The Darklings ran between the houses. The gold and silver armor glistened as the soldiers advanced through the village from all directions. Corbin led the Crimson troops from the north side, as the last shards of the protective spell came down crashing and splintering, each piece twinkling before fading away.
“This is it,” I whispered, moving back.
“Let’s do this,” Kalon said, his finger on the red switch.
I nodded, and we both flipped them at the same time. Two balls of blinding white light expanded from the eastern edge of Orvis. They swelled brighter, then burst, releasing a devastating wave of pulverizer mist. It devoured everything in its path for a half-mile radius. Houses and stables vanished, turned to silvery ashes.
It caught some of the Darklings and the Aeternae soldiers as well, their figures fading into nothingness. I heard Corbin shouting, telling his people to get as far away from it as possible. He couldn’t see us yet, so Kalon and I descended into the tunnel as another round of explosions rocked the village, this time from within.
The Reapers’ charges had gone off, reacting to the shuttles’ destruction. The ground shook, and we slid across the mud of the tunnel floor. Phantom stood at the bottom with her arms crossed. She’d been waiting. The rumbles and moans of a village being destroyed echoed all around us. My skin erupted in goosebumps, and chills rushed down my spine as I pictured the chaos above us.
“Time to seal this off,” Phantom said.
Kalon grabbed my arm and pulled me up. Together, we started running, following the torches and the hushed voices ahead. Behind, I heard Phantom whispering. Briefly looking back, I watched her turn around and bolt towards us. In mere seconds, she’d caught up and even gone past us, moving like the wind. The tunnel entrance collapsed, chunks of dirt and stone falling in.
No one would know it was even there, assuming there was anyone left to look for us. The earthquakes continued, making the ground shake beneath our boots. We kept running, no longer looking back.
“Corbin made it out,” Phantom said, as if reading my mind. “He wasn’t the only one, either. Those who were fast enough joined him. We’re not done with them yet.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I replied breathlessly. “We got out. We’ll lose them eventually.”
All we had to do was keep running and make as little noise as possible. It seemed almost too easy. Kalon and I caught up with Tristan and Valaine, the rest of our crew visible ahead. But with everything that had happened, with all the twists and turns that had nearly gotten us killed, I couldn’t help but doubt the apparent simplicity of the task ahead.
What were the odds that we’d make it through to the west coast unharmed, or that we’d manage to elude the Darklings after months of them staying one step ahead of us? I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know the answer.
Derek
An hour had passed since I’d broken the green bead, and there was still no sign of Lumi or Sidyan.
The longer I stayed in this place, the more danger my people were in. I’d gathered enough intel, and there wasn’t much left for me to get out of Danika or Petra or any of the other Whips—not to mention Corbin.
I was also horrified by everything I’d witnessed. Danika had tried to kill Petra, getting her hands cut off in the process. Petra had fled and was currently in the wind, most likely searching for her sons. Her absence scared me the most, because she was now a threat to our crew. Petra was a resourceful and cruel Aeternae, and I knew she’d stop at nothing in order to accomplish her objectives.
I had no idea where Corbin was, but it couldn’t be anywhere good. Since their creation, the Darklings had been keeping a copy of the Spirit Bender’s soul. They’d stored it in crystal shards, each piece implanted in the Whips. Twelve shards that were now needed to bring him back. After all the trouble he’d put us through during the Hermessi wars, the very idea of dealing with him again made my blood curdle.
Danika had already killed two of the Whips to get the shards before she tried to do the same to Petra. The problem was that the high priestess had taught the Lady Supreme a couple of tricks, one of which involved transferring the shard to her next of kin. In Danika’s case, she’d chosen Thayen. The poor boy was in mortal danger because his own mother was ready to kill him in order to extract the shard, and Petra was about to implant hers into one of the Visentis boys for the same reason. Though enemies for now, Petra and Danika were working toward the same sickening end—killing their children in order to bring the Spirit Bender back. They were awful. Truly awful beings, and I looked forward to the day I’d see their heads removed. They didn’t deserve mercy.
Maya paced the room, and I could tell she was nervous. Unable to get past the rune-marked steel bars of my cell, she kept busy by sniffing the ground on a regular basis, shuddering whenever she brushed her stumped nose over the dried blood Danika had left behind. Two Darklings had carried her out to an infirmary after the incident with Petra, and I’d been alone ever since, stewing in my own juices. Listening. Waiting. Hoping this would all be over soon. I did find some comfort in knowing Danika was temporarily disabled and thus unable to spy on me. Since that traumatic encounter, Maya had become much more alert. I wasn’t sure how good she was at sniffing out an invisible Darkling, but she was certainly doing her best.
“I don’t know what’s taking so long,” I grumbled, my gaze fixed on Maya. “They should’ve been here by now.”
The little ghoul shrugged, continuing to move around. We were both restless, eager to get out of here before things got any worse. I’d already tested the Darklings’ limits here, and it was only a matter of time before Danika changed her mind and decided to kill me.
“You know, I haven’t seen any of the other Whips around. I guess Petra was right. They’ve been making themselves scarce, aware of what’s coming. It’s incredible how selfish they are, considering how devoted they claim to be to their cause.”
Danika had used a loophole to spare herself, and Petra was looking to do the same. Fortunately, the other Whips had not gained access to that knowledge; otherwise, they also would’ve murdered their offspring to save themselves. This mindset was disgusting, but it also spoke volumes about the Darklings. For a faction claiming to fight for the Aeternae’s survival and protection, none of them seemed to shy away from killing Aeternae to satisfy their own desires. For an organization founded by someone like the Spirit Bender, however, it all made sense. A terrible leader cultivated terrible people, and it showed.
Maya growled softly, settling close to my cell. She was getting agitated, her big, beady eyes searching my face, but I had nothing reassuring to say.
“I don’t know where Lumi and Sidyan are.” I sighed. “They should’ve been here by now, and I can’t get hold of them. The green bead was my only option, since Danika broke my Telluris. Whatever Lumi might’ve given me to communicate with her, Danika or the other Whips would’ve found it. To their credit, they are fast learners.”
Every minute that passed made me more anxious. My cell had always been small, but it was starting to crush me. The air compressed in my lungs, making it harder for me to breathe or to ignore the chest pain caused by my anxiety. Beads of sweat trickled down my temples as I leaned back against the wall.
The silence was excruciating. I had no idea what was happening. I was completely cut off from my people and the outside world. It made me feel small and helpless, which I hadn’t experienced in a very long time. It was something I’d hoped I would never have to deal with.
“We could try to find a way out of here,” I said, after some thinking. “But that might backfire. I think the Darklings have this place rigged in case I attempt an escape. It would also put you at risk, and I don’t think Sidyan would forgive me if anything happened to you, Maya.”
She purred, blinking slowly as she looked up at me. Despite her grotesque features, there was something intrinsically kind about Maya. In contrast, the Aeternae were all beautiful, yet capable of such dark and awful things. T
hings that made them look far uglier than a little ghoul.
“Besides, even if we did get out of here, Lumi and Sidyan might still show up. The Darklings could get them. I mean, they’d already be riled up by my escape, so the alert would be high,” I continued. “No, I can’t leave.”
I would stay, but for how much longer? What if Lumi and Sidyan could no longer get to me? What if something terrible had happened? The thought alone was enough to send my blood rushing, causing my skin to tingle.
An ache settled in my heart, so I closed my eyes and thought of Sofia. I hoped she’d be okay. I prayed that she’d be safe, no matter what came next. I had to be ready for a truly unpredictable future. My odds of survival in this cell were limited, at best. I was at Danika’s mercy, with no guarantee that Lumi and Sidyan would save me… and Danika was an evil woman. The evilest I’d seen in a very long time.
“You could go out to find Sidyan,” I suggested to Maya, but she shook her head. I knew what that meant. “You wouldn’t be able to find him, huh?” She shook her head again. “Would he be able to find you?” She nodded this time. There had to be a considerable distance between Maya and Sidyan for that to be the case.
Either way, we were pretty much stuck here, waiting for Sidyan and Lumi’s return. Should the unimaginable happen, should I be forced to leave this place before my friends came back for me, I knew I could count on Maya. But it wasn’t a very comforting thought, because I’d be out but left without a sense of direction.
I’d find my way back to Sofia eventually. I knew that. But time was of the essence and finding Sofia and the others on my own would take precious hours I simply did not have. In the end, I’d have to be ready for anything while hoping for the best. It was a loathsome scenario, and I had no control over its parameters. I’d been left at the mercy of fate.
And she was never a good companion.
Tristan
Once we were outside the Darklings’ range, our positions shifted within the tunnel. We were no longer running but rather walking. About fifty miles ahead, Lumi and Kailani were leading the charge, opening the tunnel further, while the Seniors aided with the infrastructure. They’d already run out of iron and wood to use for the support system, but the bowels of the earth were generous with large rocks, which the Seniors used instead. This was an incredible feat we’d accomplished in the span of mere hours, and I was astonished by the grandeur of our collective effort, considering the circumstances. We were opening and extending a tunnel that would’ve taken much longer to build in less stressful conditions, but the Word’s power was coming through for us on a whole new level—on top of that, we had two hundred highly skilled and exceptionally strong Senior Aeternae helping. That clearly counted.
The farther west we got, the harder the ground and the easier the Seniors’ job, since the tunnel was gradually becoming self-sustaining and no longer at risk of collapsing over us. Ridan, Amane, and Amal stayed with Kalla and her people while the rest of our GASP crew followed close behind them.
Sofia kept Thayen close, flanked by Rose and Caleb. Hunter walked behind them with Trev, Esme, Kalon, and the Visentis boys. Behind them, Trev still herded the Vision horses.
The Soul Crusher, the Night Bringer, and Kelara helped teleport the Orvisians across short distances, just so they’d remain at the front, where they were better protected in case of a surprise attack. It was the best we could do for them until we left the Darklings’ range completely. We’d discovered early on that they’d used a different kind of teleportation blocking spell.
Esme occasionally glanced back at me, and I could tell that she was worried. We were all fleeing the worst kind of trouble—worried was our natural state of mind at this point. Seeley, Rudolph, and Nethissis stayed with Valaine and me, as did Morning and Phantom. The Reapers were able to teleport across smaller distances now, a sign that we were moving away from whatever death magic the Darklings had used to stop them in Orvis, so Sidyan and the Widow Maker frequently visited the surface to make sure we weren’t being followed. Sidyan couldn’t take Lumi out to get Derek until we got all the people to safety. Fortunately, that wasn’t too far in the near future, judging by the speed with which we were moving.
I found the blocking spell curious, nonetheless. It didn’t act like a circle that we had to get past, but rather a beacon whose intensity dimmed the farther we got from Orvis. Corbin must’ve considered the possibility of us tunneling out of there, after all, so he’d opted for the beacon-type blocker to make it as hard for us as possible to lose the Darklings. That meant we had a little bit more speed-walking to do before the Reapers could teleport us all into Roano.
“What are they doing up there?” I muttered, realizing they’d been gone for more than ten minutes this time.
“Throwing any followers off our tracks,” Seeley said. “We might be underground and quiet, but we all know the Darklings are resourceful. Until we get far enough away to be able to teleport across a larger distance, a little bit of death magic serves to distract the Knight Ghouls and counteracts any tracking spells the Darklings might use.”
“Out of curiosity, why do the Darklings call them Knight Ghouls?” I asked. “We’ve used the term quite a lot since you and Nethissis escaped their clutches, but where is this term coming from?”
Seeley shrugged. “I’m not sure why they refer to them as Knight Ghouls, but I assume it’s got something to do with the fact that they’re trained and loyal to them, albeit by force. Frankly, I think it’s just a way to make their whole operation sound nobler than it actually is.”
“There’s nothing noble about forcing Reapers to eat souls so they can do your bidding,” I grumbled, unable to hide my disgust.
“Do you think we’re safe from my father now, Seeley?” Valaine replied.
The Reaper exhaled sharply, making Nethissis smile. It wasn’t a warm expression—it was loaded with bitterness. “I doubt we’ll ever be safe,” Nethissis said in his place. “As long as the Darklings are out there, operating in public and fully condoned by the empire’s upper echelon, we won’t get to rest much. They’re determined to catch us.”
“To catch me in particular,” Valaine said, her tone serious.
“And all those who’ve helped you,” I reminded her. The Darklings’ cruelty extended far beyond their primary targets. “We’re all in danger, but we’ve made it this far. I trust we’ll reach the west coast and buy ourselves some time while we work on your memories.”
“We’re almost a hundred miles from Orvis already, which is incredible, but the Seniors and the swamp witches are really coming through for us,” Seeley said. It was meant as an encouragement, until he got to the remaining distance. “We’ve got about three hundred left before we hit the coast.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Phantom grumbled, walking behind us with Morning by her side. “I’m not a fan of tight spaces.”
“Ah, right. You spent a long time locked inside Thieron’s Phyla, the stone of life and death,” I said, drawing from my knowledge of the First Tenners and their more recent whereabouts prior to the Hermessi wars.
“And that was as tight a space as you can imagine,” Phantom breathed, reaching a hand behind her. The earth closed up, the tunnel coming down with slow, rumbling rolls of dirt and minerals and stones. “I’m looking forward to reaching the surface again.”
“We all are,” Nethissis replied. “Lumi can’t leave with Sidyan until we get the people to safety. Kailani needs her for the tunnel. Meanwhile, Derek is waiting. I can only imagine what’s going through his head right now.”
“At least our plan is working so far,” I said. “All we can do is keep going.”
Valaine shivered, and I immediately wrapped my arm around her shoulders, holding her close as we walked, listening to the plethora of sounds slipping from the crowd ahead. They were all trying to be quiet, but it couldn’t be helped. Someone was bound to whisper. Another was bound to sneeze. A child had to cry. A Vision horse neighed. We were doing the best
we could, but we had no control over the people’s impulses, especially since many of the villagers weren’t used to combat or recon situations.
“You said my father escaped from the blast,” Valaine said to Phantom. “Are you sure?”
The Reaper nodded. “I saw him just before I closed off the tunnel entrance. Another minute, and he would’ve seen me and our escape route, too.”
“What about the others?” Nethissis asked.
“The Darklings, you mean? Many perished, but there were enough of them to survive, too. I’m afraid I can’t estimate what’s left. I do know they’re all the more determined to take us down now. We, the Reapers, would likely survive and get out, but the same can’t be said about everybody else.”
“Is that why you’re all here with us?” Valaine asked. “Because you wish to protect us?”
Phantom smirked. “I’m here to protect you, knowing you’ll do all sorts of foolish things to keep as many people alive as possible. Please don’t endow me with a moral compass. I don’t need one.”
“Well, your motivation is good enough for me,” I said quietly. “So thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Phantom retorted. “I doubt you’ll like me or any of my colleagues much once we bring the Unending back.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“There’s no happily ever after in store for you and Valaine, Tristan. I hope I’m not telling you something new here,” Phantom said, stealing a glance at a pouting Morning. “What?”
“You’re being cruel,” Morning whispered, though I could definitely hear her.
“I’m being honest,” Phantom insisted.
Valaine groaned, rolling her eyes. “It’s fine. I think we’re all aware it’s just going to get harder. I can feel it.”
“I’m not sure what the future holds,” I said. “But I’m not leaving Valaine or the Unending’s side. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”
A Shade of Vampire 84: A Memory of Time Page 3
