by AR Colbert
Tate’s throat bobbed, and he nodded. “I knew you were coming here. I came to stop you. But I was too late. I reached the lake just in time to watch you freeze the flames and step inside. Then you were gone.”
“You watched me walk in?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t move after you stopped time. I wasn’t even breathing, but somehow I still saw what happened. It’s like my physical body was frozen, but my soul was with you.”
His face blurred as tears sprang to my eyes. With the blade held at my side, I wrapped my left hand behind Tate’s neck and met his glistening gaze. “I hope your soul will stay with me always. I love you, Tate.”
“I love you, too.” We kissed, a gentle thing full of relief and comfort. And as we stood in one another’s arms, the invisible rope seemed to wrap itself around us, binding us permanently together. “My soul is all yours,” he whispered as he pulled away.
And I knew it was true. My heart was ignited. More than that, it was engulfed in flames that fed into my power. We were stronger together with our souls entwined. And I knew without a doubt that everything the Keepers had been taught about soulmates and fractured souls was wrong. I would Deliver them the freedom they deserved.
Stepping back into my fuzzy slippers, I took Tate’s hand in mine. “Come on. We need to go back to the Hall of Souls.”
Chapter 10
The walk seemed much shorter this time. Perhaps I was high on the rush of adrenaline after securing the blade. Or maybe the blade’s power combined with my own made me that much faster. I couldn’t explain it, but as we reached the Hall of Souls I knew without a doubt that we were doing the right thing.
A soft white light still emanated from my skin, and Tate’s golden glow seemed more prominent now as well. Whether it was the power of the sword or the power of our bond didn’t matter. We were a force to be reckoned with.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to concern ourselves with any danger from these poor fractured souls. They swirled in the pools just as I’d remembered. It was just as I’d dreamed, and my heart cracked at the unspoken fear and turmoil they experienced. I wanted to save them. I wanted to set them free. But how?
My pulse thumped hard in the hand that gripped my sword. I closed my eyes, tuning out everything in the world aside from that steady pulse. There was another, beating in time with my own heartbeat. It wasn’t Tate. It wasn’t even the blade. There was something else in the hall, and it called to me.
Never opening my eyes, I followed the beat, entranced by its rhythm. Led by instinct, protected by my blade and backed by my soulmate, I feared nothing. I simply allowed my feet to do the walking.
The beat of the pulse worked itself up into a crescendo, taking my heart right along with it. The anticipation was nearly killing me when suddenly the pounding stopped. My eyes snapped open, and I found myself standing before an especially golden tinted pool along the back wall of the hall.
The souls here had worked themselves into a tizzy, swirling into a furious chaos. It was like they knew I was here. They knew what I was planning to do before even I knew it. Lifting the sword over my head with both hands, I plunged the blade deep into the depths of the pool.
The mist parted, the souls splitting to opposite sides. And there on the stone bottom, about three feet from the top of the pool, lay a rough-edged corner of an ancient stone tablet.
The tablet glowed with a blue light, its pulse keeping time with my own, inaudible but visual with flashes of light. I held out a hand, and the tablet lifted from the ground, flying into my grasp.
“The prophecy,” Tate whispered from over my shoulder. “It was here all along.”
“There could be no better place in Agartha to hide it than a pool of souls that would never be emptied.” I sighed. “Never emptied before now, anyway.”
The souls quivered at my words, but I knew it wasn’t time. There wasn’t anything I could do for them just yet, but I vowed in my heart to come back and make things right as soon as I was able to. The answer was just out of my grasp, but something told me the prophecy would piece everything together. We just had to decipher what it said.
“We need to find Driskell.”
***
We turned toward the palace rather than backtracking to the portal. The tunnels were thick with the air of anticipation, and occasionally the ancient cave system seemed to groan and creak like a beast awakening.
Still, we ran. Tate felt the sudden urgency as well. The tablet pushed us ahead, faster and faster. It needed to be reunited with the other pieces, and nothing would stand in its way.
We were nearly back to the underground entrance to the palace when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. “Tate, wait. Something is wrong.”
The blade warmed itself in my hand, preparing for battle. Tate and I backed up against each other, circling around to locate the potential threat we both could now feel. But as far as we could see, we were alone.
“What do you suggest?” he asked in a low voice.
“We’ve got to keep moving.”
We’d only gone another twenty yards or so before the first wave of power rushed toward us. It ricocheted off of a bend in the wall, crackling over my skin as I threw out my arms to protect Tate. An invisible shield blocked the attack from reaching him, and the effects of the lightning power couldn’t reach me, either. The sword in my hand glowed bright—its steel full of the same white-hot power I felt coursing through my veins. It protected me.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel around the corner as what sounded like three or four men came running toward us. The shock of seeing Tate and me still standing drew them up short once they cleared the corner. But it only took a moment for their surprise to morph into rage.
“It didn’t work. Get him!” A small team of Agarthian guards rushed us, some holding weapons and others blasting electric power toward us with a flick of their wrists.
I slashed my sword in an arc through air, and a gust of white-hot power sprayed out from its tip. The guards were thrown back against the cave walls, their breath forcefully expunged from their lungs as my hit made impact. They were alive, but they wouldn’t move for a while. I’d made sure of that.
“Keep going, we’ve got to get out of here!”
I didn’t know how many other guards would be sent after Tate, and I didn’t want to find out. We needed to get back to the surface to find Driskell. As soon as we knew what the prophecy said, these measly little Agarthian guards would mean nothing. Osborne’s claim to the throne would be laughable—if there was a throne left to to claim at all.
We ran through the tunnels, stepping over the fallen guards until we finally reached the palace entrance. More men stood on the other side. The palace had been empty in the night because apparently all the guards were preparing to stage a coup. Too bad they didn’t see me coming.
My sword sliced through the arm of a man who had just nocked an arrow directed at Tate. His bow fell to the floor with a clatter, and I ignored his cries of pain as he gripped the sticky sleeve where my deep cut had made its mark.
“Try that again and I’ll take off the whole arm,” I growled.
The other guards stepped back then, some still ready to fight but others recognizing me as a threat. None of them made another move to attack, though one emboldened by the group of men surrounding him raised a fist with a shout.
“We will not bow to you, Thaddeus!”
“No one is asking you to. I’m simply stepping in until the time comes for you to bow to her.” Tate gestured toward me, dipping his chin in reverence. The move might have embarrassed me before, but now I was starting to believe he may be right. Like it or not, these men would be mine to deal with soon enough. All the Keepers would be under me, if they were able to survive whatever I dealt them through the prophecy.
The tablet buzzed in my hand at the thought, reminding me that we were on a mission that couldn’t be sidetracked by some angry Agarthians.
“I’ll die before I bow to that fract
ured trash.” The loudmouthed guard sneered in my direction.
“As you wish,” Tate said, raising his hands.
“No.” I held out an arm. “Don’t hurt him. We don’t have time for this. We’ve got to keep moving.”
The guard snorted, feeling like he’d won. Poor little guard. He had no idea what was coming. Tate and I moved forward, but I paused just long enough to press my blade into the soft spot of the guard’s neck. “You’re welcome for allowing you to live. Tell the others Deliverance is coming. Oh, and give your buddy Osborne my regards. I’m sure I’ll be seeing him again soon.”
A single drop of blood slid down the guard’s neck from the small cut left by my sword. He pretended to scoff, but I felt him tremble before I turned away. A renewed sense of purpose rushed through me as we ascended the stairs to the first floor of the palace. The tapestry portal leading back to the mortal world was just steps away.
Soon we would find Driskell, decipher another part of the prophecy, and change the world as we knew it. It was only a matter of time now.
Deliverance was coming.
Chapter 11
“It will be a long hike in the mortal world,” Tate said as we stood in the great hall of the palace. The world was still dark through the windows, though I suspected the first light of morning would announce its arrival at any moment. “Devon won’t be waiting for us this time, so we’ll have to walk until we find a lodge and can arrange transportation back to the city.”
“We better get started, then.”
“Did you want to change, or grab a bag or anything first?”
I held up the tablet and the sword. “I have everything I need. As long as you’re by my side, I think we’ll be fine.”
Tate grinned. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The woven tapestry that took us back into the mortal world hung on the large wall to our left. An image of an old English garden was displayed in muted colors across the large wall hanging. Talk about false advertising… I remembered the cool cave where we’d left the caves in Kentucky with a shiver. They weren’t half as welcoming as that garden would be. But at least I’d get to be back in the water of the underground river.
“Remember, there will probably be guards positioned on the other side of the portal. I honestly don’t know how many have been charmed by Osborne. I couldn’t tell you if they will be friends or foes, but it would be best to expect the worst just in case.”
I nodded, already having reached that conclusion myself. “I’m good to go when you are.”
With my sword at the ready, I joined Tate’s side. On a whispered count of three, we stepped through the invisible portal. The moment we reached the other side, we were immediately thrust against the wall.
There was a carnival ride I used to love as a little girl. It resembled a spaceship, and we would all file in one by one, taking a spot around the inner perimeter. The ride would spin so fast that the centrifugal force would plaster our bodies to the wall against sliding cushions. We could turn ourselves upside down so that our feet were above our heads, but we wouldn’t fall. That’s exactly how I felt on the inside of the cave wall. But instead of laughing with joy and the thrill of the ride, I was fuming with rage and concern over my soulmate.
“Finally,” a familiar voice droned. “I was beginning to think you would never show up.”
I craned my neck enough to see Rossel and a small army of Olympians. The same short man who broke into Millie’s house had his arms extended, holding me in place on the wall beside Tate and the two Agarthian guards who must have been on patrol when the Olympians arrived. The guards were asleep. At least, I hoped they were just sleeping.
“Put us down, Rossel.” There was fire in my command, and fire in my palm as I maintained my grip on the sword.
“I plan to. But first I need you to agree to play nice with my men.” He didn’t look afraid, but the fact that he made any requests at all told me he knew what kind of power I now yielded. Otherwise he would have simply taken whatever he was after without any regard for me. Perhaps my attack at the warehouse made an impact on him, after all.
I considered freezing time, but in doing so I would trap myself here against the wall. I needed the Olympian to release his hold on me. Then I could make my move.
“I’ll play just as nicely as you do.” I looked pointedly at Rossel, and he seemed to catch my drift.
A flicker of fear dashed across his face before he steeled his features into a look of apathetic confidence. “You don’t look like you’re in a position to be bargaining, I’m afraid. So I’ll make the offer again—and it will be the last time. You can agree to keep your hands off my men and I will have them set you down.”
“What if I don’t?”
“You don’t have to.” Tate’s voice took on an unnatural song-like quality. “Because these Olympians are going to set us gently back on the ground, and they will not use their powers on you again. Not today. Not ever.”
I knew the effects of the sirens were weaker on other Keepers than they were on the mortals, but Tate’s boost in power from our bond made his glamour surprisingly effective. I had to actively hide my look of surprise as the Olympians wordlessly obeyed, lowering our feet to the ground.
Wrapping my fingers around the handle of the sword, I had every intention of taking Rossel out right here, once and for all. But my traitorous arm wouldn’t do as I wanted. Something inside held me back, and meeting Rossel’s eyes, I knew there was more to the story. Much more.
“May I see the blade?” There was a childlike wonder to his words. Maybe I was a fool, but I didn’t think he would pose a risk. Not with the blade anyway.
The handle of the sword pulsed in my hand in response, letting me know I was correct in my assumptions. The human part of my brain still didn’t want him to have it though. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”
He tilted his head, studying it more closely. “It’s remarkable. I never thought I’d see the Firelake blade in my lifetime.”
My heart raced as my chest began to heat up again. I looked at Tate to see if he felt it too, but I couldn’t get a read on his expression. Rossel leaned forward to inspect the finer details engraved into the handle of the sword, and the strangest idea took hold in my brain.
“You know what? On second thought, go ahead.”
Rossel lifted his black eyes to me with surprise. “Really?”
I raised the sword toward him, laid across both of my palms like a peace offering. “Be my guest.”
“Everly, what are you doing?” Tate asked, not even trying to hide his disapproval. The other Olympians all looked tense as well, none of us trusting the others.
But the blade knew its owner. It wouldn’t betray me. And if this was what I needed to get the information I still required out of Rossel, then so be it. I still believed he might be the only person who knew where my mom was. I couldn’t kill him until I discovered what he knew, at least.
We stood silently for a long minute as Rossel visibly warred with himself. Ultimately, his greed—or curiosity, perhaps—won out. He lifted his hands and hesitantly reached out for the sword.
I knew the second he made contact with the metal. I heard the sizzle in his fingers as his flesh began to melt from the incendiary blade. He cried out in pain, and the mob of Olympians who had followed him into the caves immediately rushed me. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t even see who struck me, or what they used to knock me out.
All I knew was the fear on Tate’s face one minute, and darkness the next.
Chapter 12
A cool hand and soft-spoken words stirred me awake. An icy compress was mashed against the back of my skull, but I was otherwise quite comfortable, propped up by a mountain of pillows and covered in a fuzzy never-ending blanket.
“Millie?” I squinted at the hazy outline of my aunt, willing the world to come back into focus. I moved to wrap my arms around her neck, thankful that I was still alive. But my right hand was weighed dow
n with a death grip still holding fast to the handle of the Firelake blade.
I felt Tate next—a welcome tingle caressing my skin, just before he came into view. His lips pressed against my forehead, leaching the pain right out of me and leaving a tender warmth in its place. “Are you okay?” His fingers gently brushed a stray piece of hair from my face, distracting me from the pain and everything else other than his glittering gold irises.
“She’s awake! Dom!” Tate was shoved out of my view with a hard bump of Gayla’s hip. Her perky platinum bun wobbled atop her head as she clapped her hands. “Dom! Get in here!”
Dom appeared next, looking happy to see me. But there was definitely more trepidation in her gaze than there had been in the others. I’d learned long ago to trust Dom’s instincts.
“What’s going on?” I croaked. I sat up and surveyed the room. We were in Millie’s study, which had been pieced back together after the Olympian attack. I had no recollection of how we got here, or how long I had been out. The last thing I remembered was…
“Rossel.” His name escaped in a breathless growl. He stood nervously against a shelf in the far corner of the room.
What were they thinking letting him in here? His people had nearly killed me!
I lifted my sword. It was a struggle at first, but the warmth in my chest came easily now. I summoned it, gathering it up in my fist as I prepared to launch it from the sword and sizzle Rossel on the spot.
“Everly, wait!” It was Tate who called out. It was a good thing, too. I don’t know that anyone else’s voice could have cut through to me.
I paused, keeping the sword ready.
“It’s okay.” Tate joined me on the couch, resting a hand delicately on my shoulder. “Rossel’s on our side.”
“Yeah right.” I lifted my weapon again, bringing it down only after a few second of Tate’s hand relaxing the tension in my shoulder.
