by Meg Xuemei X
Halia pursed her lips, but for the first time she didn’t retort. A cold, calculating light flitted in her eyes as she darted a glance at the corner of the room.
Merlin caught her fleeting attention, turned, and locked his gaze on the black owl perching on a windowsill. The owl flapped his wings and flew out the open window in a rush.
“Strange owl,” Merlin murmured, looking thoughtful.
“Another problem,” said the Protector who was quiet most of the time. “We can’t reach the Shades through the tunnels. At the end of one tunnel, we’ll have to move out to the surface to part of Tartarus, the land of torment, to reach the land of the dead.”
“If the demon’s major force waits there,” Willow admitted, “not many of us will even reach the Shades.”
“Even if you all enter the Shades, good luck with crossing Styx,” Halia said viciously.
CHAPTER 16
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Killian trotted into the Hollow Hall, flashing images of him eating the captain to me.
Too much unwanted information. I pushed my thoughts toward him.
He sent me a tired look, and everyone in the hall gave him a wide berth as he swaggered toward me.
I didn’t sleep well last night, Calamity. My tiger opened his jaw, yawned, and complained further. I had to guard my meal.
The first explosion dropped across the high ceiling of the hall. Thunderous sound rolled above. The windows lined up on the sidewalls shattered, and the hall trembled like in an earthquake.
The Protectors jumped from their seats, their panicked eyes darting around, seeking shelter, yet there was none.
My mates rose, pulling me out of my seat and into their arms. Max shielded me with his wings. Ash tossed out his ice magic, also forming a shield above me. Merlin was checking to see if he could fortify the shield around me.
They instinctively went to protect me and forgot everyone else, including themselves.
“I’m fine,” I shouted over the thunder. “Guard Willow and Raven first.”
“I’ve shielded everyone,” Merlin said.
A trail of white light twirled around the room. That was Merlin’s magic signature.
Killian sprang toward me, roaring and wanting to guard me too. All sleepiness left his eyes.
Calm, boy, I told him.
Small rocks started to drop from the ceiling, but Merlin’s and Ash’s shielding magic prevented the rocks from plummeting onto our heads.
“They’re bombing!” Halia shrieked. “They’re bombing! The demons are here!”
I locked my gaze on the rest of the Protectors. “Get everyone. We’re leaving Nightingale this moment. We can’t wait until noon unless we want to get buried down here.”
Some of them remained frozen.
“Get moving,” Ash hissed.
My mates and I started toward the exit of the hall, and the Protectors woke up from their stupor and rushed after us.
“Bring everyone to the clearing near the hall,” Max instructed. “We leave in groups.”
Merlin turned to Raven. “Lady Prophet, I’m confident that you’re familiar with the route to the Shades?”
“Yes, druid,” Raven said. “Guy and I will be your guides.”
“Queen Calamity, Prince Ash, Prince Sebastian, their companions, including the women they rescued, and the Alpha Pure team will go with you as the first group,” Merlin told Raven. “The rest of the Protectors and their clans will be placed in the middle. Their soldiers shall guard them. Max and I will bring up the rear, and Omega Power will be with us.”
“The Queen should be placed in the safest position in the middle,” Willow said.
“She won’t accept that,” Merlin said. “And without her, your people won’t have a chance to get past the Shades. So she must go first. Her magic is high caliber, and Prince Ash is capable of guarding her. Max and I will be needed to cut off the demons from chasing after you.”
As we moved out of the hall, I saw Guy run toward the clearing, his tribe of hundreds scampering after him. Many of them held torches.
Another explosion went off above. The runners picked up speed.
“First group, to me!” Ash shouted, raising his sword, icy light glinting on the tip of the blade.
“This way!” Raven shouted amid the chaos as more clans arrived. “To the east!”
“Bas! Octavia! Amber and our women!” I yelled, seeking them in the crowd. “To us!”
“Our queen is there! Our queen and Consort Ash!” they answered and rushed toward Ash and me.
“Hurry!” Sebastian called, looking over his shoulder and helping the women get to us.
Guy and the Alpha Pure team gathered around our group in formation.
The rest of the Protectors organized their clans frantically.
The entire place rocked and tilted as another detonation went off. More rocks dropped from the high ceiling.
Killian pressed against my thigh, roaring at the blasts and shouting all around.
Stay with me, Killian, I ordered him. And stay calm.
He ceased roaring.
“Max! Max!” I shouted as I was swept into the flowing crowd.
I wouldn’t leave him without a proper farewell.
“Doll, I’m here.” Max reached me against the flow of the crowd and pulled me into his arms. It was useful to have such a big, powerful build.
I pressed my palm to the side of his face, the heel resting against his fresh stubble.
Words escaped me as I stared into his gorgeous amber eyes. I didn’t want to part with him.
“I’m sorry I can’t be by your side for now,” he said, his dark gaze brimming with burden and unhappiness.
“We all have our duties and responsibilities, Max,” I said. “And you’re staying behind to protect us.”
He looked to Ash, his meaning clear.
“I’ll protect our mate with my last breath,” Ash said. “You don’t even need to ask, brother.”
Merlin was twenty yards away, directing the flow of the groups. His violet eyes met mine, glinting with a need for me that wasn’t so different from my other mates’. I averted my gaze.
I stood on my tiptoes, pulled Max’s head down toward me, and kissed him hard.
“Don’t try to be a hero, vampire,” I said, feeling like a grasshopper giving instructions to the most seasoned predator. He grinned. I pressed on because he was my mate. “Stay alive and come back to me.”
“I love you, my Ayanna,” he said.
I swallowed. “I know.”
I was about to say something back, but Ash cut in and urged, “Blossom, we have to go now.”
Rocks were falling everywhere. The bombing was becoming more frequent.
“Go, love,” Max said. “I’ll come back to you. I promise. And you must stay safe for me.”
I nodded, yet my feet felt glued to the ground.
“Let’s go, baby. We’ll see him again.” Ash pulled me along with him.
We merged into the flow of our group and soon entered the dark tunnel.
We were leaving Nightingale, the city that had sheltered the natives for centuries, behind forever.
~
I lost track of how long we’d been running and stumbling along inside the tunnel until at one point most of the torchlight went out and fewer stones plummeted from the ceiling. We lost some citizens and soldiers in the areas where the explosions were too heavy. The rest of us had to keep going.
Gradually, only the echoes of faint explosions reached us.
Even when no more tremors came our way, my nerves still felt fried, my throat tight with fear for Max, Merlin, and the rest of the people who were still miles behind us.
I should have stayed with Max and been the last to evacuate.
Ash sent his ice light to direct and illuminate the path for the crowd after the torchlight winked out.
“We’re almost there,” Guy said ahead of Ash and me.
He was more familiar with the tunnels
than Raven. I had insisted on having Raven placed behind me for better protection.
“Yes,” Raven panted. “The Ancestors’ Cavern is right ahead.”
“Is there anything we should know about this cavern?” Ash asked.
“We pay our ancestors respect,” Raven said. “No one is allowed to go in there, but this is an emergency—it’s about the survival of their offspring. We’ll need to pass through it to go to the land of the Shades. They’ll understand.”
“Will there be any ambush or assault in the cave to the best of your knowledge?” Ash asked. “Something like arrows shooting out of nowhere or the ground dropping from beneath our feet when someone enters the cave?”
“Not that I know of.” Guy looked at us over his shoulder. “My men and I passed it once, and we returned home in one piece. Before we dared to enter, we all knelt at the entrance and prayed for forgiveness. We’ll just carry out the same ritual.”
“I don’t kneel or pray,” Ash said.
I gave him a pointed look. “We’ll kneel and pray if it’s necessary.”
We trekked for another mile, and a faint light appeared at the end of the tunnel. I let out a relieved breath, mostly for Ash and Max. I’d been a slave miner. I’d worked inside tunnels for eight years, though I was never very deep inside because Sebastian chose to work in the most dangerous sections, allowing me to have relatively lighter tasks.
My mates, however, were used to living in a broad space with a bright sky. They had problems with cramped places, especially this narrow space under the ground. Both Max and Ash, especially Max, tried to hide their great discomfort when we entered the tunnel to Nightingale, but I felt their inner dread through our mating bond. I was their mate, after all.
Worries churned in my stomach like an acid sea as I wondered if Max and Merlin had made it into the tunnel.
CHAPTER 17
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Killian, who also hated tunnels, shot into the open cave like an arrow before I could stop him.
“Killian, no!” I shouted in alarm.
If there was any trap in the cave, my tiger wouldn’t be prepared for it.
Ash used his ice magic to shield my tiger and at the same time probed the cave before he strode into it. I was on his heels the next second.
The Alpha Pure team yelled for the rest of the clans to halt as they waited for Ash to check out the security.
There were no apparent traps. As Ash gave a the-coast-is-clear gesture, the Alpha Pure warriors brought in more people from the tunnel.
All of a sudden, we were all in the open space.
I looked around in amazement with Raven by my side, a smile on her face.
The cave was so enormous it could easily host thousands of people. It could contain the entire seven clans from Nightingale and more. A few dozen golden columns were depicted with drawings that told the tales of the ancient natives building the Underworld before the Sváva invaded their world.
We trod toward the center of the cavern until we saw the gray sky overhead.
“We’ll wait for everyone here,” Ash said, returning to my side.
Killian was still running around, probably looking for a snack.
“This is the end of the tunnel,” Guy said, joining us as his men attached their torches to the rocky walls around. “We’ll have to go above ground to the Shades.”
“Where’s the exit?” I let my eyes search.
Guy pointed at the sky.
Ash nodded. “I’ve checked. It’s the only way out except for the tunnel we came from.”
“How are we going to get up there?” I asked, gazing up at the opening that was over a hundred feet above us.
“We brought ropes,” Guy said.
“But we have thousands of people,” I said. “It’ll take forever. And if the demon army shows up above this cave, we’ll be sitting ducks.”
“My wind can send dozens up at a time,” Ash said. “Max and Merlin will assist. Wait here.” He pulled me into his arms and kissed me, pleasure and desire burning through me at his scorching touch. Before I could kiss him back, he released me and grinned. “For good luck, Blossom.”
He lashed out with his icy current toward the ground and rose into the air.
Raven, Guy, and the first wave of arrivals all looked up at him in amazement.
“Like an angel,” someone murmured in admiration.
Then the Winter Prince leapt above ground and was out of sight.
“We’ll rest here for the night and go up to the surface in the morning,” Raven said.
We’d traveled for over half a day. No one had any more energy to keep going, and we had children and elders in our midst.
Sebastian, Octavia, and the women poured out of the tunnel and surrounded me. The women wanted to attend to me, as they were all self-appointed as my ladies-in-waiting. I waved them away, telling them they didn’t need to serve me. But when I saw their disappointed and crushed looks, I asked them to help set up tents.
The Alpha Pure team organized the clans and had each clan stay in a different section in the cave, arranged around my group and me.
I looked up at the cave’s mouth, longing to join Ash.
Guy unloaded the climbing gear out of the travel bags, and some of my women helped him. Maybe I didn’t need the ropes. Maybe I could go up like Ash.
I was a novice at magic, but I had strong power. Though exhausted, I hadn’t used my magic for battle in a while.
I summoned my magic, and red lightning sparkled in my fingertips like musical notes caught in fire.
I spread my arms to gesture my companions to give me space.
They stepped back a few paces.
“More,” I called. “More space. That’s good.”
I directed my lightning at the ground, just as Ash had done with his icy current.
The ground beneath me shook a little, and then I was in the air.
“Holy fuck!” I blurted out, which was quite unqueenly.
All who heard me looked shocked, but I had more immediate matters to worry about, like not falling on my ass and bringing myself more embarrassment in front of the masses.
“Queen Calamity!” Raven called in alarm. “Come down slowly. We can’t lose you!”
“You won’t,” I said, unleashing more power and shooting toward the top of the cave.
The crowd outside our circle all saw me now and shouted, “The queen!” until the guards shushed them.
It was best not to bring any attention to us while the demons were hunting us.
Killian rushed back and forth and whimpered beneath me. He tried to leap and hitch a ride, but I was already out of his reach.
I’ll return. I pushed an image into his head. Wait for me and behave.
Ash poked his head down toward the cave’s mouth just as I reached the top. He immediately tossed his wind at me to deliver me to him.
I was in his arms the next second.
“I thought I was the only one who had a flair for theater,” he said, smiling at me.
“Can’t let you have all the fun,” I purred.
“My idea of fun would always include you,” he said.
His eyes grew heated, and my heart fluttered. The same heat started coursing in me.
“It’s not the time, Prince,” I chided.
“You’re right, Princess,” he said, only to pull me tightly against him to feel his hard erection.
My mates had adapted to wearing long trench coats at all times, since they were forever aroused when I was around.
I stared at his sensual lips, wanting to taste him, especially after the long journey here, but I knew that if I kissed him now, I would want more. And then we would never stop.
He flashed me a wicked grin, spun me to his side, and interlinked his fingers with mine.
The air smelled of dirt, smoke, and sulfur.
We surveyed the cracked, dry land ahead of us that expanded to the mountains in the distance. There were no demons in sight, which wa
s a welcome relief. I didn’t want to lose any more people, and we were vulnerable at the moment.
We trained our gazes on the ridge of black mountains that spewed lava into the red-gray sky. Between two mountains we could see a narrow path.
“I have a bad feeling about that passage,” I said.
“That must be the path to the Shades.”
“Anyone could easily ambush us from the mountains on either side.”
“We’ll make sure you pass through safely, Blossom,” he said with determination.
“I’m more worried about our people than myself. I’d hate to lose any more of them.”
He squeezed my hand. “I know, and your burden is also mine.”
I leaned my head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. The sudden wind of the Underworld tossed our hair. While the clans of Nightingale were still moving into their ancestors’ cavern and gathering around, it felt so nice to be alone with Ash.
“It’s sweet to have you all to myself, even just for a second,” he said, kissing the crown of my head as we enjoyed our stolen, tender moment.
“Ash,” I whispered. “They all count on me, on us, to get them to safety. I’m not sure if I can guarantee that. I have no idea what I’m doing a lot of the time, and I’m terrified that I’ll fail them.”
“One step at a time, baby,” he said, squeezing my shoulder. “I’m with you. We’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll get to the Shades, reach the last leyline, and get you home. Your people will come, too.” He gazed at the mountain, his expression grim and thoughtful. “Merlin had better be right about the leyline. That fucker is right most of the time when it concerns magic.”
As soon as he mentioned Merlin, my nagging worry for Max swirled right back.
“Queen Calamity? Consort Ash?” Guy and Raven were both calling us urgently beneath.
“Sis? Calamity?” Sebastian was shouting now. He must have cupped his mouth to make a sound like that.
And my tiger kept sending me pictures, as I was within his mental reach.
Calamity, I’m very lonely, the tiger said. There are too many people running around, and you don’t let me eat them.
