Stygian Read online

  Hack charged. He was close to landing on top of Jedrik when Keir raised his hands and the coffee table stood on its edge, hovering. Hack crashed into it.

  “Hack, grow up,” Keir said. He glared at Jedrik when he chuckled and held up his hand when Jedrik went to speak. “Not a word.”

  Delara whispered something to Jedrik, and he cursed under his breath.

  “According to the last communication with Kilter, he’s a couple hours north of here. His text message said they took Ryker into some sort of compound.” Keir looked to each one of them. “Jedrik and Delara, you’ll travel to Kilter’s location with me. Danni and Balen, retrieve the amulet, then meet us there. No one goes after Ryker until I give the okay.”

  Hack cleared his throat. “And me?”

  Jedrik laughed. “This job is for the big boys, numbskull.”

  “Eat—”

  Keir interrupted, “You’ll stay here.” He held up his hand again. “Your skill is with computers. Find out everything you can on this facility. I want the building plans, who owns it, what goes on there, how long it’s been there. I want to know how many toilets this goddamn place has.”

  Hack nodded.

  “What’s with the amulet thing?” Jedrik asked.

  “Whatever it is, it’d better be damn worth it,” Balen said.

  “Kilter said to keep it covered,” I offered.

  “Holy crap, a witch thingamajig.” Jedrik raised his brows and grinned. “Kilter, that son of a bitch, he’s—”

  “Dangerous. Lethal. Calculating. And prefers to work alone,” Keir said.

  “Yeah, I’m peeing in my pants to meet him,” Jedrik mumbled.

  “Don’t be rude.” Delara smacked his leg.

  He shrugged. “Can’t be charming all the time.”

  “Try,” she said.

  “Love you, too,” Jedrik said.

  Keir turned to Balen and nodded.

  Balen continued with the plan. “Jedrik, we need explosives. After Ryker’s out, we destroy the place. Assume the worst-case scenario.”

  Balen talked about who should bring what and talked about what-to-expect scenarios. I noticed they all listened and held a high regard for him, asking questions and respecting his answers. It was obvious that despite the past, they still trusted him and were willing to follow his lead.

  Delara and Jedrik were like brother and sister, playful, teasing, and argumentative all at the same time. It was obvious they shared a deep love for one another.

  There was something odd about Delara, like she was putting up a front. She was casual and straightforward and likable, yet every muscle was tense. Her eyes were . . . I couldn’t put my finger on it. Haunted or something.

  Everyone got up and began leaving the room.

  “What’s her story?” I whispered to Balen.

  “Delara?” Balen frowned. “The girl has had a pretty screwed up life.”

  “Does she live at Keir’s?” I’d never seen her there, but that didn’t mean anything.

  “She did. After that shit went down with Ryszard, she took off. She only showed up when I did, but she no longer lives with the Talde.”

  “She looks . . . I don’t know, like she’s hiding something?”

  Balen shrugged. “Probably is. Centuries ago, she and Waleron were in love. But that ended pretty damn tragically.” He leaned down and nipped my ear and my belly flip-flopped. “I’ll never get over how delicious you smell.”

  “Like cinnamon?” I asked.

  He threw back his head and laughed. “Fuck, yeah.”

  “You have the amulet yet?”

  Kilter’s voice plowed into my head and I winced. His voice was deeper with a slight rasp and he sounded tired and more pissed off. I focused my mind on the words I wanted to communicate. “No, we’re just—”

  “Useless. Do you understand that every second it takes you, Ryker is being tested on like some goddamn lab rat? I want it here yesterday. Got me?”

  Kilter was as offensive and vulgar as ever. If I were shy and timid, he’d have me crying every time he opened his vile mouth.

  “We’re close. Keep your pants on. I’ll contact you when I have it.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Why does he have to speak to me? You’re an ancient. Can’t he talk to you instead?” I asked.

  Balen chuckled. “Kilter being his usual charming self?” He rubbed his hand up and down my back. “Your telepathy is strongest, making it easier for him. With the distance between us, it would be like a bad connection if he tried to speak with any of us. It also builds strength between the two of you. Even though I can’t say I’m pleased about it, the connection will help when you begin to communicate with Ryker. Kilter and him have been together for a hundred years and are close. Well, as close as Kilter will get to anyone. He knows Ryker better than any of us.”

  “I’d like it known—I don’t like Kilter.”

  Balen leaned over and kissed me. “Probably the only one left alive who does is Ryker.”

  I found that easy to believe.

  Hack had already gone into Ryker’s study and was on the computer. Jedrik and Delara were packed and ready to go.

  Keir grabbed a satchel from the lounge chair in the corner of the room and slung it over his shoulder. “I’ll contact you once we meet up with Kilter,” he said to Balen.

  “Ready?” Balen asked me.

  Fuck yeah. Besides, if I didn’t do this, I’d have to deal with Kilter.

  “WHY DO YOU GUYS always pick caves?”

  “I’d do it for you if I could.”

  “No, I need to.” But he couldn’t anyway. Kilter had told me that only I, or a slender type woman, would be able to fit into the tunnel where the amulet was hidden, plus Hannah had given me the bracelet. So, it was meant for me to go.

  Balen held out his hand and I took it, instantly feeling the warmth blanketing my body. Ryker’s life was at stake. Keep it together.

  I entered the cave and the dampness clung to my skin. Cold air sank into my bones, smothering my breath. My hands started with the pins and needles at the tips and working their way up. I inhaled slow and easy. Balen’s hand squeezed mine and I felt his strength and steadiness shift into my body.

  Go to my happy place. I always thought my therapist was shittin’ me with that stuff, but I had to admit, it helped. Blue sky, soft breeze, grass beneath my feet. Trees swaying.

  Balen’s voice drifted into my mind. “And fucking in the grass.”

  I felt a bubble of laughter at Balen reading my silly thoughts of my happy place.

  “Not silly, little one.”

  “I’m changing my happy place when we get out of here.”

  “To include me?”

  I rolled my eyes. “No, it’s supposed to be a place where no one can find you. Where you’re safe from everything.”

  “You’re safe from everything in my arms. And I want your happy place to include me.”

  Yeah, I could do that. He was my safe place. He’d always be my safe place. I leaned closer to him and kissed his shoulder. “Okay.”

  We made it to the clearing at the end of the tunnel where Kilter had taken me before. My heart raced, but my panic was much less.

  Balen knelt and cleared away the dirt from around the square door in the ground. He yanked on an old rusted handle and it creaked open.

  I peered into the hole and saw a wooden ladder. Even with my eyesight—that had heightened since the change—I was still unable to see the bottom. It was a hole, just big enough for a woman. That was why Kilter insisted I be the one to go, neither he nor Balen were capable of fitting into that deathtrap. The amulet must have belonged to Hannah. I wondered if somehow Hannah had known the attack was going to happen. Was that why she gave me the key to the box?

  “I can do this.”

  Balen cupped my chin and turned me to face him. “Yeah, you can. I won’t let anything happen. Okay?”

  I took several deep breaths and nodded.

  Balen passed me
a flashlight and then helped me into the opening. His calm, patient words sifted through my mind as I climbed down the ladder. I kept my eyes closed and moved methodically, one step after the other. My shoulders grazed the earth on both sides, and dirt crumbled. I swallowed as a sudden panic clutched at my chest. I fought to control my thoughts of getting buried alive—trapped.

  “Breathe, baby.”

  The sound of Balen’s calm voice in my mind made me feel as if he was holding my hand. I took three deep breaths then continued downward.

  This damn amulet better be worth it and not some keepsake Kilter wanted to put on his mantel. I’d kill the selfish bastard if it was.

  My feet touched the ground and I saw the crawlspace to the right of the ladder. Holy crap, no. No way. I couldn’t do it. My heart pumped wildly and my stomach cramped. I grabbed for the ladder. Escape. Get out. It was like the water, except now I was drowning in earth.

  “Listen to my heartbeat. Hear my breath. Concentrate. Match it to your own. Feel your hands, your legs, they’re free. I am here. You’re not alone.”

  “Balen, I can’t . . . I . . . I’m scared.”

  “I know, baby.”

  I gripped the wooden ladder, one foot on the last rung, ready to dart up as fast as I could. Warmth shot from my wrist up my arm and then through my chest and into my stomach. I thought I was hallucinating when I saw the pearl bracelet glow a soft baby blue light. I stared at the bracelet as its warmth soared through my limbs, lending its strength.

  Oh, God, Hannah. You knew. You knew.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could do this. Hannah knew the amulet would be needed. The pearl bracelet grew brighter and the tingling in my limbs disappeared. Don’t give up. Don’t fail.

  I let go of the ladder and dropped to my knees. Crawl. One step at a time.

  “Danni?”

  “I’m okay.”

  I made my way through the narrow tunnel. Dirt crumbled around me as my body brushed up against the walls. I guessed Hannah had chosen this place so only a few would be able to retrieve the amulet. There was no chance a male could fit into this hole, and by the indents and crumbling walls, I guessed Kilter had tried.

  I sighed when my flashlight lit up on the steel box. I scrambled toward it, and then quickly undid the bracelet and put the latch into the keyhole on the box. I heard a click and lifted the lid. I felt inside until I found the medallion that was hanging on some kind of rope. It fit in my palm, had edges with eight points and some kind of engraving on the surface. I slipped the medallion into my back jean pocket, put the bracelet back on my wrist, picked up the flashlight, and then started crawling backward.

  It was a slow process, and now that I had the amulet, I just wanted out as fast as I could. My mind screamed as earth continued to fall around me, and each inch backward became more frantic. My legs hit something and I screamed, afraid the tunnel had collapsed. My heart slammed into my chest and I began hyperventilating. It had caved in. The hole had collapsed behind me and I was trapped. Buried alive.

  The bracelet glowed bright blue and jolts of heat shot through my body, but it wasn’t enough.

  “Danni. Fuck. Stop. Don’t move. Concentrate. Think about where you have to go. Feel with your hands around you. Slowly. Nice and fuckin’ slow.”

  “Damn it, this sucks.” I tried to stand, but my head hit earth and granules fell into my hair.

  “Danni!” His voice was so forceful it was as if he’d slapped me. “Do as I say.”

  Tears streamed down my face, and my body trembled, but I felt around me until they hit something. Wood. It was the ladder. My feet had bumped into the ladder. I shifted to the side and backed up enough to stand. I latched onto the ladder and raced up the rungs as fast as my trembling legs could take me.

  Balen grabbed my arm and pulled me the rest of the way out, and I collapsed into his embrace.

  “Okay, I’m officially a wuss.”

  Balen smiled at me and kissed each tear away. “I’m proud of you, baby.”

  We drove to the location Keir had given us. It took us an hour and forty-five minutes along winding roads with large snowbanks. We arrived at the hotel just after three in the morning.

  Jedrik opened the door with a broad grin and his mouth full. “Hey, Delar,” he shouted over his shoulder, “more to join the slumber party. Hope you’re wearing lots of layers because strip poker is on the list of things to do.”

  “Oh, that’s disgusting, Arrow. You’re like my brother,” Delara said from the other side of the room.

  Jedrik winked at Danni then a few crumbles of what looked like chips fell from his mouth.

  She smiled. “Does that mean junk food is present? Because I’m starved.”

  Jedrik held up a bag of non-rippled potato chips. “Done.”

  She pointed at the bag of chips then playfully smacked my chest. “See, I told you.”

  “Mmm,” I mumbled while taking in the room, three bottles of Coke, three bags of chips, and an empty pizza box. No Kilter or Keir.

  “Kilter?” I asked.

  “Next door,” Jedrik said. “We couldn’t take his bitching anymore, so we got him the extra room. Friggin’ guy refuses to sleep. All he does is pace back and forth, swearing and cursing.” Jedrik’s eyes glowed bright gold as he directed his gaze at the wall. “Yep, still pacing back and forth. Guaranteed that guy hasn’t slept since all this went down.”

  “Is he manageable?”

  Jedrik shrugged as he dug his hand into the chip bag then shoved a bunch in his mouth. “Guess so. Had a little altercation when he collapsed a couple hours ago. I laughed my ass off. Kilter doesn’t like to be laughed at.”

  Delara snorted.

  Danni slipped away from me and went into the washroom. I heard the shower turn on and the image of her naked body under the heated spray had me shifting uneasily. All the way here, I’d wanted to pull over and fuck her after what she’d done in that cave. “Where’s Keir?”

  “Oh, this part is so good.” Jedrik sat on the edge of the bed and faced the TV. “Frig, he can shoot an arrow.” I glanced at the screen and saw Lord of the Rings: Return of the King playing. Without turning his gaze from the TV, Jedrik continued, “Yeah, grabbing something to eat. He wasn’t into pizza or chips. Something about health, Anstice, and making babies.”

  I walked over and sat in the wooden chair at the small table. Delara sat beside me and pushed her iPad closer to me. On the screen were the plans of the compound.

  “Hack sent me this. Twelve-foot brick wall all the way around the place,” she said. “One entrance with twenty-four seven security. Walls are not a problem for us, except for motion sensors. We have no chance getting through without setting off all kinds of warning bells.” She pointed to three buildings. “He could be in any one of these. All five stories high and most likely underground lower levels. We’ll need Danni to try to contact Ryker and see if he can give us his location.”

  We continued discussing the layout and the rest of the information Hack had discovered, which was minimal. It was a large facility, but very secretive. We had learned a scientist owned it and it was supposedly some laboratory for gene research. A cover story, no doubt.

  “We’ll go in tomorrow night,” I said.

  “Fuck that.” Kilter stood in the doorway. He was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. “I’ll get him out.”

  Delara snorted. “You can barely stand up.”

  “You haven’t watched the place for the last two days have you?” Kilter retorted. “The motion sensors are off during the day. Most likely because it’s daylight and the place is as open as a golf course. Guards walk the perimeter instead. I can get around the guards.”

  “Not in your state,” Jedrik mumbled, his eyes still fixated on the television.

  “Where’s the amulet?” Kilter’s eyes narrowed on the bathroom door. “She in there?”

  I tensed as Kilter walked toward the bathroom, but I got there before he did, blocking his path.


  “Get out of my way, asshole,” Kilter said. “I want the amulet.”

  “She’ll be out in a sec.” I lowered my voice. “But you want to fuck with me, go right ahead.”

  The bathroom door opened and Danni stood there, hair soaking wet, cheeks flushed from the hot water. She looked at us and it was obvious she figured out what the standoff was about. She reached in her back pocket and pulled out the amulet, then shoved it into Kilter’s chest. “You’re an asshole.”

  “I never claimed otherwise.” His fingers curled around the clothed amulet. “Try to reach him.”

  Danni ignored him and walked over to sit on the bed beside Jedrik and towel-dried her hair. “You haven’t slept in what?” She cocked her head to the side and I smirked. She was reading Kilter’s thoughts. “Days. Well then, I’m certain I could land you on your ass in about five seconds flat despite my lack of training.”

  Kilter’s body stiffened. His lips pursed together as he glared at her. He hesitated a few seconds before he turned on his heel and walked from the room.

  Jedrik whistled. “See his face? Right pissed.”

  I sighed. “Kilter’s dangerous. He’s on the brink of breaking and I don’t trust him.”

  “So in other words—not a team player,” Jedrik said.

  Delara threw her empty pop can at Jedrik’s head. He ducked, but not in time. “Cool it, Arrow. Balen’s right. Kilter is lethal. And even though you’re a pain in my ass, I want you to live.”

  Jedrik put his hands to his heart. “Love you too, Sass.”

  By the time I had showered, Keir was back and discussing something with Delara and Jedrik. Kilter had returned, leaning up against the dresser with his arms crossed, and Danni was sitting on the bed looking just as pissed off as Kilter. I guessed the two had had words again.

  I walked over to the bed and sat beside her. “Ready?” She crossed her legs and nodded. “It helps to picture the person in your mind. His voice, what he looks like, his attitude.” I put my hand on her thigh. “Focus on Ryker alone.”

  I CLOSED MY EYES, thinking of Ryker, his laughter when Hannah teased him, the sound of his voice, what it felt like when he shook my hand.