by Angel Lawson
“Yes. I understand.” He swallows and casts his copper eyes at mine. “Morgan, I meant it before. I’m sorry. This got out of control. It’s such a mess.”
He flinches when he says it, waiting for another assault. This time I rein it in.
“Stop.” The feeling of power fills me in a way I never have before. I’m not even sure of how far it will reach—what I can do. “No talking. No apologizing.”
He nods.
“Seriously, Bunny. Am I clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Go change. We’re leaving when Dylan gets here.”
“Dylan? Does he even know where we are?” I hear his real question. Do I really think he’s alive?
I nod toward the tunnel entry across the expansive grounds. Nevis has placed someone at the entrance. He moves when the door swings open and Dylan appears, blinking into the light. I smile and start toward him, but Bunny grabs my arm. “How did you know?”
“I felt him coming. Didn’t you?” But I know he didn’t, because just like the fact he didn’t feel a boost from my connection with the others, he couldn’t feel Dylan anymore. The damage Bunny has made to his bond with the five of us runs deep.
I shake away from him. Dylan sees us. Me. His heartbeat quickens at the sight of me but his eyes darken when he spots Bunny nearby. “Change,” I say again, and walk toward the Raven soaked in blood and craving my attention. We’re almost whole. Well, as much as we’re going to get.
Chapter
Dylan
I follow Morgan’s signal, feeling the vibrations through the stone walls in the dungeons. The path is darker than a moonless night but her soul sings to me and eventually I reach the end.
I have no idea what to expect on the other side of the passage but it certainly isn’t an underground society. The gatekeepers welcome me—as though they’d been expecting me. I spot Morgan immediately, speaking with Bunny. I nearly launch myself across the caverns and kill him.
But Morgan gives me a look and I get it. Hands off. For now.
I sag against the door, catching my breath. I’ve suffered a loss of blood. My battle with Casteel wasn’t without injury.
She’s at my side in minutes. Bunny watches with a guarded expression. I don’t blame him—we have unsettled business—but if Morgan has allowed him to come down here with us, I’ll trust her.
“You found us,” she says, touching my face. My stomach. Blood seeps through the fabric of my shirt.
“Always,” I tell her, leaning against her. “I’ll always find my family.”
“Casteel?” she asks.
“Not dead. Severely wounded, but not dead.”
She looks up at me with concerned, powerful eyes. “And the Morrigan?”
“Coming.” I look across the cavern and see the members of my Guard. They’re healthy and full of vigor. Morgan truly had saved them. “We need to move fast.”
“I’m working on a plan.” She pulls me into a kiss. I feel it in every molecule of my body. Every nerve and every muscle. “I need you strong.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“Yes,” she says, taking my hand. “You will.”
Chapter
Morgan
I don’t have time to give Dylan the full treatment, but I lead him to the clinic and assist him while he cleans up. I press my lips against every wound. I stroke his skin until the ache in his muscles ease. I do my best to ignore the hunger in his eyes and below the belt. It’s impossible to turn that on and off. We don’t have the luxury of immersing ourselves in one another right now.
By the time he’s suited up, wearing the all black uniform and matching the other members of the Raven Guard, Nevis is knocking on the door. She asks if she can come in. I give her a welcoming nod as Dylan secures his blades in the suit. Bunny slips in behind her. He’s suited up and my heart cracks a little seeing him unified with us, at least for now.
She’s followed by one of the healers I’d seen in the clinic earlier. He’s a small man with graying hair. “I’d hate to meet any of you in a dark corner of the castle,” she says, giving us the once over. “I’d like you to meet Kuwan. He’s our lead healer. His wife is the Morrigan’s personal assistant.”
These people are like an army of spies. No wonder their community has survived so long.
I step forward. “Thank you for helping, everyone. I know it was unexpected and probably taxed your resources. We will do whatever we can to repay you.”
Kuwan nods his thanks and says, “Nevis told me about the virus that the Morrigan is spreading in your world. It sounds similar to a sickness we had here, many years ago.”
“Years ago? You mean no one gets sick from it anymore?” I ask.
Dylan chimes in. “Was it cured? Eradicated?”
“No. Not exactly,” Kuwan says. “When the Morrigan unleashed her fury on this realm, she destroyed all living things. After the wars were over there were still survivors, but she solved that when cold and dark days rolled over the land. Sickness wiped out the remaining clans.”
“Except this one,” Clinton says.
Kuwan nods. “Yes, except this one.”
“How did they manage that? Just by coming underground?”
“No,” Bunny says. We all look at him in surprise. “The Queen drinks from a vial like those on the counter. It keeps her young. Vital and strong—especially when faced with Morgan and her power.”
“Is that true?” I ask
“Yes,” Kuwan replies
“What does she take? What keeps your people alive?”
“You notice the heat—the warmth. Our ponds are filled by warm springs of clean, clear water that warms the air as well as provides sanitation for cleaning and drinking. The people on the upside were freezing to death. The water sources were contaminated. That only sped up the plague set loose by the Morrigan, and they died.”
I look at Dylan and then Nevis. “You’re saying the water saved your people.”
“Yes,” Kuwan says. “We believe it has healing properties.”
“The water heals people,” Damien repeats.
“Yes. Healing, longevity…”
Dylan’s expression is neutral but I see the wheels turning in his head. “You’re serious.”
Nevis smiles and her eyes twinkle. “How old do you think I am?”
Upstairs, when she was nothing more than my servant, I thought she was a girl—a teenager. Younger than me. Her skin is smooth and her black hair is sleek and shiny. Once she saved me I saw more wisdom in her eyes but not much more age. I take a guess and high-ball it. “Twenty-five.”
The others agree.
“Sixty,” she announces. “This is the year I turned sixty.”
“Years old?” Sam asks. Bunny watches the whole thing from the side, unable to hide his incredulousness.
“Yes.”
“That’s what you used on their wounds right? I noticed they’d started healing before I even came in here.”
“Water,” Kuwan says. “Nothing else.”
There’s a moment of quiet as we reflect on this. Dylan is the first to speak. “So you think this water may help cure the virus plaguing the realm we’ve come from?”
“The properties may shift from one realm to the other, but it’s worth a shot.”
The idea is exciting, liberating, but introducing a miracle cure back on Earth seems too good to be true. It’s also life-changing—the kind of thing that alters the fate of mankind. The uneasy look on the Guardian’s face tells me they realize the ramifications as well.
“Are you offering this to us to take back to my people?” I finally ask. The glance between Nevis and Kuwan make it clear it’s not that easy. I didn’t think so.
“We’re willing to share—at the very least you can take it to your medics and they can assess its purposes,” Nevis says.
“But…” I prompt.
“But the Morrigan must be destroyed.” Kuwan stares at me. “And we can’t do it alone.”
I feel e
very male around me tense. Every single one of my guardians shifts into protective mode. A low growl rumbles behind me and I’m not sure who it comes from, but I hold up my hand. “So you want to trade our services for the cure?”
“Possible cure,” Clinton bites out.
Nevis flinches from his tone, aware of the lethal power behind his words. She speaks in a calm voice. “It’s not like that. We know you’re already here to stop her and cure the virus. We can help with the virus, but please don’t just take it and leave. We just hope that future generations can live above ground—free and not bound to the Morrigan.”
I assess my men. Their expressions are hard, complicated masks. But I know they’ll do what’s right. Or at the very least, try. Sure enough, Dylan confirms this.
“Then we fight her,” Dylan says. “We’re strong. A forceful unit at maximum power. It should be easy to take her out.”
“After, we’ll leave,” Sam says. “We go back and give the cure to the sick.”
Damien nods. But his face is stoic—staring right at me. I mutter my agreements and look away, securing the blade in my boot.
It’s solved. Easy as that.
Or so I want everyone to think.
Chapter
Morgan
The tunnel is different—leading from another part of the cavern. Nevis declares it will take us directly to the Queen’s quarters. Dylan demands to go first—as is his position. The others will follow. I’ll take the back—the safest place. If it goes wrong, I can run—Nevis and her people will keep alert.
She hands me six vials of water, each capped tight and wrapped in cloth.
“Just in case,” I say to them. Now that we know what it can do, every soldier should carry it on their person.
I hold back emotion as I tuck a vial of water in each and every one of their breast pockets. I take a moment to check their gear. Kiss their mouths. I’m almost at full strength, only lacking the final link in the circle. Bunny’s betrayal has weakened me—us—in a way I didn’t know was possible. It helps me understand the pain the Morrigan felt when Cu tossed her aside at the river. Sympathetic, even.
We stand before the tunnel and the Ravens enter. Dylan, Sam, Damien…Clinton waits for Bunny to enter but I tug my betrayer by the sleeve and say, “Go first,” to Clinton. He narrows his eyes and hesitates.
“He’s a traitor.” Clinton makes no effort to lower his voice. Damien looks over at the sound of his voice.
“He is and I’m going to deal with that. That’s my job. You all have a different one.”
“Deliver the cure,” he replies. “It won’t matter if Bunny fucks it up.”
“It will matter. But that’s not all I need from you. We’re going to need to build an army.”
“An army?” He laughs. “Where the hell are we going to get one of those?” I don’t reply and finally he sighs. “We should bomb this place and never look back,” he says, finally stepping into darkness.
“What was that?” Bunny asks.
“No questions. Follow orders. Remember that?”
He silently nods.
I grip his arm tighter, my nails threatening to spike. “The choices you make today will determine your future, Bunny. Don’t fuck that up. Not again.”
His eyes burn with pain and I release him. He’s not the only one that will have regrets by the time the day is over.
*
One of Nevis’ men leads the way down the long tunnel with a torch doused in oil. Once my men have travelled deep, I allow them to get a bit ahead. When no one notices, I stop abruptly. Bunny crashes into me and whispers quietly in my ear, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” The air shifts near me, turning cool. Bunny tenses behind me. He feels it. I reach out my hand, searching for the wall that should be there—and was moments ago. Now there’s an empty gap.
“What?”
“Turn right.” I glance over my shoulder. The faint light of the torches fades into the distance. My voice is barely above a whisper. “Now.”
He does as I say, his toes clipping my heels. There’s the faintest sound of grating stone. I reach back and the opening is gone. I count to ten and Nevis appears, holding a torch.
“They can’t find us?” I ask her.
“No. And I’ve barricaded the entry into the caverns as well. There’s only one way out and that’s through The Nead.”
“Good,” I tell her. “Bolt that door, seal it or destroy it. Whatever it takes, and no matter what, do not let them back in.”
“What have you done?” Bunny asks. His forehead is furrowed in confusion.
“That tunnel will lead them back to The Nead. Sue and Davis will intercept them.”
“And what about us?” The fear in his eyes tells me he already knows. He shakes his head in disbelief. “No. This is not a good idea.”
“It’s the only idea,” I tell him, gesturing to Nevis to lead the way. She takes us to a ladder bolted into the cavern walls that leads straight up into a dark hole. “It’s the only one I’ve had since I gained passage into this realm. I never intended on going back.”
“You didn’t?”
“No. My goal was to come here and save them.” I stare at Bunny in the flickering torch-light. His glasses reflect the flame. “Do I have your trust, Bunny?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then get ready to earn back mine.”
Chapter
Clinton
I feel rather than hear the shifting of rock against stone. I spin, looking down the passage behind me. It’s pitch black and I know instinctively that Morgan is no longer behind me. Neither is Bunny.
“Morgan?” I call. The only response is the echo of my voice.
I feel along the walls, searching for a hidden alcove or exit. The floor is clear. She didn’t drop a thing along the way. I want to blame Bunny but I know that it’s greater than him. Morgan has been calm and controlled since she saved us from the dungeons. She’s changed since we’ve been gone.
Footsteps and heavy breathing meet me from the opposite direction. Dylan holds a torch and pushes it in my direction.
“She’s gone,” I confess. “Right from behind me.”
“And Bunny?” Sam asks.
“Gone too.”
Dylan’s face clouds over and he kicks the wall, sending rocks flying. Damien begins examining the passage. When he finds nothing, he returns and says, “What did she say to you before you got in the tunnel? I saw her whisper something.”
Three faces wait eagerly for my answer. I think back—it hadn’t meant that much to me, I was too pissed about Bunny. Too worried about her.
“She said we needed to find—build--an army.”
“Those were her last words?” Dylan asks.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Fuck,” he mutters, running his hand through his hair.
“You think she’s gone,” Sam says. It’s not a question. “She took off.”
“She left me at home. Taking Anita with her—locking up Marcus in her cell. She’s been different. Losing you all changed her. Her relationship with Hildi has been tense, and Hildi’s partner, Andi, is sick. She feels responsible about more than just the virus. I have no doubt she think she can fix this on her own.”
“If she can do it on her own, then why does she need us to gather an army?” I ask. “Why would she take Bunny and send us back home?”
Dylan’s eyes shine in the torchlight, his cheeks hollow and sharp. “Because she knows she’s going to lose.”
Chapter
Morgan
“You knew all along it would come to this.”
“I suspected as much,” Bunny admits. “But it’s never what I wanted.”
“That’s why you did what you did, you took everyone and locked me out. You didn’t want me to come here, but the Queen wanted something and you thought you’d give her Anita.”
“I needed you weak. Dylan, compromised.” His eyes are on the stone floor when he says, “I won’t let her
destroy you.”
“You tried your hardest—just in other ways.”
He’s silent.
“Why didn’t you come to me? Tell me? Why did you think trickery was best?” I ask, watching him closely.
“Would you have listened? Taken the time away from the others?” The muscle in his jaw tics. I feel the bitterness rolling off him in waves.
“You don’t understand me very well, Bunny. Don’t blame me for your weakness. Your jealousy.”
Knowing my Guardians are on their way back to The Nead frees me to focus on the plan ahead. Despite our tension, I give Bunny the specifics of how I want this to go down, handing him my sword and allowing him to bind my hands. We enter the castle through a grate on the floor hidden beneath a heavy woven rug. It’s impossible not to ignore the wide swipe of blood covering the floors. Casteel’s blood, if I had to guess.
“Go to the throne room,” I say in a quiet voice. “Don’t you dare hold back.”
Bunny stands behind me. I feel his heart beating like a drum in his chest. He hates every part of this plan. It’s risky, and the odds of us pulling it off are slim. Even if we do, it’s unlikely we’ll both make it out alive.
I’ve only seen the throne room in my dreams. The entry is huge and arched, stone pillars flanking the open double doors. The Queen is holding court even as her prisoners get away and her fierce commander bleeds out elsewhere in the castle. The voices inside sound strained, like false merriment. I’m not surprised. These people fear for their lives. Their entire existence is to humor the Queen. Soldiers spot us before we’ve even made it to the lush purple carpet acting as an aisle.
“Stop!” One of the men yells.
Bunny does as he’s told. “I’ve caught a prisoner of the Morrigan’s trying to escape.”
He looks me up and down. Bunny holds the sharp blade so close to my throat I feel the edge against my skin. The soldier steps forward and lifts up my chin. The instant he sees my face he steps back, muttering a prayer to a god I’ve never heard of.
A second soldier tries to force me from Bunny’s hands but my Guardian hisses disapproval. “No. I caught her. I’m turning her in. You won’t take the glory for my prize.”
