by Keri Arthur
The cut on my leg was quite deep and bleeding profusely. Though I wanted, with every inch of my being, to do nothing more than find Luc, I needed to tend to my wounds first. Me bleeding to death wouldn’t help either of us.
I swung my backpack off and pulled out the medical kit. After pouring a vial of the sanctified water over the worst of the wounds, I sprayed Mo’s antiseptic sealer onto them and then wrapped bandages around the wound on my thigh and the deep cut on my head—more to help keep the sealer intact than anything else.
I carefully picked my way through the rubble and paused at the tunnel’s entrance. It was partially blocked by a pile of earth, stone, and wood, but the pale light revealed pockets of emptiness beyond it. Despite what it had felt like, not all of the tunnel had collapsed. Some timber still stood. Hopefully, that meant Luc might yet be alive …
I mentally crossed all things, then very carefully climbed up the rubble pile and squeezed through the gap at the top. After half sliding, half stepping down the other side, I paused again at the bottom and swept the light around. There was another partial blockage twenty or so feet away.
“Luc?” I said softly. “You there?”
No answer came. I thrust fear away and carefully walked on. Dirt rained from the ceiling, and the multitude of creaks and groans suggested the tunnel remained unstable. It didn’t matter; until I knew what had happened to Luc, I wasn’t going anywhere.
I reached the second blockage. This time, the left-side support had given way, but it had jammed hard against the roof beam that rested on the debris pile to the right, and the combination had basically stopped a full collapse. There was a triangular gap between the two beams, so I shone the light through and caught sight of a booted foot.
A moving booted foot.
He was alive. My heart leapt, even though I had no idea yet of the state he was in or how injured he might be. He could move, and that, right now, was a good start.
“Luc?” I said. “You need to answer me. I need to know what the situation is like in there before I can do anything to help.”
Silence stretched for several seconds, and then, his voice raw and somewhat croaky, he said, “I’m alive. Bleeding and bruised, but alive.”
“If you were dead and still talking, I’d be hightailing it out of here. Zombies aren’t my thing.”
“Well, that puts Shaun of the Dead out of the running for a possible date night in.” His foot disappeared and, a few grunts later, his dirt-grimed, bruised, and bloody face appeared. “Is there a way out of this hell hole, or is the exit blocked?”
“If you can make it through this gap, we should be right.”
He eyed the two beams dubiously. “We might need something to prop the edge of that top beam up—if any of the supporting dirt moves, the whole thing will cave in.”
I hesitated. “There’s a beam near the exit that might be the right size. Wait here.”
I rose and made my way back down the tunnel. After sliding back down the rubble, I took off my jacket, looped one sleeve around the end of the broken beam and tied it off, and then began the difficult task of hauling it back up the slope. By the time I got it into the tunnel, sweat poured down my cheeks and my head was pounding so bad my vision was going in and out of focus.
If I didn’t have concussion, I’d be damned surprised.
I dragged the beam down the tunnel. By the time I got back, I seriously felt like throwing up.
“You’re not looking too great,” Luc said, concern evident in his expression and voice.
“That’s because I don’t feel all that great.” I propped the flashlight against the wall and then shoved the beam into the gap. “But let’s get you out of here before we worry about anything else.”
It took a bit of effort and a whole lot of swearing on my part, but we eventually got the beam upright and in place.
“That should do the trick,” he said. “But keep well clear, just in case this doesn’t work and the whole thing comes down.”
I nodded and retreated, but kept the light centered on the gap. He might be able to see in the dark, but in a case like this it was always better to be safer than sorry. He turned on his side and, using one arm and the force of his legs for momentum, inched his way through the gap. Dirt continued to rain down, but our makeshift brace held.
Once out, he rolled into a sitting position. There was a deep gash across his forehead and another down his left arm, but unless there were internal injuries, he’d come out of the collapse better than I had.
He accepted my offered hand and rose but didn’t immediately release me. Instead, he tugged me close and brushed his lips ever so sweetly across mine. It felt like he was branding me.
Felt like heaven.
“If we weren’t still in such a precarious situation,” he murmured, his breath so warm against my mouth and his jade eyes glowing with heat, “I’d kiss you more thoroughly.”
“What about the whole ethics thing?”
“They’ll survive a kiss.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “I might not.”
“You’re made of sterner stuff than that.” He released me. In the flashlight’s fading glow, the strength of his desire was very evident. But that was no real surprise; it was well enough documented that a heightened sex drive was often the result of a near-death experience. I just had to hope that it lasted past us getting out of here and remained strong enough to perhaps delete those ethics of his. Otherwise, I could foresee a number of sleepless nights in my future.
We carefully made our way back through the tunnel and down the rubble pile. Once we were well clear, I grabbed the pack and pulled out the first aid kit.
“Here, you might want to use this on that arm—” I stopped, my gaze snapping toward the jagged tunnel entrance. Though the faint sound wasn’t repeated, unease prickled up my spine. “Was that a voice coming from outside? Or am I just overly jumpy right now?”
“It might just be a nearby resident out for his daily stroll, but I doubt we can take that risk—”
“Not given how thoroughly we sprang their trap.”
“Yeah. I’ll go investigate. You move over to that large stalagmite and turn off the flashlight.”
Once I had, the shadows stole him from sight. I crossed my arms and shifted my weight from one foot to the other but couldn’t find a position that didn’t make various bits ache. He reappeared a few minutes later—something I heard rather than saw, as the shadows remained around him.
“We have a serious problem.”
“How many problems are we talking about?”
“Five, one of whom is a Chen.”
To clear the fallen earth, obviously. “They got here rather fast, didn’t they? I mean, we haven’t been in here that long—”
“We’ve been here for several hours, at least. If the spell on the ring came online when you flew into the tunnel, they’d have had plenty of time to get here.”
“Great.” I flexed my fingers in a vague effort to ease the tension pulsing through me. It didn’t help. It never did. “Can’t you just spin the daylight around us? Or are they already too close to the tunnel?”
“They’re close, but under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t matter because we could hide in the shadows and wait for them to move deeper into the cliff side. But they’ve brought several bloodhounds with them. Light manipulation doesn’t alter or contain scent.”
“Then we fight it out—it’s five against two, after all. The odds aren’t hugely in their favor.”
Though I couldn’t see his smile in the ink, I felt the warmth of it deep inside. “Never let it be said that the De Montforts aren’t up for a challenge. The only problem here is the fact they’ve also got guns.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah. I think our best option is to split up—”
“No.”
“Gwen, under no circumstances are these bastards to get the crown. In fact, it’s better if they don’t even realize we have it.”
“Ye
s, but—”
“I can draw them away—I can move faster and quicker if I’m not shielding you. Once I’ve pulled them from the entrance, you can fly out and get the crown to safety.”
I hesitated and then nodded. I hated the thought of him being bait, but he was warrior trained and would be far better off without having me to worry about.
“What if they’ve got your bike under watch? And what if only a couple of them chase you?”
“Oh, I guarantee they’ll all chase me.”
There was a savage edge in his tone, and it sent a chill tripping down my spine. It was an odd reminder that no matter how much Mo or I trusted him, we really didn’t know that much about him.
“Where will we meet?”
“Fly home if you can, then call me. I’ll join you there when I’m able.”
I touched his arm to make sure of where he was and then rose up on my toes and dropped a kiss on his cheek. “Be careful.”
He lightly cupped my face and brushed a thumb over my lips. “Oh, I have a kiss yet to claim, and no one and nothing is going to stop me.”
With that, he turned and walked away. There was nothing I could do then but wait.
I didn’t have to do so for long; a scream rent the air, then men were shouting and dogs baying, the sounds swiftly moving away from the tunnel’s entrance.
I remained where I was, listening intently, trying to uncover whether they’d all fled or if one or two had remained behind. But there was no sound other than the increasingly distant cry of the dogs.
I’d have to find out the hard way …
I took a deep breath and then shifted shape. I kept close to the jagged roofline, my gaze on the shadows ahead, looking for movement or any indication that men were out there, waiting to trap a fleeing blackbird …
Sunlight pierced the gloom and cool, fresh air played across my wingtips. Closer and closer I drew … and then I was out, in the open, pumping my wings hard, reaching for the treetops and beyond.
No shout followed me. No magic or gunshot pierced the air in an attempt to bring me down.
Luc had, as promised, drawn them all away.
All but the man whose severed head now lay several feet away from his body.
I hoped Luc wouldn’t face legal consequences for that, but I couldn’t imagine the law would be too impressed with someone running around beheading people, whether or not said people deserved it. He was working with the Preternatural boys, though, so maybe they’d simply come in and clean up the mess. It surely wouldn’t be the first time they’d encountered a situation like this … not when they seemingly worked with the Blackbirds on a semiregular basis.
I circled above the trees for a few seconds, uncertain where to go. As much as I ached to go home, instinct said that wasn’t the wisest option right now. Whether or not the dark forces realized we’d stolen the crown from under their noses, they were certainly aware that I was working with Luc, and our building would be the first place they checked. But if not home, where?
Though I didn’t really know, my first action had to be getting well away from the immediate area. I swooped around and headed in the opposite direction to Luc. After flying for about twenty minutes, I spotted an old barn sitting in the middle of an empty field and circled down. It was half-filled with hay, which meant it would give me somewhere comfortable to sit and block the worst of the wind while I called Mo.
She answered on the second ring. “What the fuck is going on? I’m getting all sorts of bad vibes from the cosmos.”
I gave her a quick rundown on everything that had happened in Nottingham, and then added, “But I’ve saved the best bit for last.”
“I hate to imagine what that is,” she muttered.
“I found the crown. The real crown—Uhtric’s crown.”
She sucked in a breath. “Are you sure?”
“As I can be. It emits the same sort of energy that the sword does. But I have to ask—how the fuck did it get in an abandoned cave in the middle of nowhere Nottingham?”
“An even better question would be, how the fuck did the other side know about it when we damn well didn’t?”
“They’ve obviously got better information sources than we have.”
“And that is a worry.” She paused. “You can’t bring the crown here. It’s not safe.”
“That’s why I’m ringing rather than flying home. We need a plan.”
“Indeed.” She paused again. “How bad are those wounds of yours?”
“Every bit of me hurts. And if I haven’t got concussion, I’ll be very surprised.”
Mo grunted. “Do you remember that bookstore café we stopped at outside Buxton a few years ago?”
“Vaguely.”
“You think you can meet me there?”
“I’m in no fit state to be seen in public, Mo.”
“No, but the parking area is large and surrounded by trees. You can perch there until I arrive to collect you.”
“And then?”
“And then, once your wounds are fixed and we’ve rested for the night, we’ll head on over to Windermere Lake.”
I frowned. “Why? What the hell is over there?”
“A lady who should be able to help us if she feels so inclined. Depends what mood she’s in, really.”
“Well, that certainly cleared everything up.”
Mo laughed. “You’ll get your answers soon enough. Fly on over to Buxton, and I’ll meet you there in around an hour and a half.”
“Bring a thermos of tea. And food. Lots of food.” I hesitated. “Shall I tell Luc where we’re headed?”
“No. I’d rather no one knows where the crown is—it’s safer that way.”
“I thought you trusted the Blackbirds?”
“I do, but given what happened to Tris, there’s obviously a leak somewhere.” She paused. “I wouldn’t tell your brother about the crown.”
“Max hasn’t always played on the right side of the law, but he wouldn’t betray us like that.”
“Perhaps not, but he can’t give away what he doesn’t know. And if Darkside suspect we have the crown then they have an additional reason to go after him.”
“Surely they’d come after you or me first?”
“Not if they want him dead anyway.”
True. “Luc suggested Tris’s murder happened simply because the hecatomb was uncovered and sanctified not long after he was there.”
“Which may well be the case. We can’t, however, discount the possibility of a traitor in our midst. See you soon—and don’t damn well sleep. Not if you do have concussion.”
“I’ll keep in bird form. That way if I do start drifting off, I’ll fall from my perch and wake myself up.”
Mo snorted. “Did I not tell you to practice the art of sleeping in form when younger?”
“Yes, you did, and yes, I did.” I just never got the hang of it, because I could never really see the damn point.
I hung up but didn’t immediately move. Instead, I raided the backpack for the emergency chocolate bar kept there. It didn’t really fill the hunger hole, but at least the sugar influx would temporarily prop up the strength reserves.
By the time I reached Buxton, the weather was closing in again. I circled the area a few times before I spotted a couple of familiar landmarks and found the bookstore. The trees were bare, providing no shelter against the increasing ferocity of the wind, so I swooped in under the awning and perched on the top of the doorframe. There wasn’t a whole lot of room, meaning I had to concentrate or fall off.
Mo arrived what seemed an eternity later. The gates into the parking area were locked, so she simply stopped in front of them and then leaned across and opened the passenger door. I swooped over, shifted shape, and climbed into her car. And immediately turned up the heating. My fingers and toes were like ice.
“Well, you weren’t exaggerating when you said you were in a bit of a state.”
“And now I’m half-frozen to boot.”
“So I
can see.” She reached into the back seat to grab the thermos, then poured me a drink and handed it to me. I was shaking so hard, tea splashed over the rim of the metal cup and splattered my jeans. I barely even felt it. Mo made a clucking sound and steadied the cup. “There’s no need to be wasting perfectly fine tea like that, my girl.”
I smiled at the severity in her tone, as she no doubt intended. “I’ll be perfectly fine in an hour or two.”
“You’ll be scalded inside a minute at this rate.”
She retrieved the cup, placed it on the console between us, and then held out her hands. “Take them.”
The second my fingers caught hers, her power rose, a fierce force that flooded my system with heat, erasing the chill that had settled deep into my bones in seconds flat.
Feeling returned to my toes and the shaking eased dramatically. “Thanks.”
She nodded and returned the cup to me. “I’ll fix the rest of the aches once we’re settled for the night. Is the crown in the backpack?”
“No, it’s wrapped in the sweater and pressing into my spine.” I undid the knot and then tugged the sweater away from my waist. The crown sparkled in the dull light of the evening but the stone remained mute and the power didn’t pulse.
Mo sucked in a breath, and something close to awe crossed her expression. “It is indeed Uhtric’s crown.”
“It looks nothing like the replacement they made.”
“No, because the replacement was fashioned after the crowns worn by human kings, not witch.” She motioned to it. “Wrap it back in your sweater and tuck it in the backpack. If the dark ones realize we’ve beaten them to their prize, they’ll soon have an army out searching for it.”
“If that’s the case, why aren’t we heading to Windermere straight away?”
She smiled and touched my shoulder. “Because, dear child, you are far more precious to me than an old king’s crown.”
“Yes, but—”
“We’ll be fine. There’s no spell set onto the crown, so they can’t track it, and even Darkside can’t flood the entirety of England searching for us.” She reached into the back seat again and then handed me a stack of plastic-wrapped sandwiches. “Eat and drink, and let me worry about everything else.”
