by K.N. Lee
“What is she doing?” Koa shouted over the alarm.
Jax caught his breath and nodded to his sister. “A blade dance,” he replied. He smirked. “She’ll have them fighting for us before the dance is done.”
Koa was astounded. She now saw what purpose Evina served in their new ‘crew.’ She watched Evina and couldn’t help but feel impressed.
Evina didn’t stop. Her eyes remained closed. She spoke softly, calmly. “I will run out of energy in about two minutes. Do something now, to clear a path. The Scayors are programmed to resist my dance. They will be free from their trance.”
Halston’s voice whispered in her head. Focus. Focus. There’s always a way out, Koa.
The Scayors were blocking the exit. The gate was shut and Koa could see more Scayors lining up outside. They had half a minute to think of a way out.
Koa felt around in her pocket. She felt something smooth, and warm. Koa’s eyes widened. “Jax, Evina, get down!” She grabbed the fire stone from her pouch and tossed it. She held her breath and rolled onto her stomach. The explosion made the Ivory Tower tremble. It destroyed the tapestries, walls, carpets, everything in its path.
Jax grabbed Evina and spun her out of her trance. She cried out, grabbed her sword from the air, and they both ducked into the outer hall that led to the exit.
The ringing in Koa’s ears was deafening, but she didn’t have time to recover. She was on her feet within half a second. Her face was set. The creatures were doubled over on the floor.
Koa ran a finger along the blade of her Lyrinian sword, spilling blood onto its blade. It absorbed the blood and screeched with pleasure. The blade turned red and Koa was lost in a trance. The lights flashed and the wails filled the hollow corridor. The night air of the Netherworld bit at her and she didn’t care.
No one was safe. Scayors filed in, stomping and pointing their fingers at her. Koa gasped. Blue light shot out of their fingers. Koa watched as the light seared what was left of the Ivory Tower floor. She held her sword up and blocked the light. It bounced back and the Scayor was eviscerated. Koa breathed with relief.
She kissed the blade of her sword. “Thank you,” she whispered to it. She shook her head with a smile and ran out with newfound confidence. Through the remaining fire from the fire stone, Koa jumped and ran her sword through the middle of a Scayor.
The sound of metal meeting metal made her ears hurt. She gritted her teeth as she sawed through and left the Scayor in two pieces. He crawled away on his arms and met his legs again. Koa cursed as the body fused back together. Sparks flew as the pieces became one. The Scayor stood and towered above her.
“Shit,” she whispered.
Koa grunted as Jax grabbed her from behind. He held her with both hands. “No use trying with those things,” he said to her as he looked up at the Scayor’s face. “Your sword can’t kill them.”
Koa nodded. She shivered. Jax cupped her chin and brought her face up to his. Koa closed her eyes to his touch. She remember the softness of his palm on her cheek and moaned. She had no idea how much she had missed him, and now, she remembered.
“Don’t worry, my love,” he said softly, even as the Scayors filed into the tower in perfect battle formation. “We haven’t come this far to lose.” Koa couldn’t believe how optimistic he was, even when death seemed imminent.
The ground shook.
Jax pulled her close. Evina covered her mouth.
“Oh no. They let the Wraith out!”
Koa looked up at Jax’s face in alarm. “What’s a Wraith?”
Jax gulped. “Fly Koa! Fly away now!”
Koa shook her head. “I’m not leaving you here.” She couldn’t believe she had just said that. She was frightened. Still, she could no longer picture life without Jax.
Jax looked down at her and his eyes sparkled with mist. He smiled. “My Koa. You’re back.”
Chapter 31
Halston and Tristan gathered all of the supplies that they could carry from Tristan’s home. They tucked away knives and guns, filling their bags with stakes and various vials from the Alchemist. There was much to do, and so little time. Koa should almost be done in the Ivory Tower. They needed to get back in case Evina’s assistance wasn’t enough.
Tristan lived alone. He had taken a wife, and she had been executed. Halston couldn’t get Tristan to tell him why. He had an idea, but kept his mouth shut. Halston also didn’t ask why Tristan had chosen to live in an abandoned building with creaky staircases and boarded up windows. The furniture was sparse and there was an old, musky, smell of rotting wood.
“How long has Greggan been gone? Has anyone in the Central Dominace noticed his disappearance?”
Tristan nodded. “I’ve noticed. I’m sure others have noticed something strange happening as well. Of course he took some of his best men and women up to the human world. I’d say Greggan has been back and forth for the past six months. But Greggan was never a very social king. He doesn’t exactly walk the streets of his kingdom shaking hands with his subjects.”
Halston sighed. Greggan would have assembled his own army up there by now. The humans would be defenseless. Tristan was close. For the past year Halston had been keeping track of the disappearances and the murders. Greggan was taking innocent people and farming them. Greggan was merciless.
To Greggan, humans were like cattle, mindless meals that he could do what he pleased with. Not only did he feast on humans, but he was also creating more vampires and turning them into eternal slaves. He was trying to single handedly repopulate the world of vampires after Halston and Alice’s centuries of ridding the world of them.
This was unacceptable. If there was anything Halston put before everything, it was the fate of the humans. He had sworn to protect them. It was his last chance, to maybe return home to the kingdom of Heaven. It was all he’d ever wanted. Well, it used to be all he ever wanted.
“Evina, where will she meet us?” Tristan slipped on a cross body holster, a large pistol at his side, a jagged dagger at his hip.
“At the south gate. Hopefully Jax has convinced Koa that he is not our enemy and that she can get him out of his cell.”
Tristan nodded. “Right, it takes Lyrinian metal to cut through that black matter.”
Halston nodded. “That’s right.”
“Why is that?”
Halston sighed. “Really? Do I have to go over this now?” He shoved a watch into Tristan’s hand. “Put it on, now. We need to get out of here.”
Tristan pursed his lips. He held the black watch up into the dim light that spilled through his boarded up windows. “What’s this?”
“Communication device,” Halston answered. “I’ll be able to reach you whenever I need to. And vice versa.”
Tristan grinned. “Excellent. I do miss working with you, Halston. You certainly have the best gadgets.” He put the watch on. “I’ll let you stall on the whole Lyrinian thing if you give me a decent gun.”
Halston scoffed. “You don’t need a gun, Tristan. You’re a War-Breeder. Remember?”
Tristan laughed and followed Halston out of his small flat. They walked out into the cool air of the lower tenements of the Central Dominace. It was quiet. It was the dim hours of second light. The Netherworld’s night. Everyone was sleeping.
Halston lowered his voice. “Don’t worry, I already have something nifty in mind for you.”
Tristan smiled. “Good man.” He patted Halston on the back. “I knew you’d come through for me.”
They walked quickly through the shallow alleyways. The city was a labyrinth, but Tristan knew his way around. The only time they were slowed down was when they had to step over sleeping packs of ghouls. There weren’t many of those creatures left in this world, but it seemed as though they had figured out that there was safety in numbers.
Within an hour Halston and Tristan were at the central plaza. The staircases all led to that plaza and they quickly ran up the stairs two at a time. They screeched to a halt when they heard a lou
d explosion in the distance.
Halston looked back, there was a loud commotion coming from the palace. He stood tall and grabbed his infinity gun’s handle. His jaw tightened with worry.
“Koa.”
Tristan stumbled back as Halston bent his knees and took off into the air. Tristan shielded his eyes from the breeze that swept around his friend. It was a sight to behold, Halston in his golden, angelic, glory. He nodded to himself. “I guess, I’ll wait at the gate then.”
Tristan gasped when Halston buzzed in on the new watch that he gave him. He didn’t like technology. He frowned at the gadget.
“Yes, wait at the gate, I’ll send them to you.”
Tristan nodded. “Sure thing, boss.”
Chapter 32
The gold in the sky caught Koa’s attention. She looked up and felt her heart soar. It swelled with joy. Halston flew across the black sky in all of his angelic glory. Embers and tiny sparks still fell from the damage her vial had caused to the front of the palace, and yet Halston glided along the air with expert agility and grace.
Koa couldn’t help but smile. He had come back for her. She forgave him of everything. The secrets, the lies, everything…was forgiven.
Jax didn’t let his grip on her lessen. He glared at Halston.
Koa turned away, towards Halston. He landed and she ran to him.
Halston grabbed her with one arm and hugged her tight to his chest. “I’m sorry.”
Those words were simple, and yet they made Koa hold him even tighter. She didn’t care anymore. She buried her face in his chest and breathed in his scent. She smiled. His scent was always the same. Eucalyptus and flowers, as if he’d been born in a garden. She looked over her shoulder, remembering Jax. He watched them with furrowed eyebrows. His glare went back up to Halston.
Halston turned her to face him and Koa felt a little embarrassed. Jax was watching. She wondered if he could see how she felt for Halston. She wondered if Halston sensed how she now felt for Jax. Koa felt ashamed. All of this time, she’d thought that she was saving herself for Halston. She hadn’t known that she’d already given herself to Jax.
Their eardrums nearly shattered at the bestial cry that came from the dungeons of the Ivory Tower.
“It’s coming,” Koa whispered.
Halston held her at arm’s length. He bent to her level and met her eyes with an intensity that made Koa hold her breath. She didn’t want him to let her go.
“Listen. We have to separate. I will draw the beast away from you all while you make a mad dash for the Gate. Do not stop for anything. Do not look back. You run for your life, Koa, and I will do my best to return to you. Understand?”
Koa couldn’t speak. She stared at him and nodded. Her skin tingled. Her hands began to sweat. She couldn’t let him go again. Another cry shook the floor and what remained of the walls and Koa knew the seriousness of Halston’s request. Whatever a Wraith was, she was certain that she didn’t want to face it. She’d seen countless monstrosities this very night. She was weary and didn’t feel ready to face another.
Halston stared at her for a moment, as if taking her all in for what might be the last time. He kissed her forehead and pushed her away. “Go!” He took off down the hall at lightning speed and all Koa felt was the whoosh of air as he flew away.
She hadn’t a chance to call out to him as Jax pulled her out of the wreckage. She came to her senses and turned around. Evina jumped on her disc, and still holding her, Jax did the same and they went higher into the air.
Koa looked down at all of the lights and sighed. The Central Dominace sparkled like an enchanted city. That Disc Moon above turned and their sky began to brighten. It was a slight change, but Koa could tell that it signified that morning was coming.
She was worried. She hadn’t felt such worry in ages. Halston and Koa had been separated only once before. It had been during a mission two years ago. She had tracked down a hellish clan of vampires that were rampaging through Eastern Europe. The memories of blood still lingered in her mind. The bodies of Romanian villagers had been piled up like small hills across the countryside.
It took five months for them to make it back to one another. She couldn’t imagine being apart from him for so long again.
Koa swallowed her anxiety. She hoped Halston would make it out of there. Deep down inside, she knew he would. He had to. He was her teacher and protector; he had to know what he was doing.
Jax held her tight and Koa felt safe. She wished she could feel relieved, but it was impossible. She would escape, but she would not rest until she knew Halston was safe as well. Koa watched the Ivory Tower for as long as she could, until it became a tiny spot against the backdrop of that city of darkness.
Koa rested her head on Jax’s shoulder. She realized just how tired she was. The potion that changed her into a Scayor and the fight in the tower had exhausted her. The hunger would start to creep on her soon.
Koa’s eyes brightened when she saw the staircase that she and Halston had taken hours ago. She knew what that staircase signified. Freedom was so close.
Jax and Evina sped up and Koa wanted nothing more than to make a dash for the Gate. She knew that would be unwise. She was fatigued and the Netherworld discs were faster than she was on her own. Those discs covered what would have taken another two days to travel in what felt like minutes.
Now, they would just have to get past the Shadows that waited for her within the tunnel. She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut. She kept them closed as they entered the tunnel. Halston’s voice spoke to her as they entered the darkness.
Do not be afraid, Koa, Koa imagined him saying. Wind swept her hair around her face, blowing tears from her cheeks. We will be together again.
