A Valley of Darkness

  I had to bite my lower lip and swallow my words, because Heron certainly could dance. His hand moved farther up my spine, the other gently touching the base of my neck, and pushed me to the point where I dipped, my back arched as Heron bent forward, his lips inches away from mine.

  I held my breath as he pulled me back up and resumed a slower dance rhythm, his gaze locked on my face. My pulse was racing, my heartbeats echoing in my ears from his sudden display of dancing prowess and the proximity of his body.

  “Did that feel as good for you as it did for me?” His voice was raspy and raw.

  Alarm bells rang in my head. Heron was so much trouble. I had to stay focused. Fortunately for me, I found my distraction a few moments later. Hansa dancing with Emilian closer to our side seemed to draw people’s attention, enough for me to finally see a clear path to the service door.

  “On my mark,” I whispered, prompting him to follow my gaze. “Three, two, one, go…”

  I darted through the short, narrow hallway, followed closely by Heron. We followed two waiters through the service door, then stopped in the middle of a perpendicular corridor. The Imen were headed left, into the kitchen. We moved in the opposite direction, until we reached a French door leading out into the backyard.

  Leaving the music and the party behind, we looked around and carefully snuck through the garden. We followed one of the stone paths, hiding behind manicured hedges whenever we heard voices. Eventually, we made it to the back of the Kifo property, where the stables stretched from left to right, in front of a forest that grew farther up the mountain.

  There were Imen and Exiled Maras moving around the Kifo mansion, but none had spotted us yet. Horses neighed from the stables, and the wind rushed through the overhead tree crowns, making the leaves rustle. Two moons were up, which meant it wasn’t midnight just yet. It was the perfect time to visit the Roho mansion.

  “This way,” Heron whispered, then took my hand. We rushed down the pebbled road. He felt warm and confident, and I didn’t have a problem keeping up with him, despite my high heels.

  We passed the Obara mansion, where the lights were off. The Roho residence seemed quiet as well. A small path led up to the backyard, where a white gazebo stood quietly in the middle. Lights flickered on the ground floor.

  “What now?” I asked.

  “We knock.”

  “Oh, okay. We… knock,” I muttered, then followed Heron around the house to the front door. He knocked, and we could see a light go on in the lobby and move toward us. The door opened, and an Iman servant holding a single candelabra greeted us with a surprised look on his face.

  “Milord, milady,” he said, “the masters of this residence are not here right now.”

  “I know,” Heron said, and his eyes burned gold as he mind-bent the servant. “We need to speak to Arrah. You should take us to her.”

  With the suggestion planted, the Iman servant nodded slowly, then walked toward the kitchen at the back of the mansion. We followed quietly, passing several maids. Heron gave them all a brief, golden glance.

  “We were never here,” he said, and they nodded, then walked away and returned to their chores.

  I couldn’t help but marvel at Heron’s smooth ability. I couldn’t get tired of watching him influence other creatures like this. I wondered what it would be like if he did that to me. I’d never know, of course, since I was immune to his mind-bending skills.

  We reached the kitchen, where a teenage Iman girl fitting Fiona’s description of Arrah was wiping plates with a dry cloth and storing them in an overhead cabinet. She stilled when she saw us, her eyes a quiet shade of jade green.

  “Arrah, our unexpected visitors would like a word with you,” the Iman servant said, his voice low and soft, as he was still under Heron’s influence.

  “Of course,” Arrah replied, and put the plate and cloth away, then moved forward with her hands behind her back, looking like a girl who’d gotten into some mischief and now had to answer to her parents.

  “You never saw us here tonight,” Heron told the Iman servant, slowly pressing his shoulder. “You should go to sleep now. You must be tired after such a long day.”

  “I should. You’re right, I’m exhausted.” The servant nodded and walked away, leaving us alone in the kitchen with Arrah.

  A couple of seconds passed in an awkward silence.

  “Arrah, we were here yesterday with Fiona, if you remember?” I asked, putting a warm smile on.

  “Yes, milady,” she replied, her gaze darting between Heron and me.

  “Fiona told us you might know more about Sienna’s disappearance than your colleagues, but she feared you couldn’t speak up because of the others present, including Vincent. Is that true?”

  “No, milady. I told her everything I knew.” She shook her head.

  “You shouldn’t lie to us, Arrah,” Heron replied, his eyes glimmering gold again.

  Arrah gave him a stern look, as if unaffected by his mind-bending ability. She even raised an eyebrow in response.

  “Milord, that trick won’t work on me,” she scoffed.

  Neither Heron nor I saw that coming. She was an Iman, and the entire species was subject to a Mara’s hypnotic skills, with no known exception. How was she doing this?

  “What if I try a little harder and ask you to tell us the truth?” Heron persisted, and I could almost feel the air thicken between them as he intensified his suggestion.

  “I’m sorry, milord.” Arrah smirked. “But I seem to be immune. No one has ever been able to influence my mind.”

  “But you’re an Iman,” I said. “You’re all subject to a Mara’s abilities…”

  “I am an Iman, milady, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, I am not affected.”

  A few more seconds went by. Both Heron and I analyzed the unexpected situation. We had been banking on mind-bending Arrah into telling us the truth, whatever that was.

  “Great.” Heron sighed, then looked at me. “What now?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged, then shifted my focus back to Arrah. “Listen, we’re here to help. We don’t wish to hurt you, nor do we want to get anyone in trouble. We’re just trying to find out what happened to Sienna. Can you please help us?”

  Arrah studied us carefully, then exhaled sharply and leaned against the counter, her shoulders dropping.

  “I know you’re genuinely here to help. It’s why I told you that you cannot manipulate me,” Arrah said. “No one else knows, and I’m quite good at feigning being hypnotized. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.”

  “We won’t, I promise.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “Arrah, please help us. There are so many people missing, and our friends had a terrible encounter with what we think took them. We rescued an Iman girl from the Valley of Screams last night. Her name is Minah.”

  Arrah’s face lit up at the sound of her name.

  “Is she okay?” she asked, suddenly looking worried.

  “Mostly, yes,” I replied. “She lost a lot of blood, but we managed to stabilize her. One of our team is looking after her. Do you know her?”

  “Yes, we… we grew up together. I thought she was gone for good.”

  “She called the creatures taking people away ‘daemons’. Do you know anything about that?”

  She took a moment to think, then shook her head.

  I didn’t want to push her, as I only had her willingness to cooperate with us to work with. Whatever I could get out of her would have to do, but I quickly understood that I’d have to get her to trust us more if I wanted her to tell us everything.

  “What’s going on here, Arrah?” I asked.

  “My mother is missing, too,” she replied, tears coming to her eyes. “She vanished almost a year ago, to the date. I wish I could tell you more, but I fear for my safety, and that of my brother.”

  “You have a brother? Where is he?” Heron took a step closer.

  “He’s in prison,” she said with a pained expression.

/>   “Arrah, we’re trying to get to the bottom of this. We want to help, and we need you to tell us everything you know,” I insisted.

  “I can’t!” she shot back, visibly frustrated. “Not as long as my brother is where he is, and not while the gorges are riddled with those killers. I’ve lost too much already. I’m not taking any more risks!”

  “Why is your brother in prison?” Heron asked, brushing his hand against mine, as if sensing my own nerves stretching. We were standing in front of someone who could tell us more about this entire mess, but was too afraid to come forward. And we had absolutely nothing to offer in return at this point, besides the promise that we’d try to help her brother. Of course she wouldn’t just give it all away.

  “He was accused of conspiring against the city, but they never gave any details,” Arrah replied, holding back tears. “I only got the notice letter. I’ve tried appealing, but I’ve been blatantly ignored.”

  “How does one conspire against a city?” I asked Heron, not sure I understood the accusation. His shrug made it clear that he knew as much as I did on that point. “Arrah, do you know where the prison is?”

  “No. No one knows, except the Correction Officers,” she said. “Kifo’s henchmen. They enforce the laws, and they take the criminal Maras and Imen away. No one ever sees them again.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to piece together everything she’d told us so far. We’d heard about Correction Officers during our library session, mere mentions in the Maras’ editorials.

  “I tried following the Correction Officers a few times,” she mumbled. “I just wanted to see my brother. He’s been in jail for three months now. But I couldn’t get far. They could always tell when I was tailing them.”

  “Is there any connection between the prison, the Correction Officers, these disappearances, and the Valley of Screams?” Heron asked.

  “No.” Arrah shook her head. “I doubt it. The Correction Officers have been around since the founding of Azure Heights. The prison, too. The disappearances… They’re more recent.”

  “What about the creatures in the Valley of Screams?” I tried the daemon avenue again.

  “I told you, I can’t help with that!”

  “Heron, I think they have leverage over Arrah with her brother,” I said, drawing a reasonable conclusion. Arrah stared at me, but said nothing. I took her silence as a form of confirmation.

  “Okay.” Heron nodded, scratching the back of his head. “What if we get your brother out of prison?”

  “You can’t. You don’t even know where the prison is,” Arrah replied bluntly. “But you can follow the Correction Officers. They wear a blue insignia on their coats. Not easy to spot in the crowds, but you can certainly try. They might lead you to the prison, if you manage to tail them all the way there.”

  I took Heron aside, my fingers digging into his arm.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered. “We’re supposed to get information on Sienna and the others’ disappearances, not meddle in the Exiled Maras’ internal affairs!”

  “Arrah knows something about these disappearances, but she’s being kept quiet by these internal affairs, Avril. I’m exploring options, and I will put everything forward to Jax and Hansa before we do anything.”

  I mulled it over. Heron turned to face Arrah again.

  “Can you hang on here until we figure out the best way to help you?” he offered.

  “Yes. Listen, everyone knows there’s a prison in Azure Heights, but we just don’t know where exactly. And there were plenty of innocents taken away by Correction Officers, too. The system is too strict, abusive, even. Please be careful, and please don’t tell anyone about this conversation. They might trace it back to me, and I need to stay safe and alive for my brother!”

  “Thank you, Arrah,” I said.

  “Don’t thank me yet,” she replied, then opened the glass kitchen door leading into the backyard. “Now go, before anyone else comes back.”

  “We’ll see you soon,” Heron reassured her, then walked out.

  I followed, glancing over my shoulder as she locked the door behind us and went back to wiping plates. We snuck off the Roho property and followed the pebbled road to the Kifo mansion, where the Spring Ball was in full swing, the entire building still buzzing with music and laughter.

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea?” I asked Heron, walking behind him.

  He stopped a little too fast, and I bumped into him. He turned around, then lowered his head to look at me. The closeness cut off my air supply.

  “Avril, she knows something that could help us get to the bottom of this. I know we’ve been told not to piss off our hosts, but honestly, I don’t really care. People are missing, and judging by the state in which Minah was brought back from the Valley of Screams, they didn’t run off to some vacation resort. Let’s pass all the info we got to Jax and Hansa, and see what they say.”

  “Okay.” I nodded, waiting for him to turn and keep walking, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on me, as if trying to read my expression. “I trust your judgment, Heron.”

  “Thank you,” he replied, his voice deep. “Now let’s… get back in there, dance and smile, and pretend everything’s okay.”

  He took my hand again and guided me back to the service door through which we’d snuck out. We made it back inside without anyone noticing, and we stopped at the bar, where an Iman bartender served us flutes of fresh blood.

  Heron was right, I thought, as I analyzed the crowd in the ballroom. These people were at risk, and someone high up was keeping Arrah from coming forward with what could be crucial information. The whole investigation had just gotten more complicated, with internal interests and the intervention of Correction Officers.

  If I wanted to help Vincent get Sienna back, I had to reevaluate our approach to the case. Surely House Roho couldn’t be involved in whatever had happened to Arrah’s brother. This most likely had something to do with House Kifo. I saw Caspian moving through the crowd and instinctively looked for Harper.

  I hoped she’d be able to get some information out of him, as he seemed to be at the core of this new development.

  In the meantime, Heron and I had to continue pretending we were enjoying the Spring Ball, then report everything to our senior officers once we got back to the infirmary. Though, after that dance he’d swept me into earlier, to say I had to pretend to enjoy Heron’s company would be a barefaced lie.

  Caia

  (Daughter of Grace & Lawrence)

  Rewa was quick to take Blaze onto the dancefloor, so I moved over to the edge, watching quietly as they danced through a couple of songs. I politely rejected the Maras who wanted to dance with me—of whom there were plenty. Occasionally, I saw Blaze giving me a brief glance, before Rewa said something to make him chuckle.

  I couldn’t get rid of the knot in my stomach as I watched them together.

  The mellow waltz ended, and Rewa excused herself. Blaze came over. His dark blue eyes scanned me carefully, and he didn’t say anything for a while.

  “You know she likes you, right?” I said, my tone a little too flat for my liking.

  “Who, Rewa?” Blaze cast a quick glance back at her over his shoulder, then frowned at me. “I, uh… I was thinking she’s just friendly.”

  “You’re kidding,” I replied. “You can’t be that oblivious.”

  He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped himself and took a couple more seconds to process my words. “Maybe you’re right,” he muttered, then sighed. “Great. Now how do I let her down easy?”

  “You don’t,” I replied, barely able to stifle my discontentment with the situation. “You need to start asking her some questions that might help us with our investigation. The daemons, House Kifo’s law enforcement angle, the prison… Take your pick, there are plenty of topics. She’ll be chattier with you than with any of us.”

  “I guess that’s true.”

  “You bet it is,” I said, going over the signs I?
??d seen since she’d first landed on Calliope. That girl had been fawning over him from day one. “Rewa has such a massive soft spot for you that we can see it from space. I’m surprised you didn’t notice it earlier.”

  “I don’t know.” He gave me a half-smile, then shrugged, before his gaze softened on me. “I guess I’ve been paying attention to other, more important things…”

  My heart skipped a beat.

  “Such as?”

  What was I expecting him to say? Me?

  “The investigation.” He raised an eyebrow, and the little glimmer of hope I’d felt blooming in my chest went away.

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, to help myself stay focused, though the way he looked in his suit made it difficult to think clearly. The deep blue silk brought out the midnight in his eyes, and I had a hard time looking away.

  “She is more open to you than anyone else in GASP,” I continued, digging myself even deeper into the hole. “You’re the only one who can get her to spill the beans, if she has any to spill. Even unintentionally, because she’s more likely to be relaxed around you than any other Mara... You might as well take advantage of that, and question her.”

  He nodded slowly, and then we both fell quiet, just looking at each other. We stood like that for what felt like forever. I followed the lines on his face, tracing the contours of his jaw, then found myself locked under his gaze again.

  And I found myself wondering if I could summon enough courage to ask him to dance.

  “Well, I’m, uh… glad we got that out of the way… How about a dance now?” I finally asked.

  I was going for the cool approach, the “since we’re here” tactic, to mask my genuine interest. Blaze was naturally a quiet kind of guy, but his face often said more than his words. His gorgeous eyes widened slightly, and I could tell I’d taken him by surprise with that question, so I doubled down with a shrug, in a feeble attempt to not make a bigger deal out of it.

  He blinked several times, and then his lips parted, as if he were about to reply. My heart began doing somersaults in my chest… and then crashed and broke something as Rewa reappeared out of nowhere, grasping Blaze’s arm, all glowing and giggling.