by Helene Gadot
I blink memories away and focus back on the present. “Eh?”
Archer’s lips twitch. “What the hell were you thinking about that you just missed the rest of our conversation?”
“Tahira and my grandmother meeting.”
Archer rears back, horror on his face at the thought. “Oh, hell no. We can’t ever let that happen. They might actually burn the world down.”
Sterling shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe we should aim them at the humans and let them terrify them into submission.”
Archer shakes his head. “It’s not worth the chance. They’ll drive us crazy before we can hope for that.”
I check the watch I was for some reason allowed to keep. “Time to go. Let’s see if this actually works.”
While I trust Dara completely, my stomach still clenches as we attempt to act nonchalant on our trip back to the stone stairs leading up to the locked door. Thankfully, the stairs are tucked away into an alcove, not visible from the rest of the dungeon, so we’re in the clear so far.
Now, we need to figure out how we’re going to make it past the locked hatch.
Sterling gestures for Archer and I to go first, armed with some tree branch he’s found somewhere to use as a weapon.
He’s started a pile of different odds and ends in our cell we can use as possible defense.
Always so ready and determined to watch our backs.
I blink away the memories trying to distract me, my heart swelling as I remember all the times Sterling has saved our lives. He may be a gruff asshole, but he’ll do anything to protect those he loves.
Archer grins down at me when the hatch pushes open without a problem, even the rusted squeal of the hinges not ratting us out as we pull ourselves from the hole in the ground.
It’s a moonless night, the scent of the upcoming rain swelling the air, keeping everything dark for us, the perfect circumstances for sneaking.
Archer closes the hatch once Sterling’s through and we stay low as we cross the yard past the garden to the fence with the least amount of surveillance.
They really should’ve put one more watchtower over here.
Dara picked the perfect day to find us and set up a meeting right in the middle of the guards spending their night celebrating and indulging and forcing our mate to act as their singing and dancing monkey.
Maybe she’s been here for a few days, observing the way this place works, so she knew tonight was the best time for this.
As soon as we’re in position, she emerges from the shadows, speaking a word too low for me to hear it, and the shadows spread to cover us in darkness, shielding us from being caught.
Damn, it’s wonderful to see her face.
“About time you found us.” Archer shoots her his signature wink.
Dara snorts. “I already got it from Sterling’s glare earlier today. We don’t have much time.”
I look over my shoulder, but see only darkness. “What’s the plan? This is the wrong prison. The entire mission here is useless.”
She nods. “I have an idea to make it not quite so pointless in you ending up here.”
“What idea is that?” Sterling asks, suspicious clear in his tone.
Dara grins. “You’re going to lead a complete prison break.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Archer
MY JAW DROPS AT DARA’S proclamation. Her devious mind is something special. I have missed it so.
I rub my hands together with a grin. “We’re going to what?”
A prison break sounds like the perfect plan to get my revenge on everyone here who’s hurt my mate or Sterling.
Dara grins back at me. “It’ll get you three out of here without raising any flags about you in particular. You’ll just be part of the crowd who escaped. It’ll keep your covers intact.”
Gavyn nods. “And taking down an entire prison could be a crippling strike against them.’’
My grin widens. “And free a lot of Arcanes.”
Her plan keeps sounding better and better.
Gavyn should consider handing over some of the responsibility that’s burying him to her. She’s proving to be excellent at it.
Sterling taps his bottom lip with his finger. “All of whom could decide to join us.”
I swing around to scowl at the unicorn. “That’s not the reason we should do it.”
He shrugs, unrepentant. “We’re at war. All our decisions have to be what’s best for the cause.”
I raise a brow. “Like our decision to take Allegra and her friends with us?”
Our decision to break her out was never about what’s best for the cause or the war. As important as our mission is, not every single decision we make has to have anything to do with the rebellion.
We’re allowed to be at least a little selfish occasionally.
Dara jerks back, her eyes widening. “What’s this?”
Sterling sighs, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “Our fucking mate is here.”
Her jaw drops as she looks back and forth between us. “All of yours?”
Gavyn nods. “Yeah.”
She huffs a short laugh. “Shit.”
I snort. “Pretty much.”
Under the circumstances, I can’t be thrilled over it like I wish I could. But I can’t regret it like the other two either. I just keep hoping for a better option to present itself. One where we don’t stash her away and leave her behind to start a happy and boring and safe life with her handsome jinn.
Dara clears her throat, pulling at the sleeves of her sweater. “Then this plan is definitely a better one than just trying to get you guys out.”
“How exactly are we going to manage a prison break?” Gavyn asks.
Dara’s gaze sweeps the grounds behind us. “If you can get me a mage who is pretty powerful, between the two of us we should be able to release all the collars at the same time.”
The three of us exchange a glance.
Gavyn’s lips twitch. “We’ve got the perfect person for you.”
“Excellent. Plan a diversion at the same time, anything you can come up with that might disable or trap them, just to give everyone a few minutes to adjust.”
Whatever diversion we choose, I hope it’s violent.
Maybe we could light the doctor’s torture shack on fire.
With him inside it.
“I have a few ideas. We can definitely handle that.” Sterling crosses his bulging arms, violence dancing in his purple eyes.
“They may need more than a few minutes,” Gavyn warns. “Most of the people here haven’t been in touch with their arcane sides in years.”
“Then you better come up with a damn good diversion. I can’t do everything from out here.” Dara huddles deeper into her sweater as the wind picks up.
“Should we warn people?” I ask.
Dara shakes her head with a grimace. “Only if you trust them. We can’t take the chance they’ll go to the guards with the information. And the less people who know you’re involved in the breakout the better.”
“We have to tell Allegra. Especially since we’re involving Tahira.” I won’t budge on this.
I’ve barely gotten a chance to speak to her since we arrived here, but I’ve witnessed enough to know she’s trustworthy.
Gavyn thankfully nods without argument. “And there’s no way she’ll betray us. Besides, this plan will be the one she’ll agree to without arguing.”
We’ve been concerned after watching her these past days that she’d refuse to leave anyone behind. She’s too soft-hearted even when the other prisoners treat her like shit, always trying to help everyone else.
This plan definitely works for everyone.
“What about our original mission? Did they send someone else?” Gavyn’s voice hardens.
He especially will be furious if he doesn’t get to handle that mission personally.
Dara shakes her head. “No. We’re working out here to try again. But if you get caught and outed as a resista
nce member and not just Arcanes on the run, we may have to give this plan up.”
Gavyn’s jaw clenches and his hands curl into fists. “No. We have to do it. We have to take him out. It took us almost a year to figure out where he disappeared to.”
“We’ll get you out of here and then back home to try again. What are you going to do about your mate?” Dara’s lips purse like she tastes something sour.
Dara has real issues with matings. Her mother’s mate was an abusive prick who killed her and then himself, leaving her an orphan.
Finding her mate is her worst nightmare.
Quite similarly to Gavyn.
“Can you set up a safe house? Something nowhere near HQ and preferably in the middle of nowhere so she doesn’t get scooped up again?” Gavyn asks.
I still hate this plan, but I stay quiet for now.
Though I’m quite curious to see what our mate has to say about all the plans we’re making on her behalf.
Gavyn can’t help himself. He has to feel like he’s in control of something and ever since we were scooped up and sent to the wrong prison, everything has been completely off the rails.
Dara rears back in shock, clutching her sweater. “You don’t want to take her home with you and get her settled there?”
Sterling snorts. “In the hotbed of the resistance? No. We’re not accepting the mate bond anyway.”
Dara rubs at her temples, muttering to herself under her breath. “We don’t have time to unpack the insanity in that statement right now. We’ve already been talking too long. I’ll get that going for you, but it’ll take some time. For now, you three get the mage on board, make whatever plans you need to with your mate, and figure out something for a diversion. I’ll signal you when I return and we’ll meet again to finalize the details. I’m sorry I can’t get you out today, but if you want to try again at the other prison, you’re stuck here.”
Gavyn nods. “It’s fine. We can handle another week.”
“Are you sure about this? I can slip you out of here right now if you want to give up the plan?” She seems hesitant to leave us here.
I don’t blame her. This place is hell and I wouldn’t be able to leave her or the other fellows here either.
Gavyn’s eyes go cold. “No. I want that prick dead. And whether we accept the bond or not, we’re not leaving our mate behind.”
Dara sighs. “Hang in there then. I’ll be in touch.”
“What the hell is going on here?” A stern voice rings out behind us.
My eyes widen as we spin to see a guard with Allegra and Zakar standing there.
The fucking moon came out and we didn’t notice, banishing the shadows Dara cast over us.
Shit.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Allegra
I CAN’T QUITE UNDERSTAND what it is I’m seeing, the shadows are so thick around my mates, causing them to flicker in and out, it’s hard to see what they’re doing.
At first, I thought I was imagining things, but the guard shouting at them proved I’m not losing my senses.
But whatever they’re doing, they’re certainly not supposed to be outside the dungeon.
And the guard is witnessing it.
My heart races, thudding hard in my chest. They’re going to get themselves killed.
Or at the very least, whipped and shoved in those damn cages.
How’d they even get out of the dungeon?
Zak and I follow as the guard marches towards them.
The three males turn their backs on the fence and stand shoulder to shoulder in a line, like they’re trying to hide whatever or whomever is behind them.
“Are you trying to escape?” The guard barks the question as he stomps across the yard.
I glance behind us, checking for any other guards, but for the moment, we’re alone.
And we outnumber this one guard who hasn’t seemed to yet realize the danger he’s in.
Archer holds his hands up in the air, stepping forward, a bullshit innocent expression on his face. “Of course not.”
The guard rests his hand on the handle of his whip, finally showing a little intelligence. “Then what do you think you’re doing out here by the fence?”
Archer glances back at his friends, before taking another step forward, accepting all the attention for himself. “Looking for help, but we got turned around.”
I search the ground for any kind of weapon I can use to handle this problem.
Based on the way my nightingale and I reacted when Sterling had a slight limp, I’m terrified to see what we’ll do if we have to see all three of them whipped.
Or worse.
I won’t stand by as another mate of mine dies, whether we’re bonded or not.
This place won’t take anyone else from me.
No matter what I have to do to keep them alive.
Why can’t I find a sharp stick or a tree branch when I need one?
Wait. There.
A fist-sized rock.
That’ll do quite nicely.
With all of the guard’s attention on Archer, I drag my steps so I fall behind and bend to scoop it up in my hand.
Zak widens his eyes at me behind the guard’s back, but I shake my head. He nods and clears his throat, moving over to walk in front of me, helping to hide my weapon.
The guard stops in front of the vampire, widening his stance, narrowing his eyes, not buying Archer’s blustering for a second. “What kind of help?”
Archer blinks slowly at him, ignoring Zak and I completely. “Medical. Someone downstairs was having some kind of strange fit.”
The guard raises a brow. “Really?”
I clench my hand tighter around the rock, readying myself to strike. I just need Archer to keep his attention for a little bit longer.
“Enough of this.” A growling voice at my side makes me leap into the air, barely keeping a hold on my rock.
Sterling materializes behind the guard out of nowhere, all of us too focused on Archer to pay attention to what Archer was doing.
Before he could call out or grab his whip, Sterling grabs the sides of his head and snaps his neck, releasing the guard so he drops to the ground in a sad, awkward pile.
Guess I won’t need the rock after all.
Gavyn groans, rubbing his forehead with the heel of his palm as he pushes past Archer to stare down at the body. “What the hell was that?”
Sterling shrugs. “He wasn’t going to believe that bullshit and if he did, it’d be obvious we were lying once he went down there.”
“But what are we going to do with him now?” Gavyn throws his hands up in the air.
“I’ll take care of it. I can float him over the fence and hide the body.”
I jump again at the voice coming from beyond the fence.
The shadows part and a beautiful creature emerges from the darkness. She’s got dark bronze skin, her hair black as the shadows surrounding her, deep brown flickering with a mix of amusement and fear.
Who is she?
And why are my mates meeting with such a lovely mage in the middle of the night.
Something unfamiliar and ugly churns in my stomach. Something that has nothing to do with the sudden violence or the dead body at my feet.
Gavyn spits out a frustrated curse. “And when they want to know where he is and the last person to see him was our mate?”
Being finally acknowledged and brought into the conversation makes me flinch. The confusion of the night has me even more skittish than usual.
I want to hurry this along before someone comes looking for him. And the quicker this is handled, the quicker I have answers for what’s going on here.
“I’ll tell them he locked us in and that’s the last thing we know. They won’t expect us to have done anything to him. They wouldn’t believe we even could.”
Gavyn blows out a loud breath, visible in the frigid air. “It better work.”
“It’ll be fine. But we should hurry up before we get caught stan
ding over his body. There won’t be any explaining away that.”
Archer steps closer to me, his brows furrowed in concern as he looks me up and down. “You’re handling this awfully well.”
I finally drop the rock and let it fall to the ground with a thump. It rolls over to land next to the guard’s hand.
“There wasn’t really another option unless you all want to end up like those guys.” I gesture towards the cages.
A couple of the Arcanes trapped in them are watching, but most of them are barely conscious if at all.
“Are they going to tell?” Archer asks.
I shake my head, my lips pulling down at the corners. “They don’t know what’s real and what’s a dream right now.”
I tear my attention away, my throat working as I fight back tears. Zakar moves in closer, always so sensitive to my moods and needs. He slides a hand down my back, wordlessly letting me know he’s here.
Archer’s eyes are shrewd as he studies me. “Speaking from experience?”
My nod is short and shallow as I shift on my feet. “Yes.”
“We need to talk more about what you saw. Who you saw.” Archer glances over his shoulder at the pretty woman who’s whispering back and forth with Gavyn by the fence.
I’m glad they’re at least planning to explain things without it turning into a fight. Though I’m a little nervous at what they’re going to tell me about the mysterious mage.
“First, we need to get back in the dungeon before they come looking for him.”
Archer nods and turns back to his friends. “Dara? You got this?”
The guard’s body floats into the air in response. My jaw drops and I stumble back a few steps as I watch my first really impressive feat of magic.
Her body flies over the fence and ends up crumpled on the ground at the strange mage’s feet.
“All of you, come closer.” Her words and tone are a sharp command as biting as the cold air.
We all obey, even Zakar and I, unable to ignore her order.
From up close, she’s even more beautiful. The green plush coat forming to her trim body, her lips painted red. I tug at the lewd red dress, feeling ridiculous, like a child playing dress-up compared to her curves. She’d look a lot better in a gown like this than I do.
