27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

ROSE

Ireach out along the tether of our twin bond, a thread of silver in the darkness of my mind. His name echoes through the corridors of my thoughts like a mantra, or whispered prayers to a long-lost god.

Bennett.

There's a flicker, somewhere deep within the maze of my consciousness—a flutter of recognition, a spark of life. Bennett! I call out again, louder this time, putting every ounce of my fear, my desperation, my love into his name.

Bennett.

His response is faint, a whisper of wind against the leaves, a distant echo lost in an endless tunnel. But it was there, small and trembling, woven into the very fabric of my soul. I seize onto it, an anchor in a stormy sea.

Bennett. The name reverberates through me, imbued with all the urgency I muster.

The connection sparks alive again, brighter this time as though my desperation breathed life into it.

What the fuck? Rose? How the hell are you in my head? A little busy—Lopey is here.

I whip my head up, eyes flying open, staring off into the distance as though I could see him if only I look hard enough.

Bennett, we're in really big trouble right now, and my mates and I will die if you don't do everything I say, as fast as you possibly can. Do you understand?

For a moment, there's nothing. An empty void, threatening to suck me back into its depths. Then, a sharp intake of breath, as if he's surfaced from underwater. I don't need to see him to know the expression that settles on his face—panic etched into his features, eyes wide and alert.

What do you need?

I could sob in relief.

We need to access a city called Espero without drawing attention. Humans are being held captive there, and we need them for an ascension ritual. Can you get in?

There's a beat of silence before I feel the connection strengthen, as though he's right in front of me now and not realms away.

I'll do it. Tell me what it looks like, and I'll sift there.

My head snaps to Kieran. "Explain everything in detail and I'll relay it to him."

My serpent mate, usually so quick with a smirk, is all serious as he quickly describes Espero in the most minute detail. His descriptions flow smoothly, honed from countless visits. One can sift to any location provided they know what the place looks like in detail.

It's at the foothills on Occasus. You need to sift to a small, oak-lined path thirty kilometers north of Grimm's old castle. The road is too small for a wagon, but big enough for three people to walk side-by-side. It's dusty, not volcanic rock like the rest of the continent, and if you're standing facing the leftmost peak, walk thirty-two paces right towards it and you should be in front of a walled-in city with sentry turrets all along the top. It's guarded by armed fae decked out in metal armor. Let me know if you see it.

The connection flickers for a moment, then is back in full force. A splitting headache begins to creep up the back of my skull, which must be an unfortunate side-effect of using our telepathic connection so intensely.

I'm at Grimm's old castle. There isn't a soul in sight. I see the foothills, and I'm walking thirty-two paces towards the left mountain now.

We wait in silence, the tension so thick I could choke on it. After what seems like an eternity, the connection comes back in full force.

Rose, there's nothing here.

"He doesn't see it!"

"Shit," Kieran mutters, pacing. "I worried he'd be too pure for Espero. Fuck!"

"He doesn't need to be a bad person to see it. He just needs a dark artifact with him, something tarnished by evil." Chaos holds my hand. "Have you got anything at home that might fit that?"

Panic starts to creep back in. "I—I don't know," I stammer.

"The bracelet!" Theo grabs my shoulders. "Your parents have it!"

Yes! The damned bracelet that went missing from McColt's classroom that has the power to control our entire royal family.

Benny, you need to sift home and find the bracelet mom hid on Convectus. Once you have that, you can sift back and will be able to see the city.

My head pounds, and I feel something warm running down my nose. I instinctively wipe at it, and when I look at my hand, I see that it's blood. Not good.

Then what? Tell me everything in case I lose you. I'm getting a nose bleed.

Not him, too! Crap.

"What next?" I turn towards Kieran, keeping a sleeve-covered hand to my nose to try to stem the bleeding.

Kieran relays the rest of the directions to me, casting worried glances at my other mates.

Once inside the gates, walk with purpose for three blocks down the main drag until you reach an alley with a giant spider painted on the wall. Take a left and follow that for another two blocks before you take a right at the alley with a broken lantern hanging limply from a rusted iron chain. They are not expecting anyone today, so it's important you follow these directions exactly. You will see a small wooden door, crooked and barely hanging onto its hinges. Knock three times, pause, then knock twice more. A woman in a tattered cloak will answer. Do not look her directly in the eyes, as she's blind but can sense your gaze and knows when anyone is lying. Give her the passphrase, ‘Under the Bedlam Moon, the crow weeps.' She will lead you through a maze of tunnels. Don't try to remember the way; she changes it every time.

Ask for Callum once she brings you to the last door. Explain your sister is mated to Kieran and we are all in dire trouble and we've found the way out for them all. He will ask you to verify this claim. Ask him how humans mate on Earth, he'll know you're with me then. Then bring six of their strongest humans to the bale of Nethermore while depositing the rest at Convectus Castle, where they'll be protected. We'll meet you in Nethermore. But hurry! We have two hours to do this or we're dead.

Technically, just Chaos is, but at that point, I might as well be, too. I'll never survive the grief of losing my soul bond.

Nethermore? Fuck, Rose. Be careful. I'll be there as soon as I can. I love you.

I close my eyes shut tight. I love you, too. Be safe.

"What if our timing is off? Maybe we only have thirty minutes instead of an hour?" I ask, too nervous to sit, so instead, I pace. My mates are all on edge, and outwardly, they try not to show it, but inside? It feels like what I imagine a heart attack is. Like an elephant is sitting on my chest. Our bonds are pulled tight, vibrating like over-wound violin strings. One wrong move, and we could all snap.

Jax clenches his jaw, arms folded tight over his chest as he leans against the broken shards of the tree Theo blasted to pieces.

"Benny will come through for us. He always does," Mekhi says as his head swivels back-and-forth, watching me trample a path in the snow.

"Do we all need to ascend today?" I glance at Chaos where he's parked on the cabin's stairs. "What if it's just me who does, so that if anything happens?—"

"No." Chaos stands. "We might've been able to swing it at the end of the summer, but we need everyone now. Ascension is painful. It will take everything you have and then some. You will feel like you're dying a thousand deaths, or at the very least you will want to die. Each of you will need to lean on the other to get through this. Otherwise, none of us will survive."

"How long will it take?" Deakan inspects the hole that Nymia made in the tree when she came out. He gives it a couple of kicks as though he were a middle-aged father testing the sturdiness of his daughter's new apartment. "The actual ascension process?"

The crone raises her brow at him but says nothing.

"Each ascension that's ever happened usually takes an hour." Chaos shrugs. "But with each of you having a human tether, as well as each other to get you through it? Maybe ten minutes." He shakes his head. "But don't dismiss the warning, because ten minutes of agony can feel like a lifetime."

"I've got a plan." Mekhi shrugs. "It helped me through the worst of my uncle's abuse."

Agony, hot and sharp, pierces my chest at his words. When I'm a goddess I'm going to befriend Aggonid, and make sure Uncle Blain gets special treatment in the underworld. And by special treatment, I mean daily torture sessions and psychological trauma.

I stop my pacing so I can wrap my arms around him. The physical contact alone helps ease the ache, and he relaxes into my touch. "What's your plan?"

"Hold tight to happy memories. Conversations. Feelings. Funny stories." He closes his eyes, his strong features softening as he slips into the warmth of a memory. "Things you look forward to in the future."

"What do you look forward to?" I whisper, pressing my forehead to his chest.

He takes a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Having a big family." He sucks in a breath before he opens his eyes to look down at me. "I really am looking forward to seeing you pregnant."

I bark out a laugh and give him a playful shove.

The others laugh, too.

"That's a sight we can all cling to." Theo smirks.

Jax grins. "Dibs on going first."

Chaos shakes his head. "When she's ready, she'll want someone powerful to make babies with her."

"I could literally incapacitate you with my venom." Kieran raises a smug brow.

Chaos puffs out his chest. "Not if you can't breathe, little worm."

Deakan sprawls back, chewing on some jerky while he smiles at the pissing contest. "Could be worse. We could all have golden shower kinks." He shrugs.

"What's that?" Chaos furrows his brows.

"Happy to show you, big fella." Deakan laughs.

"I will literally cut you all off," I warn, though the amusement in my voice isn't hard to hide. "I've got a tentacle vibrator waiting for me at home."

Gasps ring out.

Nymia looks equal parts scandalized, perplexed, amused, and proud as she watches the show.

"We're single-handedly going to help increase the fae population back to pre-high-king-exodus levels," Chaos grunts.

"A serpent tongue is kind of like a tentacle. I can make that vibrate." Kieran smirks. "You certainly weren't complaining."

My skin flares bright blue as my blush sets in. I look over at Jax, who's trying to stifle his laughter. "Don't you dare," I warn him, but he bursts out laughing anyway.

Deakan stalks towards me, throws an arm around my shoulder and grins down at me. "It was really hot."

My eyes glance over at Kieran's, and the heated look in them about does me in.

Theo clears his throat. "Forty-five minutes."

Shit.

That sobers us all.

Bennett will be here on time. He has to.