He wanted to ruffle Roderick’s wild hair, but he had to remind himself that, while he may look like a child, but he was not. He did look so innocent and Halston wouldn’t dare say it out loud, but the Alchemist was quite adorable.
“Thank you.”
Roderick nodded. He smiled. He looked tired now. Halston wondered how much these items—whatever he had just done to create them—had taken out of him. There were dark circles under his eyes that weren’t there before.
“You’re welcome, Halston.” Roderick tucked his arms into the sleeves of his lab coat. “Do bring her to me next time. I hate being left out of these things. You’ll make me feel like you don’t trust me or something.”
Halston sensed something off in his voice. He really did want to be included. He’d never thought about it. The Alchemist was lonely. Perhaps he wanted to be a part of the team. It was an interesting idea. He could always use someone like Roderick.
“I will,” Halston said. “I promise.”
Roderick smiled. “Good.” He looked at Tristan. “This is for you.” He handed the War-Breeder a small token. “You’ll have a harder time leaving without this. Give it to the Jem.”
Tristan lifted a brow. “Thank you.”
Roderick nodded. “Don’t mention it.” He met Halston’s eyes. “We are friends after all, right?”
Halston nearly did it again. He almost ruffled the boy’s hair. “We are.”
Roderick smiled again. There was a pain behind his eyes. “See you soon. Now leave before you run out of time.”
As if on cue, the second click rung. The three of them looked up. Time was quickly running out.
Koa. Halston needed to get to her.
27
The door opened and Koa beheld a massive man. He blocked the entire doorway and had to duck to enter the room. She and Evina had been drinking an odd blend of blood that Koa had never tried, yet she loved it. She didn’t like it more than human blood, but it was almost as good. It was almost enough to make her forgive Evina for what she had done.
Koa came to her feet and tensed when the large man glanced at her. Koa looked him up and down and took a step back. He gave a nod and stepped out of the way. Koa’s heart leapt.
“Halston!” She ran to him. She frowned, despite her happiness at seeing his face again. It hadn’t really been that long, but she had been stewing over whatever secrets he was keeping.
“Koa.”
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to her level. “What is happening? I want to know what you are hiding, and what you are planning, right now!”
Halston nodded to Tristan. “Meet Tristan, our very own War-Breeder, he will help us defeat Greggan’s army.”
Koa looked at the large man. She almost asked if he expected to do it by himself and she stopped herself. His muscles were bigger than any she’d ever seen. Tristan smiled at her. He had a warm smile. That surprised Koa.
“You know Evina, she is a temptress, and you can’t ask for a better skill than that when it comes to getting other vampires on your side. Al is recruiting others topside to infiltrate Greggan’s organization. And Jax,” Halston paused and Koa tensed at the name. “You are going to free him, because he is the key to killing Greggan and freeing your mother from her curse. Your mother, she is the only one who can stop Bund.”
Koa didn’t say anything. Halston had just revealed his plan, in simple terms. She didn’t know what to say. She stepped back and let his collar slip out of her hands.
Halston searched her eyes. “Feel better?”
Koa let out a sigh. She was nervous but she nodded. “I just don’t want to be left in the dark. I mean, it seems like I have to do the hard part and break this fool out of prison.”
“Fool?” Evina made a face.
Tristan chuckled. “She’s kind of funny.”
Koa looked between both of them. “Well yes, I am not going to hide the fact that I don’t think highly of him.”
The War-Breeder and the temptress shared a look.
Halston pulled Koa back around to face him. “We don’t have much time. Let’s get going.”
Koa thought about Raven. She knew that Jax could change her back and that he had valuable information for her.
“Whatever. Let’s just get it over with.” Koa shook her head and stared up at Halston. She felt like a puppet being controlled. She had her own motives, and she would get what she wanted.
Halston reached into his jacket and put something into her hand. Koa raised a brow. A vial. Koa touched the glass. The gravity of the situation was settling in. Things were about to get dangerous. Koa thought of Galena and how Halston had given her one of his vials weeks ago.
Koa eyes widened when he put two stones into her other hand.
“You went to the Alchemist?” She was awestruck. She felt a little cheated. She’d always wanted to meet that notorious being.
Halston nodded. “Yes. Drink this down in one gulp.”
Koa swallowed. “You sure, it’s safe?”
“Yes. He is the best at this. I promise.”
Koa sighed and pulled the top of the vial open. A tiny spurt of air escaped and she smelled something foul. She gave Halston a look. “What will this do to me?” She licked the roof of her mouth as she imagined what the potion would taste like.
“I am not sure. It will transform you for a few hours so that you will be able to enter the prison without being questioned. If they saw you trying to go inside, they would immediately arrest you.”
Koa thought of all of the possibilities. She could only imagine what she’d be transformed into. She didn’t like the idea.
“Wait a minute,” Evina cut in. She stepped closer to them and pointed to the Vial. “Won’t it wear off the instant she enters Jax’s portal?”
Halston ran a hand through his hair. “Yes. That’s when she’ll use the stones to escape.”
Koa held them up. “How do they work?”
“She’ll have to fight her way out,” Tristan said.
Evina leaned against the wall. “Well, at least she’ll have Jax by then.”
A torrent of warnings flooded her mind. She felt strong, but she had a worrisome knot in her stomach.
Halston put a hand on Koa’s shoulder. “Go on. Take it, Koa. We will be watching for you. We will all be outside and prepared when the time comes for you to escape with the prince.”
Koa cleared her throat and eyed the contents of the vial. She felt queasy but the certainty in Halston’s eyes gave her the courage to gulp it all down. It wasn’t as disgusting as it smelled, but
it was thick and she could feel it slowly creep down her throat and into her esophagus. It worked immediately. It burned her from the inside out.
She clutched her throat as it clogged her airway. Her eyes widened as she felt something enter her and take over. Her skin started to crawl and she felt her eyes roll into the back of her head.
Halston held her up. “You can take it Koa. It will all be over in a moment.” Koa felt comforted by Halston’s embrace, but the pain was almost too much. She cried out as a powerful force morphed her body into something that felt foreign. She fell to her knees with a crash of metal.
Koa opened her eyes. She heard Evina gasp. Koa gasped when she saw her hands. They were covered in metal. Her fingers were long and sharp. Koa felt fear enter her heart. She was afraid of herself.
“Halston,” Koa called, but her voice was not her own. It had a robotic tone that made everyone cover their ears. Koa widened her eyes. Everyone looked odd. She saw them as colors now.
Evina was red. Tristan was green and Halston was yellow. They still had their forms, yet she could see their inner aura, the difference between their races.
Koa stood. She sucked in a breath when her head hit the ceiling. She bent over and towered over them all. She saw that her legs were covered in black metal as well and her metallic boots were sealed to her gaiters. She wore a metallic breastplate and she touched her face to feel it covered in metal as well. As far as she could tell, she was completely covered in smooth, black, metal. She felt heavy, yet strong.
She looked at the others as their auras pulsated. “What am I?”
Halston was staring up at her with wide eyes. “A Scayor.”
Tristan stroked his chin. “No one would dare question her like that.”
Evina nodded. Her blue eyes twinkled with wonder as she looked Koa up and down. She clapped. “It’s brilliant.”
“Damn, you look awesome.” Tristan grinned. “It even adapted to her female features. It’s rare to see a female Scayor.” He knocked on her belly, which was nearly as tall as his face. Koa had to be nine feet tall.
She felt awkward. She had never been taller than anyone. She was so used to standing in the shadows and getting lost in the crowd. Now, everyone would see her, and run.
Halston swallowed hard and shook his head. He looked at her with wide, surprised, eyes. “Roderick is a genius.”
Koa clasped her hands. It felt odd, hearing the metal clink against each other. “What now?” she asked.
Everyone looked at Halston.
“It’s time.”
28
Koa approached the Ivory Tower. The prison was the one structure that passed through all of the levels. All of the worst criminals were housed in those ivory stone walls. She’d never seen a building so tall. The Ivory Tower stretched upwards and went through a circular hole that led to the upper level of the Netherworld. Made of stone and bone, the building looked like an ancient castle. It was clean and bright, and yet one could feel the evil radiating from it.
The evil was palpable.
Even as a metal creature, Koa could feel the eerie, oppressing, tension in the air. She could hear the cries coming from inside the tower: cries of pain and cries of anger.
Koa felt her heart thumping in her new, foreign body. This is where Jax awaited her. She swallowed and realized that her throat was dry. She licked the roof of her mouth, trying to moisten it, and trying to distract herself.
Halston, an angel and her best friend, had led her here. She could trust him. She had no choice. He never led her astray before. She was in a place where everyone was a stranger.
She checked the pouch that was secured around her waist and made sure that her sword was secure. It pulsated against her belly inside the armor. She felt the subtle vibrations running up and down the armor.
There was so much evil surrounding her that she didn’t even need the sword to warn her. Evil was thick in the air. She said a silent prayer for strength and joined the ranks of the other Scayors that lined up to enter the prison.
Koa blended in with seven other Scayors. They all walked in unison, very precisely, like robots. The loud clink of metallic shoes on the black path made her cringe with each step. Still, she couldn’t help looking around at the tower in wonder.
Syths were stationed everywhere. Some walked in different directions with their weapons in hand. Others patrolled and shuffled visitors into and out of the tower.
Koa raised a brow. A vampire woman dressed in all black with a teenaged boy was ushered from a side entrance. The woman screamed at the top of her lungs. She slapped the Syth and hissed at him. The Syth roughly shoved her aside and walked away.
The boy covered his ears and fell to his knees. Koa almost stopped, but remembered that she had to keep up the façade. Curiosity almost ruined everything. Still, she couldn’t pull her gaze away from the two. The boy put his face in the black dirt that covered the land around the Tower. His bony shoulders shook as he sobbed.
Koa swallowed and turned her attention back to the path to the front entrance to the Ivory Tower. Chills ran up her body as she heard what the woman was screaming.
“You killed him! You didn’t have to kill him!”
Koa tried to shake the feeling of dread as she kept up with the other Scayor’s quick steps and felt her breath start to quicken. She was grateful that no one questioned her when she entered the Ivory Tower.
No one even dared glance at her. Even the other Syths that stood guard, kept their distance. Besides, who would dare try to sneak into the prison?
Koa smirked as she passed by. Then she wondered if they’d be able to smell her differences. It made her worry.
The Alchemist is the best, Halston had said. She held the stones in her pouch as well. This had to work.
The harsh reality that she might die settled onto her. She felt nauseous. Koa turned to the one memory that made her smile every time: the day she met Halston and kissed him. She had been drunk, and he simply laughed and picked her up like a rag doll and took her back to his car. Koa hadn’t been afraid. Even then, she had known that he was someone special.
When she woke up, there he was. “Good morning,” Halston said, as if they had been close friends for years. It was that simple, and for the next twenty years, they had become just that, but more than close friends. They became best friends, and it was their secret, inside joke… that Halston was Koa’s guardian angel.
Koa felt better. She breathed deep. She had to keep her cool. There were too many narrow hallways that she began to feel dizzy. Creatures she’d never seen before stalked the hallways, carrying electronic devices and taking notes. Koa was amazed by how much technology the Netherworld utilized. They seemed to enjoy a balance between technology and Medieval and Gothic architecture.
Koa checked exits and noted the number of Syth guards posted. Her brows furrowed at how many children walked the corridor. There she was, in the dimly lit prison and there were children swarming the halls. They all wore the same uniform, gray slacks and blouses, with their hair pulled back into ponytails. Their eyes all had the same hollow look in them.
Koa studied their aura’s. It was more similar to the vampire race. They were not human children. Her gaze followed a procession of two straight lines as they walked from one door and across the corridor to another. Two more groups like that did the same, except they came from the opposite side and disappeared into a door on the right. Koa noticed that each child carried a tiny dagger. They ignored her. She felt as if they had an arrogant air about them, as if even as a Scayor, that she was beneath them.
Once the children disappeared through those massive steel doors, Koa’s mind went back to Halston’s face. His image kept her calm. Even though he wasn’t there, he kept her from focusing on the skeletons that lined the walls like gruesome art. The other Scayors were horrific enough; just being near them made her anxious.
Koa went over Evina’s directions in her head over and over. It was simple, the temptress had said, Jax�
��s cell was directly down the main entrance corridor. She would know it when she saw it. Evina was right.
Turning a corner at the end of the main corridor, she could feel that she was close. Her eyes widened in awe. With a gasp, she pulled her face back as black liquid hands reached for her. She stopped before a portal.
She took a breath. It was similar to the portal that stood in their safe house back in the human world. The royal seal of Lyrinia was posted on the four silver brackets: snakes and golden swords. Between the brackets stood a black pool, stretched like the faces of those Shadows, except this was a liquid. The outer edges were illuminated by an alien light.
It reminded her of the inkwell portal in the safe house. Koa wondered if it worked the same way. She knew that the portal would let anyone in… but it wouldn’t let anything back out. She didn’t want to go. She had no choice. Koa held her breath.
This was what she came for. She never expected it to be easy.
Koa braced herself and before she could talk herself out of it she jumped inside the black pool. She felt the disguise start to melt away. Her scream was cut off as the liquid filled every orifice of her face. The thick liquid seeped into her mouth filling her lungs, coursing into her veins. It tasted like black licorice and bitter herbs.
Koa was frozen in terror. There was no fooling the black mass of the portal. She felt smothered and found herself searching in panic, hoping that the end was somewhere near.
It seemed to take an eternity. Her lungs burned for air. She clutched her throat, falling to her knees. She crawled along the floor, the sticky substance gripping her like glue. She couldn’t move. Like a spider web, it held her there, immobile.
Koa began to panic. She choked. Her lungs burned as if hot acid had been poured down her throat. A hand reached out to her and she recoiled backwards. Black tears trailed down Koa’s cheeks. The hand grabbed her by the top of her head and yanked her through. The instant her face emerged she gasped for breath.
