Kono straightened. “For now, it is late, and no doubt you all need rest. I’ll try to find somewhere to put your group. It would be greatly appreciated and would no doubt ease the tensions somewhat if you all could find ways to help around the Hive beginning tomorrow. Maybe patrols? Or supply inventory?”
“Of course,” I said. “While we stay here, we will do our fair share of work.” It was the right thing to do, but I also didn’t want Glim and Pyma to accuse us of being freeloaders. That would sink our proposal before Dorian even opened his mouth.
“I know a room they can use,” Arlonne said and smirked wolfishly. “It’s far from cozy, though.”
“Anything’s better than the sanitarium,” I assured her, unable to repress the shiver that came as I recalled the cold, damp cell I had spent a night in, terrified I would never see Dorian, my friends, or my family again.
Arlonne and Bryce led us deeper into the Hive, showing us to a storage room spacious enough to contain everyone, but that was its only virtue. It was piled with empty soul-lanterns, crates, barrels, stacks of paper, bolts of cloth, and more.
As was to be expected, discussion about the giant blow-up between the elders and the Coalition began to grow among our group as we set up our bedrolls for the night. Many in our group didn’t feel informed enough to pass comment, although most agreed that hiding was no longer an option. Although I was angry at Pyma’s disrespect of Dorian, I told the group that I thought the elders’ anger at our previous actions was justified. The Hive had thought they were helping us on a mission where we would stay out of sight, not cause chaos, however unintentional that chaos had been.
Bryce and Arlonne, who stayed for the conversation, championed the Coalition, and Bravi agreed with them after some thought. She argued that a group made up of numerous castes was optimal for an assault on Irrikus’s forces, reasoning that we’d come to fight, after all. Zach was less certain, favoring a wait-and-see approach while we had so little information about the political feeling in the Hive. As always, my brother fought for peaceful compromise.
However, it was evident that the political climate was charged.
I quietly said as much to Dorian and added, “I know the elders have cause to be afraid, but at this point, bringing all the castes together to raise a rebellion is a stronger move than just hiding. If we move now, we might be able to strike while the Immortal Council and their hunters are still off balance after losing Sempre, Zeele, and the Sanitarium. If we wait too long, then we lose our chance to capitalize on the situation. We also need to figure out how to find the controllers of the revenants, somehow. Even if the elders kick us out, we can find another place to stay and do what we need to do to find the revenant masters.”
“The Gray Ravine is the only place the rulers and hunters don’t touch, but I’d rather explore all our options before we go there,” Dorian said as he watched Bravi get a full rundown of the last three weeks from Bryce and Arlonne. “We’ve got good people on this mission,” he muttered.
“Definitely feels like we’re packing more of a punch than last time,” I agreed, taking a deep breath and wincing as my ribs complained slightly. They were less tender than before, but the day of fast-paced travel had left them aching “Although, the size of our group makes me feel like I’m walking around with a bullseye on my back. We don’t exactly blend in.” We were an awkward number, not large enough to be invincible and too large to stay under the radar.
Dorian and I kept to the corner of the room, knowing privacy would be necessary for our conversations and… other, blood-related activities. Occasionally, I caught Laini noting the space—or lack thereof—between Dorian and me, gears turning behind her eyes. We’d only gotten this far because no one had followed us back to our bedroom in the Los Angeles HQ. In the Mortal Plane the curse hadn’t been as dangerous, but now that we were back in the Immortal Plane, those in the know, like Laini, Bryce, and Arlonne, had definitely noticed us breaking the fifteen-foot rule. So far, none of them had said anything. Perhaps they thought that Dorian was still deliberately starving himself. Good thing he’d gorged himself at the sanitarium, because he hadn’t been able to hunt in the Mortal Plane out of concern for diplomacy. I’d seen him go longer between feedings, but he would need to hunt soon.
“We’ll have to tell them about the cure eventually,” I murmured.
Dorian smiled in approval. “Your brother will be overjoyed at our ingenuity, I’m sure.”
I snorted. That was a conversation that I wasn’t looking forward to. “I’m going to let him get used to the Immortal Plane and catch up on the Hive news before I even think about mentioning it to him.”
“Speaking of catching up, our first task tomorrow is to find Kane and Roxy,” Dorian said. He turned to me, glacial eyes flicking across my face. “How are you feeling? You seemed unusually on edge with Pyma.”
“I’m fine.” I rubbed my temples. “Just overtired, I think.” The migraine from earlier had gone as quickly as my anger, but it left behind a weird fog that I couldn’t quite shake. The infighting was exhausting. Our group needed to focus our energy on the real enemies.
“No wonder revenants are able to incite humans to violence; it’s so easy to have bitter arguments with those who are meant to be allies,” I reflected. A united front was difficult to maintain, as I remembered from our days on the run from the Bureau. The humans and vampires had constantly struggled with tension and infighting.
“There are many paths to the same place.” Dorian studied me, and for a moment, I thought he might reach out and touch my cheek, and my heart leapt. “But we’re in it together.”
Something rustled in my pocket and I squirmed as Gate Maker poked his head out.
Dorian raised an amused brow at the little lizard. “Careful you don’t get spotted.”
“I’ve seen many conflicts in my time,” Gate Maker whispered, his voice too quiet for our companions to hear. A good thing too, since explaining a tiny talking lizard might be difficult. “People turn against one another, even when they pursue the same goals.”
His statement stirred my curiosity. “Is there much political infighting where you are from?”
“No, not at all,” Gate Maker said bitterly. “They far prefer to stagnate and fritter away their time and energy on nothing of value.”
It seemed an odd attitude for someone so eager to return there. What exactly was his relationship with home? He spoke before I could press further.
“You still must fulfill your promise to me. In all your excitement, don’t forget the endgame. You told me you want to close the tear.”
He disappeared into my pocket. Dorian and I exchanged a puzzled glance, but we couldn’t discuss it with Gate Maker while our team was so close by.
Finally, our group settled down to sleep, vampires and humans tucked into whatever nooks and crannies they could find among the supplies. Dorian and I claimed the corner, out of sight of everyone, and collapsed there.
Curled up next to Dorian, savoring his warmth, my thoughts returned to Gate Maker’s lack of surprise at our infighting. Division and self-destruction spread like wildfire in times of crisis. How should we proceed?
Caught between consciousness and sleep, I imagined a white line dividing the middle of my thoughts. On the left side, I played out forging ahead, instigating a kind of martial law for the good of everyone. On the right side, I pictured what a compromise might look like. My goal in life was always to do good; I wanted to be the best leader possible. If I encouraged my team to force our plan onto the Hive elders, then we risked alienating allies… but if we chose compromise, we could fall into paralyzing indecision and lose our window of opportunity.
Eventually, I welcomed the darkness of sleep.
Chapter Twelve
I woke beneath the soft yellow glow of lichen.
For a moment I forgot where I was, until the soft sound of snoring from my human and vampire comrades brought the Hive storage room into focus. Checking my watch and seeing t
hat it was seven in the morning, I burrowed under Dorian’s arm as he stirred beside me. As he stretched and yawned, I placed a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth.
“I have something to show you,” I whispered in his ear.
He cocked an eyebrow without opening his eyes. “Here? In a room full of people, including your brother?”
I rolled my eyes. “Nothing like that. I’ll show you tonight.”
He tapped a kiss to the tip of my nose. “Saying things like that doesn’t convince me of your chaste intensions.”
We dragged ourselves out of our bedrolls as a few others started getting up. I helped Dorian lace up the front of his loose linen shirt—not because he needed it, just as an excuse to touch him.
Zach sauntered up, yawning. “What a beautiful scene of domestic bliss,” he said, dramatically clasping his hands. “After all the drama, has the curse finally worn off?”
His tone was playful, but a sharp curiosity glinted behind my brother’s warm gaze. Of course, I’d expected questions to start trickling in from the group about the curse and how Dorian and I could be so close now. Privacy was an illusion as long as this adventure carried on. My skin itched under his scrutiny.
Dorian gave me an unsure glance.
“We’re working on a cure,” I said slowly, excluding the details. “I’m not sure how permanent it is yet.” Zach might not approve of vampire blood transfusions, and as I’d told Dorian the night before, my brother had enough to come to terms with right now. Besides, technically, it wasn’t his business, since it was my relationship and my body.
Zach narrowed his eyes, making it clear he didn’t like the vagueness of my answer. But then he wiggled his eyebrows, letting me off the hook… for now. “Just make sure you’re both safe. I don’t want to be an uncle for quite some time.”
I was saved from any kind of flustered answer by Colin approaching, looking apologetic for interrupting the conversation. “Kane is here to take you to Rhome and the kids.”
My heart leapt in anticipation of holding Carwin and Detra, safe at last. Those sweet little kids. They never deserved to be dragged into all this.
My favorite tough-guy vampire stood in the hall, already flanked by Laini and Bravi. Laini had thrown her arms around him, and Kane awkwardly patted her shoulder, like a wild tiger trying to interact with an infant without crushing it. I swore his cheeks were slightly pink as Bravi hugged him too. Kane was never much for admitting he liked people, but I remembered his tenderness with Laini in the Gray Ravine. Unable to resist embarrassing him further, I ran over to hug him, too. He laughed as he wrapped his spare arm around me.
“Nice to see you two still alive,” he said, straightening to ensure he looked big and tall, but I could tell he was genuinely happy to see us. He looked between Dorian and me. “What happened to Prisoner One?”
I could feel Gate Maker shift in my pocket as Dorian calmly conveyed our rehearsed lie. “He was craftier than we thought and made a portal to the Mortal Plane when we were chasing him down in an underground cave system. We followed him through, but he morphed into a tiny bird and we lost him in the desert.”
“Damn it.” Kane rubbed his face, looking exhausted. I noticed his face was marred by several healing scrapes.
Guilt gnawed at my gut; I hated lying to our friends while Gate Maker sat in my pocket. Dorian’s mouth tightened with discomfort as Kane turned away.
“I’ll see Roxy and the children another time,” Bravi said, stepping back. “We don’t want to crowd them, and I said I’d help Kono collect musk… whatever that means.”
“Good luck with that,” Kane called back over his shoulder as the three of us followed him down the hall.
“How did you rescue the children?” Dorian asked. I couldn’t imagine how nervous and eager he must feel to see the youngest members of his family again.
“Charrek’s contacts told us about a park on the other side of the ruler’s island, far from the sanitarium, where a junior member of the council walked Sempre’s pets. We swooped down on the ash wraith, finding council members panicking as guards warned them about the prison break. We used the upheaval to launch a surprise attack.” He grinned. “Charrek used a spell to completely fog up the area. The rulers and the guards couldn’t see, but we vampires followed the auras. Rhome and Roxy grabbed the children, and we fled on the ash wraith.”
Kane relayed the tale with pride, but he looked worried when he spoke about Carwin and Detra. I recalled Bryce’s serious face from yesterday, and nervous tension hummed in my hands as we walked. Would the children be okay after all they’d been through? He led us down three twisting hallways until the lichen on the walls gave off a watery blue light.
“We’re in the nursery ward, so be quiet,” Kane told us. “Move slowly.”
We stopped in front of a chamber entrance covered by a latticework of thin, woven wood strips; diamond-shaped holes made it less intimidating than a solid door. As Kane slowly twisted the handle, I noticed that it could only be opened from the outside. Are we locking up children now?
Roxy’s bright red hair caught my eye first, and she placed a finger to her lips as she spotted me. She cradled Detra, petting the young girl’s head as she slept.
“I just got her to sleep properly for the first time in three days.” She shot Kane a tired look, and he gave her a sympathetic grimace. These two had clearly been through a lot in the last few days.
From a little bed in the corner, Carwin groggily sat upright. As soon as he spotted the new arrivals, he momentarily went stiff with fear, then recognition struck.
“Uncle Dorian!” he shouted, leaping from the bed and running as fast as his small legs could carry him.
The commotion woke Detra. Immediately, her eyes went wide, and she began to hyperventilate, letting out a pitiful wail of terror, instinctively lashing out at Roxy, scratching her. She struggled out of Roxy’s arms, fleeing from us all. Tears welled in my eyes as the little vampire girl sank to the ground, rocking back and forth in the corner.
Roxy sagged wearily as blood ran from scratches on her arms. Kane loped across the room to grab a small metal box from a shelf. Crossing to stand by my friend, I could see that some of her wounds were older. This wasn’t the first time Detra had reacted to her trauma like this.
Dorian crouched in front of a tearful Carwin and pulled him close. “Let’s try and be quiet,” Dorian said, hiding his pain behind a gentle calm. “I’m going to come and sit with you and your sister until you both get to sleep. Shall I hum you a lullaby like your mother does?”
Carwin, lip wobbling, nodded and then buried his head in Dorian’s shoulder. He carried the little boy to bed, sitting down and gently rocking.
“Give Detra a minute,” Roxy advised when she saw Laini take a step toward the corner. Kane knelt at Roxy’s side, pulling out a clean square of linen and a glass bottle of a deep purple liquid. I watched as he tenderly cleaned Roxy’s wounds.
“It didn’t take as long to settle her this time,” Kane said encouragingly. “Surely next time she’ll manage to fall asleep.”
“If she doesn’t, she won’t heal properly,” Roxy said sadly. “Rhome has spent most of his time sleeping here with the kids, but he’s with the healers, since his hip isn’t healing right. Kane and I basically haven’t left the kids since we arrived.” She went quiet, and I could see the pain in her face. “They’ve been through hell. The only joy they get is tugging on Juneau’s ridiculous hair.”
The deep well of sadness inside me shifted to the same acidic anger I’d felt yesterday, but this time I tried to push it aside. Anger wouldn’t help here; I’d probably only end up distressing the children. Instead, I let myself remember what they’d been like when we first met, how lively and joyful they had been. They were so innocent, yet they’d suffered so much. My hands shook slightly as I took in the damage that had been done to these two sweet little children. I had to take several deep breaths, blinking away tears.
“Juneau?” Laini said
, startled. I’d hardly registered his name but felt an echo of Laini’s surprise. “He’s here?”
“Yes,” Roxy said, then rolled her eyes. “He’s done nothing but whine about his accommodations since we arrived.”
Laini gently reached out and stroked Detra’s soft hair for a moment, backing off when the girl flinched. She didn’t scratch or attack Laini though, and even stopped her distressed rocking. It was progress.
“I’ll be back when the kids have calmed,” Laini promised us all. “I’m going to find Juneau.”
I shot Dorian a look that said I was joining her. My anger threatened to overwhelm me if I stayed. He nodded in understanding, humming quietly as he held Carwin.
Laini glanced at me curiously as I followed her into the hall.
“I’m too angry to be around the kids,” I muttered. Now that I was away from the children, I let the fury uncurl in my belly like acidic muck. If Sempre weren’t already dead, or at least slowly starving somewhere deep in the ground, I’d have ripped him limb from limb in an instant. “I don’t want to scare them.”
Laini gave my arm a sympathetic squeeze. “I know the feeling.”
We descended once more to the lower levels of the Hive, eventually finding our ruler friend in a circular room piled high with rough fabric in earthy tones, a far cry from anything Juneau would usually work with. Two vampire guards, both wearing the typical waterproof cloaks that denoted them as scouts, lounged on several bolts of material. Juneau was wearing rope cuffs with a foot of slack between them that allowed him some freedom of movement. While it was obvious that the Hive vampires didn’t trust Juneau, they didn’t see him as a threat, as he could easily commit violence with that amount of liberty, even if he lacked combat training.
Juneau stood in front of a low table, intensely focused on a piece of sand-colored material. His hair was unadorned, pulled up in a sloppy bun, and he still wore the tattered remnants of his outfit from the ball. He looked fragile without his usual finery. Dark circles peeked beneath his eyes.
Darklight 5: Darktide Page 9
