Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I stare at Finlay, the shock coursing through my body no doubt visible on my face. I’m amazed he’s even here, standing before me.

A lump forms in my throat as tears sting my eyes, and I attempt to swallow them back. I should have recognised his voice the moment I heard it.

His lips curl up at the sides as I shake my head. Then we rush toward each other, embracing in a hug.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I say, although of course it makes sense.

Finlay may have had his faults, but he redeemed himself enough to avoid the Realm of Lost Souls. Why didn’t I think of it sooner? I could’ve visited him here in the Spirit Realm ages ago.

“I was wondering when you would come.”

I pull back and stare at him, at every feature. By the gods, I missed him. My mind drifts back to that moment in the cave when the lost ones overwhelmed us and he tried to save me. When I was sucked through that stupid portal into the Realm of Lost Souls, leaving him to fend for himself. Alone.

He tucks a finger under my chin and tilts my head up. “Hey, none of that. It wasn’t your fault.”

I blink back the tears threatening to fall. “I should’ve been there. If only I had learnt to control my powers, none of it would have happened.”

He pulls me into his arms when I can’t hold back any longer, and the tears fall as I sob against his shoulder.

“I was doing my job, protecting you. Both as your second and as your friend. And fuck, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

I move back, wiping my cheeks. “It’s not fair. You didn’t deserve this.”

“I know. But it’s done.” Sadness seeps into his eyes. “How are my parents?”

“They’re devastated, but okay. I was at your wake when I heard my name being called.”

His brows pull together, and he stares out into space as if deep in thought. “Yeah, I was watching. Things aren’t right here, Zarla.”

A warm breeze blows through the meadow where we stand, carrying with it leaves and blossoms from nearby trees and tossing my hair around my face. But there’s something off here, and I can’t shake the overwhelming sense of dread building in the pit of my stomach. The sun isn’t shining, and it’s almost like there’s a dullness that doesn’t sit right.

“I can feel it,” I say, glancing around.

He looks at me with an intensity in his gaze that frightens me. “We need Alaron back. He controls the realms, and without him, we’re open to all kinds of threats. You’ve got to rescue him and bring him back here. Get his powers back from Amaros.”

I’m about to ask how he knows any of this, but I figure when you’re in the Spirit Realm, you probably know all kinds of things others do not. Regardless, he’s right. I have to rescue Alaron and restore peace to this realm.

“I know where he is, and I will help him. I promise.”

He reaches up and strokes my cheek. “Be careful.”

I hug him once more, and we say our goodbyes before I head back the way I came. The air around me shifts, and I find myself back in the Dark Forest. I’m barely across the forest boundary when Amaros swoops down and lands before me.

He glares at me with ice-grey eyes, his entire body tense. “Where the fuck have you been?”

His gaze drops to my wrists, no doubt checking that the wire is still bound around them.

“The Spirit Realm,” I tell him.

There’s no point in lying. He can sense it anyway.

He grips my chin in his hand and harshly kisses me, marking me, reminding me I am his.

He pulls back but doesn’t let me go, his eyes scanning mine. “Time and time again, you defy me. You defy my rules. You will be punished for this.”

It’s not just his words that scare me to my core. It’s the way in which he says them. There’s an evil lull to his tone, like he has something awful planned for me.

Knowing it can’t be much worse than what I have endured at his hands already, I swallow and maintain eye contact with him. I will not cower to him. I will not show fear, even if he can feel it himself.

I can feel it. And soon, you will, too.

Several watchers land behind him, and he snaps his fingers at them. I frown, confused at what’s happening when they zone in on me.

“Wings. Now,” one of them states.

When I don’t do as he asks, the male punches me in my jaw. A choaked sob escapes my lips and I fall to the ground, my hands digging into damp leaves and twigs. My face aches and my breath quickens. Seems Amaros is now okay with others harming me.

Amaros simply watches with piqued curiosity. “I would do as he says, my mate. They’ve been advised to do whatever they need to, so long as they don’t kill you.”

I rub the tender skin across my jaw and stare up at Amaros. The stranger who I no longer recognise. Any ounce of kindness or compassion he once had is long gone now. Replaced by something evil. And that evil grows a little more every day.

The watcher who hit me hauls me to my feet, and I stare into his cold eyes and release my wings.

“Back to the castle,” he commands.

I take off without a second glance at Amaros and beat them all back to the castle. I head for Amaros’s quarters when the male watcher catches up to me and yanks on my wing. Pain radiates through my shoulder, and I drop from the sky, plummeting into the stones surrounding the front entrance of the castle.

I scream, knowing I’ve broken something. Likely several bones. Pain cuts through my back in a way I’ve never experienced before, and my vision blurs.

The watchers land one by one and surround me as I fade in and out of consciousness. Ignoring the fact I am injured, they haul me to my feet and drag me under my arms into the castle and down the stone steps beneath it.

The cool air down here helps keep me awake, which is both a burden and a blessing. I need to know what they’re doing. Where they’re taking me. I focus as best as I can while they drag me down the tunnels toward the cells.

They’re going to lock me up down here.

I’ve experienced worse.

A growl echoes through the damp air. Keva. By the gods, he’s still alive.

We come to a stop, and I manage to raise my head high enough to see where we are as a watcher raises his lantern, illuminating the cell in a subtle glow.

Keva’s cell.

Keva stares at me, and it’s almost like he doesn’t even recognise who I am.

“Keva…” I mumble.

He growls low, yanking on his chains as he tries to get closer. One of the watchers unlocks his door, and it’s then I know what’s happening.

They’re locking me in with Keva.

The watcher holding me throws me into the cell, and I fall to the dirt-covered ground. I roll onto my back, trying to suck in a decent breath of air. I’ve got several broken ribs, I’m sure. My healing should kick in soon. It probably already has.

“Good luck surviving with that creature. He hasn’t been fed in a week,” the watcher says with a laugh.

They lock the cell door and leave me alone in the dark with my Zelon.

And then I black out.

I snap my eyes open, surprised when I feel no pain at all. I’m healed.

Growls catch my focus, and I shuffle back against the bars. It’s too dark to see in here, but I know what’s happening. Keva has been locked down here and starved, and he thinks I’m his next meal.

“Keva, it’s me!”

His huge, powerful paws scrape the dirt as he tries to get to me, fuelled by hunger.

“Keva!” I plead through the darkness.

By the gods, I have to do something. I try to form a ball of power between my hands to light the cell, but I can’t. This bloody wire prevents me. I think back to Grazen, who tore it from my wrists. Although I’ve tried to do it myself many times, it’s never been in a life-or-death situation like it is now.

Using one hand, I slip it beneath the wire and tug as hard as I can. It doesn’t budge.

“Shit!”

I refuse to be Keva’s next meal. He would never harm me if he was thinking clearly. I know it.

I attempt to yank the wire off again. It’s slipping. I can feel it.

The chains holding Keva back groan under the pressure, and I know it’s only a matter of time before he breaks through them.

I focus all my strength into pulling the wire, and then it bursts apart and drops to the ground.

By the gods, I did it. I do the same to my other wrist and manage to break the wire off that one, too.

I create a ball of power and illuminate the cell with a soft glow. Keva bares his teeth at me, but after a moment, he settles down and whimpers, backing away from me in shame.

“Keva, it’s me.” A sob breaks through my lips, and I rush to him, knowing he won’t harm me.

I stroke his neck as he purrs against me.

“I’m so sorry, boy. I’m going to get you out.”

He grunts, as if acknowledging what I’m saying to him. I check the chain around his neck. It needs a key to unlock it, although he has loosened it a bit by pulling on it.

Amaros took my mother’s locket from me long ago, but I have access to my powers. I blast my powers at the lock, and it cracks slightly. After trying again, I break through it. I remove the chain from his neck, and he scratches the area with his back paw. The relief must be immense. I wrap my arms around him and hold him for a moment, and he licks my face.

“It’s okay. I’m going to take you home,” I tell him.

Eying the cell door, I blast my powers at the lock, and it breaks apart. I carefully open the door and peer out. We’ve made a hell of a racket down here, and I can only pray no one heard us.

“Am I next, little angel?”

I hurry to Alaron’s cell and illuminate it with a ball of power. He’s huddled in the back corner, and I gasp at the state of him. He’s so thin and frail, and I know they have been starving him, too.

“What are you waiting for? Bust me out of this shit hole.”

I blast my powers at the lock, and it cracks apart, much the same as the previous one. He attempts to stand, but he’s too weak. I yank the cell door open and hurry to his side. Keva whimpers outside the cell.

“Shhh, keep quiet, boy,” I tell him.

I turn back to Alaron and wrap his arm around my shoulder. It takes several attempts to haul him up, but I manage to get him out of the cell. What to do now, though? I don’t know if I can carry him the entire way. The male may be smaller than he once was, but he still weighs a ton.

Keva grunts and crouches down low.

“Keva! You’re a genius,” I tell him.

Alaron stumbles at my side, and I steady him. “You don’t expect me to ride this creature, do you?”

I can’t help but laugh. “I do, actually. Now get up.”

I help him climb up onto Keva’s back, surprised he doesn’t argue. I think he knows we have no choice in the matter. Keva stands, and I relight the ball of power between my hands, lighting our way.

Thank the gods it’s nighttime now. Amaros must be asleep.

I lead Keva through the tunnels toward the stairs, but as we draw closer, voices travel down the tunnel ahead.

Shoot.

Keva growls low while I decide what to do. He leans down, and Alaron slips off, falling to the ground.

“Ouch,” he says.

Keva pads forward and bares his teeth as two male watchers appear at the base of the stairs.

“Keva…” I warn, but he charges at them.

They attempt to fight him off, but he’s been starved for a week, maybe more, and he’s ravenous. He tears into one of them, ripping the male’s arm clean off. My stomach rolls at the sight, and I have to look away.

“Amazing…” Alaron breathes.

Keva continues to tear into the males until they’re just pieces of flesh. Then he consumes them. It’s disturbing, but also a relief knowing the evidence of what happened down here will be gone. My main concern now is the noise we’re making. Surely someone heard that.

“We have to hurry,” I say, and Keva walks back to us and crouches down to allow Alaron up onto his back.

Once he’s secure, we continue on up the stairs and into the quiet corridors of the castle. I lead Keva out the front entrance, thankful when we don’t bump into anyone else. I release my wings and take to the sky with Keva close behind me. We fly fast toward the Dark Forest and head for the mountains.

The deeper I can get Keva into the forest, the better. Amaros won’t venture in here to find him. He knows he’d be killed or eaten.

The moonlight beams down into the clearing ahead, and I make my descent. Zelons yelp in the distance, and Keva yelps back at them.

We land in the clearing where not long ago I helped to team the academy students with their own Zelons. Several Zelons pad toward us, and Keva looks at me. A mix of emotions storms in his gaze from sadness, to relief, to confusion.

“It’s okay, boy. You go. I’ll come back for you when it’s safe.”

Tears sting my eyes, and Keva licks my face, making me laugh and lightening the mood somewhat.

Alaron climbs off his back and swings his arm around my shoulder, and I take his weight.

He gives Keva a scratch behind his ears. “Thanks for the ride.”

Keva grunts, and then he and the other Zelons bound off, disappearing into the darkness.

“Now what? I’m useless without my powers.”

“I’m going to get them back. For now, I have to take you somewhere safe. Can you fly?”

He releases a set of powerful-looking golden wings, and I stare in amazement.

“I’m full of surprises,” he says with a smirk.

We push off into the sky, and I stay close in case he can’t manage, but he seems okay. We fly to the area where I seem to be able to pass into the Spirit Realm and land. It’s never clear how I manage to open the Spirit Realm, but the air shifts as we move forward. And soon enough, we’re there.

“Very smart, little angel,” Alaron says.

Finlay appears, and I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to seeing him after grieving his loss. I never thought I would see him again. I’m about to ask him if he’s seen my mother when she appears behind him. Her long blonde waves are pulled back off her face, and she looks so much like me.

“My beautiful daughter, I was wondering when I would get to see you again.” She stretches her arms out wide, and I run to her.

“I missed you,” I whisper into her hair.

“And I, you.”

Alaron slumps down to the ground, and my mother hurries to his side.

“What happened?” she asks.

“Amaros had him locked up beneath the castle. He’s weak from lack of food. Amaros has his powers.”

She glides her hand over his cheek, and he smiles at her, his red eyes focused on hers.

“You are a true beauty,” Alaron whispers to her.

She laughs. “My dear friend. It’s been a long time.”

Finlay leans up against a nearby tree and picks off a loose piece of bark. “Will you be able to get his powers back from Amaros?”

Alaron and my mother glance at me.

“Yes, I’ll get them back.”

“Thank you, little angel,” Alaron says.

It’s hard seeing Alaron this way. He’s such a strong male, but he’s a shell of his former self right now, thanks to Amaros. Relief washes over me knowing I saved him, knowing he’s safe here in the Spirit Realm with Finlay and my mother.

I hug them each goodbye, and I promise Alaron I will get his powers back as soon as I can. Finlay promises to look out for him until I return, and I burst into tears when it’s time to say goodbye to him.

“I’m okay, Zarla. I promise.” He hugs me again until I manage to get myself under control.

“I’ll visit you often,” I tell him, and he laughs.

“I don’t doubt it. Now go.”

There’s something different about Finlay. He seems more at peace, perhaps.

My skin prickles at what I’ll find upon my return to Silanthia. If I hurry, Amaros may not even notice his prisoners have escaped.

I glance at Alaron. He’s fading, and if I don’t hurry, he could die. There’s also the risk of Amaros using the realms against us all again, and I cannot allow that to happen. His powers frighten me.

Thoughts of opening a portal into Zarquon cross my mind, but I know if I do, Kyle will never let me leave, and I made Alaron a promise. I must get his powers back first, and then I will go to Zarquon.

To Kyle.

I reluctantly pass back into Silanthia, thankful it’s still dark out. I quickly fly back to the castle with a plan already forming in my mind. Amaros won’t suspect a thing. I’ll make sure of it.

After I assess the area for watchers, I land on his balcony, sensing through our bond that he isn’t in there. I let out a long breath and slip inside.

He thinks I’m locked up with Keva. And I need a good reason as to why that’s no longer the case.

I find a blade tucked under Amaros’s side of the bed. It’s basic, and I wish I had my mother’s daggers, but it’ll do. I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, slash my leathers, and then slice my arm, smearing blood across my exposed skin.

The corridors of the castle are quiet as I wind my way through them toward Amaros. I know where I’ll find the male, and I hope he’s alone. When I try the door, I find it locked, so I take in a deep breath and pound my fists on the wood.

“Amaros!” I call out, faking desperation as best as I can.

Movement sounds from the other side of the door, and it swings open. Amaros stands shirtless, his hair a mess as he scans his gaze down my body.

I throw myself into his arms, sobbing against his shoulder.

“What the fuck happened?” he demands as I cling to him.

A female lies in the bed behind him, and she stares at me with nothing but a sheet wrapped around her body.

“They locked me up with him. He had been starved, and he was ravenous…”

He pulls back, his brows drawn as understanding crosses his features. “Fuck.”

He storms to the bed, grabs the female by her arm, and drags her to the door. “Get out.”

She wraps the sheet further around her body and stalks off down the corridor in a huff.

Amaros closes the door and grabs me, moving my shredded clothes about as he searches my body. “No cuts?”

I wipe the fake tears from my face. “They’ve healed.”

He runs his hand through his hair. “Where’s the Zelon? Where are the watchers?”

“He ate them, then he took off.”

He paces the entrance of his quarters and then abruptly slams his fist into the wall, denting it. “Fuck!”

And then he notices my wrists.

He stares at me and slowly walks to me, pointing at them. “Where are the wires?”

“The watchers panicked. They knew they needed my help. They removed them so I could use my powers, but Keva escaped before I could do anything.”

He studies my face carefully then forces me up against the wall. His hand finds my throat, and he holds me there.

“You didn’t escape…”

I swallow. “I know the rules. I wanted to come to you.”

Smug satisfaction curls his lips, and he strokes his fingers across my cheek and then glides his thumb over my bottom lip. “Good girl.”

He runs his hand down my side, gently tracing his fingers over the bare skin of my stomach, and I have to pretend to enjoy it.

“I knew you’d see it eventually. We belong together.” He licks my bottom lip and pulls it into his mouth, nipping it.

I return the kiss, despite every part of me screaming to get away from him. This has to seem real. It has to be believable.

I reach up and cup his face, pulling him closer to me. He loosens his grip on my throat and starts removing my shredded clothes.

Panic courses through me when I realise he may not stop this time. But I have to risk it. I have to push him a bit further.

He licks up my neck and then pins my arms above my head, staring into my eyes with a deep hunger. “My beautiful mate. I want to be inside you…”

He reaches a hand down to the waistband of my leathers, and I know it’s gone far enough.

“Stop!”

Anger flares in his eyes, and it’s like nothing I’ve seen before.

He pauses for just a moment as he glares at me, then his rough hands continue to undo my pants. “No. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“Amaros, stop!”

I struggle against him, and he hits me hard across my face but doesn’t let me fall. One hand pins both arms above my head while the other attempts to tug my pants down. I knee him in his groin, and he loosens his grip on my hands enough for me to get one free.

It gives me the opportunity I need. I blast my powers at him, sending him flying across the room and crashing into his bedpost. The wood cracks at the impact, and he scrambles to his feet, his jaw tense and his fists balled as he glares at me with possessive hatred.

“You’re going to regret that, my mate.”