Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

" W here should we activate the compass?" I asked when we got in Faith's car.

Tegan looked away from the doppel who was flirting with her as Faith pulled onto the road. "I'd like to do it near Shannon. Having the vessel near will strengthen the compass' signal. Knowing Miletus, he's got a hundred wards keeping the soul crystal hidden and I need all the help I can get."

Faith nodded once decisively. "You aren't kidding. I'm getting really tired of that asshole."

"You and me both," Damon snorted, taking the words out of my mouth.

When we parked a few minutes later, the night draped itself over Black Bounty like a heavy shroud. The wards were a reassuring tingle as we entered the front door. Chatter from the second floor relieved more tension I'd been carrying. It was my job to keep my hunters safe, but I couldn't do that and watch them twenty-four-seven.

I wasn't surprised when my hunters greeted us with weapons before we got to the top of the stairs. "Nice to see you all alert. We have a way to track Shannon's soul. We should have it back by tomorrow night," I told them as they dropped their guard.

My heart skipped a beat when we entered the training room where they were all staying. Shannon lay upon her cot completely still. If not for the monitor showing her steady heartbeat, she would look dead. The IV running in her hand kept her hydrated. I didn't want to think about the tube down her nose. Carnell had arranged for a doctor to set this up and keep her body alive. The medical equipment stood sentinel beside her. Their rhythmic pulses echoed through the silence like a mournful lament.

Her once-vibrant person was reduced to a mere echo of its former self. She wasn't in there anymore because of Miletus. And I hadn't stopped that asshole yet. "We're close, Shan. Hold on just a bit longer," I promised her in a whisper.

Faith's voice cut through the heavy silence. "She looks like a zombie," she muttered, her tone laced with bitter irony.

I nodded grimly in agreement, unable to tear my gaze away from Shannon's pallid face. "Yeah," I murmured, my voice harsh with my anger. "It's... it's not right."

Tegan stepped forward, her expression a mask of determination. "We're close to making her whole again, Nishi. That asshole won't get away with that now."

I drew in a shaky breath, my resolve strengthening with each passing moment. "Yeah," I echoed, my voice steady with determination. "We will."

Eve, her brow furrowed in concern, interjected, "Her body is weakening despite the medical intervention. I think we're running out of time." She hadn't said anything I didn't know, but her words made my stomach knot anyway.

Damon nodded in agreement. "We can't afford to waste any time. At least whatever's happening to Shannon now doesn't feel like my brother. He's ruthless."

As we gathered around Shannon's bedside, the weight of uncertainty hung heavy in the air. Tegan stepped forward and became a flicker of hope amidst the darkness. The room crackled with anticipation as Tegan's fingers delicately traced the intricate patterns etched into the Soul Compass. She chanted under her breath the entire time. Between one breath and the next, the surface of the artifact started shimmering with an ethereal glow. The soft hum of magic filled the air, intertwining with the whispers from my hunters.

"Alright, now I'm going to see what this thing can tell us," Tegan explained as she focused her energy on the artifact in her hands.

I could feel the weight of centuries-old magic pressing down on us as Tegan's chant echoed through the room this time. Every syllable vibrated with power. The air thickened with anticipation like it was holding its breath. That shattered as suddenly as it had stilled when the light emitting from the Soul Compass pulsed with light. The glow intensifying until it bathed the entire room in a soft, otherworldly radiance. The essence of the artifact had come to life. It vibrated with energy and purpose.

"What now?" Damon asked. He was in uncharted territory, and it was evident in the expression on his face. He didn't care for not knowing what came next.

"Now, we follow the trail," Tegan replied, her gaze fixed on the artifact in her hands. "The compass will show us the way to Shannon's soul when it has locked onto the signal."

As we watched, the glow of the compass seemed to intensify, casting intricate patterns of light across the walls of the training room. The air around us thrummed with so much energy it made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and vibrated every molecule in the room.

And then, with a sudden surge of power, the compass came to life. The illumination expanded until it enveloped us all in a hot, humid embrace. It reminded me of the time I'd taken Mae to Savannah, Georgia one August. That thought vanished when something stabbed into me.

"What is that?" I asked with wide eyes.

Eve and Tegan winced, and Tegan replied, "Shannon's soul is reaching out to the compass. She's begging us to rescue her."

"She's not too far," Tegan murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared intently at the glowing artifact. "I can feel her now."

"How close is ‘not too far'?" Faith asked.

I lifted a shoulder, but instead of answering, Eve staggered into Faith, who caught her. Eve's breaths were coming in ragged gasps as she lost some of her color. "Eve, what's wrong?" Tegan exclaimed as she rushed to her side. "Did something go wrong?"

"I... I can see a trail of stardust too," Eve gasped. "It will lead us to Shannon's soul.." She paused and tried to catch her breath. "It took more energy than I anticipated."

"A trail of stardust?" I echoed from shock and shook my head. "You can follow it? It will take us to her soul?" That was all that mattered. Seeing the heavens did not mean we'd lost Shannon.

Eve straightened and nodded her head. "I've got the trail thanks to Tegan. Let's go. We have a soul to save."

I told my hunters to remain inside Black Bounty no matter what happened outside. I pressed the point that once we grabbed Shannon's soul, Miletus would be redoubling his efforts to take one of them and we wouldn't be there to save them. Seeing their fear, I explained that they weren't helpless, but in this situation we needed to be extra cautious.

With that done, we rushed out and were driving down the road within seconds. The streets were empty this early in the morning. The low hum of the engine reverberated through the car as Eve guided Faith on our journey to recover Shannon's soul. The faint scent of pine trees mingled with the crisp new car smell as we started up the mountain. I shifted in my seat when the familiar ache of cramped muscles settled in. I loved my life and was at my prime, but being middle aged carried some drawbacks. Random aches and pains were one of them.

"Where to now?" Faith's voice broke through the silence. Her eyes flicked between the road and Eve. She was our GPS for this trip.

Eve's brow furrowed in concentration as she recited a series of instructions that seemed to lead us further and further up the mountain and away from civilization. The landscape outside the window shifted from bustling city streets to a steep incline and dense forests.

"Of course, it's in the middle of nowhere," I muttered under my breath, earning a chuckle from Faith.

"Better than having mundanes stuck in the middle," she replied just as quietly. Neither of us wanted to interrupt Eve's concentration.

The magic crackling in the air around us became a tangible presence that seemed to grow stronger with each passing mile. "Do you think he is holing up in a rundown cabin out here?" Tegan's question cut through the tension that had settled in the car.

Faith glanced at Eve, who was staring intently out the window with her eyes narrowed in concentration. "Probably. I doubt there's anything else. Wherever he is, he will be surrounded by his Milens. And whatever else he has up his sleeve."

"Whatever he has, I'm ready," I growled with a smile. I had my bow and arrow as a backup but would be using my kris knives. When there were too many enemies, I risked hitting one of my friends if I used my bow. I wasn't as good as I hoped.

Eve's expression darkened as she scanned the horizon. Her face turned to one of worry followed by a flare in her power. "Faith, pull over here," Eve instructed, pointing to a barely visible trailhead on the side of the road.

Faith expertly maneuvered the car off the main road, coming to a stop just before a thick wall of trees. "Why do I feel like we're about to hike into a horror movie?" I quipped and then swung the car door open.

I stepped out onto the uneven ground and inhaled the fresh pine scent. The forest around us was dense and the trees towered overhead. They created a canopy that blocked out most of the morning sunlight. I could have done without how that made the shadows dance between the trunks. It made me think of the Shadow Weavers.

Eve ignored my comment and was already striding ahead with determination. "Follow me. The trail takes us up the mountain. We're getting closer to Miletus. I can feel it."

Damon, Faith, Tegan, and I exchanged glances. Each of us was on high alert because I felt it too. Damon had his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, Faith's crossbow was slung over her shoulder, and I had my trusty kris knives at the ready. The path became steeper and the terrain more treacherous. Roots jutted out of the ground, ready to trip up the unwary while rocks made for unstable footing.

My stomach roiled. The pine was overpowered by the earthy scent of moss and decaying leaves. "So, any brilliant ideas on how to deal with Miletus?" I asked. My eyes scanned the shadows, half-expecting an ambush at any moment.

"As much as I hope to get the drop on him, I can't see that happening. He's had the gods know how long to build his defenses here," Damon said. His voice was steady, and his eyes were vigilant. "Plus, he's expecting us to come. I will handle him when the time comes. I'm his power match."

"I'm good with that vague plan," Faith replied. "We're best with a little bit of improvisation anyway."

As we climbed higher, the sensation of magic grew stronger. It was almost suffocating. There was nothing like being wrapped in an invisible cloak of power. Every step brought us closer to the source and it was making me queasy. I couldn't afford to allow my nerves to get the better of me now.

"Is it just me, or is the magic getting stronger?" I asked, trying to keep the unease out of my voice.

Eve glanced back at me with a serious expression that made my heart race. "It's definitely getting stronger. Miletus is nearby, and he's not trying to hide his presence."

"Great," I muttered. "We're walking straight into his lair. And he knows we're coming. Fabulous."

Faith chuckled, though there was little humor in it. "Wouldn't be us if we weren't doing something reckless, right?"

No one had a response to that. At the moment that didn't feel like such a good thing. The trail became narrower, and the forest closed in around us. The trees seemed almost malevolent. Their branches reached out like skeletal hands. The ground was littered with fallen leaves and twigs, making each step echo loudly in the oppressive silence.

"How much farther?" Damon asked, his voice low and tense.

"Not far," Eve replied. "The energy is peaking just ahead."

The air grew colder, and a heavy fog began to roll in. It shrouded the forest in an eerie mist. The sensation of magic was almost overwhelming now. It had become a constant thrumming that reverberated through my bones. It felt like walking through a storm of pure power and each step was more difficult than the last.

"It's bad that Miletus' power feels this strong, right?" I asked with a glance at Eve.

"It's definitely not good," she replied. "But it means we're close."

"Stay sharp," Damon said as he scanned our surroundings.

We reached the outcrop, and I could see a faint glow emanating from beyond it. The air was thick with tension, and every instinct told me we were walking into a trap. That feeling never left me, even when Eve stopped. "Damn it," Eve cursed under her breath. "I've lost the trail."

Placing a hand on her shoulder, I squeezed it. "No worries. You'll find it again. You've been working hard and using a lot of energy to find them. You might just need a break," I reassured her.

Faith nodded in agreement. "You've got this. We believe in you."

The air crackled with tension as Eve furiously attempted to reestablish the trail. She murmured under her breath, and her fingers tracing invisible patterns in the air. Around us, the shadows seemed to writhe and twist. They were concealing the approaching threat until it was upon us with startling swiftness.

"Here they come!" Faith's warning cut through the chaos right before the Milens attacked. She readied her weapon. The steel-tipped bolt glinted in the scant light that made it through the canopy light like a beacon of defiance.

Tegan's muscles tensed as she leaped into action. Her movements were a blur of fluid grace as she intercepted the first couple of assailants. Her fists and feet were a whirlwind as she struck out with lethal precision. I followed her lead. My heart pounded in my chest as I squared off against a pair of Milens. Their snarling faces loomed menacingly before me. They lunged forward with unnatural speed.

Ducking and weaving, I danced around their attacks, striking back with calculated precision. There weren't that many compared to what we'd faced before. I would love to believe that was because we had killed enough of them to have made a dent in Miletus' numbers. I knew better. He had been growing his ranks for thousands of years. My blows landed with satisfying force, but the Milens seemed unfazed. Their relentless onslaught drove me back with each passing moment.

Meanwhile, Eve remained focused on her task. I caught snippets of her that told me she was fighting to regain control of the swirling energies around her. Despite the chaos unfolding around her, she remained steadfast. We needed to keep them away from her so she could find the elusive trail again.

"We need to cover Eve!" Tegan shouted. Great minds thought alike.

I put myself between Eve and the Milens. The battle was fraught with danger as the Milens closed in on all sides. Faith was a whirlwind of steel and fury, her bolts sailing through the air slamming into the oncoming attackers. Damon fought with brutal efficiency as well. His strikes would have blown me off my feet.

I stayed close to Eve and used my knives to keep the Milens from stopping her. Sweat trickled down her face, and I could feel the strain she was under. It couldn't be easy trying to maintain her focus amidst the chaos.

"Watch your left, Nishi!" Tegan's shout cut through the din of battle.

I spun just in time to see a Milen lunging at me. His eyes were glowing with malevolent intent. I raised my hand and slashed its arm open before kicking it in the stomach and sending it flying backward, crashing into its comrades.

"Thanks, Tegan!" I called back. My heart was trying to pound its way out of my chest.

Faith grinned as she kicked a Milen away. "Having fun yet, Nishi?"

"This is a blast!" I replied sarcastically, dodging another attack. "Let's do this every weekend!"

"I'll pass on every weekend," Eve replied. "We need to settle this now. I found the trail again!" Eve didn't wait for us. She resumed the journey to find the soul crystal. Her steps were confident as she followed the trail that only she could see.

The rest of us fought our way forward. There were five remaining Milens. If I wasn't mistaken, they sensed our resolve because their attacks were growing more desperate. I slashed out and sliced another throat open. I kicked it into one of its friends and leaped on them both.

"Don't let up!" I yelled to the others while I stabbed the second one in the chest. "We can do this!"

Damon and Faith took out the others and we were standing there covered in gore while scanning for anyone else. Aside from Eve twenty feet from us, there was no sign of anyone else. "Is it just me, or was that too easy?" Faith asked as we jogged to catch up.

Tegan's fist hit Faith's shoulder playfully. "Bite your tongue. We don't need to tempt fate."

We remained silent and caught up to Eve whose gaze was fixed on whatever she was following. Just as we rounded a stand of trees, Eve turned to us, her face flushed but triumphant. "It's through there. I can feel it."

Faith wiped the sweat from her brow and had a fierce grin on her face. "Let's finish this."

We gathered ourselves, ready to follow and tackle whatever jumped out at us next. We had a single purpose: to find Shannon's soul and stop Miletus once and for all. With Eve leading the way, I knew we had a fighting chance.