“The rest of us need to find shelter. If the creatures emerging from those stones are coming after us, I don’t want us left defenseless and out in the open.”
“We’re hardly defenseless,” Claudia retorted, baring her fangs.
I gritted my teeth at her obstinacy.
“We don’t know what these creatures are or if we can even kill them. I don’t want half of GASP wiped out just because we were uninformed and ill-prepared,” I bit back.
Her brown eyes flashed, but she remained silent.
“Let’s get out of this forest then,” Lucas muttered. “I don’t like it… I feel like the trees are watching me.”
Lucas articulated what we’d all been thinking—but my brother in particular had an excuse to fear unknown forests, given his experience in The Dewglades. I looked out into the endless forest, trying to ignore the growing weariness that was creeping up within me again. I wondered which direction we should be heading in. I wasn’t sure that following the army would be such a good idea for the rest of us—not yet, anyway.
Jeriad, Lethe and the rest of the dragons had transformed already. Jeriad spread his wings and shot up – hovering just above the tops of the trees. He circled the area, staying low enough to remain out of sight. A few moments later he swept back down to the forest floor.
“Head west,” Jeriad said, “there’s something there—ruins mostly, like the rest of the land, but it should provide some cover. The sky’s been ripped over it as well, so it’s as if it’s night there. There won’t be any need to cast a spell of darkness for the vampires.” Jeriad turned to Ibrahim, who nodded.
“Let’s get going then,” I commanded the rest of the team. “We stick together.” The dragons flew up and out of sight. I could have asked the witches to transport us, but they didn’t know this land any better than I did – without prior knowledge of the destination, I felt it was too risky. The rest of us headed out, grouping together as tightly as we could. Everyone was unnerved by the strange silence of the land. We were in the depths of a large forest, and yet I couldn’t sense or hear a single living thing.
“Look at this,” River said. She and Ben were slightly ahead, looking down at the forest floor. I joined them, seeing a small crack in the earth that grew wider as it jaggedly cut the forest floor in an eastern line.
“They must have had an earthquake,” River remarked, bending down to touch the edge of the crack. “The soil hasn’t been dried out—this was fairly recent.”
“It would explain why Jeriad saw ruins. Perhaps the land’s been heavily hit by natural disasters?” my son questioned uneasily.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Natural or unnatural? Nothing feels quite right here,” I replied.
We both looked up at the torn sky. No—nothing felt natural about this place. Whatever had happened here was the result of malevolent forces…something dark and deadly that held this land in its grip.
“Let’s keep going. The sooner we reach those ruins the better.”
I urged the team on, and soon the density of the forest started to give way to dry earth and a clear pathway out of the trees. Oddly-shaped hoof prints trampled the dirt. It was obviously a popular thoroughfare. I was still looking at the strange markings when a shout went up.
“What’s that?” Lawrence called out, gesturing us over to the side of the path, pointing back out into the trees.
“It looks like a colosseum,” Grace replied, heading off the path toward the structure.
“Grace, stop!” I ordered. I made my way to where my half-fae granddaughter and her husband were standing, my eyes lighting on the strange stone building off in the distance. From here, I couldn’t see an entrance to the building, though whatever it was had remained intact—none of its stonework had been damaged during the earthquake.
“We need to keep going. If the place that Jeriad directed us to is inhabitable, we might return here, but I want us out of the forest.”
“Okay,” Grace agreed quickly, wrapping her arms around herself. She looked up at me with her turquoise eyes. “I think you’re right—let’s get out of this place.”
We carried on along the path, all of us sighing with relief when we finally left the dark and oppressive shadows of the trees. Corrine fell into step beside me.
“We need to put barriers up as soon as we’re settled.” The witch spoke in a hushed voice, perhaps careful not to alarm some of the younger GASP members. “Mona, Ibrahim and I have been trying to get a sense of what this…thing is that we can all feel, but nothing is revealing itself. At first I thought it might be shrouded in some kind of magic, but we can’t sense any witchcraft. We have no idea what this is, and that worries me.”
“I know,” I replied. “It worries me too. But we’ve faced the unknown before, Corrine. We just need to make sure that we’re being careful. The barriers are a good idea. As soon as we’re settled get the rest of the witches on it—I don’t want any surprises.”
She nodded, hurrying back to Ibrahim and Mona.
The ruins that Jeriad had seen were the remains of a castle. The outer walls were still standing, with the path leading up to a portcullis, the drawbridge lowered and abandoned. The rest of the castle had been completely destroyed—black smoke was still billowing in places from beneath the gray rock, and hardly any of the foundation remained intact.
“This doesn’t look too promising,” Nuriya stated, surveying the dead lands that lay before us.
“Agreed,” Aiden grunted.
I looked back at the rest of the group. Sofia glanced over at me, her eyes wide. It wasn’t ideal, but, at the moment I still believed it was the best option we had—it was out of the forest at least.
“Let’s explore,” I announced, wanting to get the barriers up as soon as possible. “We can find somewhere to camp, at least.”
“Are you kidding?” Lucas retorted. “This place could collapse at any moment.”
“It already has. Some of the castle still might be habitable. Everyone spread out!”
The group splintered off, the jinn sticking together, and the werewolves and witches doing the same. Rose and Caleb joined the rest of the parents—Landis, Ashley, Claudia and Yuri. Kiev and his family headed straight for the main keep of the castle, to the ruins where the entrance would have been, Brock’s arms half-outstretched like the rest of the witches’, trying to sense what had come this way before us. Sherus and his sister waited uneasily by the portcullis, more timid than the rest of us about venturing toward the castle.
“Wait!” Micah’s wife Kira called out to Rose before she could walk off. “I think I can smell the kids—over here.”
In a flash, my daughter was by the werewolves, standing by a fallen tower to the right of the main castle. Sofia and I, and the rest of the GASP members joined them.
“You’re right—they were here!” Rose exclaimed, clutching at Caleb’s shirt in excitement.
“Actually, the whole place smells of them. They spent a long time around this castle…” Micah started to sniff around, shoving his blond hair away from his face as he tried to get a better scent. Suddenly, he pulled back in disgust. “And the dead. A lot of creatures died here…”
I had thought I’d smelt burning flesh. It made sense—if there had been inhabitants within the castle when it had started to fall, it would have been nearly impossible to get them out.
“But not your kids,” Micah hastened to add as he caught the expression on my daughter’s and Sofia’s faces. “They’re still alive—when they left this place, they were still alive.”
Rose nodded slowly, and I could hear her heart rate returning to normal.
“What kind of creatures were the others?” I asked the werewolves.
“Part human for sure.” Bastien spoke up. “There’s something else in there too…but I can’t understand what it is—something we’ve never come across before.”
The werewolves continued to roam through the ruble and debris of the castle, stopping
short when they reached Kiev. He and Erik were lifting the stone arches that would have once held up the entrance. The werewolves started to back away in disgust. The reek of burnt flesh hit me full force.
“Wait here,” I muttered to Sofia, indicating that she should watch Rose—make sure our daughter and the other parents didn’t come any closer. Even though the werewolves had assured us that the kids had left here alive, I didn’t want to take any chances.
“They’ve been roasted beyond recognition,” Kiev growled, throwing a stone down in disgust. “Whatever creatures these were, they all died trying to get out of here. Some by falling rock, some later by carbon monoxide poisoning.”
I nodded, looking down at the body he’d revealed—or what was left of it. The face had been burnt away completely, and the only noticeably non-human aspect about the figure was its height—the body was freakishly tall.
“They’re all like that.” Kiev gestured to the rest of the bodies he’d unearthed. “Tall. Human faces, though—but definitely not human.”
I nodded my thanks. I had seen enough.
“We’re going to set up camp here tonight,” I ordered the rest of the GASP members. “Find somewhere safe within the outer walls of the castle. Mona, Corrine, Ibrahim—get to work on the barriers. We should also take turns standing watch.”
“I’ll take the first few hours with Ben and Jeramiah,” Lucas replied, glancing over at our sons.
I headed back up to Sofia and the rest of my family, looking around for a place to set up camp.
“At least it’s vamp-friendly.” Xavier gazed out beyond the walls of the castle with steel-gray eyes. “Not much else going for it.”
“It will have to do until the dragons get back.” I sighed. “Maybe they’ll have come across something more suitable. I still feel like we’re exposed out here, but it’s better than nothing.”
Rose shrugged. “I’m just glad to be in a place that’s connected to the kids. At least we finally have proof that they’re here…somewhere.”
I nodded. Somewhere. I just prayed they were still alive.
Hazel
I watched as the ministers got to work creating barriers around the castle. The plan was that they would work in shifts—the ministers would maintain the force field around us night and day, protecting not only the castle but the multitude of villagers and guards who were camped within its grounds.
The Memenion castle was smaller than Hellswan, but much more welcoming. Everywhere I looked flowers and bushes grew, along with pretty trees—willows and apple—that made the whole place look more like an English manor house from a Jane Austen novel than the dark medieval vibe that Hellswan had encapsulated.
“The architecture here is weird,” I commented to Ruby, who was sitting on a fallen log, watching the comings and goings of the sentry army.
“I’ve noticed that.” She grinned. “Especially as the last arrivals here were from the Viking era. Do you think they kept traveling through the portal and picking up styles from Earth?”
“I guess so. I can’t figure out how else they would have come up with this.” I looked back at the castle, seeing Tejus standing in the doorway. He beckoned us over and then disappeared back inside.
“We need to go.” I nudged Ruby. “Come on.”
Reluctantly, we made our way back toward the entrance. Both of us were too weary from the battle to want to do anything other than make small talk, completely avoiding the more important, life-threatening matters. The moment we’d arrived, I had tried to curl up on a sofa in the hallway, but I was too hyped to get rest—plus I’d dozed off on the back of Tejus’s bull-horse for a while. I also knew there were decisions to be made—we couldn’t stay here forever, afraid of the danger that we’d soon face. Those barriers wouldn’t protect us from the entity, or its armies, whenever they decided to show up.
We met Ragnhild in the hallway, and Ruby flinched away. I knew her doubts about the lieutenant, but I thought Ruby should talk to him about it rather than constantly suspecting him. He had done nothing further to warrant our suspicion. I’d seen him fighting the Acolytes down at the cove—he certainly hadn’t held back.
“The emperor and the commander are in the main banquet room. They’re waiting for you,” he announced stiffly, then gestured for us to follow him. Ruby—as the only one of us who had been here before—strode confidently in the right direction, overtaking the lieutenant.
We walked through marble arches and into the room, seeing Ash, Tejus and Queen Memenion already seated at a large table. Ragnhild left, disappearing back the way we’d just come. Ruby and I paused, unsure of the protocol, but Ash turned to us with an encouraging smile. We seated ourselves quietly. The mood was somber, and Queen Memenion kept her gaze fixed on the wooden table, her delicate features etched with misery. I imagined it was hard for her, being here without her family. I couldn’t imagine what it was like for her, to lose her husband and son in the space of a few days.
“We need to decide what we’re going to do next,” Ash started, looking at each of us. “Tejus and I have decided to keep Jenus here as a prisoner, and hopefully he will give us some idea as to what the entity has in mind.”
“What?” I burst out, shocked at the decision. It seemed unnecessarily dangerous to keep one of the entity’s allies locked up with us—hadn’t anyone learned lessons from what had happened with Queen Trina?
“We can’t just let him fall into the hands of the entity—we are assuming he’s able to communicate with it, and it’s imperative that we get some answers.” Tejus cut in. “Though we can’t just wait around for my brother to divulge what he might know—it will take a while to break him down. In the meantime, we also need to find out what’s happening at the cove. If that’s where the entity is raising his army, then we need to be watching the area, finding out what we can about the enemy.”
I sat back in my chair, chewing on my bottom lip while I considered how risky both moves would be. First, Jenus was nothing but a liability, and I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. Second, we had fled the cove for good reason. Going back would be putting lives at risk. Still, if we could get to the portal…
“I think our best chance of surviving this is getting GASP involved,” I announced. “We have jinn in The Shade. If a jinni locked up the entity in the first place, then they can do it again—the only problem is getting to the portal.”
“I agree with Hazel,” Ruby interjected. “We don’t have a chance without the jinn—or the combined forces of GASP.”
“It still leaves us with the same problem.” Ash sighed. “I don’t think we can send the army back there, not without knowing what kind of threat we’re facing.”
“Then we send a small group—reconnaissance only,” Tejus argued. “While the rest of the army remain here, continuing to maintain the barriers. If the coast is clear, or there’s a way to get through the portal unseen, then we retrieve GASP from Earth’s dimension.”
“Wait a moment.” Queen Memenion looked confused. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about…what’s GASP?”
Ruby and I filled the queen in on the nature of the inhabitants of The Shade. Her eyes widened as we detailed the supernatural creatures we had as friends, family and allies. She eyed Ruby and me more closely, stunned that we were the offspring of creatures she evidently hadn’t thought existed. While she studied us, I felt her energy sort of ‘brush up’ against my own. Instantly a wave of hunger washed over me. I sat back further in my chair, catching Tejus’s eye.
I need to feed, I spoke through our mental connection, hoping he would hear me.
He nodded, then turned his attention to Ash.
“I suggest Ragnhild and I go—maybe some other guards too.”
Ash shook his head. “Tejus, you’re too valuable. Send Ragnhild and some guards—the fewer the better. If it’s just a reconnaissance mission, then they don’t need you.”
Tejus looked like he wanted to argue, but his eyes flickered ove
r toward me, as if sensing the desperate need of my hunger.
“Fine,” he snapped curtly. “The plan is set.”
He stood up from his chair, the legs squeaking back across the marble floor.
“Hazel and I are going to visit my brother,” he announced. Ash nodded in understanding, and the two of us left the room.
“This way.” Tejus directed me swiftly along a corridor, and then off into a small, badly lit room. In the surface of the stone floor was a wooden hatch, a large barrel drawn over it.
“Where are the guards?” I asked. If this was Jenus’s cell, then the place should have been flooded with heavily armed sentries.
“Down below—we’re not taking any chances.”
I nodded in relief as he removed the barrel and lifted up the hatch. A small stone staircase led into the gloom beneath. Maybe this castle was more medieval than I’d originally thought.
As I descended the steps after Tejus, guards started muttering to one another after they greeted him. When I reached the bottom, six of them surrounded a steel-barred cage in the center of the basement. Inside was the sniveling figure of Jenus. The guards bowed their heads in my direction – some of them even dropping forward on one knee. I looked at Tejus in confusion. He smiled, but didn’t say anything.
Was this something to do with Queen Trina?
I frowned. It seemed strange, and kind of repulsive, that I would be respected for ending someone’s life.
“I see you’ve brought the queen-killer to my door…is she hungry?” Jenus’s voice cut across the gloom of the windowless space. “Not that I mind, of course,” he continued in a wheedling voice. “I am more than happy to feed your monster, Tejus, if it means I am graced with this castle’s protection.”
“Silence,” Tejus snapped. “Say another word and I’ll have you meet the same fate as the rest of your mindless cult.”
Jenus grimaced. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I had nothing to do with them – nothing!”
“Go on.” Tejus brushed my arm softly. “Take what you need.”