Chapter 69

Anya awakened before dawn, a gentle stroke of fingers on her face. She groaned and tried to bat them away.

"Get up, Anya. The gates need you," a deep voice whispered to her. Anya cracked open an eye and saw a man with golden hair and green eyes staring down at her.

"Ilya?" Anya murmured. She sat bolt upright and wide awake, but the apparition was gone. Drums and voices roared into her head, and she bit down a scream. Trajan woke beside her, his eyes shining crimson.

"Anya? What"s wrong?" he asked.

"The gates, Trajan. We need to get to the gates," she gasped, pulling herself out of bed.

"I"ll wake the others and get them ready," he replied. Trajan steadied her as she swayed. "Are you going to be okay…"

"I"m fine, just go," Anya said, pushing him away and going into the bathroom. She made it to the sink as she dry heaved. Ilya, where did you go?

Anya washed her face and drank handfuls of water before stumbling back into the bedroom and dressing. Her hand curled around Ilya"s knife, and her magic flickered impatiently. The voices were growing louder in her head, but she still couldn"t make out anything clear in the cacophony.

"I"m going. I"m going," she told them and hurried downstairs to where Trajan was assembling everyone by the cars.

"Anya, you look pale as death," Aramis said. He went to take her hand and then let it fall back self-consciously. His concerned expression melted away, and his general face replaced it. "Don"t forget that when you were captured, your magic flowed by using words, not blood. From what I"ve seen other gatekeepers do, you"ll only need a little blood so that the gate recognizes you as a gatekeeper."

"I"ll remember," Anya said, one hand going into her pocket to grip Ilya"s knife.

Yvan didn"t offer her any words of comfort, only took her hand, and let the firebird"s power seep into her cold body. Deep inside her, the one flame it had passed onto flared hot, stilling her nerves and giving her courage.

"Thanks," she murmured.

Trajan and Cerise joined them, and the keres brought her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead.

"Good luck, sweetie. Try not to get too damaged. I am a nurse, not a miracle worker," she said with a teasing smile.

"Just don"t drink my blood if I die," Anya replied, making Cerise laugh.

"No promises."

Chayton and Honaw gave her identical smiles. "You got this, Anya. You focus on the gates, and we will make sure nothing magical tries to hit you in the back. We are all here to protect you in case the Darkness or Illumination tries to mess with you."

"The Illumination won"t want to break the treaty, but they have promised to keep the Darkness from attacking you," Aramis reassured them.

"Yeah, I"ll believe it when I see it," Katya said, buckling on her gun belt. "Are we going or what?"

They piled into the cars, Anya wedged between Aramis and Trajan, Katya and Izrayl in the front. Anya saw Yvan go with Cerise and the Twins, and a flash of panic went through her to be separated from him and the firebird. It"s only for the drive. It will be fine. Anya fought not to clutch her head and kept breathing deeply.

"Tell me how I can help," Trajan said, putting an arm around her. She leaned into him, breathed in his autumn scent. Safe.

"Just get me there so I can get this noise out of my head and try and get the gates shut again," Anya begged, tears filling her eyes.

"Don"t worry. Your abilities far outweigh your training," Aramis said, trying to encourage her. "Your ancestors could do it, and they only had a fraction of the power you have."

"They had the blessing of being taught what to do,"Anya replied. She had gone over and over her vision with Ilya, trying to find meaning in his movements so she could recreate them.

The closer they got to the farm, Anya could feel the gates heaving and screaming, an extra pulse beating out a rhythm in her brain.

"We"ve got people on our tails," Izrayl said, making Anya turn.

Men in black gear were riding motorbikes and closing in on them.

"Darkness or Illumination?" Trajan asked.

They ducked gunfire that peppered the night and hit their back window. Isabelle and Hamish drove up beside them as Hamish"s big Winchesters boomed, and one of the motorbikes behind them went down.

"Definitely Darkness. The Illumination would never be so sloppy," Aramis said. "Feel free to fire back."

"I"m on it," Katya replied as she opened the sunroof.

"Watch yourself, hunter," Izrayl growled, and Katya kissed him on the cheek before popping up through the roof and firing.

"Get down, Anya," Trajan said and covered her with his body.

Adrenaline was pumping through her veins as Anya tried to keep her breathing steady. Aramis began to glow with silvery light beside her, and he placed a hand on the window. Magic that tasted like starlight and spring washed over the vehicle, and Katya cursed above them.

"What the hell, spark plug!" she demanded.

"It"s a shield to keep you from getting your face blown off," Aramis reassured her, and she kept firing.

"Thanks," Izrayl said gruffly, not taking his eyes off the road as they pulled into the farm.

Anya"s magic roared in her ears, and she bit her tongue hard enough to taste blood. "Stop the car," she begged, and Izrayl pulled up in front of the remains of the barn. Trajan got out first and all but lifted her out of the car.

As Anya"s feet touched the ground, an aurora of light streaked out of the forest and across the field. The gates. They looked like the ones she had seen before but were scarlet while the others had been blue.

"Do you see them? I never thought they would be so beautiful," she gasped, the magic in the earth wrapping around her feet.

"No, I can"t see anything," Trajan said, holding her close.

Anya turned away from the wall of light and breathed him in, trying to imprint his scent and body onto her in case anything happened.

"You"ve got this, Anya," he said, tilting her head up so that he could kiss her. "You were born to do this, my love. Don"t forget that."

"I wish I had your confidence," Anya replied, her voice shaky with the nerves that were chewing at her insides.

"You don"t need it. You"ve got the power inside of you already." Trajan brushed another kiss against her lips. "Be careful. I love you."

Anya stared up into his wine-colored eyes, and the drums started in her head again. "I love you too."

"No time left," Aramis interrupted. "I"m sorry. The Darkness is here, and I can only hold these shields for so long."

The pale silvery light was now stretching around them, the Twins' bronze-colored magic joining the shield and reinforcing it. Now that the sky was lightening, Anya could make out the ranks of soldiers wearing the red and black crest of the Darkness on their uniforms creeping out of the forest.

Across the field, jeeps were coming in from the village, and more men were getting out. Over their uniforms were shining silver chest plates and all were carrying swords.

"The Illumination have finally arrived," Isabelle said, reloading her guns. "I see their knights in shining armor complex is still strong."

"They won"t move unless the Darkness openly attack them," Aramis replied, drawing out his long knife. "Ladislav will have to be insane to break the treaty."

"It feels like the day for some insanity," Hamish said, with a laugh.

Anya didn"t hear what else they said, their voices blurring as the gates reached out and touched her magic with scarlet vines. Everything seemed to move into the background as Anya walked toward the shimmering aurora in the middle of the field, noticing its frayed edges that touched the land. There were tears opening in the aurora, and through them, Anya saw the dawn sky of Skazki.

Please show me what you need, she silently begged the gates as she reached them. She could feel the expectation of the next gatekeeper pressing in on her, knew that her friends and enemies were all watching her. She pushed all of that aside; only the gates mattered now.

With a shaking hand, Anya pulled out Ilya"s knife and ran the blade over her palm. Blood pooled into it, and she placed her hand on the aurora and released her magic.

As blood and magic mingled and fell to the earth, Ilya appeared beside her, then his son Ahti. Anya gasped as more specters rose from the ground and stood around her. She didn"t recognize most of them, but she knew who they were—her ancestors, who had lived and died on the land, were all around her.

Then she saw Eikki, and tears welled in her eyes. He joined her and mouthed words she couldn"t hear. The voices in her head started to move in time with his lips until she could make out the echoing words. ‘I"m sorry. Be safe. I love you.'

Anya tried to reach for him, but her hand slid through him. Eikki"s green eyes filled with warning and mouthed, ‘Murdered,' then pointed to his chest, ‘Trust no one.' Anya couldn"t ask him more because Ilya"s hand rested on her shoulder, and the chorus of voices silenced and then rose together in one voice.

‘Don"t be afraid. Your ancestors stand with you, Anya. Feel our power in your bones and blood and the earth at your feet,' they said to her. ‘It"s at your fingertips, waiting for you to use. You"re not alone. You never were. Feel the magic calling out to you. Draw it up from our bones and blood that have protected this land and lay in it.'

Anya"s feet were pulsing with power, and she closed her eyes and drew the hot magic up from the earth.

"I feel it," she whispered, her own magic tying itself to the land. Then she breathed out and let it take control of her.

Anya knelt down and drew a line in the earth where the light of the gate touched it. She squeezed her hand tightly and let her blood flow into the earth. The voices of her ancestors began to chant again, the power of their rune songs racing through her veins and biting her tongue. She stood and opened her mouth to let their voices out.

"I am the Gate"s strong keeper,

Rune singer and Magic wielder.

Door to Dreamland,

Land of heroes, land of stories,

I stand on your threshold,

Between the spaces of the world.

I stand on your threshold,

And offer all that I am.

I stand on your threshold,

And hold your door shut.

That space to Hero land,

I hold closed.

To those who are unworthy,

They cannot pass.

I am the Gate's strong keeper,

Rune singer and Magic wielder.

My magic, my blood, my voice

Commands you,

Tells you to close.

With blood spilt over,

Where the Gates have broken.

Join like flesh together,

And bless it into its place.

With words and blood,

I command you."

The aurora of the gates flared bright as Anya"s magic roared out of her and filled it. The frays and tears in the light began to mend and seal, closing Mir off and the glimpses of Skazki. Power was still riding her as the aurora began to fade. She could feel the power in the land, in the forest, in the rising sun, all the magic of the world singing to her.

A note of discord broke the song apart, and Anya"s attention snapped to the tree line as a man walked from the forest on her side of the gate. A cloak of shadows and night was flaring around him, and Anya could sense the fear and darkness of his power as he smiled at her.

"Vasilli…"

Aramis staredin wide-eyed wonder as Anya slipped deep into the gate"s magic and went to a place none of them could follow. He kept his shields up around her, just in case bullets started to fly again.

"What"s happening to her?" Trajan demanded.

"I"m not sure, but don"t touch her whatever you do," Aramis warned him.

Magic was pulsing through the earth at his feet. The Twins started laughing at the heady power filling the air.

"She"s drawing on the power of her ancestors," Chayton said. "I can see the spirits around her but not clearly."

Whatever Anya was doing was working because the gates were shuddering as their power was replenished. The Illumination and the Darkness were eyeing each other off on either side of them, weapons drawn and ready, waiting for orders. The Darkness operatives who had been following them dropped back as soon as the Illumination arrived.

Katya and Isabelle hadn"t lowered their guard, and Cerise had shadows of her true form dancing in her eyes as if she could feel the battle coming.

"Vasilli," Anya said softly.

Aramis followed to where she was staring and saw the moment he stepped from the trees in his cloak of shadows.

"Tell me how I can help your shields, and the firebird will let me use its magic," Yvan said urgently as the firebird"s power rolled flames out over his skin.

"You"re too late, Vasilli. The gates are shut," Anya shouted, her words reverberating with the sound of her ancestors' voices.

"I"m not here for the gates, witch. I"m here for you!" Vasilli replied, and the shadows rose out of him, racing across the empty field. It hit Aramis"s shields, burning through them in seconds and hit Anya.

Aramis cried out in pain as his shields were cut off completely as the power in the earth roared up through Anya and white light exploded out of her. It wrapped itself around Vasilli"s shadows and pushed them back.

"We have incoming!" Isabelle called, and the Darkness operatives started racing across the field towards them. There was a shout from the Illumination side, and they hurried to meet their charge.

"They are breaking the treaty," Aramis said, shock rattling him.

"Just focus on putting that shield back up so we don"t get riddled with bullets in the crossfire!" Katya replied, shaking his shoulder. "Anya is taking care of herself." Aramis"s head snapped back to Anya as she held back Vasilli"s shadows, the two slowly stepping towards one another as their vortexes of power clashed between them.

Holy gods, what is she? Aramis"s attention went back to the fight as the Darkness reached them and started firing. Bullets fell from the Twins' shields, so they drew bladed weapons and charged their way through.

Aramis had cut down two men before they had the chance to defend his attack. A wild laugh exploded out of Cerise as she moved past him, her ancient armor gleaming black and silver and wreathed in shadow as she cut her way into their enemies.

Aramis joined Yvan and Trajan, and they took up positions at Anya"s back and sides. Aramis magic shuddered through him as she began to siphon more of the magic from the earth. Anya screamed a wordless sound of pure rage, and her magic burned hot through the shadows, lighting them on fire. Vasilli roared as it hit him, striking him down with a blow so powerful that made Aramis stagger.

"I did it," Anya gasped, shimmering softly with magic even as she swayed. She turned to smile at the dazed people around her, so she didn"t see the moment Ladislav came out of the trees, blood smeared on his bare chest, face, and arms.

Aramis ran towards Anya and leaped as the resounding boom of Ladislav"s spell exploded around them. Aramis caught Anya as she flew backward through the air, both of them hitting the ground hard.

"Get her!" Ladislav shouted, and the world around became a tangled chaos of gunfire and screams. Trajan was hauling Anya into his arms as Yvan helped Aramis up. His ears were ringing, the sounds of battle drowning and distorted around him.

"In the cars!" Izrayl said, shoving Aramis out of the way and quickly shooting their attacker in the face.

Aramis stumbled, weaving through fighting men and dodging blows as they fought their way back to the cars. Aramis threw magic behind him, knocking back their attackers from both sides. While they were down, he climbed into the backseat beside Trajan, his body going numb from the backlash of Ladislav"s spell. Trajan was clutching Anya"s still body to him, weeping and shaking.

"Come on, Anya, wake up. Please wake up," the thanatos begged.

Aramis saw her chest rise and fall and groaned in relief. Still alive.

Izrayl and Katya jumped into the car, and they were tearing through the fields as the Twins shifted their shields to protect the vehicles in their retreat.

"Where are we going?" Izrayl demanded.

"Just drive!" Aramis said. His burner phone started to ring as they sped up the driveway and onto the road.

"What?" he shouted down the line over the roar of Katya"s gunfire.

"The Illumination just put out a death order for you and everyone you are with," Silvian said, his voice urgent and breaking up. "It"s being broadcasted over every channel of communication. Human world tech, as well as psychic and magical links. Do you understand? They are hunting you now! I was in their system as the call went out, and I intercepted it. You aren"t going to believe what I found, Aramis."

"Tell me, Silvian!" Aramis demanded, hanging onto the door as Izrayl took a corner hard.

"It"s about Yanka and the reason why the girl can dream walk with her…"

"What about it? Hurry up!" Aramis shouted, looking over at Anya. Whatever color she had was gone from her, and she still hadn"t regained consciousness. Trajan buried his face in the crook of her shoulder and was sobbing. There was silence at the end of the line.

"Fucking spit it out. I have the Darkness and Illumination up my ass right now!" Aramis shouted as the phone reception began to drop out.

"Yanka is still alive." Silvian"s voice crackled. "Did you hear me? Yanka is alive!"