Last Chance (DarkWorld: SkinWalker Book 3)

by Ayer, T. G.

  She nodded. “I did. She was there. I even whispered her name and told her we were coming to get her.”

  “She isn’t there,” the Wraith snapped, and disappointment hit me like a blow to the gut. “Could you have made a mistake with the cell?”

  Cassandra shook her head and snapped back, “No. No mistake. I am positive she was in that cell. Perhaps they moved her after I saw her.” She held the Wraith’s gaze, and he turned away, giving his men instructions to check all the cells. Soon Wraiths were walking up and down the passageways, peering into each cell and coming up empty. They’d just completed searching when the sounds of boot steps on the stairs filtered through to us.

  Everyone froze, unsure for a moment what to do. Then we all turned together and headed for the only open cell. But we were too late. The soldiers bearing down on us were already at our backs and there was no point in running.

  I swung around, my bow aimed at the oncoming Wraiths, ready to begin taking them down one at a time, but my finger froze on the trigger. I faced the rest of Wren’s team, including the general himself.

  And none of them looked too happy.

  He raised an eyebrow at the bow aimed at his heart but said nothing. “What happened?” I asked, daring to be the impatient female, but the general seemed far too furious to be bothered by my outspokenness.

  “It was a false lead.” His voice rang out, grating on my ears. Then he rounded on Cassandra. “Shape-changer, you confirmed the Hunter was in that cell. I can see that you too have come up empty-handed.” His tone was almost accusatory, and I was not impressed.

  But before I could tell him off, Cassandra moved ahead of me and said, “When I came through the castle, there were guards, plenty of them. And the cell was occupied. I spoke to Celeste and she answered me. It could have been no one else but her.”

  “Fuck,” the general swore in response, and I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows. Swearing most certainly didn’t suit any creature that didn’t look human. “That means they knew we were coming. And they managed to get out before we came for her.”

  My heart sank as I realized we’d failed.

  Mom was gone.

  ***

  As upset as the general was, he was in no way as devastated as I was. I wanted to believe we would still find her, but something in the back of my mind kept telling me it was over.

  We’d come all this way, followed intelligence gained by Illyria’s mole in Widd’en’s army, almost been eaten alive by wolves on the Dead Plains, almost drowned on the Black Lake. But it was all for nothing. And that led me to suspect one of two things. Either the Rebel army couldn’t trust their mole, or I couldn’t trust the leader of the Rebel army.

  I trudged along behind Anjelo, following his footsteps, paying little attention to anything else. Once or twice Cassandra had tried to talk to me, but I’d ignored every attempt. I was in no mood for consolation or small talk.

  Anjelo seemed to sense it would be a waste of time to attempt to pull me out of my fugue, remaining silent but watchful. What did he think I was going to do? Jump in a lake that wouldn’t kill me with its poisoned waters?

  I snickered to myself as I glanced around the frozen lake. Over to our left was the place I’d almost drowned, the area dark against the surrounding ice. A timely reminder of how fast things could change.

  My thoughts steered me back to Illyria. I’d trusted her, and now my only hope was Lily was still safe. The last thing I wanted now was to return to the garrison to find Lily hurt or dead. But when I considered the respect the Rebel commander had for Anjelo, I had to admit I doubted she would betray him.

  The woman certainly had her mysteries, but I wouldn’t put it as far as hurting Anjelo unless there was something inordinately valuable to gain from it. That could only mean the mole was the problem. I made a mental note to ask Illyria if she really believed she could count on the mole.

  On the other hand, this could be one giant coincidence. Maybe Widd’en’s army had moved out just before we entered the castle, without knowing we were coming. Maybe they’d left before we even began crossing the grounds. It could be a plausible reason considering the birds hadn’t roused more than two guards, who also happened to be part of only a handful of sentries within the castle.

  I gritted my teeth as my hands curled into fists. I wanted to scream and shout out my rage. We’d come so close. From what Cassandra had said, it would have been an hour at the most between the time she’d seen and spoken to Mom and when we’d entered her cell.

  That brought my mind back to the conditions under which Mom was being held. I glanced over my shoulder at Cassandra to find her eyes already seeking my gaze. She lifted her chin as if already aware I had a question.

  “I’m sorry if I’ve been a little quiet,” I offered, keeping pace with Anjelo. Then I cleared my throat. “When you spoke to my mother, how did she seem? Was she ill in any way? Did they treat her well?”

  Cassandra frowned, as if knowing her answer wouldn’t make me happy, but I admired her for answering. “I believe she was in fairly good health. She didn’t appear to have been tortured, although the cell was squalid and she wasn’t too clean herself.”

  I nodded, then looked forward, falling silent quickly, my thoughts pulling me into a seething morass of fear and self-blame. Cassandra’s voice drew my attention once more. “If you will permit me, I do believe your mother is quite a strong woman. She seemed in good spirits and was very happy to know you were coming to get her out. In fact, she said she was quite proud of you even though you were too stubborn for your own good.”

  I laughed at that. I could just imagine Mom’s face as she said the words. “Thanks, Cassandra. The only problem is she would have been horribly disappointed to find out she was being moved. Right now she’d be furious with herself for not being there when we arrived.”

  Behind me, the shape-changer chuckled. “I believe I can see where you get your stubbornness.” Then she paused for a while before saying. “I can also see a lot of Ivy Odel in you.”

  “You know my Grams well?” I asked, happy to get off the topic of my lost mother.

  “Yes. She took me under her wing when I first came on board with Sentinel. I am happy to admit I am glad I was fortunate enough to have her as my handler. She’s one smart woman.”

  “I’m assuming she chose you for this mission?”

  “Yes. She said she wanted someone she could trust, someone she knew would lay down their life for her family, so she chose me.”

  “I’m glad she chose you,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at Cassandra. “Thank you.”

  She waved the thanks off with a, “Pfft. Think nothing of it. I’m honored that Ivy chose me. Now if we can make it back alive, it might look good on my file.” Cassandra winked, and I laughed before turning around to follow Anjelo.

  And to sink back into my pain.

  ***

  Chapter 24

  The journey back to Illyria’s stony garrison passed in a blur of depression and pain. I fought back tears the whole way, and though there were many moments I wondered why this failure was taking such a huge toll on my confidence, I still wasn’t able to brush it off.

  Being forced to move, to put one foot ahead of the other or be left behind was good enough incentive to prevent me from curling up in a ball and rocking myself to sleep. I was grateful for that at least, because I’d never been the type to feel sorry for myself. Action was always my answer in the face of failure.

  Only this time action was hard for me because my hands were tied. I’d left Mom and Anjelo here in this dull, deadly land and went to save Greer instead. But in the end, that had been a waste of time because Greer had died.

  In my arms.

  Hot tears filled my eyes and I blinked them away. I didn’t want the reminder, but Greer was part of my problem; she was part of this pain I felt, the sense of being useless and a failure.

  I hadn’t realized the line had come to a halt until I walked right smack into
Anjelo’s back. “Sorry,” I said without making any stupid excuses. Both he and Cassandra knew I’d been struggling with my demons this past day, and they’d left me to it for the most part.

  He turned and patted my shoulder then left the line and headed for the gigantic doors where Wren and Illyria were gathered with the other two generals, clearly having an unsatisfactory discussion.

  From a distance, I had to admire the Rebel leader’s attitude, not arrogant or superior, just commanding. Even when speaking to her generals, who were all at least a head taller than her.

  I followed Anjelo and heard Cassandra do the same. Even though it may have seemed rude or presumptuous, I didn’t care. I’d lost my Mom and I needed answers.

  Anjelo was already talking with Illyria and her team when Cassandra and I drew level with them. When the Rebel leader turned to me, the first thing I saw was sympathy. Granted, I didn’t want sympathy, but at least it was better than being told to mind my own business until they were good and ready to talk to me.

  “Kailin. I am truly sorry this has happened. I thought our information was sound.”

  She’d given me the perfect opening. “Do you think your informant has been compromised?”

  Her face fell and I knew she was already considering it a possibility. “Either that or we have a mole within our own regiment.”

  I shook my head. “How would your mole have transferred that information if not physically?”

  Illyria glanced at her men, then back at me. Then she cleared her throat. “In Wrythiin, we have such things as portal reloops. They are like a normal inter-plane portal, only they loop onto each other, like a circle of sorts. It works only between two places and can be generated only by a Wraith with sufficient power.” Illyria cleared her throat, the skin at her eyes tight with anger. “This is the way we communicate with our mole. I do believe our own methods are being used against us.”

  I sighed. “Perhaps you need to test your mole to see if you can trust him. And also your men.”

  She lifted her chin, eyes gazing at me with curiosity. “What do you suggest?”

  I glanced at all three of the generals, including Anjelo, and said, “Perhaps you and I should have a private word?”

  For a moment she hesitated, then looked back at her generals. “No offense to any of you, but I think I will discuss this with the Walker in private.”

  She began to walk toward me with Anjelo in tow, when Wren said, “The Walker did ask for a private word, did she not?”

  We turned around to see him glaring pointedly at Anjelo, whose cheeks went a tiny bit pink, whether with anger or embarrassment I couldn’t tell. He looked at me and I gave a slight nod.

  At first his expression filled with hurt, but then he looked at both Illyria and me, then back at her three generals who stood waiting for his response, and he nodded and stepped toward them.

  The general’s features tightened for a moment, and I wondered if Anjelo had disappointed him by not putting up a fight.

  Too bad.

  Then Illyria and I turned and headed inside the tunnels, leaving Cassandra, Anjelo, and the three generals to their own devices.

  ***

  Seated now in Illyria’s office, I removed my fur cloak and partook of the glass of wine she’d poured. Something stiff and strong that had no effect on my senses, but which I drank because I was thirsty.

  “So tell me what is this plan of yours.”

  “I’m afraid it’s not all that ingenious.” I laughed and set the glass back on the table. “Tell your mole one piece of information, tell your men another, and you should soon find your traitor.”

  Illyria sat back and smiled. She’d been about to sip her wine when I’d spoken and now seemed to have forgotten the drink in her hand. “Now, that is a brilliant idea.”

  I shrugged. “You would have come up with it sooner or later.”

  She frowned at my words, which were true. They would have figured on this very idea soon enough. She gave a slight nod, then said, “Perhaps. But at this time, it is your suggestion and I will do it.”

  She opened her mouth to say more, and I held up my hand. “Oh, and I don’t want to know.”

  Illyria frowned and stared at me, an undecipherable expression on her face. I just met her gaze and said, “It’s best to ensure my word isn’t compromised in the matter either.”

  She nodded again. “You have thought of everything.”

  To that I shook my head. “I don’t believe so. Had I thought of everything, I would now have my mother sitting beside me.”

  Before Illyria could answer, a knock sounded at the door and Lily entered the room.

  “Oh, Kai, I’m so glad you’re back,” she said, throwing her arms around me even while I still remained seated.

  I patted her arm and returned the squeeze. “Yeah, I’m back and still in one piece.”

  Then she gasped. “Yes, Anjelo told me you almost drowned in that lake. And your mom? I’m so sorry, Kai.”

  I smiled reassuringly at her. “It’s okay, Lily. We just have to keep looking.”

  When I looked back at the Rebel leader, I wondered if she would be annoyed at Lily’s barging into the room uninvited. Instead, I found her smiling at the lynx Walker, who said, “Thanks for sending for me.” She smiled shyly at Illyria before turning to me. “I’ll wait outside. Sorry for crashing in here like that.”

  “No, we’re done. I think?” I glanced back at Illyria, giving her a questioning glance.

  A smile curved at her lips and she got to her feet and said, “I will walk you out. I need to get this business moving. And, Kailin, I want you to know I have sent out all my feelers, probed all my contacts to try and discover where your mother has been taken. If she is in Wrythiin, we will head out the moment we hear of her location.”

  She held her hand out in the more human handshake, and I took it. I smiled at her, grateful for whatever she could do for me. Finding my mother was the most important thing right now.

  And as I walked with Lily, listening to her chattering away, I realized why I’d been so upset with myself for failing to find Mom. Because finding her was my job. It was up to me and only me. I couldn’t put the responsibility on anyone else’s shoulders, nor would I want to.

  I was the only one capable, the only one with the necessary skills and abilities, and one of the few people with something to lose. And I believed that was a deadly combination.

  And a combination that could have no other result but success.

  I’d find my mom or die trying

  ***

  I went to the room we’d been assigned and threw down my satchel and my cloaks. Despite Illyria’s assurances that she was looking for Mom, I sank back into a state of sadness. But it didn’t last long.

  The room was cold and I dove under the covers fully clothed and tried to get some warmth back into my icy body. A little while later, Anjelo and Lily arrived with food, the same unappealing mush as the last time, but now I knew it actually tasted a lot better than it looked.

  “Thanks,” I said as I sat up. I was so hungry I just about breathed in the food, and too soon the bowl was empty and all the bread gone. I sighed, although I wasn’t fully sated. “That was good. Thanks for thinking of me, you guys.”

  “We suspected you wouldn’t be in the mood for company,” said Anjelo with a shrug. He tried to appear calm, but I could see the concern in his face. Concern for me.

  I studied his face for any sign that he was hurt by what I’d done earlier. Finding nothing, I said, “I’m sorry about before.”

  “Before?” He stared at me, frowning. Then his expression cleared. “Oh, you mean the thing with Illyria and the generals.” When I nodded, he said, “I totally understood why you did that. So what was your idea?”

  “I told her I thought she should try to trick the mole or informant into passing the wrong information.”

  “Brilliant idea.” He nodded, pursing his lips in approval of my plan. “So what is she planning on sa
ying?”

  “I told her not to tell me. She’s meant to tell her mole something and also tell the regiment here something different. That way she can find out where her traitor is.”

  “It won’t be easy, though. How many people is she going to tell different things?”

  “I don’t think she assumed it was going to be an easy task. I’d guess she’d start with testing her mole in Widd’en’s army and her generals, then work down from there.”

  Anjelo nodded and Lily frowned as she contemplated the idea.

  “Hey, Lily, how was it here without us? Everything okay?”

  Lily looked up and smiled. “Yeah, it was fine. Better than I thought it would be. I admit I was pretty scared when you guys left, but Illyria was very nice and kept me with her all the time. I didn’t even need to insist on staying with her. She seemed impressed when I said I wanted something to do that would make me feel useful. She showed me how to read the maps and identify which one is which. She even showed me how she sent her messages to her mole in Widd’en’s army—”

  “She showed you that?” I asked, my mouth hanging open.

  Lily nodded and gave me a sly smile. “I suspect she did that thinking I would reveal how Cassandra called Sentinel for help, but I pretended there was nothing for me to tell. She never asked outright, so I guess she was hoping I would offer the information in good faith.”

  “She must have been disappointed.”

  Lily tilted her head as if it would help her recall the Rebel leader’s behavior. “If she was, she certainly didn’t show it. She just continued as if nothing had happened. Kept teaching me stuff, even arranged for one of her guards to start sparring with me. She said I should be well trained just in case.”

  “Okay,” I said, curious as to why Illyria had kept Lily so close. I had assumed she’d be after Sentinel’s communication method, but she hadn’t even asked Lily for it. “Maybe Illyria wasn’t up to anything, then.”

  “Disappointed?” asked Anjelo almost triumphantly. He’d backed the Rebel leader’s honesty all along, and now it seemed her actions proved she was as trustworthy as he’d thought.