Kiera followed her to the bottom of the slate steps and around the corner to the end of a long, arched corridor. There were two unlit rooms side by side, and beyond that, a pitch-black, musty space. Reena found candles on the counter beside the doorway and lit up a few, revealing a sleeping room with a small single bed, and a second room that seemed to be Reena’s study, complete with a table filled with books, scrolls, test tubes, and more.
“Remember when we had electricity?” Reena murmured. “It was such a convenience back then, to have lighting that you didn’t have to worry about causing a fire when left unattended.”
“Hmmm,” Kiera answered absently, flipping through the piles of paper. She recognized Reena’s neat handwriting on dozens upon dozens of pages of notes. “Are you the only one who works down here?”
“More or less. I am truly sorry I was not able to tell you—and the truth is I should not be telling you now.” Reena took Kiera’s hands in hers. “You have to promise me that no matter what you see, you will control yourself,” she said with an expression so solemn, Kiera got the feeling her friend feared for her life.
“What are you talking about?”
“Just know that nothing down here can hurt you. They are very well restrained.”
“Oh, no. What have you done?” Kiera’s hands shook. She was suddenly sorry she had ever pressed the issue. She did not want to know any longer, but it was too late now. She already knew. “Take me to them,” she ordered in her terrified state.
They left the room they had just entered, turning a corner until they were in a massive room with no light anywhere. Kiera let her eyes adjust, slowly noticing the ceiling here was over thirty feet high.
Lighting a torch on the wall, Reena pointed past four rows of wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling vertical metal bars. “There they are. The three keys to developing our newest weapons against the ravagers.”
Beyond the bars, chained to the wall by metal full-body harnesses, resting languidly on the rough, cold rock floor were three ravagers.
Ravagers.
Inside the fortress.
Just feet away from her.
Kiera could have backed away just from the sheer size of these giant beasts, or worse, screamed until she had no voice left. Never, ever had she been so close to any of them. They were the stuff of nightmares, with their immense, elongated, hairless dark gray bodies, eyeless and almost faceless heads, massive mouths with countless razor-sharp teeth, and four thick limbs that all ended with claws the length of Kiera’s arm.
“The chains are virtually unbreakable,” Reena mentioned. “Our ironsmiths forged them from the best metals, and with dozens of enchantments placed on them. They cannot hurt you.”
“I know. They are asleep…or unconscious.”
“More like sedated.”
“You have figured out a way to make them drowsy?” Kiera asked in a whisper, eyes wandering back and forth over the three of them.
“Yes, and thank God for that, otherwise the entire fortress would hear their annoying sounds.”
“True,” Kiera agreed, remembering the high-pitch, keening sort of scream that reminded her of a steaming kettle in each of her dreams. “What did you use? But back up a bit first. How did you capture them?”
“The shifters caught them as babies during the first summer hunt several years ago. Ashborn was still the alpha, so Commander Oslo probably has no idea about them. Minassus had his personal guards chain them down here, knowing they would be of value to us someday. They have finally become useful.”
“These things have been down here for years?”
“Yes. Minassus had a rotation of guards that would feed them and keep watch. I didn’t know about them until a few months ago. It’s a long story, but the short version is… I had learned about a species of plant native to the Sector. It is a member of the wild indigo family, and was used years and years ago as a sedative for feral pigs that got into farmers’ fields. I figured, maybe we can try it as a way to slow down ravagers. I approached the Regent with the idea, and he shocked the hell out of me by bringing me down here to meet these three guys.”
Kiera shook her head. “Unbelievable.”
“I know, huh? Three convenient test subjects at my disposal.”
“No, I mean, we’ve been living with these creatures right under our noses and no one knew a thing. What if someone wondered down here? Or unknowingly cast a spell that ended up freeing them? I just can’t imagine how years could pass with such deception. Oh wait, nix that. I can imagine…because it’s a way of life in the fortress.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “It’s a thing.”
Kiera returned her attention to the monsters. “So the plant worked?”
“It’s been a long process, lots of sleepless nights. As you saw, I even have a small bedroom down here next to my lab.”
“Which explains your frequent disappearances.”
“Now you know I was working. I’ll show it to you later, but yes, I finally hit on it.” She showed Kiera a jar on the wall behind them. It was filled with a bright blue powder. “That is the essence of the flower. It’s taken me days on end to dry it and grind it to the right concentration. Watch.”
She opened the lid and took out a bit of the powder using a metal spatula. Stepping up to the bars, she blew the fine particles in through the bars. Some of it settled on one creatures’ face that had been stirring. Its legs became unsteady, and within seconds, it slumped to the ground. “This quantity will keep the critter down for about five hours.” Reena chuckled. “Once, I used so much on them that I knocked all three of them out for a day and a half. I thought I had killed them. They came to eventually, thank goodness. These beasts are hard to come by…well, you know what I mean.”
Reena replaced the lid on the jar, treating it with reverence.
“Does the powder affect humans? Or shifters?”
“No. It’s completely harmless to us.”
“Why would the Regent not want to use this product in traps, guns and all the other defensive weapons across the Sector? Or on the outer walls?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. The plant grows like a weed all spring and summer, everywhere on the island, so availability is not an issue. After I first showed him how it affected the beasts, he told me I needed to spend more time testing it. It wouldn’t be difficult at all to weaponize…and apply it on the Sector’s outer walls, or even have the Nauru incorporate it into their border containment spells. The ravagers would inhale it, drop like flies for a long nap, and soldiers could kill the buggers in their sleep.”
“Would we need as many shifters?”
“No. I would recommend some remain, as no one solution is fool-proof, but you’re right. We can probably make do with half of the troops, or even less.”
“Meaning fewer shifter transformation ceremonies.”
“If the Regent allows it.”
Kiera shook her head. “I can’t believe he’s not open to using it this winter.”
“Me too.”
“So… what else have you found out?”
“That was it for now. There are other enchantments I’ve been working on, but this is the most promising.”
Kiera held on to Reena’s shoulder to stop her. “Just a few questions before we leave.”
“Okay. Go on.”
“First, if this is actually ready to go, why did you tell me you were close to a new development?”
“That was for something else. I’ve been trying to recreate an old but very strong barrier spell I found in one of the scrolls in the library. I thought I had found the missing herb last week, so I was hopeful. The spell didn’t work, though, which was strange. I probably—”
“Are you listening to yourself right now, Reena?” Kiera yelled, cutting off her friend. “You have something that works, right there in your hand! Why can’t that be the solution that puts an end to this year’s transformation ceremony? You have a way to save your brother, Ryan…and me too, I’ll add. Plus Coco. S
o why not push the issue with the Regent? Demand the change.”
“Relax, kiddo. To go that route, it means complete defiance of Minassus, and that requires something more than a botanist witch flying off the handle to get her way.”
“Like?”
“Well, now that you asked, we needed to get the Nauru on side…and to work with Commander Oslo’s soldiers…oh, and enough backing from, I don’t know, the Chosen!”
“Well newsflash, Reena. I’m on board now.”
Reena flashed her a grin. “Then we’re golden.”
“Excellent. So, here’s another question. Is there another way to enter the dungeons? I imagine the guards did not just walk these ravagers in through the front or back door on full display.”
“That is correct. There’s an old prisoners’ entrance at the back. It’s a tunnel that opens out on that spot behind the fortress where the land slopes down to the waterway.”
“Oh. It makes sense to use the channel leading to the old shipping canals…” Kiera turned to look at the sleeping monsters again. “Don’t ravagers need to be in a body of water to survive?”
“They do.”
“How have the guards kept them alive for all these years without a place to…there must be a water source or something similar down here.”
Reena nodded. “Behind that wall they’re chained to. There’s a ramp-like corridor that descends to an underground grotto. Minassus had the blacksmiths build an enclosure in the water. The guards let out our test subjects, but only long enough to keep them alive. I believe it’s once every ten to fifteen days during winter.”
“Right. Reverse hibernation.”
“Exactly. They are more lethargic in the warmer months.”
“Hmmm,” Kiera scoffed, shaking her head. “This fortress contains so many secrets. An underground cave? Captured ravages used for testing? Dead witches in the Chamber of the Sacred? No wonder I cannot trust anything the Regent ever taught me. So much of it turned out to be lies.”
“I know what you mean, dear.”
“I’m tempted to search every single inch of the place to see what I will find.”
“Good luck with that.”
“I think I’ll start with his private study.”
Reena placed her hand on Kiera’s forearm. “Be careful, all right? Do not do anything to make Minassus suspect what we’re up to. Remember what I said about staying off his radar?”
“I will only need a few minutes, I believe.”
“If he finds out, he will—”
“Kill me? I would like to see him try, now that I’m getting stronger. Speaking of which, how did you immediately guess that the reason I could read the Regent’s mind had to do with losing my virginity?”
“I don’t know. I deduced it, I guess.”
“That’s strange. I mean, all the texts I’ve ever read suggest the opposite, that our powers can fade.”
“You should ask Coco. She has seen a lot more than any of us.”
“Okay I will.”
“Actually, do you mind if I get Coco down here with me?”
Her friend looked back at her with eyebrows furrowed. “Sure. Why?”
“I want to try something.”
16
Xander
Xander waited at the side alley of the craftsmen’s cabin. Kiera had sent word yesterday with her familiar. With four days left until the scheduled transformation ceremony, he was no closer to a clear direction, but he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Kiera was on board. He had a chance to make some of the bold moves required to finally stop Minassus.
He began to worry when half-an-hour passed and she still did not arrive to meet him. He could only spare a couple of hours this morning before he needed to get back to his soldiers. There was still much to be done. Just as he was about to leave, Kiera’s familiar called out to him from a distance.
“Commander Oslo,” she addressed him when they were face to face.
“Shifter witch,” he replied gruffly.
“I do have a name, you know.”
“Yes, I get that.” He would never trust her, even if she was Kiera’s familiar and had played a role in orchestrating these secret meetings. “Has something happened to Kiera?”
“No, no. She has asked for you to come to the small wooded area adjacent to the fortress this evening. Can you be there right after dinner hour?”
“Why so close to the fortress?” he asked, already suspicious. He could not be too careful, not even with Kiera. Especially now when all he wanted to do was keep her close.
“She will explain when she sees you.”
“Fine. Tell Kiera I’ll be there. This had better not be a trap, witch.”
She rolled her eyes and turned to leave. “It is not, you ungrateful fool.”
He returned to camp quickly, curious to learn what Kiera had in store for them tonight. Liam was waiting for him at the gate.
“No plans with the Chosen today?” he asked.
“Later today, yes.”
“Good.”
“I need your help. Back me up when I go to see her this evening…just in case.”
“Since when do you need a back-up for a goddamned date?”
Xander told him the meeting place and time in a low voice.
“Why there? Why take such a risk?”
“It won’t be as big of a risk if you have my back, will it?” Xander asked, already losing his patience.
“Fuck,” Liam grunted. “All right. I’ll come. I hope you don’t plan on sneaking into the fortress. Minassus will lose it… if he doesn’t end up reading your mind and figuring out he has one less virgin witch under his charge, thanks to you.”
“Just be ready for anything.” Xander pushed his way past Liam. He had work to do.
Xander was on edge the entire way to the fortress. Liam was no help. The man was armed to the tooth, carrying a bowie knife in a holster strapped to his waist, daggers hidden at each calf, and a longsword that hung from his back.
“With all that gear clinking around, the guards probably heard us coming before we left camp,” Xander told him.
“Can’t be too careful.”
“Evidently, you can.”
Liam patted the Bowie knife. “You’ll never catch me a hundred feet from the fortress without protection. Trust me, you’ll thank me if it’s a trap.”
“We’ll see.”
They made it to the large wooded area a few minutes early, and found some thick foliage a few yards away from the meeting spot.
“Okay. We have good camouflage here. It’s at an ideal vantage point. Set up here,” Xander instructed him, heading to where Kiera would be expecting to see him.
She was ducked down beside a large rock, with the botanist witch at her side.
“Kiera? What’s going on?” he asked, stretching out a hand to help her to her feet.
“Come with us. It’s not safe here. The guards will be passing by to make their rounds any minute.” She picked up a dark-colored sack and passed it to him. “Here. Put these over your clothes. It’s a good thing I brought a few.”
“What is it?” he asked, opening the drawstring at the top.
“A few of the winter capes the fortress guards wear.” Kiera pointed in the direction where he had come from. “Who’s with you?”
“My second in command. I felt it best for Liam to be here. I’ll get him.”
Kiera nodded. “We’ll wait. Please hurry.”
Xander turned to head over to Liam, but his friend had already started toward them.
“What do you think you’re doing, Xander? Are you insane thinking we should just follow them inside? I am not putting on those disguises, and I’m not going in there. You’ll let these women get us both killed!”
“Shhhh,” Reena hissed, shaking her head. “You heard everything about going inside but you ignored the part about shutting the hell up?”
Liam glowered at her, but then he smirked. “Reena. I should have guessed.”
“I gather you two know each other a lot more…personally than I’d first thought,” Xander said.
Reena nodded. “How do you think Coco knew what cabin you lived in when she flew all those notes to you at the camp?” she asked, eyes still on Liam.
“Okay. I don’t want to hear any more about the two of you,” Xander huffed, raising his hand to his temple. “Liam, we’re going inside.”
“Well, I say we at least find out why they want us to go in there with them.”
Kiera approached him, extending her hand for a handshake. “I am Kiera,” she introduced herself. “We met a few days ago…informally anyway.”
“Liam. And I know who you are.” He hesitated for a moment, then took her hand.
“Nice to meet—” Kiera started, but the very instant her hand made contact with Liam, she jumped backward abruptly. It was as though someone had shoved her hard. She stumbled, but caught herself before Xander could reach out to steady her.
“What just happened?” Reena and Xander asked simultaneously.
Kiera looked at Liam’s hand, then down at her own. “Whoa, sorry about that. I’m not quite sure. That was so strange, but can we go inside? I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation. We just have no time right now.”
Liam folded his arms. “Xander, I don’t think it’s safe.”
Reena spoke up. “Look, we took a big risk inviting you here. We want to help…and if we don’t move from this spot in the next few seconds, you both may as well go on home. The guards will be here soon. Will you at least give us a chance to get you inside so we can explain?”
Xander nodded sharply to Liam, who got his meaning. “Lead the way, ladies.”
Xander stared at Kiera as they entered the prisoners’ tunnel, wondering if it was possible for her to come around so quickly without him ever having to ask for her help. He never thought it would be this easy to sway the Chosen, and now, here she was, volunteering, not needing to be coaxed in one direction or another. Could her heart really be so open to helping the shifters?
Reena led them through the tunnel, past the abandoned grotto, and up a stone ramp that led to the prison cells. Xander remembered most of the area. Everyone had access to the fortress before he and the first shifters were turned. Minassus put an end to all visits soon after he had recovered from his coma. Only the Chosen, a select group of witches, and some of his personal guards were allowed inside.
Bruised MC Bear (Beartooth Brotherhood MC Book 3) Page 34
