by Tina Folsom
As Aiden made a motion to follow his friends who assisted Pearce in negotiating the stairs, he heard a sound coming from the corridor leading to the portal.
He turned and saw Logan and Enya come toward them. He waited for them.
“We dropped off Deirdre with the council guards and came as fast as we could,” Logan announced.
Aiden gave both a grave look. “Leila is gone. Finlay took her; he’s the traitor.”
“Shit!” Logan exclaimed.
“Well, let’s go trace them and ambush him,” Enya said and headed for the stairs.
Aiden felt the hopelessness of the situation crash over him once more. “We have no way of tracing Finlay. He’s left his cell behind.”
To his surprise, Enya grinned.
“What the—?”
“Just as well that I lent her my jeans then.”
Confusion roiled through him, but before he could voice it, Enya put a hand on his forearm.
“No offense, but I didn’t trust her, so I put a tracker into one of the metal buttons on the jeans. If she’s still wearing them, we’ll find her.”
He didn’t believe his ears at first, but when the words sank in, he couldn’t help but hug his compound mate until she pushed against him, wanting to be released.
“You can let me down now!”
He let go of her and took a steadying breath. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
Enya grumbled under her breath. “It’s not by groping me, that’s for sure. Try that again, and you’ll find my dagger in your gut.”
At any other time, Aiden would have started a fight with Enya about what was considered a friendly hug and what constituted a grope, but at this moment he couldn’t care less. His thoughts were with Leila, the only woman he wanted to touch for the rest of his life.
THIRTY-SIX
The sun had already set when Finlay had kidnapped her from the compound, but after hurtling through the portal and emerging at the other end, Leila saw the glow of late afternoon sun. It had to mean that they were somewhere on the West Coast. The portal behind them was hidden in a hillside, heavy brush disguising its location. Looking down the hill, Leila noticed the trees surrounding them: mostly pine trees, mixed with other varietals she didn’t recognize. She inhaled, taking in the dry air. While it was still warm, it wasn’t humid, another indication that her captor had transported her to the West Coast rather than the South or East. California, if she had to guess.
“Let’s go, no time for sightseeing,” Finlay ordered gruffly and clamped his hand harder around her upper arm.
“Where are we going?”
“Meeting your new master,” he snarled and tugged on her arm, dragging her down a dirt path.
“Please, why are you doing this?”
“You would never understand! Humans are so small-minded when it comes to the important things in life. Your brain can’t comprehend the grand things I’m planning for this world.”
Leila snorted. “Grand? You’re planning to destroy humanity. There’s nothing grand about that.”
He tugged at her arm, yanking her toward him. “You have no idea what I’m planning. This will be a brave new world with an order that gets things done, not your stupid little democracies that fight among each other. Your idiotic political parties that can’t agree on anything. No! My new order will make things right.”
“You mean tyranny.”
“Call it what you will, but only a strong ruler with absolute power can make a difference. You’re just too brainwashed to see that.”
“It will never work,” she spat.
He slapped the back of his hand over her cheek, whipping her head to the side.
“Enough. You’re just a human. I told you you wouldn’t understand.”
Then he turned and dragged her with him.
As they hiked down the mountain and through the forest that surrounded it, Leila couldn’t help but think about the mistakes she’d made. Had she not lied to Aiden about the data in the pendant, this might never have happened. He would have had no reason to go after the demons to get it back and would have been at the compound to protect her instead.
But there was no use crying over spilled milk. The damage was done; now all she could do was put an end to it. No help was coming. By the time Aiden even noticed her disappearance, she would already be in the clutches of the demons. How long would she be able to fight against their mental influence? Or would they torture her physically this time to get what they wanted? Would they hurt her so much that she would give away the secret in the pendant only so they would stop?
She shuddered at the thought. She had promised Aiden and herself that she wouldn’t betray him, but could she actually keep this promise? Was she strong enough?
The longer they walked through the woods, the grimmer her mood turned. She had to face the facts: she was a coward when it came to physical and mental pain, and the demons would apply both to get what they wanted from her. She would crack. It was only a matter of time.
A silent sob worked itself up from her gut into her throat. She clamped her mouth shut so it couldn’t escape. She had to be brave.
The hike through the forest took over an hour. When they cleared it, they reached what looked like a deserted parking lot, if she could trust her eyes. The sun had set during their march, and it was now pitch black. Out in the countryside were no street lights, and only the stars provided the tiniest of illumination on the moonless night.
Undeterred, Finlay pushed her forward where a hut of some sort stood out against the darkness. A faint light on its outside illuminated a board. As her captor dragged her past it, she quickly tried to read the notice. All she could catch was Mercer Caverns and a list of times and prices. Frantically, she searched her memory. Somewhere she’d heard that name before. She knew she’d never been here before, but at the same time the name sounded familiar.
But she had no time to think about it further, her feet so tired by now that she stumbled more than walked as Finlay led her past what seemed like an entrance, then wedged himself between two bushes and pulled her with him. Branches swiped her, getting caught in her jacket. She heard a ripping sound as he pulled her into the thick without stopping. Then one branch grazed her face, making her cry out, its ends catching in her hair, tangling it. She jolted backwards.
“Don’t stop!” he ordered and dragged her with him.
She felt strands of her hair being ripped from her scalp, driving tears into her eyes. But she didn’t dare cry out again.
A moment later, what sounded like an old rickety wooden door was opened, and she was shoved inside. Behind her, Finlay bolted it. A strong musty smell greeted her, and the residual warmth that had held off the cold of the night while they were outside had disappeared. It was noticeably colder in here, almost as if she’d stepped into a refrigerator. Before her was a dark void—no light penetrated.
When she heard some shuffling and then a match being lit, she turned and watched Finlay light a torch. As the flame grew, it illuminated the dark space ahead. Had she come here under other circumstances, she would have stood there in utter admiration and awe, but as it was, her surroundings only added to her uneasiness.
In front of her was a staircase that led down into the cavern, but the light reached far enough for her to see what was ahead: beautiful formations of stalactites and stalagmites, reflecting back to her in a multitude of colors and shapes, glistening as even now they produced more layers over their magnificent forms. She’d seen a TV program about these caverns once. That’s why the name had been so familiar. She remembered it well now, because she’d been so fascinated about this small wonder, how nature had been able to create such beautiful caves.
“Walk!” Finlay ordered.
There was only one way, and she knew from the TV program that there was no exit down there. She tried to recall the layout of the caverns and seemed to remember that there were three shafts going down. It appeared that Finlay had decided not to take the cave e
ntrance the tourists frequented, but an older side entrance that was now defunct. Eventually, two of the shafts would meet deep underground. Not that this would help her at all. While she couldn’t escape back up where she’d come from, the chances of escaping up the second shaft once she reached it were equally unrealistic. Finlay was a Cloak Warrior, and after seeing Hamish and Aiden fight, she knew how fast their kind was. Their speed was preternatural. She would never be able to outrun him. Or the demons.
As the stairs ended and turned into smoothly carved out walkways, they passed formation after formation, each more beautiful than the last. As the path widened, the cave split, and they entered the branch on the right. The light from Finlay’s torch reflected on the walls and painted dancing shadows on it, creating different colors.
“That way,” he demanded and pointed his hand toward another dark path beyond the cave. It felt like a tunnel when she stepped into it, and her claustrophobia surfaced at the notion that this place could collapse while she was in it. Her heartbeat accelerated, and her breath became irregular. Her palms coated themselves with dampness, and her knees began to shake.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“Go!” he barked from behind her, his hand nudging her forward, not at all gently.
She had no choice but to continue. Her hands guiding her along the wall, she walked forward, one foot in front of the other, as she tried to breathe normally, hoping to chase away the fear that gripped her. It seemed to take an eternity until she finally cleared the tunnel and stepped into another branch of the cave. She stopped, hoping to rest now, but Finlay pushed on, leading her farther down the branch.
Would this never end?
They reached a massive gymnasium-size room, the ceiling at least two stories high. From above, stalactites descended in various shapes, sizes and colors, and below, from an abyss in the center of the cave, stalagmites pointed upwards like spikes as sharp as swords. Instinctively, she pulled back from the edge. If someone fell down there, the spikes would impale them like a pig on a spit.
“Sit!”
Leila turned to Finlay and saw him pointing to a spot next to a rounded formation. Hesitantly, she went there and followed his order. She watched him walk to an indentation in one of the cave walls and dipped his torch into it. As soon as it touched the little hole, the flame traveled outwards to both its sides, running a ring around the entire cave. Looking more closely, she saw the ridge that was carved into the stone and ran the entire circumference of the huge room. She guessed that it was filled with oil or some other flammable liquid.
The place was suddenly bathed in subdued light.
“What happens now?”
Finlay looked at her, his eyes shimmering in a low green light. “We’re waiting for the demons to arrive.”
She could only assume that lighting the fire had alerted the demons to their presence.
THIRTY-SEVEN
The signal from Leila’s tracker had led them to Northern California, a tourist destination named Mercer Caverns, a collection of caves that ran deep underground, filled with rock formations created by nature over millions of years, thanks to the mineral-rich rocks and underground flowing water.
Under cover of darkness, Aiden directed his colleagues toward the main entrance, examining the locking mechanism. It was untouched.
“He must have taken Leila in another way,” he said to nobody in particular.
Behind him, Hamish grunted. “Doesn’t matter. Once we have her, we’ll figure out which way to get her out. If need be, Logan can always break the door open later.”
“Right,” Logan confirmed.
Aiden turned back to them. In addition to Logan and Hamish, Manus and Enya were with them. Pearce had to stay at the compound, unable to move. Besides, he had to give them a constant update of Leila’s position in case she was moved again. In the meantime Pearce had also alerted Aiden’s father who was on his way. Jay, one of their other compound mates, had been pulled off his assignment and was going to meet up with Barclay, then join Aiden and the others at Mercer Caverns to provide more manpower.
“Let’s go,” Aiden ordered.
“We should wait for the others,” Enya cautioned. “You don’t know how many demons Finlay is meeting with. We might be outnumbered.”
“We can’t risk waiting any longer. The demons can show any moment if they haven’t already. And if they take her to the underworld, not even the tracker will help us.” Aiden would never allow this. He was so close to getting her back, there was no way he’d let this opportunity slip through his fingers just because they might be unevenly matched against the demons.
“Fine,” Hamish agreed.
“Then let’s move.”
One after one, they passed through the entrance and moved into the dark interior. Aiden smelled the damp air, the mustiness, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Not paying the natural beauty of the caverns any attention as he moved downward into the belly of the earth, he kept his senses sharp and alert, ready to cloak himself from everybody’s eyes, even the Cloak Warriors’ behind him, should they encounter any demons or the traitor.
His hand tested for his weapons, making sure they still were where he’d stashed them: one dagger in each boot, two at his belt, and a sword in his right hand.
The descent was a long and winding one. As soon as they reached the first branch of the cave, they scanned their surroundings. It was empty. Slowly, they moved forward along the carved out path that led them through the labyrinth. Nobody spoke, knowing their voices would echo and give them away.
Aiden felt his heart beat faster with every step. He didn’t like the silence. What if it meant they were already too late? He tried to block the frightening thought from his mind. No, he would save her. She was here somewhere.
A hand on his shoulder stopped his progress. Then he felt Hamish’s mouth at his ear and saw his hand stretching past him.
“There. Light.”
Aiden nodded and edged forward toward the next cavern, holding his hand up to his friends to indicate they should wait for him. Then he reached for his power and cloaked himself.
In his invisible state, he approached and reached the edge of the walkway as it opened up to a large room. It was much bigger than the one before and illuminated by a ring of fire burning along the wall. His eyes instantly honed in on the two figures near one wall. Leila was sitting propped against a stone formation, while Finlay stood a few feet from her, scanning his surroundings, clearly waiting for somebody: the demons.
Aiden let his eyes run over Leila’s body. As she lifted her head now, he noticed a red bruise on one side of her neck. His hands clenched into fists, wanting to beat Finlay to pulp for having harmed her. But he refrained from following his urge. Satisfied that Leila was otherwise uninjured, he rushed back in silence.
He uncloaked himself when he reached his friends. They huddled around him.
“Finlay is there with Leila. Both are at the right wall, two o’clock. We’ll go in cloaked. Surround them. It’s a circular room. Enya, Manus, use the pathway on the left, make a loop; Logan stay at the entrance to block him from escaping. Hamish, you and I take the path to the right. Once I’m close enough to touch Leila I’ll give you a signal, we’ll uncloak, then attack Finlay.”
“No,” Hamish whispered back.
Aiden gave him a sharp look.
“We need to wait for the demons. If you attack now, the demons might smell a rat and not show,” Hamish continued.
“I don’t care!” Aiden bit back below his breath. They could always get the demons later. His first priority was getting Leila to safety.
“Think about it, Aiden. They’re coming for her. It’s our best chance of them coming close enough so we can snatch them. They’re our ticket into the underworld. We’ll get one of them and we can get in and find the pendant.”
Aiden contemplated Hamish’s idea. He’d thought the same at first, but seeing Leila sitting there in the damp cave, he couldn’t help but
wish for this to be over fast.
“Hamish is right,” Logan said quietly. “We’ll never have such a great opportunity again.”
Aiden closed his eyes for a moment. Could he take this risk? Did he have a right to use Leila as bait to get to the demons? His heart screamed ‘no’ in the loudest of voices, but logic dictated otherwise. He knew this was the best chance they would ever have to catch the demons unawares.
Slowly, reluctantly, he nodded. “But we’ll still go in cloaked now and wait with them.”
“Agreed.”
“Positions?” Enya asked.
“Station yourselves in a circle close to the cavern walls. Logan at 6 o’clock, Enya at 9, Manus at 11, Hamish at 12. I’ll be at 4 o’clock. It’s the closest we can get to Finlay and Leila, otherwise Finlay might sense us despite our cloaked state. Nobody attacks until they hear my command. Understood?”
All nodded, then lined up on the walkway, a safe distance between them.
“Cloak now,” he ordered and his friends disappeared in front of his eyes.
***
The wait seemed to stretch forever even though Aiden’s watch indicated that only a few minutes had passed before he finally heard a sound. He watched as Finlay’s ears perked up too.
Relieved that the wait was over, Aiden gripped his sword tighter and scanned the room for the spot where the demons would appear.
Without warning, a shockwave pushed him back, knocking him against a limestone formation. Black fog rose before him, blocking his direct line of sight to where Leila sat.
Shit! He realized instantly that the demons had thrown up a vortex right in front of him, and he was caught at the back of it, cut off from reaching Leila. Panic roared through him. He couldn’t step through the demons’ portal, knowing that it could hurtle him into the underworld instead. While that was the ultimate plan to get Leila’s research data back, he would only do so once she was safe.
Frantic, he pushed past the edges of the vortex, trying desperately not to connect with it as he slid along the wall. His hand slipped on the damp stone he was grasping, and his body jolted forward. His arm and shoulder dove into the black fog, the iciness shocking him to the core.
