King Cave

by Scarlett Dawn

  Ezra chuckled gently, his voice very soft and hoarse now. “I can’t imagine Elder Farrar being led around by anyone.” He grunted. “Or watching cartoons.”

  I shook my legs out as I hiked the harsh bottom of the Sound. “He and my mom got along well, so I don’t think he opposed it too much.” I rolled my shoulders. “And don’t discount cartoons. There’s some pretty violence there. He liked all the fighting ones; he found them amusing.” I know I had. “Speaking of not imagining a person being led around,” I snorted, “I’d pay good money to see your dad sitting in church.”

  “He slept most of the time,” Ezra barely breathed, probably because of his mom nearby.

  I nodded. “So did Antonio whenever we went.” A wheeze, half of which was my wolf growling, escaped my throat, and I murmured quickly, “Keep talking.”

  He did. Even though his voice was nearly shot to hell, he spoke of his home. His room growing up. His teachers at his previous school. His combat training from the age of four with his father, which explained why he was such a fierce fighter.

  “It’s lighter up ahead,” Jack stated, interrupting Ezra.

  Instantly, I peered around Jack’s shoulder. He was right. Sighing heavily, my whole body shook, and I muttered, “Oh, thank God.”

  With a wee bite to his tone, Ezra grumbled, “I’m sorry. Was I boring you?”

  My gaze shot to his. Narrowed green lights met my wide blue ones. “No. Not at all.” I shook my head. “I didn’t mean it that way.” It probably had sounded discourteous after he had saved my ass from going insane down here. “I liked hearing all of it. Promise.”

  Haughtily, he sniffed once and looked away, clearly still irritated.

  Apparently I wasn’t the only one affected down here. Needing my left hand, I finally tucked my gun away in the waistband of my cargos and rested my newly freed hand against his hard stomach, feeling his muscles flexing with each step he took. My hand was still trembling, but I rubbed his stomach soothingly and rested my head against him, listening to his heart beat strongly and healthily.

  It took a few minutes, but I eventually heard him sigh, and he rested his cheek on top of my head once more, mumbling, “Sorry.”

  I shrugged. I knew he was. Had known for a good minute when his heart rate changed and his body increasingly relaxed against mine. It had taken him that long to say he was sorry for snapping at me, which I thought was pretty humorous. “So am I, since it did sound ill-mannered. I really did like listening to you.”

  He hummed deep in his throat, his vocal cords already healed. “Well then, I’ll tell you about the third car I wrecked.”

  I blinked. “Third? How many cars have you wrecked?”

  “Seven,” Vivian stated loudly, sounding miffed, unable to hold her tongue. “He’s a damn menace behind the wheel. Also, and not to be forgotten, three different insurance agencies have dropped us.”

  A chuckle bubbled inside my throat when I heard Ezra’s heart rate speed up. “Seven?”

  “Whatever,” he mumbled, ignoring my question. “Do you want to hear about the third car or not? It involves Com police. And it fits our current situation.”

  “Oh, do tell,” I murmured, snuggling against him and sliding my hand across his stomach to his hip, holding snugly. “Does it involve a high-speed chase?”

  Vivian’s chuckling wasn’t quiet.

  Ezra grunted. “Only because I didn’t realize they were behind me.” His nose crinkled, and then he added quietly, “It made the news.”

  Pearl, Jack, and I started laughing.

  Over our racket, Ezra grumbled, “After I realized the Com police were there, I tried to pull over. But there wasn’t enough room on the side of the highway, so I,” he chuckled quietly, “made my own road.” He paused, and I glanced up. His eyes held mine. “You see, it was one of those two-lane highways: real thin, but with a steady stream of traffic. When I pulled off the main road onto a field, I didn’t take into account it had rained recently.” His features turned thoughtful. “It probably didn’t help much that I was driving a sports car.”

  Vivian snorted, mumbling, “A hundred grand down the drain.”

  “Anyway,” Ezra stated loudly, then detailed more quietly, obviously trying to stay focused on our will, “there was this tiny,” he paused, then, “it really was tiny,” his head shook, “hill that I went over. I didn’t think much of it at the time because I was trying to stop, and the tires were skidding and holding no traction on the soaked ground.” He snorted, chuckling. “And I went straight into a pond.” I snickered hard, imagining it as he continued. “I had to crawl out the window. The water was over waist-deep where my car had landed. I went to Com jail soaking wet.”

  My lips curved. I had to ask. “How fast were you going that you didn’t know you were being chased by Com police with their sirens blaring?”

  “I had the radio up too loud to hear them,” he muttered. Didn’t answer my question.

  Vivian did. “One hundred and sixty-three miles per hour.”

  “Fuck yeah,” Jack mumbled quietly. “That must have been sweet.”

  Ezra’s lips twitched, and then he leaned forward, whispering air, “Not as sweet as the sixth car I wrecked. Remind me later to tell you about that.”

  Jack chuckled, lifting his chin once in confirmation.

  I smacked Ezra’s stomach, muttering harshly, “That’s dangerous.”

  His chest puffed, and he rumbled, “I breathe danger.”

  “Oh, good God, he did not just say that,” Pearl muttered.

  “He did,” I snorted.

  Ezra chuckled deeply. “I just like the adrenaline rush.”

  I rolled my eyes grandly. “Never would have guessed.”

  Jack wiggled his shoulders, grabbing our attention. “We’re almost there.”

  We instantly quieted.

  We watched with barely contained elation as the water around us began shimmering with the sun’s light; our trek was now on an incline. It was more slippery than before, so we had to slow our pace, but within twenty minutes the water was just above eye-level.

  As I panted shallow intakes of air, relief poured through me, and my frame trembled spastically every so often. The water receded with every forward step we took. I almost shouted with pure elation when my bare feet touched dry sand. Fortunately for us, this part of the beach was exclusive, with long stretches of prime real estate reserved only for mansions of the wealthy. It was currently deserted.

  Cheers erupted from behind as we stopped, the Mysticals animated.

  Still needing us to focus, Jack turned his head so we could hear him and stated clearly, “Same as before, but in reverse. Start lifting the edges of the dome until it’s level. Push.” The four of us were exhausted from our journey, not only physically, but also mentally, so this process wasn’t going to be as easy as in training.

  Plus, we had a distraction.

  But not from the Mysticals behind us.

  As the dome’s edges began lifting, the smell of burning wood began to drift inside, floating on the breeze. Sniffing the air, I squinted toward the left. Roughly a mile away, one of the mansions was ablaze, the tentacles of the flames reaching far into the air and the billowing cloud of dark smoke tainted with death. No one was stopping the fire. Instead, a mass of people watched it burn where they stood on the grassy turf.

  “The attacks weren’t only at King Hall.” Ezra’s alert gaze turned to one of his two elite Vampire guards. “Alex, spread the word. They need to shut the fuck up back there.”

  “Understood,” Alex replied promptly, and I felt a breeze at my back as he blurred away.

  “I can’t count their numbers,” I scented the air, “but they have silver bullets.”

  “There are enough on that lawn to hinder us,” Ezra muttered with a slight narrowing of his eyes. “And Elder Farrar said to stop for nothing and no one.”

  Quickly, the crowd began quieting behind us.

  We worked as swiftly as we could until
the dome was finally flat above us.

  Jack explained, “We have no time for pretty. Just move it to our right.”

  We pushed our will.

  The sun began shining down on us, the floating stagnant pond twenty yards to our right.

  Jack ordered, “Stop.”

  Staying centered, we followed his order.

  He pointed. “Lower it to the ground.”

  We immediately obeyed.

  He rolled his shoulders under our grip. “Stop pushing and drop your hands.”

  We did.

  The pond instantly slackened, and the spout flowed downward with a smashing crash.

  I glanced to the left, eyeing the Com horde with their hands now in the air, cheering as the fire consumed the entire mansion. It appeared that the explosion of water hadn’t been quite loud enough to attract their attention, the harsh waves making just as much noise. The dirty water and dead fish spread on the sand for a moment, then rushed down the beach into the Sound.

  Well…that was that.

  On to the next stage.

  Turning to the crowd, I jumped a few times in place, shaking my arms and legs out, suddenly consumed with bountiful energy; I was no longer trapped or focusing. The battered Mysticals, fearful and silent, waited for orders. Loudly, I expounded, “We’re moving again. There will be cars ahead. The keys are in the ignitions.” Hopefully, there will be enough cars for all of us. “We’ll be traveling east, so follow us closely and keep your heads down.” I paused before an afterthought. “Drive safely and don’t stop for anyone or anything.”

  Slight murmurs erupted again, but I turned — no time for questions — to my besties in the slowly dying sunset and nodded toward the blue manor house in front of us, which appeared to be deserted as there were no lights on inside. “Let’s go. The cars have to be there somewhere.”

  The four of us moved quickly, and the throng of fatigued Mysticals followed instantaneously, even if they didn’t wholly understand. Leading our people away from the open beach, we hiked the sand dune barrier to the tall grass that was harsh on our already bruised, shoeless feet. My best friends and I watched the manor closely, but we swiftly identified no sounds or movements coming from within.

  Rounding the impressive structure, a grin suddenly lit my features.

  Antonio had used the owner’s front lawn as a parking lot. It was full of cars, SUVs, and trucks. More than likely pilfered from various locations.

  No further instructions for our people were needed with the sight before us, as my orders were already given, so the four of us maneuvered around the numerous vehicles, heading toward the far end of the rows of vehicles. Closer to the beachfront road, in complete unison, we stopped…at my Hummer. Antonio had brought it here, placing it dead-on to continue leading this swarm of Mysticals.

  Shaking my head at his ingenuity — I had parked my Hummer on King Hall’s property earlier that morning — I advanced to the driver’s seat as my friends took their normal places within. Hearing engines start, I strapped on my seatbelt and ordered my besties to do so, too — like normal. I turned my key that had been perfectly placed in the ignition, waiting just for me. A quick glance over my shoulder through the rear window showed there would, indeed, be just enough vehicles. No Mys left behind.

  Jerking my Hummer into drive, I glanced in my rear-view mirror to the back seat. “Pearl, can you do something about that gate up ahead?” I could exit my Hummer when we got closer and break it with my Shifter strength, but I preferred getting on the road as soon as possible.

  “Yes.” Pearl rolled her window down, and stuck one arm out.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of gold outside my window as she murmured a spell under her breath. Keeping my Hummer traveling forward on the driveway at a sedate speed, I waited for her to finish. The gates shimmered golden, then opened immediately. I glanced in the rear-view mirror when she quit whispering. “Thank you.” Pressing harder on the gas pedal, I took a right on the beachfront road, driving east. “Ezra, would you listen for any sirens or too many heartbeats in one place, please?”

  He peered in my direction, staring at my profile, as a small smile played on his lips and as he rolled down his own window. “You’re really good at this.” Cocking his head, his eyes flashed spring green for the barest moment as he listened to the sounds of the oncoming night. He brushed my whipping hair behind my ear as the incoming wind rustled it. “I didn’t realize this until now, since he never taught you to fight, but Elder Farrar did right by you.”

  I snorted. Of course Antonio had. He kept me alive when I should have been dead thanks to my hybrid nature. Antonio knew what the hell he was doing, and apparently he knew way more about the future than a normal Mage, having elaborated our escape before there was even a problem.

  “He said to watch for the golden protection,” Jack murmured.

  Pearl chuckled when the rest of us were stumped. “Hello? It shouldn’t take a fellow Mage to figure this one out.” When we still sat confused, her hilarity only heightened, and she waved one hand forward, continuing to snicker. “For the love of bloody Christ, look up.”

  The three of us leaned forward, peering up through the front windshield.

  As one, we blinked.

  Uh. Wow.

  Focusing on the road and our immediate surroundings, I hadn’t seen it, but in the outlying distance straight ahead was a massive, shimmering golden bubble. Almost like a small mountain, but round and translucent. “I would have noticed in a minute.”

  “Yeah,” Jack grumbled. “Definitely.”

  Ezra grunted as he gradually sat back on his seat, still staring at the view.

  Pearl cracked up from her perch, relaxing. “I guess King Cave isn’t a myth.”

  Ezra glanced at me. “Do you know the story?” He was assuming I didn’t because I wasn’t completely up-to-date with Mys knowledge, all due to my mother and Antonio hiding me with Commoners as I grew up, to the point where I had even attended Com schools under the guise of being one.

  I knew this story though. “When Antonio told me bedtime stories as a child, this was one of his favorites.” I smiled softly, remembering him lying on the bed with me, both of us staring at the ceiling as he used gigantic hand gestures to speak of King Cave. “It’s a sanctuary in times of Mystical need, it having been a protected area ever since Mysticals came to North America.” It had sounded like a wonderland the way Antonio had explained it. “It’s enormous inside, its depths incredible. It is hidden to all Commoners, but was founded by exploring Elders.” I shrugged a shoulder. “It’s protection against all evils.”

  Ezra nodded, watching me. “My dad did the same, except he spoke of it at the dinner table.” His arched black brows suddenly furrowed and his eyes danced forward while he rubbed the back of his neck. “We’re about to enter a small town from the sound of it. Their heartbeats are accelerated.”

  Nodding quickly, I stated, “Jack, I’ve got a hat in the back. Will you grab it for me?”

  Jack leaned over the back seat, rummaging until he found it.

  I took my gun out of my waistband and set it on the console. I used my left knee to drive as I lifted my hair up under the hat and tugged the hat neatly so my hair didn’t show. “Roll your windows up and get down.” I was small enough that most Coms wouldn’t give me a second glance, but Ezra, with his black and red spiked hair, shouted Vampire, while Pearl’s luxurious gold hair and bronze skin publicized a Mage, and Jack’s neon blue hair declared him a water Elemental.

  Jack and Pearl hid easily enough, lying haphazardly on the back seat.

  But Ezra was a huge, muscle-bound man sitting shotgun.

  Slipping his seatbelt off, he started to recline his seat, but appeared to think better of it — it would be too obvious with a seat laid back — and ended placing his head on my lap.

  After readjusting my seat so he wasn’t squashed against the wheel, I rested my right hand on the side of his face, nervously running my thumb back and forth a
cross his cheek as I saw the town ahead. Squinting to evaluate the wafting smoke I detected in the dying light, I warned, “There’s another fire. This could get a little bumpy. Hang on.”

  Jack and Pearl assented, hunkering further on each other.

  Ezra grunted. “Don’t get shot.”

  Speaking of which, his huge frame was covering my weapon. “My gun.”

  He lifted a smidge and grabbed my firearm, then re-positioned himself easily, holding my gun against my knee. “Let me know if you need it.”

  I hummed in agreement, placing both my hands on the wheel as the main road into the tiny town, full of white and blue shops, came into open view. Panting became my way of breathing as I saw what the townsfolk were doing. Even though I had seen plenty of death that day, the sun now set and only a slight scarlet coloring the darkening horizon, my body still broke out in a heated perspiration. Tears swelled in my eyes, and I had to quickly blink their burning dampness away to see the road properly.

  Smack in the center of town were two buildings on fire. I wished that had been all.

  Directly opposite those once homey establishments, now blackened and burning, were eight Mysticals of various factions, their swaying bodies illuminated by the flickering flames. Each deceased Mystical hung high in the air from silvered nooses tied to picturesque shops signs, their necks broken from where the Commoners had tied the debilitating ropes around their throats.

  In the street, Coms were celebrating. Drunk on their sadistic accomplishment.

  “Give me my gun,” I growled softly, my voice dry and cracking. I began rolling my window down. “I’m not stopping, but those fuckers are dying.”

  Ezra’s head rapidly lifted, and he stilled as he assessed the main street.

  “Roll your window up,” he whispered, and rolled his down. “Drive. I’ll shoot.”

  I nodded, quickly agreeing this was best. Turning off my lights, I stepped on the gas.

  Pearl and Jack shot up, no longer able to be submissive at hearing the fury in our predators’ intermittent growls. They were motionless for all of a heartbeat before their windows began lowering noiselessly. Silent, no words were needed.