Chapter Twenty-Seven

Killian

R eaper wastes absolutely no time in scooping her up off the floor and cradling her in his arms, Ryu is so close to the surface that Reaper’s form keeps shimmering, but I know that there is no need to worry that he’s going to lose his control and hurt her. His need to protect her is far stronger than anything else. We all rush after him as he practically runs to her room and carefully lays her on the bed, taking her boots off so that she’s more comfortable, although, with the amount she’s bleeding, I highly doubt that she’s going to be comfortable any time soon.

“More slices and wounds opened up while we were bringing her up here,” Loki mutters, sounding pained.

“Are you okay with this? Do you need to leave?” I question him.

He looks at me like I’m fucking crazy for suggesting that he leave Farren before it clicks why I asked him that, and he replies, “No, I’m fine. I just fucking hate seeing her this way, and I can’t fucking help her; I don’t understand why I can’t help her.”

Before I can reply, to even try to reassure him that something else is going on right now, and whatever happens, we know that he tried his best. Grey interrupts everyone's, panicked, muttering.

“I think old wounds are opening,” he starts, and we all freeze as we turn to look at him, hoping for more of an explanation. He moves forward and very carefully lifts her shirt, exposing the last wound that the Void healed. “See, I know for a fact that the Void healed this.”

“Fuck,” Reaper curses harshly. “This is really fucking bad.”

“The Void has healed her when she’s been on the brink of death multiple times. If all of that is going to be undone one incident at a time then,” Rival starts but can’t quite bring himself to say what we all know will happen if she’s exposed to those wounds again.

Sudden and violent wind blasts through the room and I suddenly become alert, my eyes immediately moving to Zev. Just as I had suspected, he’s in the middle of a vision, but unlike any of the ones he’s had whilst we have been here, this one seems to be a hell of a lot bigger, closer to the vision he had in the gym back at the academy.

His hair is pulled from the low ponytail he has it secured in and whips around his head. As his feet lift up off the floor and his eyes glow bright white, everyone watches him closely while still trying to keep an eye on Farren’s worsening condition. It concerns me greatly that she hasn’t woken back up from where she passed out earlier and that she keeps bleeding.

When the wind suddenly dies back down, Zev is unceremoniously dropped to the floor and lands, one knee bent and his head bowed forward. Before any of us can even open our mouths to ask him what he saw and how we can help Farren, he jumps up, his eyes almost wild until they land on Grey.

“We need Monty; now, he’s the only one who knows what’s going on with Farren and how to help her. If we don’t get him here now, then Farren is going to die,” Zev says grimly.

Grey’s eyes widen, “Fuck, it’s going to take me a while to get into town to get him, and even then, I’ve got to convince him that he actually needs to come, and that could take days with how difficult Monty can be.”

“I resent that,” the disembodied voice of Monty sounds throughout the room, and we all stare at each other.

“Am I going crazy, or did you guys just hear Monty’s voice as well?” Reaper asks.

“I heard it too,” Mayhem replies.

I can’t help but startle slightly when Monty suddenly appears right by Farren’s bedside. He looks down at her with worry and affection that I don’t feel he usually shows.

“How did you know we needed you?” Rival asks, always curious.

Monty turns to look at him, straightening out his burnt orange silk patterned suit that he’s somehow managing to pull off, “Farren is very important. She needs me, and I’m here.”

His explanation is irritatingly vague, but then again, I guess we should just be grateful that he replied in the first place. He could have quite easily just ignored Rival’s question.

“Well, how do we fix it?” Storm asks impatiently.

Monty gives him a harsh look but clearly decides to let Storm’s rudeness slide this time as he replies, “She hasn’t gone into the Void enough. She is a part of it, and it is a part of her. Nipping in and out, even if it’s once a day, is not enough to sustain them both. She needs to be going into the Void for at least an hour a day, more than once and for a consistent amount of time, not just travelling through, or it will have dire consequences for them both.”

“But she was cloaked in the Void for a while yesterday and then travelled through it too,” Loki replies.

“Boy, are you not listening? She needs to stay in the Void for at least an hour a day twice a day, or this will keep happening. As you have all rightly guessed, all the wounds that the Void has healed for her are reopening.”

“Look, I know this is important information, but how the fuck do we fix her right now?” Reaper asks impatiently.

“We need to wake her, and she needs to go into the Void and stay there. If I’m honest, I’m surprised that her magic hasn’t already pulled her in,” Monty explains.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I stride over to the bed and gently sweep her sweaty hair off her forehead as the others all move closer. All of them are moving restlessly and staring at her with fear and concern etched into their features.

I take a deep breath. I know that waking her is going to cause her pain, but I also know that the only way to ensure that she doesn’t die is to wake her and get her to pull herself into the Void. I hold onto that as I call out her name.

“Farren, you need to wake up, Darlin’,” I say firmly.

“Come on, Love, wake up, and we can help you,” Loki adds. “She has the bonds closed down tight. I can’t feel anything.”

“She does it whenever she feels pain or has a big emotion,” Storm replies insightfully, his eyes on Farren as he adds, “Come on, Farren, wake up.”

He says it harshly enough that it does the trick, and she begins to groan as she comes to.

“Holy fuck, why do I feel like I’ve been trampled by like a billion fucking horses,” she moans, and there’s a collective sigh of relief that only lasts for a mere second before she hisses in pain, and her breathing becomes laboured.

“Farren, listen to me. You need to go into the Void,” I tell.

“Let your magic guide you, Farren and do not try to fight it. I promise you that it will be okay,” Monty interrupts and judging from the look on his face, it's clear that he knows something else about this situation.

Farren doesn’t need to be told twice, and without any of the usual fanfare, she simply disappears from sight.

“Now what?” Grey asks tensely.

“Now you wait, and might I suggest making her bed clean for when she does come back?” Monty suggests he has a condescending smile on his face, but the tightness around his eyes is a dead giveaway that he’s actually concerned about Farren and her wellbeing. I’d ask him why and what else he knows if I thought he would actually answer.

“Do you have any idea what we can expect? How long will she be gone?” Reaper asks, his form still wavering as Ryu is so damn close to the surface.

Monty nods, “Yes, it’s likely that she will be in there for a long time. Not only does she need to heal, but the Void does as well. It was weakened by her absence. She may pop in and out, and she will probably be reasonably dazed.”

“Okay, let’s sort her bed out then.” Grey announces, “I assume that she will appear back here.”

Monty nods, “Yes, that is correct. I will know if you need me again. Please give her this when she wakes. She is getting stronger now, and it is imperative that she listens to my warning and goes into the Void regularly. As I have already said, if she dies, then the Void dies too, and that would be incredibly bad.”

Monty hands an envelope to Loki, who is standing closest to him, and then simply disappears. I have no idea how he fucking travels, but he’s powerful as fuck and clearly has powerful friends on his side.

“More questions than answers,” Zev mutters.

“Always is. Let's sort this out before she pops back. It will give us something else to focus on as well.” Storm orders.

Farren

M y whole body is just a ball of unending pain, seemingly coming from absolutely every-fucking-where. I couldn’t tell you what part hurts the most, but I can tell you that I’m bleeding, and it's fucking bad. I hear what the guys are saying to me, and when Monty tells me to stop fighting it, I know I need to listen. Monty doesn’t get involved in things that he doesn’t deem incredibly important.

It's with that thought in mind that I let go. I stop fighting the urge to go to the Void, although I hadn’t even realised that was what I was doing until Monty mentioned it. As soon as I let go, my magic pulls me at a rapid pace towards the Void, and the relief that courses through me as I land on the soft ground of the Void is so fucking intense, and coming not only from me but also from the Void itself, that I pass out again.

“My poor daughter, I promise that this will all become clearer eventually, but you do have some trials to get through first. Stay strong , daughter,” the voice that I have heard sporadically throughout my life speaks to me.

“Who are you?” I ask, almost desperate to know who she is and why she keeps helping me.

“I’m a friend.” She replies, and even I can tell that’s not quite the whole truth.

“Why does that not seem entirely true?” I question and then wince when I realise that I probably shouldn’t have done that, even though I’m passed out right now , so I should , in theory , be safe . This woman is clearly extremely powerful , and I shouldn’t be talking to her like she won’t end me simply because she has helped me in the past.

There’s silence while I worry that my question has overstepped before she sighs heavily, “For fuck sake, you know I have never been good at this sort of stuff. Look, all I can tell you is that there’s something bigger and more complex than you could even imagine going on, and you’re in the middle of it , sweet girl. I will help and give you hints when I can, but my hands are essentially tied . All I can tell you right now is to listen to your gut always . It won’t steer you wrong , and remember that you are strong enough.” She finishes fiercely , and I can’t help but believe her , and although I want to ask more questions, I don’t.

“Thank you,” I reply to her.

“Trust your men , too,” she adds , and I can hear the amusement in her tone.

“They aren’t my men,” I retort.

She chuckles, “Sure, they’re not. Remember , not everything is as it seems.”

With those parting words, I am thrust back into consciousness, and I realise that, thankfully, I wasn’t out for very long at all, and I wake back up to find myself already feeling better than I did. I still feel incredibly sore, and some of the deeper cuts and worse injuries are still healing, but I am conscious. It frustrates me that I still cannot put a name to the voice. I guess I should be grateful that I can remember it this time because I know on a soul-deep level that I have spoken to her more often than I remember. I do always find it amusing how she manages to stay calm and all-knowing up until a point and then gives up and starts speaking like one of the guys or I would speak.

As always, I am just going to have to trust what she has told me and that she is on my side.

I’m feeling well enough now that I sit up on my elbows to have a look around and see where I am within the Void. I jump slightly, aggravating the wounds that are still healing, when I finally do look around and see that I am surrounded by so many Void creatures, most of which I have never seen before. There are a few familiar faces mixed in, mostly Void beasts that I saw with Laikynn; just like me, none of the creatures surrounding me looks like they’re on top form. However, they are looking a hell of a lot better than I am, and I take comfort in that.

I also realise that I can see a hell of a lot more than I have ever been able to before, so much so that I really am beginning to think that the Void is not just a place in between that Void users can use to travel to other places. No, I can see the vague outline of a landscape, and I can hear running water, and if those things exist here, then this can’t be an empty place in between. There are creatures here, for fuck sake, creatures that don’t exist anywhere but within the Void. I don’t know why it has never occurred to me before that the creatures that live here can’t possibly be lost creatures or warped lost souls. They are born in the Void, and if they’re born here, this place is so much more than I thought it was than anyone thinks it is. The thought of what it could be is almost too monumental for my mind to comprehend right at this moment, not while it is still healing. Still, I vow to look into it, especially since it seems like I’m going to have the time now; I heard what Monty said while I was still out, it was the only thing that I did hear, but I know that I need to come into the Void at least twice a day and for at least an hour each time.

It means I’m going to have time to explore and see if I can figure out exactly what the Void is.

A small and panicked whine brings me out of my thoughts, and I look around at all the creatures, worry instantly consuming me. That didn’t sound like a happy whine; no, that whine was one of pain. They all watch me curiously, none of them reacting to the whining that is getting more distressed. I can’t just leave the creature, and I struggle to my feet, my body achy and sore, still healing from not being in here for too long. Taking a deep breath I follow the sound of the crying creature and hope that this isn’t some kind of trick. My magic hasn’t warned me of any danger, and surprisingly all of the creatures that were surrounding me open up a path between them so I can walk, yet they still don’t seem to be able to hear the crying, which is confusing and worrying all at the same time.

“Farren,” a familiar booming voice calls out and I pause in my momentum, turning to find Laikynn approaching rapidly. “One of the little ones sent word that you arrived and were in bad shape, are you okay? Did you not realise that you needed to visit regularly?”

My eyebrows hit my hairline at his question, “No, I didn’t, but I know now, and I also know that my distance has a negative effect on the Void as well, and I promise you and all the other creatures that live here that I will not spend that much time away again.”

Laikynn nods and replies warmly, “Thank you, but we are all concerned about you. You are not fully healed and yet you are walking. They do not understand why?”

I frown as I carry on walking but answer him honestly, “Can you not hear that?”

“Hear what?” Laikynn asks, walking alongside me and sounding just as confused.

“The crying, there’s a creature nearby, and it’s hurt or something; it’s crying,” I explain.

Laikynn’s voice turns calm and knowing as he replies, “Ah, I’m sorry, Bellator Regina, that is not a gift that any of us have been blessed with.”

I don’t bother questioning what he called me because all of my senses have gone on high alert as the cries of pain have become a lot weaker than they once were, and I get the feeling that I’m running out of time. I pick up the pace and start to sprint towards the treeline just up ahead; later, I will marvel that there are treelines in here and shrubbery and plants and that it has never been light enough for me to see before. In fact, the darkness has been so all-consuming that if it weren’t for the glowing doors signifying my exit point, I wouldn’t even be able to see my hand right in front of my face.

There’s no time to think about any of that now as my instincts urge me forward.