“I beg your pardon?” Marcus’s brows furrowed.
“I don’t like it at all, but it might be a viable option,” I said. I could feel the heat from Rayna’s gaze, but I didn’t dare look at her. Feeling it was one thing, seeing made it real, seeing it made it effective. “Don’t you think we should stop and consider it?
“No,” everyone said in unison.
“Maybe,” Grams added after the fact. Everyone glared and she shrugged, blowing smoke into the air. “What? For once the kid has a point.”
“What point?” Rayna was nearly snarling.
“The book is a soul piece,” I said. “And they want it. The moment Grams takes down the protection spell, Riley and the Brothers will sense its power and they’ll come after it.”
“Then we leave the spell up,” Jax said.
“We need to take it down in order to move it or read it,” Grams said. “And after what Lillian found inside about the Protector, we have to see if there is anything else that can help.”
“There are other ways,” Marcus said. “We’ll find something…some way to keep Chase with us and the book safe.”
“And what about everyone else? We need to keep everyone safe. That’s our job, right, to fight the good fight?” I didn’t want to separate from the group. In fact, the thought terrified me, but I didn’t let fear get in the way of making their safety a priority.
Marcus’s lips parted to respond, but whatever thoughts he had were never spoken.
“And we don’t know how much time I really have. We need to find Vincent and get the scroll. It will help us bind the souls to me, and until that happens, I’m not safe anywhere.”
“I can do it,” Rayna said. “I can call a spirit to keep it hidden like I did with the Claw.”
“That’s risky,” Grams said. “You’re still learning and calling more than one spirit at a time is dangerous.”
“I’ve already done it. When Riley and the Brothers showed up in Vortan, I had no other choice. I can manage it.”
“Calling a defensive spirit and a guardian spirit are two very different things,” Grams said. “Guardians require constant energy, and after what you did to Chase, you might be running low on mojo for a while.”
“I can handle it. Chase is right; we don’t know what kind of timeline we’re on. This is better than the alternative of him disappearing with the book, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t say I was going to do it,” I said. “It’s just a suggestion. Whatever we have to do to keep everyone safe is the best option. If we can all agree Rayna is the answer, so be it. But we’re not losing anybody else.”
“I guess if Rayna thinks she’s up for it, it’s worth a shot,” Marcus said.
“I am.”
“Then let’s stop wasting time.”
There wasn’t enough room for everyone inside the elevator, so I opted for the stairs. I couldn’t bring myself to run. Even after spending more than a week at the cabin, I still felt exhausted.
“Chase, wait up.” Rayna raced up the stairs.
I stopped on the platform, plunging both hands in the linked front pocket of my hoodie. “What’s up?” I asked, trying not to sound as tired as I felt.
“I…” Rayna’s hands fidgeted in front of her before she hooked her thumbs in her back pocket. “I’m sorry about earlier. We’re all running on fumes right now and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you like that. What I said was harsh.”
An awkward strain drifted between us and I stepped toward her to push it away. I didn’t want any distance—physical or not—between us right now.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. What you said might have been harsh, but it’s what I needed to hear. I’ve discredited Willy this entire time. I always thought he was the one who needed me. Turns out it was the other way around.”
“You both helped one another. Willy helped all of us in some way. I just can’t believe he’s…”
“I know.” The silence crept back around us but the pressure was gone. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay to do this?” I acknowledged the floor above us.
“Of course. And even if I wasn’t, I’d still do it. I won’t let you leave. Not without me. I don’t care what you think is best.” Our eyes met and I smirked, but Rayna didn’t return the gesture. Instead, her hands gripped my sweater and pulled me forward. “I mean it. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Promise me you’re not leaving on some half-cocked mission to keep everyone safe. Promise me you’ll stay.”
My words were lost as I stared into her eyes, a thin veil of gloss staring back at me. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to be here with her and everybody else. As long as me being with them didn’t jeopardize their safety, I wasn’t running off anywhere.
“I could never leave you,” I whispered. “Everyone here is a part of this family now…but you’re the only thing my heart has left.”
Rayna’s head canted to the side and she smiled, leaning up on her tiptoes and pushing her lips against mine. Intense waves of magic pressed against my lips. Her earth element hummed along my body and my own powers came up to meet her. All five elements slid through my veins in an icy flare. Entwined in hers, they merged into a single cord of power. Her tongue pressed against mine, her hands gripped my face, and her body pressed forward, shoving me against the wall. Our lips locked, the magic becoming one massive surge that wrapped around my soul. Her arms slid behind my neck and she pushed against me. Desperation clung to me and I to it. I’d never needed anything before, not like I needed her. Not like I needed this.
A steel door banged against the wall on the floor above us, echoing down the stairwell. “Chase Williams? Is everything all right?” Tiki called out. Rayna didn’t let me go. Her mouth was against mine and as she pulled away, she gently bit my bottom lip. “Chase Williams, my friend?”
We both gasped and my head leaned against hers. Rayna’s eyes devoured mine and I nodded, trying to catch my breath.
“Yeah, everything’s…good.” I cleared my throat, each word sounding breathy. Rayna’s fingers touched my neck and for a moment, all the sadness and fear was gone. “Really good.”
******
We gathered in the library, but as Rayna started to call the spirit, I moved to the main floor. The room had been full of people and right now I needed a moment to decompress. Although most of the condo’s contents had been moved to the warehouse, the furniture had stayed. Tuffs of white fluff stuck out of the torn leather sofa, some of which had spilled onto the hardwood. I stopped at the edge of the living room and stared at the floor. I remembered the moment I’d found Willy here. The couch had been torn to shreds and a still body lay in the center of the floor. Smoke rose from his chest and soot marred his skin.
My knees felt weak and I lowered myself, sitting on the step. I closed my eyes and saw what was left of Willy’s clothes. They’d been torn apart by his body’s first attempt to shift. Blood and clear fluid had splattered across the room and feathers floated from the ceiling, Rai squawking angrily from above.
I dropped my head in my hands and focused on breathing. I had found it helped me to keep my composure in times like this. Willy would forever be a part of this family, and even in death he lived inside me. I reminded myself of that and it kept me strong.
Whispers of the gods started in my head and I tried to focus on something else. Rayna’s lips pressing against mine, her hands pinning me against the wall, our elements dancing with one another. The image made the voices fade and when a hand touched my back, I jumped to my feet. My pulse burst into rapid fire and I already had my hand on my dagger. Tiki jumped back, and small, razor-sharp bones pressed beneath his skin, threatening to break through his forearm, shoulders, and face.
“Oh, crap!” I said, clutching my chest.
The bones receded and his caramel skin became smooth once again. The panic that filled his eyes was gone and he shuddered. “I’m sorry, Chase Williams, I did not mean to startle you.”
“No, it
’s fine, I was just…”
“Thinking about him, I understand. He respected you very much. He would’ve been honored to go the way he did.”
“I can’t think about it like that.”
“I have lost many friends in my years. It is difficult, this I know. But you will be okay. We are all here because we are prepared to die for this cause.”
“Nobody else is going to die,” I said, trying to hold back my anger.
“Please don’t be upset. Hear me out. I have lived many lifetimes and seen many wars. More will die, Chase Williams. We will fight to protect the dimensions and everybody in them, but there is no war without death, and Riley has waged war. We must be prepared for this.”
I swallowed my rage—he was right. I felt anger because I had refused to acknowledge it. More people would die, I knew that, but I had tried to focus on those close to me. I tried to keep the faces without names as separate from me as possible, but that wasn’t right either. I was the Protector; I had to be responsible for the people I hadn’t met too. There were more lives at stake than just the ones I knew.
“Everything okay?” Marcus led the group back to the main floor.
“Yeah,” I said, staring at Tiki. “Is it done?”
Marcus looked back and forth between us. “Okay…” I ignored the stiffness that had settled in my shoulders. “Rayna has summoned another spirit to keep the book hidden. This should allow us—and those she allows—to review it without anyone being able to sense its power.”
“Good. Let’s take it to the warehouse and I’ll do what I can to heal the shifters. After that, we go get Vincent.”
“I don’t imagine he’ll be looking forward to seeing his family again,” Tiki said.
“I think you’re right, but unless he has the scroll somewhere other than his warehouse, he doesn’t have a choice. My life depends on it.”
Chapter 11
Healing the shifters took longer than I had anticipated. There were more of them than I had expected, which was a good thing. But even with the souls inside me, using my elements in such high quantities was tiring. The souls weren’t bound to me yet, so I wasn’t at my full potential. I found the more exhausted my magic made me, the more prominent the voices inside became, and with all the breaks I took to rest, it took a few days to get everyone on their feet.
Chief split his group into three sections: he led the first, Garrett led the second, and Karissa the third. Jax had enough people to break off into two teams of wolves. The shifters planned to spend the next few days preparing and plotting their designated paths. They researched packs in the outer-lying New York areas and they hoped to recruit a small army of shifters in our state. If they were successful in finding help, once they tackled the surrounding states, we’d have twice the numbers we did before.
Marcus returned to the cabin to check on Riddley who was finally well enough to travel. Since he was one of the few who survived the attack on the Circle, and also happened to be a part of the elder’s council, we hoped he’d be able to help convince the other districts to send hunters our way. Whether or not they believed it, this was their fight too. We were fighting to save the freedom of our dimension and many others. This was everybody’s fight.
I left messages at the number Vincent had given Marcus for two days before receiving a response, and when I did, I knew something wasn’t right.
“Chase?” Vincent asked, he sounded out of breath, his words slurred.
“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for days. If you’re—”
“And for that I apologize. I’ve been…tied up, so to speak.”
“We need to meet right away.”
“Yes, I have much I must share with you, but you have to come alone.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I need to speak with you in private.”
“So speak.”
“No, not on the phone. I need to tell you in person.” Vincent coughed and I pulled the receiver away from my ear.
“Don’t play with me, Vincent.”
“I give you my word, I am not playing. Meet me at the park by Revelations at midnight.”
“Why don’t you just come—”
The line went dead as he hung up the phone and anger pulsed inside me. I didn’t have time for Vincent’s games. He had screwed us over almost every chance he had. Now that his family was safe, this was just another attempt at weaseling out of the deal.
“What is it?” Marcus asked, looking up from his book.
“Nothing, everything, I don’t know. Vincent wants to meet at midnight.”
“Well, that’s good news.”
“He wants me to come alone.”
“Oh.”
“Something isn’t right, Marcus. He sounded…off.”
“Is it possible he’s back to playing games?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me, but for his sake he better not be.”
“Going alone isn’t a wise decision. He’s lost everything, we don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“We can’t afford to lose him right now. We need that scroll before we can do anything else. Vincent doesn’t know about the souls inside me. He doesn’t know how strong they’ve made me or that I can use my elements again. So we’ve got surprise on our side.”
“Chase—”
“I know. I’ll keep Rayna and Tiki on standby.”
******
I zipped up my jacket and stuck both hands in my pockets. I had a black toque pulled over my ears and cold wind bit my face. Tall trees and empty flowerbeds landscaped the park. The grass was crisp and white with a light frost that covered the ground, and the few leaves that were left crunched beneath my feet. We were in the early days of December and winter’s grip was starting to close around us.
A thicket of bushes and trees formed the backdrop that surrounded the far side of the park. They were bare and moonlight slipped through their wooden arms. The playground sat deserted in the center, the swings moved back and forth over the sand. A wooden border embedded in the earth outlined the equipment and I stood on the edge of it, the wind whistling through the plastic tunnels. A chill ran across my neck that had nothing to do with the cold temperature and everything to do with the demon behind me. Both my daggers were strapped beneath my coat and I touched them for comfort.
“You’re late.” I looked down at my watch that showed 12:14.
“My apologies,” he said. “I had to take the scenic route.”
“What for?” I turned around. Vincent’s face was not the smooth, flawless image I’d come to expect. Shallow cuts marred his features and his right eye looked dark and swollen. Blood had pooled inside it leaving no trace of white. His neck had multiple bite marks, and his hand was black and charred. “What the hell happened?”
“That’s what I needed to talk about.”
“If you look like this now, how bad was it this morning?”
Vincent cringed and placed his charred hand into his coat pocket. “Worse.” He tried for a smile and I could see gaps in his teeth where his fangs would come down. Even their human counterparts were missing.
“Who did this to you?”
“A family that slays together, stays together,” he said, his left eye half shut and flickering open and closed.
“I thought you and your family were in a safe house away from the Sovereign? You’re idea of a safe house needs redefining.”
“We were. But now my family sits in cages beneath my warehouse, awaiting their end whilst listening to my screams.”
“You spent centuries hiding from these people, how did they find you so quickly?”
Vincent rotated his shoulders, cringing at the movements. “The Dark Brothers gave them my location.”
“What do the Brothers have to do with this?”
“That’s…why I asked you to come alone. I didn’t want the others to hear what I had to tell you.” Vincent’s face looked grim and serious.
I stepped back an
d my stomach fluxed. “What are you talking about?”
“The Dark Brothers are not new to me, Mr. Williams. I’ve met them before, or rather, worked with them before.”
“With them?” I took a few more steps back, giving me space to move if necessary.
Vincent stepped toward me with his uninjured hand stretched forward. “No, not anymore.”
I stepped back as he moved closer, keeping my fingers wrapped around my blade. My elements vibrated just beneath the surface, ready to attack and defend. This was not what I needed right now.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Chase. Please hear me out.”
“I’m listening from a distance. If you come any closer, I’ll fry your pale ass.”
Vincent shifted his shoulders again and they made a popping sound. He stepped back, looking disheveled and uncomfortable.
“About five years ago, the Taryk family started losing its footing in the Underworld. A rival family out of Pennsylvania was looking to move in and expand their territory into New York. They had paid someone to spy on us and gather information. Coincidentally, it was Willy’s friend, Duncan, providing them with such information.”
Vincent coughed and a splotch of blood spilled from his lips. It looked black as it stained the grass in the moonlight. He wiped his hand across his lips and scoffed at the blood smear. “Animals,” he said, clearing his throat.
“On with it,” I said, my voice calm, even if I didn’t feel that way inside.
“With the information Duncan had given them, they had locations of all our safe houses. They knew our weak spots and somehow, had reason to believe I was not actually a Taryk, but was in fact the exiled prince of the Sovereign.”
“How did Duncan find out who you were?”
“To this day, I do not know. And perhaps now you can see the reason I came down on Willy so harshly. I mistakenly thought he was responsible for putting my family, myself, and everything I had worked for at risk.”
“Understanding you has never and will never be on my list of things to do. Now get to the point. How do the Dark Brothers fit in with all this?”
Endure Page 8
