Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

T his part of the castle is so dimly lit, I can barely see anything before me.

I create a ball of power between my hands to help light the way, and the others do the same. The farther we descend these stairs, the cooler it gets. There's a thick scent of dirt and death down here, which only tells me we're going the right way. Those lost ones carry a stench worse than death, and it makes me shudder at the thought of it.

We finally reach the bottom of the stairs, and I let out a sigh of relief at being on flat ground again.

"You sure about this?" Em hesitantly asks.

I turn to face her, holding my ball of light out so I can better see her face. "Can you smell that?"

She scrunches her nose. "Of course I can."

"Well, that's the stench of the lost ones. So yes, we are going the right way. If they are down here, then so is the weapon."

Surprisingly, she doesn't argue or throw back some snide remark. Maybe she really does want to clear the air with me. But there's little chance of that happening anytime soon, especially down here. We need to focus on the task at hand, nothing more, nothing less.

"Which way should we go?" Nilo asks as he wanders around with his ball of light.

There appears to be four tunnels we could take. The wrong one could send us on a spiral beneath this castle, and the thought of getting lost down here freaks me out a little. I wander over to one of them and take a few steps down it, but it just doesn't feel right. I try the next one, but still, something inside me says it's the wrong way.

"What, you got some sort of lost-one sixth sense or something?" Em jokes.

I try the third tunnel, and when I take a few steps down it, a strange tingly sensation crosses over my back, right down my scar. Leaping back, I reach my arm around beneath my cloak and rub the skin there. What in the gods?

"What's wrong?" Kyle asks, taking hold of my arm.

I draw my brows together, confused at what the heck just happened. "I don't know. My scar did something strange."

"Your scar? From the lost one?" Nilo questions.

Em scoffs then walks over to the tunnel where it happened. "That's weird."

Kyle cups my cheek. "You okay?"

I nod. "Yeah, I think so. Was just a strange feeling. Come on. Let's keep going."

I move ahead of the others, choosing the tunnel that gave me the strange feeling.

Kyle gently takes hold of my wrist. "I'll go first."

I don't argue with him. We follow the tunnel for some time, and all the while, my scar tingles. Without a clue as to why in the gods it's doing that, I try my best to ignore it. I don't dare tell the others it's still happening, either. The last thing I want to do is freak them out in any way. It's probably nothing.

"These damn tunnels seem to go on forever," Em complains, and she's not wrong.

We've been walking for, if I had to take a guess, a good thirty minutes now. Surely there will be an end in sight or even a change in direction. Something .

"Is that a blue light?" Nilo asks.

I notice it just as the others do and focus on the blue hue, gently illuminating the tunnel ahead. "I think so."

"I don't like this," Em says, her tone anxious. "What if we get attacked? We have nowhere to go except back the way we just came. This is dangerous, Kyle."

He runs a hand over his face. "Yeah, it's not ideal. But we've come this far. We need to check this out."

Then it hits me. The weapon I saw in the Spirit Realm, as well as the Realm of Lost Souls, were both blue orbs, and they created a similar glow.

"It's the weapon," I tell them with certainty.

They all look to me.

"You're sure?" Kyle asks, and I nod.

Kyle gestures for us to carry on, but he sticks close to the tunnel wall, and we do the same. The closer we get, the brighter the glow becomes. And the stranger my scar feels. We can't be far from it.

Then I notice a change in the tunnel ahead. It seems to finally come to an end.

We edge a little closer and find that the ground drops about sixty feet below into a huge open space, like some kind of cave. It's teeming with lost ones. There must be hundreds of them, and they all surround a blue glowing orb, which hovers in midair just above what looks like a tree stump. One of the weapon's three orbs.

We rear back, hoping we weren't seen.

"We found it…" Nilo whispers.

I nod. "Apollon and Zeta's intel was right. That's how they're doing it. That's how they're taking lost ones from the Realm of Lost Souls. They're using the weapon's orbs to open portals. They have one of these weapons in both of the realms and one here."

"This isn't good," Kyle says. "What do we do now? How are we to take this weapon with all those lost ones guarding it?"

Nilo leans back against the tunnel wall. "I'm sure we can figure something out. Maybe we create a distraction and then swoop down and grab it?"

Kyle rakes his hand through his hair. "We don't even know if it's safe to touch. It could kill us."

While the two males discuss options, Em taps me on my shoulder. "Hey, can I talk to you a sec?"

Please don't be about to try and make amends. Now is so not the time , I want to tell her.

"Okay, sure," I tell her instead.

She wanders back down the tunnel a bit, obviously wanting to be away from the others. Kyle and Nilo haven't even noticed we've moved away because they're so deep in discussion.

I fold my arms and lean against the dirt wall, awaiting whatever it is she has to say to me.

"Did you really think I would sit back and watch you steal my male? I don't care that you've mated with Kyle, that you think you're his fated mate. I know I'm Kyle's true mate, not you."

Is this female for real? My blood boils, and I clench my fists. I have had enough of her bullshit. I knew she didn't want to make amends with me. She wants Kyle for herself, and she always will. She's a nasty, jealous female who I know I can't trust.

"How dare you," I bite out. "Kyle and I are fated mates. We have sealed our mating bond. He doesn't want you, Em. You are nothing more than a friend to him, and after this, you won't even be that."

She chuckles. "You think you're better than me, don't you? What, because your mother was a goddess? You are a subpar angel from a shitty Kingdom who can't even keep their own King alive. I bet you did kill him, didn't you? Figured you'd take the throne before anyone could find out he isn't even your real father."

Oh hell no. I slap her hard across the face.

She reaches up and rubs the skin there then grits her teeth and shoves me back. I hit the wall with so much force that I smash right through it, and then I'm falling.

I try to scream, but nothing comes out. My back hits something cold and hard, jolting my head against it, and then I'm sliding down headfirst. Fast.

My head throbs as I reach out, desperately trying to grab hold of something to stop myself, but there is nothing. The walls are smooth, and it's as if I'm falling down a marble slide or something. I then fall off and land on hard ground with a thud, knocking the air from my lungs.

Gods above, that hurt.

Zarla? You good? Finlay's voice fills my mind.

I roll onto my stomach gasping for air, my vision blurry, and then slowly get onto all fours. My head pounds, and I reach up and feel moisture there. Shoot, I'm bleeding.

What the fuck, Em?

Zarla? Answer me!

No, I'm not good. Em tried to kill me, I tell him.

Okay, that may be an exaggeration. She can't have known the wall would disintegrate, but I wouldn't put anything past that bitch. She's hated me from the get-go, and she's clearly still in love with Kyle.

What the fuck? Where's Kyle? I'm coming to find you! Finlay says .

Has Kyle noticed I'm gone? That I'm hurt? I can sense him through the bond, and he seems calm. Why hasn't he sensed that I'm not, though?

I slowly get to my feet and stumble, and when I look up, I freeze.

No, no, no. Oh, this is bad.

I'm in the cave we spotted from above, surrounded by lost ones. My throat closes, and I can't seem to take in a decent breath of air. Gods above, this is bad. Crouching down, I attempt to control my breathing and eventually manage to get it together.

I glance up and spot the tunnel entrance where the others will be, but I can't see them.

Finlay, no. You have to find Astelle. I'll be fine.

Where are you?

I dab at my head and bring my hand before my face. The blue glow of the orb is enough to show it is, in fact, blood. I feel a bit dizzy, but I have to stay conscious. Scanning the cave, I notice the lost ones appear to be in a trance. They're not moving. It's as if they are drawn so deeply to this orb that they're unable to take their eyes off it.

Damn it, Zarla, answer me.

Sorry, I'm in a cave filled with lost ones guarding the weapon. I hit my head, but I'll be okay.

What the fuck! You have to get out of there. Now!

I roll my eyes. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

I'm serious, Zarla. Find a way out of there. You can't take on that many lost ones alone.

By the gods, there are a lot of them down here. No, I think I'm okay. They're in some sort of trance. They don't even know I'm here. Have you found Astelle?

There's a pause before he replies, Yes, but she's heavily guarded, and she's with Zalore.

Kyle's concern finally crashes through me. He's noticed I'm missing. Finally.

I send him calming vibes in an attempt to let him know I'm okay. If only we could communicate the way Finlay and I can.

Okay, hang tight. Once I've got this orb, we will come and help rescue Astelle.

Don't do anything stupid. Wait for the others to help you.

I glance up once more and spot Kyle and Nilo peering down into the cave. When Kyle's gaze locks with mine, his protectiveness flows through me, which soon morphs into extreme concern. Although he's far away, I can feel his anxiety creeping into my chest.

Even though we don't share a mind link, I talk to him anyway. Please don't do anything stupid and come down here. It could snap them out of their trance. Just stay there. I'll be fine.

I look through the hordes of lost ones toward the orb and take in a deep breath.

You can do this.

With careful steps, I creep through the horde toward the orb in the centre of the cave. The lost ones breathe in unison, their chests heaving up and down as air fills their exposed lungs. I take pause, squeezing my eyes closed as I refocus my mind on the task at hand.

Don't panic. It's going to be okay. You can do this.

But what will happen once I take this orb? Will they wake?

Swooping wings steal my focus, and I glance up to see Kyle gliding down toward me. With wide eyes, I scan the horde of lost ones, praying none of them will snap out of their creepy coma.

But it's too late. Just as Kyle lands near the back of them, they start to wake.

Oh shit.

Panic floods my veins as I attempt to make a split-second decision. Flee or fight.

Several lost ones near me open their mouths and screech so damn loud I swear I almost burst an eardrum. I flinch at the awful sound, ducking my head down slightly.

Focus, Zarla.

I reach for my sword and swing it in a circle, slicing into several lost ones. Blood oozes from their wounds as they fall to the cave floor.

"Zarla!" Kyle calls out, but absolute chaos erupts.

Nilo swoops down and fights several lost ones not far from Kyle, but I can't see Em anywhere. I'll bet she's still safely up there in the tunnel, smirking down at me and hoping I don't survive much longer.

Bitch.

A lost one launches at me, and I duck out of the way just in time. My scar tingles again, and I wonder if it isn't some sort of damn lost one beacon, alerting me when they're near. It's never done that before though. So strange. I try to ignore the sensation as I battle my way through lost ones toward the orb. I have to get that orb, no matter what I do.

Zarla, what the fuck is going on?

Lost ones are attacking us. There are hundreds of them. Finlay, we need you!

On my way, he replies, but I don't have time to explain where we are.

Lost ones are everywhere, consuming us. How in the gods will we kill them all?

I have to control them. I reach for the sensation deep within me and channel it at a group of them. It seems to work, and they stop fighting, but I can only hold it for so long. Before I get a chance to kill them, other lost ones launch at me, and I lose control.

I grit my teeth, but I can't do anything about it. I use my sword and take down as many of them as I can. When I see another opening, I attempt to blast them with my powers. Thank the gods, it works again, and several lost ones absorb my power, their skin cracking before the light bursts through them and blasts them into a thousand little pieces.

Blood, guts, and gods know what else now covers me, and the stench is overpowering. But it doesn't matter. We don't have time to even think on it. I kill several more lost ones while I fight my way closer to the orb.

"Zarla, I'm here!" Finlay shouts from somewhere above me. "I've got your back."

Although I can't see him and I don't have time to look, knowing he is nearby helping Kyle and Nilo helps me to refocus. I take down another group of lost ones, and then I see my chance.

I have a clear path to the orb. Without knowing what to do, I rush forward and grab it.

The moment I make contact, the orb's power surges throughout my body. Somehow, I absorb it into every cell as if it were my own.

Woah, that was intense. My entire body tingles as if my energy source has replenished. I then slip the orb, which seems to have shrunk by half its size, into my cloak pocket.

Finlay fights through the horde, and Kyle is covered in blood. He dips his head in encouragement, and I know what I must do.

Closing my eyes, I reach for my ability and attempt to open a portal to the Realm of Lost Souls. This is a dangerous task. I know that, but I have to try. If I can suck these lost ones back through it, it may just give us a chance to get out of here. The cooling sensation within me swirls, and I will it to the surface before blasting it out of my hands. I can sense the portal opening. It's working.

I open my eyes and see that I've done it. Now I have to get them through it.

The lost ones closest to it are immediately sucked through like a vacuum, and I take control of the others, ten at a time, and guide them to the portal using my ability. Once they are close enough, the portal takes over and sucks them through it.

I've got about half of them through it when I lose my control of it. The portal is closing, and before I can stop it, it sucks me right through it, into the Realm of Lost Souls.

With wide eyes, I scan my surroundings. There are lost ones everywhere, but they haven't seen me yet. I hide behind a large boulder and watch as they all slowly drift back toward the city in the distance.

Gods above, this is bad.

I attempt to reopen a portal back into Galespo, but I can't. It just won't work. It feels as though my ability has been diminished. It's still there, but I can't seem to grasp it.

My attempts to connect with Finlay fail, just as they always have when I've ventured so far away from him. I can't sense Kyle anymore, either.

My mind reels, playing through various scenarios, none of them good.

Please be okay. Please let them be okay .

I left them behind with a lot of lost ones to fight. I close my eyes and try to control my breathing. They can handle themselves. They were doing all right before I was sucked through the portal.

I step out from behind the boulder and look to the city in the distance. Knowing I have been here before gives me some hope. I do know my way around here, sort of. Maybe I will find another open portal to Earth, and I'll be able to escape.

But what if there are no portals ? my annoying subconscious chimes in.

Nope, I'm not even going to think about that.

I wander toward the city, without any other option, and sneak in through the broken gate. But as soon as I am inside the city boundary, lost ones spot me.

My heart skids to a stop. Oh no. I run through the streets to try to outsmart them. I know I'm fast, but surprisingly, they are faster. A lost one grabs hold of me, and I scream, waiting for it to slash me. But it doesn't.

They surround me, all staring at me.

"Take her to the leader," one of them instructs, and I rear back slightly in confusion.

Their leader? I didn't realise they had one. Nor did I know they can talk. Two lost ones take my arms and force me through the streets toward the tall glass building in the centre, the one that I snuck into the last time I was in this Realm where I found the orb. We pass by some seriously disturbing creatures with multiple arms and legs, long necks and shark beaks, who watch me from the shadows, their growls pricking my skin.

Once we reach the building, they guide me through several doors to a large, open room. Near the back of the room is a raised section, and a lost one sits on what appears to be a throne.

Okay, not what I was expecting.

The two lost ones holding me lead me across the room and force me down on my knees before him.

I peek up at their leader, who is staring down at me, his eyes filled with disdain. He's different from the other lost ones. Much bigger. His straggly white hair is pulled back into a bun, and his milky eyes focus on me.

"Why are you here?" he demands in an authoritative tone.

I look around the room at all the lost ones here, staring at me, and wonder how things work here. Did they vote for this leader? Or has he been ruling this realm forever?

"I didn't mean to come here," I admit. "I was sucked through a portal, and it was out of my control."

He stands and slowly drifts down the steps toward me. "No. It was not out of your control. I have seen your kind before. You possess the gift to travel freely between the realms."

I swallow hard. "Yes, but I am learning to control it. I did not mean to disturb you."

He narrows his milky-white eyes at me, and I notice he's holding some sort of black metal staff, and sitting atop it is a blue orb. One of the three orbs that comprises the weapon.

"We do not wish to be controlled by the gods. Pulled into a war that is not ours to fight," he says.

Zalore and Amaros must somehow have him under their control. But how? What do they have on him? Is it simply that they are in control of the weapons?

"I can close the portals that have been opened," I say. "I have the power to do it. I can stop all of this."

He gestures for me to stand, so I do. "How? What makes you so special?"

I shuffle nervously from one foot to the other. "As I mentioned, I possess the power to open and close portals."

He eyes me for a while, causing unease to grow inside me, enough that I don't meet his gaze.

"Are you sure you can stop this?" he asks.

"Yes, I can. But I need that orb," I say, gesturing to the blue orb. "Those weapons belong to Alaron, The God of Death, as you know."

He tilts the weapon down toward me, and I fear he's going to use it to end me.

"Take it," he says.

I gasp. Is this some kind of trick? Why is he so willing to give it to me?

"Take it," he insists, holding it out farther.

I swallow the lump in my throat, reach up, and grab hold of the blue orb, pulling it from his staff. Just like the last time, its power surges through my body, deep into every cell within me, becoming my own.

He nods in approval, and I slip the orb into my other cloak pocket, nervous at how absorbing all this extra power will affect me.

"I will call off my lost ones and allow you to leave, if you agree to help us."

It can't be that simple. Why is he putting so much trust in me?

"Why do you trust me so easily?"

He grumbles. "Because, I can sense you do not wish for war just as much as I do not."

"I will stop this," I say. "Mark my words. I will end this war before it has even begun."

The leader closes his eyes, and all of the lost ones close their eyes too, as if in some kind of trance…or as if they're listening. He's communicating with them. All of them.

He reopens his eyes and focuses on me. "You are safe to leave. End this madness, or I will take my lost ones with me into the Kingdoms and end it myself."

Swallowing hard, the weight of his words settles on my shoulders. It's on me now.

I must stop this war, or all the angel Kingdoms will fall.