by Smith, HD
Cinnamon was too focused to care. When it was over, she looked satisfied. “I can do it,” she said and then disappeared.
“What the hell?” Mace said, but before I could comment, Cinnamon’s presence was back.
“I’ve got it,” she said with absolute confidence and I believed her. “Sage, you’ll attempt to stay behind with me. Sorrel, you and Mace will go with Claire.”
Mace scoffed. “You aren’t in control, Sister.”
She raised one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows at him. Sweeping her hand out in front of her, she said, “By all means, Brother, show us your talent.”
Mace narrowed his eyes.
“Well then, my suggestion,” Cinnamon said, stressing the word, “stands. You will stick with your liege and I will stay behind.”
I stepped in, hoping to avoid an all-out brawl. “I agree with Cinnamon’s plan. It makes the most sense. She has the best chance at getting it to work.” It shocked me how quickly she’d picked up the skill, but she was the most powerful of the four and apparently the scholar as well, so maybe all her book smarts were paying off.
Mace nodded, acquiescing to my wishes.
“Let’s roll,” the lead ninja said, closing the back of the van.
“Time to go,” I said.
Cinnamon disappeared, taking Sage with her. I held on to Mace and Sorrel, and blinked us into the van. Cinnamon and Sage were already seated and she was smiling. Oh yeah, she’d definitely figured out how to slip the line.
“How exactly is this going to work?” Sorrel asked, taking a seat beside his twin. “And why aren’t we just falling through to the pavement?”
“It’s perception,” I said. “You were perfectly okay in the bar, but there is a basement. You didn’t fall through because you didn’t think you would.” At least that was how I’d decided it worked. Cinnamon didn’t correct me, so I must have gotten it right.
There were two loud taps on the outside of the van, and it headed out.
Cinnamon’s cold gaze studied me. I settled in beside her, giving her the chance to get whatever this was off her chest. I motioned with my hand for her to get on with it.
“What did you say to my brother, Claire? What words did you use to change him from a cold-hearted killer to your puppet?”
I gave her a sidelong look. “He’s no one’s puppet.”
“Let it be, Sister,” Mace interjected. “I choose my own path now.”
She laughed. “Your own path.” Shaking her head, she turned away, not looking at either of us.
“You gave him your word that you’d let it go. He isn’t asking you, nor am I, to follow him and give me your oath. I expect only that you won’t work against me and you’ll keep the power exchange a secret.” Cinnamon crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m no longer bound by Gizelle’s curse,” I continued. “I don’t have to let any of you live.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I held up my hand to stop her.
“Let me finish. I’ve mastered keeping my thoughts to myself. Do you really think it will take me long to figure out how to sever our ties if you were dying?” I eyed each of them in turn and Mace was the only one that didn’t look scared. “I don’t have a desire to kill you, but I won’t let you hurt me or kill me. I will fight back if you push me. We’re in this together until I can figure out a way to sever our ties. Until then, you will cooperate or I’ll remove you from the equation.”
The corner of Cinnamon’s mouth turned up in a half-grin. “You’re certainly starting to sound like one of the big three. Good, I’d hate to think my realm needs new management.” Before I could speak, she added, “But make no mistake, my brothers will always come first.”
I decided that was the best I’d get from Cinnamon. I nodded. “Sage, Sorrel, can I assume you two are both in?”
Sage looked at Cinnamon, who inclined her head, as if he needed her permission. Sorrel looked at Mace, who nodded. I rolled my eyes and then acknowledged them back once they’d both acquiesced.
Turning my attention to the group, I clapped my hands. “Okay, let’s talk about the plan.”
Cinnamon agreed to remain above once we reached our destination. She’d remain in contact as long as possible through telepathy. I wasn’t sure it would work over long distances, but her physical body would still be near enough to mine that she and I agreed it was likely the connection would remain. Assuming she didn’t rouse first, I’d give her a heads up once we started to wake.
Mace, Sorrel, and I would remain with our bodies to map out the best escape route.
“What if you don’t wake?” Mace asked me.
He was right. I’d forgotten I hadn’t been hit with the concussive grenade. I was just unconscious from the fight he and I’d had. “We’ll worry about that when it becomes a problem.” Silently I said, Worst case you can attempt to wake me by using a power word. I gave him a few visuals so he’d know what I meant.
He nodded.
Once everything was settled, we sat back and waited.
Cinnamon sat there picking at her incorporeal fingernails. She was being quiet, which I appreciated, but it felt a bit off. The boys were still hit or miss at blocking me, but Cinnamon was as closed off as a sealed drum. She had a melancholy look about her. I supposed they might all be lost a bit now that their mother had tossed them aside, but Cinnamon had never seemed all that attached to Gizelle.
Studying the others, I realized just how much things had changed. I didn’t feel the same toward them as I had before. I couldn’t explain it, but by forgiving Mace, I had let go of my hate for all of them. I didn’t exactly trust them—not even Mace, but I saw them as victims of their mother’s desire to save Thanos. From this point forward, they needed to make their own choices in life. I wasn’t giving them a free pass to continue on as they had been, but I hoped they would make different choices outside of their mother’s manipulation. Of course, if Cinnamon was contemplating her situation, the boys probably were as well. Perhaps they needed a push in the right direction, especially since I was now stuck with them—and I was their queen, I could give advice.
“Cinnamon,” I said, getting her attention. “Your life has been nothing but one ruined rival after the next. The two times that I know of where you have been trapped in a way that lead to you being a puppet, were both at the hands of your supposed suitors. Perhaps what you need to do is take a hard look at your lifestyle. Settle down with a nice boy and raise a family.” I was being more than a little sarcastic, but Cinnamon’s choices in men were her greatest failing.
She narrowed her eyes at me. I turned my attention to Sage.
“Sage, you should join AA and take a few anger management classes. Quit trying to be Mace and find your own place in the world.” I looked to Sorrel. “Sorrel, aside from your obvious womanizing, you are the best of the bunch.” I raised my hand to stop any smile that might be forming. “However, I recommend that you grow a pair.” His eyes widened. “Quit trying to be like the rest. It doesn’t suit you. Find your purpose and reach your own goals.” They all looked a bit perplexed, so I added one final thought for their consideration. “Your mother sucks. I wouldn’t really know how that feels because I never had one, but maybe the real problem is that neither did any of you. Let’s all man up and get over it.”
I had no new words for Mace. He and I had already had our talk and if he wasn’t a different man for it, then it didn’t matter what I said to any of them—they’d never change. I could only hope that some of my words made it through. The twins and Cinnamon looked away from me, but Cinnamon was no longer picking at her nails, which I hoped meant something.
After a few minutes of silence, Mace cleared his throat. “Do you offer them the same consideration you offered me?” he asked.
I’d already forgiven them, but maybe they didn’t know that. “I never hated them as much as I hated you, but you’re right.” I looked at the others. “I have forgiven you all for what was done to me in the past. I no longer hate any of you,
but don’t mistake that for weakness. And if it isn’t obvious, I totally blame your mother.”
“Touching,” Cinnamon muttered, but her heart wasn’t in it.
Sage snorted. “You forgive us, but we’re still in your service, your debt. Free us and see if we remain. I’m sure you would rather have loyal subjects.”
I snickered at the irony of his request. I had so often been the one begging for my freedom from them, but it wasn’t that simple and he knew it. “If it were allowed, I would release you from your service to the Fall Queen. but you are pawns in a larger game. A game I don’t control. You are as stuck as I am in this fate.”
Sage smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Until you fail and there is another Fall Queen.”
He wasn’t wrong. I could fail. Faith could kill Sydney and me and then she would be the Fall Queen. Or X could somehow regain what he considered his birthright and then he would rule. “True, but where would you go if I released you? Your father gave up his claim to you all last spring when he handed you over to Mab. I’m sure she would take you back with open arms. I’d imagine East Hareington has been put back together just for your inevitable return.”
Sage shook his head and looked away. He knew I was right.
Sorrel spoke up, raising his chin. “I will stay and fight at your side, my queen. And perhaps, maybe, grow a pair in the process.” I saw the faintest hint of a smile on Sorrel’s lips, but he remained serious.
Mace chuckled at his brother’s obvious attempt to lighten the mood. I nodded, acknowledging his pledge. I didn’t feel the same connection as I had with Mace, but it was the first time I felt Sorrel actually meant it when he called me his queen.
“Of course you would,” Cinnamon scoffed.
“Cinnamon,” I admonished. “If you actually care for your brothers, as you claim, you would support their choices, even if you don’t agree with them.”
She sat back against the side of the van. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said that. She was being cooperative, but that didn’t mean she actually cared what the hell happened to me or who held the Fall Queen title. She’d save her brothers, of that I had no doubt, but once they were out of harm’s way and she killed X, I fully expected her to bail. I would get no pledge from her.
A soft wave of energy prickled my senses. Looking through the front window, I spotted the street where Raal’s shop was located, the place where I’d left a black hole of magic. Did the sensation mean things were resetting to normal or could I just sense the places I’d sucked dry?
Looking out the window, I could tell we were heading toward the warehouse district, but a few blocks later we took a right onto a one-way alley just big enough for the van to travel.
“Heads up,” I said. “I think we’re about to leave Underworld.”
A portal opened to the floor of the warehouse I’d woken up in before, the one in Paradise. I thought all of this to the quads to bring them up to speed.
“Cinnamon,” I started to say, but she was already grabbing Sage’s arm and blinking them outside the van.
“Paradise,” Mace said, concerned. “Do you suppose Harry knows?” He looked down at my arm and silently asked, Will he sense the blood?
I shrugged. He didn’t come running before.
Mace nodded. Sorrel’s brow furrowed.
“It’s nothing,” I said, hoping it was true.
Chapter 27
I blinked us outside the van. We watched as the portal closed, leaving Cinnamon and Sage on the other side.
Cinnamon, I said, hoping she could hear me.
I’m here, Cinnamon confirmed.
Good. We’ll keep you posted on progress.
Sorrel and Mace studied the large industrial room. I could tell from their reactions and some of Sorrel’s thoughts that they could see the symbols that covered the exposed metal beams and concrete columns of the structure. The symbols were a mix of Egyptian, Mayan, and a half-dozen other dead languages. I wasn’t sure if these were new since my last visit or if they hadn’t stopped me from leaving before.
Only one truck remained of the three trucks I’d seen earlier and there were no workers present this time, only ninjas.
Mace was transfixed. “Have you always been able to read these symbols?”
“No, not until I turned off the parental controls for the translator.”
His brow furrowed. I explained, reminding him of his attempt to keep me in the dark last spring. He just nodded and looked away. Now that he’d seen himself through my eyes, it actually pained him to remember what he’d done to me. Of course, if he hadn’t turned off the translator, I wouldn’t have needed to figure out how to turn it back on. You know, silver lining and all that.
He snorted, but silently we both agreed that wasn’t really in the win column for either of us.
Winchester, Faith’s inside man, and the lead ninja Ronin had tasked with transporting our bodies started barking out orders. He directed some of the ninjas to go on break and others to help with relocating us to a holding cell. The ones directed to move us each grabbed a body and none-to-gently threw us over their shoulders in a fireman’s carry. I expected them to use the freight elevator near the van, but they headed toward the stairs. I was surprised Faith’s man was so high in the ranks.
Scanning the room, I noticed another door on the opposite wall.
“Sorrel,” I said, motioning toward the second door. “See where that goes.”
He nodded and headed off in that direction.
“Should I try to take the elevator?” Mace asked.
“No, it doesn’t look like any of them are using it and we may wake up before someone decides to take it. For now, we’ll stay together.”
I thought to Sorrel, Keep your eyes open for a door symbol, we may need it.
Will do.
Mace and I followed our bodies. Each floor had a different set of symbols, but they were all versions of the same locks, traps, or riddles.
“Why are there so many?” Mace asked.
“The Dragon is Mab’s untouchable. They probably wanted to make sure she couldn’t escape or that no one could find her once she was here.”
“Do you think she can bring back his memories?”
I shrugged. “He certainly thinks so. Based on the way Faith described her gift, I’m not sure it works like that. But she’s the only bargaining chip we have and I have no issues double-crossing her to save Sydney.”
“You now owe him a favor,” Mace reminded.
“True. Maybe we can trick him into using it. He’s wants Faith, so he may not realize how much we want Sydney.”
“A double double-cross?” He laughed.
“We just need Sydney out of this building, and then we play it by ear.”
Each floor seemed to have lower ceilings than the last, but maybe that was my imagination. I was beginning to feel closed in as we went lower. I was relieved when we reached the final floor. I stepped out into a corridor similar to what I’d seen before when I visited Ronin.
“Should I look around?” Mace asked.
“Yes.” I pointed ahead to a door to the right. “If I have my bearings, that should be where they’re taking our bodies, but try thinking of me if you get turned around.” I paused, giving him an innocent look, and said, “I mean, Cinnamon got it just like that.” I snapped my fingers and tried to hold back a smile.
In mock indignation, he said, “As I told you before, Claire, Cinnamon is the scholar. She has every higher education degree in magic that exists. She’s read every book ever printed, attended every dig ever done, and studied every cave painting ever found on the subject of magic. Between the ages of two hundred and four hundred, she did nothing but study. Please don’t compare us. It really isn’t fair.”
I held back a smile. “Good to know,” I said, somewhat shocked. Who would have guessed she had taken it to that level? “So when did she…”
“Become the hellspawn we all know and love?” he completed my thought. “After a profes
sor of hers tried to take credit for one of her finds. She may have eviscerated him in a somewhat public forum. After that, not many wanted to study with her.”
“Okay, noted. Well, do your best.”
He smirked and headed in the opposite direction. “I’m sure I’ll figure it out.”
I followed as the ninjas carried our bodies into the room where Sydney was being held. X and Ronin were already in the room. She was still awake, but looked confused and tired. She was barely able to hold her eyes open as X talked at her.
X kicked her cage, which made her jump. “All you have to do is help me see the past. Why won’t you cooperate?”
“Dude, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you got the wrong girl. Can I sleep now, please?” Sydney begged.
“Ronin,” he commanded. “Give her another injection.”
“No, please,” she begged.
Ronin nodded. “Will there be anything else, sir?”
X turned away from the cage. Looking at our bodies, he said, “No, just call me when they wake.”
The moment Ronin was alone in the room, he veiled himself and stepped into the in-between with me.
Holding up my hand to stop him, I said, “What is he having you inject into Sydney?”
“Something to keep her awake,” Ronin said.
“Don’t do it. She needs to rest.”
“I can’t disobey a direct order.”
“Have you tried?” I asked, but then I remembered how X pulled Ronin back into his red aura. “You really can’t. He has you enthralled, you know.”
Ronin’s eyes narrowed.
“I’ve got the cure for what he was doing to Cinnamon, but I don’t think it’s the same. You can’t seem to lie to him. She didn’t have that problem.”
Ronin opened his mouth to speak, but I wasn’t done.
“And you gave him my favor.”
“I never had a favor from you, lass.”
“Yes, you did, but it’s his now. I don’t know how, but he made you give it to him.”
