Rylee Adamson: Shadowed Threads Part 12

aAnd theyare the crazy ones. Arenat they?a aYes. The people who believe in whatas truly out there, the ma.s.ses label them squirrely as a bag full of f.u.c.king nuts.a Blaz let out a chuckle as he spun lazily in a downward spiral toward the top of a huge building that, for some reason, filled me with an undeniable sense of dread. Shaped like a aUa, the rooftop was flat with pikes around the edges. There looked to be enough room for Blaz to land, which was a perk. On the far side was what looked like a church a .

That is the Basilica of St. Marks, and where we will land is the Doges Palace. Not only is it the seat of power for the humans, it contains the seat of power for the vampires. You are going into a nest of them, you know that, right?a aYeah, kinda.a s.h.i.+t, a nest of them? I was hoping for less than three.

I cannot help you once you are inside.

aThat wasnat part of the deal.a Just making sure you understand, Tracker.

The courtyard between the Palace and the Basilica crawled with tourists. I mean like a freaking ant hive of activity.

I can help with that.

Before I could say ayes thanks,a or af.u.c.k no,a a bolt of lightning forked out of the sky and danced along the courtyard. It didnat touch anyone and didnat cause any damage, but as the light show continued all the humans drew closer to watch. Idiots.

aDonat they know that lightning is dangerous?a Pamela stared at the humans, her mouth hanging open.

aYes, they know. But theyare drawn to it, like theyare drawn to so much that is dangerous.a Like you should talk. Walking into a nest of vampires.

Pamela slapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a giggle; obviously, that had been audible to everyone. Blaz landed and the light show continued. I slid from his back, OaShea leapt off, and Pamela scrambled down his side. I caught her partway and helped her to the ground.

aEve, we wonat be long. Then weall just wait until youare healed.a aI donat want to go,a she said, her eyes flicking toward Blaz almost imperceptibly.

aThis isnat a choice. You have to trust me, and in this, I trust him.a I put a hand out and touched the arch of her wing. aYou are a liability when youare hurt like this.a She let out a shuddering sigh. aI know.a aAlex, you look after Eve. Okay?a He bounded over to me, his big eyes tearing up. aSending Alex away, always away.a I bent and gave him a hug, squeezing him hard. aI love you, Alex. And you canat stay with me this time. It just a it just isnat good, buddy.a aAlex loves Rylee too. Pamie too. Evie too. Boss too.a He whispered into my arms, sniffling. G.o.ds, Iad barely spent any time with him since wead been in London.

aListen, after this, weall go home. Back to North Dakota. No more being sent away.a His head jerked up, eyes lighting with eagerness. aHome? Yuppy doody! Home, home, home!a He barked and then spun on the spot, chasing his tail, finally grabbing it and yelping with pain. I touched him on the head.

aEasy, you go with Eve, and then weall go home. Weall all go home.a I only hoped that I was going to be able to keep this promise.

Because if I was being honest with myself, I wasnat sure that any of us were going to make it out of this alive.

You are right to be wary. I will be back as quickly as I can. You can call for me, if you need me.

I put a hand on his leg closest to me. aThanks.a A heartbeat later, he launched back into the sky, the lightning still dancing in the courtyard. The humans surrounded it, staring and pointing where it struck, where it burned the ground and scorched the stones.

Locking onto Jack, I headed toward the closest door. Pamela and OaShea walked on either side of me. For all his animosity earlier, OaShea seemed to be able to control himself now. Although he watched Pamela warily, there was no las.h.i.+ng out, no growling.

We reached the door and the handle turned, but it was locked. Before I could grab my sword, Pamela put her hand to it and the door melted. Like hot wax dripping, the whole metal door melted right down to the hinges.

I stared at her, knowing I was going to hurt her feelings, but knowing I had to. I pointed at the puddle of metal at our feet. aMuch as thatas a nifty trick, and would be amazing in certain situations, it is going to be f.u.c.king hard to hide that weave come this way.a She blushed. aI didnat think about that.a aYeah, learning curve.a I stepped through the doorway and over the metal. Pamela followed, and OaShea brought up the rear. The door opened into a storage room, coated in dust, cobwebs and scurrying things. Pamela gave a squeak and jumped into me.

I spun and grabbed her by the arms, again, knowing that this was not going to seem nice. But she was going to get us killed. aVampires. If you see a vampire or some other f.u.c.king nasty supernatural, then you can scream, pee your pants, whatever. But bugs donat get screamed at. Got it?a Her eyes welled up, but again she nodded, and I could feel her spine stiffening. I gave her a smile to soften my words and she smiled back, tremulous and uncertain. But she was trying.

OaShea was the one who found the trap door leading down and out of the storage room. He dug at it, his nose pressed against the dusty carpet covering the large ringed handle.

Pamela put her hand out and I shook my head, pressing a finger to my lips. I wrapped my hands around the ring and pulled. The hinges were well oiled, and the door lifted easily. With it open, I could peer down to see where we were. Kinda.

The room below looked like it had been closed off to the public, which was perfect. I took Pamelaas hands and lowered her down first. Next went OaShea, and I went last, dropping lightly to a crouch. The walls were covered in oil paintings, as in the walls themselves were painted and accented with gold gilt scrollwork that was fussy and overdone.

aThis is beautiful,a Pamela whispered, and then slapped her hand over her mouth.

I pointed to the only door in the room. The next ten minutes, I spent trying to get closer to Jack, but only managed to get turned around. We would head toward him, and Iad think we were getting somewhere, and then wead hit a dead end. Like a f.u.c.king maze, the Doges Palace twisted and turned, rooms, hallways and more just kept blocking my way. s.h.i.+t.

Inside yet another dead end room, I stood staring at the wall, knowing that if I could get through it Jack wasnat that much further away.

I narrowed my eyes and used my second sight, hoping there would be a hidden door. There wasnat, but other things became very apparent.

Like the warnings scrawled in blood on the paintings in the wall.

Dying is a blessing.

Death is a curse.

May your bowels be filled with blood and mercy.

Nice. Real cla.s.sy.

But better than that a I lifted my hand and traced the b.l.o.o.d.y arrow pointing toward the door. Rather obvious and it was one of two things: a marker system for new vamps needing directions or a f.u.c.king trap.

I was going with a trap, for five hundred, Mr. Trebek. If I was right, and it was a trap, it would lead us where we had to go. We just had to ready for the trap to spring. Yup, no problemo.

Pamela grabbed my hand and frowned at me. I pointed at my eyes, then at the wall. Wead been practicing using her second sight, but she struggled with it.

Her eyes widened and she pointed. Apparently she got it this time around. We followed the arrows out into the hallway, down a set of narrow stairs and onto the main floor.

Where all the humans were hanging out, taking pictures and staring at the walls like the tourists they were.

c.r.a.p.

The arrows led straight across the main entrance. We were going to have to bolt for it if OaShea wasnat going to get noticed. I snorted softly to myself and glanced over at him. Yeah, who was going to miss a five-hundred-pound jet-black wolf running across the palace entrance?

His slowly silvering eyes flicked up to me, as if he knew what I was thinking.

Iad wanted to avoid the humans as much as possible, they were just cannon fodder, and had a tendency to get killed when supernaturals rumbled.

aPamela,a I whispered. aCan you block off the entrances to the main room, so people canat go in and out?a She nodded, stepped out, and lifted her hands. A tingle of energy trickled along my skin and I watched as the humans were slowly corralled into one doorway or another. Then Pamela darkened the blocks so they werenat clear, but murky and shadowed. So they couldnat be seen through.

aBrilliant. Good job.a She grinned up at me and I grinned back. Score one for the witch.

We jogged down the final flight of steps and started across the main entranceway. A roar of defiance shocked the s.h.i.+t out of me. I spun, and in the main doorway leading into the palace stalked a f.u.c.king, Iall-be-d.a.m.ned Gryphon.

A lion with wings, he was easily as big as OaShea, maybe even bigger. Hard to tell with the wings. s.h.i.+t, he must be some sort watch dog for the vampires. Tawny hide rippled over thick, powerful muscles, his darker mane waved in the breeze as he walked, and his wings were the color of honey. Stunning, he was a truly incredible creature. But he was still going to try and kill us, of that I had no doubt. Which left me no choice.

aI thought you blocked all the entranceways,a I said as I pulled my swords free.

aI did, he must have broken through,a Pamela said.

That meant one of two things. Either he was another Immune like me, or he had some sort of magic of his own. I was hoping he wasnat Immune.

Pamela snapped a hand forward and the Gryphon ran through what she tossed at it. Immune, it was then.

aLeave this one to us,a I said as I stepped sideways, cutting down through the Gryphonas wings with my sword. Feathers and blood spurted out, and the Gryphon roared. But before he could spin and tackle me, OaShea was on his back, his jaws sinking in around the Gryphonas neck.

The huge cat reached up and yanked OaShea off his back, tossing him to the floor, leaving his back exposed to me. I ran forward and sliced downward and lengthwise as I pa.s.sed the Gryphonas side, cutting though his ribs and opening up his guts. Viscera spilled out onto the tiled floor and the Gryphon slumped, his last breaths slipping out of him in a matter of seconds. Fast, so fast and a trickle of remorse skittered through me. Gryphonas were rare, kind of the endangered species of the supernatural world, and wead cut him down in a matter of minutes.

Jaw clenched, I went to one knee and put a hand on the tawny hide, felt the heat from his body fading already. Son of a b.i.t.c.h, of all the things the vampires could have used for a guard animal, why did it have to be a Gryphon? And one that obviously had no real fighting skills for us to take him out as fast as we had. Just one more reason to go after the Child Empress. This death shouldnat have happened either, didnat need to have happened.

I stared around us. The whole set up had seemed too easy. OaSheaas eyes caught mine. Yeah, too d.a.m.n easy, indeed. Like they were testing us, to see if we were worth bothering with. My hunch that this, and the arrows, were a trap increaseda"like a tightening noose around my neck. Not a good sign.

aLetas go, they know weare here.a

CHAPTER 20.

WE FOUND OUR way down into the lower levels via a panel in the wall that the oh-so-helpful b.l.o.o.d.y arrows pointed to. Once inside the walls, I could see where theyad been opened up and made to look like a reflection of the true palace. If I hadnat known better, I would have thought that I was in the regular section with the oil paintings directly on the walls, the scrollwork, even the gold laid into the floors was the same.

aWhy would they go to all this effort?a Pamela asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

aI donat know. Now be quiet.a I suspected I did know the reason, but I wasnat going to go and try to explain it right then. Iad save that for later, when we werenat walking into a nest of vampires who knew we were coming.

Vampires were one of the few supernatural creatures that had once been human. They had all started out normal at one point. From what I understood, it was a big part of why they were such a.s.sholes. Werewolves were the same, and the two groups were some of the most difficult to deal with. The rest of us had never been human, even if we thought we were, we had always been different. I suspected that this attempt at anormalizinga the insides of the walls was to make the vampires feel like they were still a little bit human. Even though there wasnat a drop of humanity left in them.

We worked our way through, toward Jack who was close now; there were no longer the dead ends when it came to trying to pin him down.

The next corner rounded into an intersection of hallways; I could feel Jack, closer now. Where we stood, six branches led off from the intersection. Dark, long tunnels that no doubt held creatures we wanted nothing to do with. From what I could tell, Jack was at the end of the branch on our right. At the end of it, there was a single, flickering light above a heavy wooden door. Iron slides that banded across the wood were an added strength over a simple lock. Made me wonder what the f.u.c.k they kept locked up down here.

If it hadnat been for Berget, I never would have even thought about going down any of those hallways, except for the one Jack was at the end of. But down one of those dark tunnels was the Child Empress. I hesitated, staring at the hallway across from me, and found myself Tracking vampires as a group. No one close, everything was all still and quiet; the only vampires I could feel were about a mile deep. How the h.e.l.l was that possible in a floating city? I shook my head. That didnat matter, at least not yet.

I pointed at Jackas door and took a step forward.

And thatas when the trap was sprung, and all h.e.l.l broke loose.

From each of the dark hallways came a vampire. They could have moved faster, but by the grins on their faces, they wanted to see our fear. Wanted us to believe we could break free of them. How the h.e.l.l had I missed them?

We were so f.u.c.ked.

OaShea managed to grab one; Pamela nailed another with a fireball, which did far more damage and the others gave her some room.

The other four advanced on me, as if I were the dangerous one, which I freaking well knew I wasnat compared to OaShea, or even Pamela with her fireb.a.l.l.s. Yet they tackled me, pinned me to the ground, and there wasnat a thing I could do about it. My muscles strained against their hands, fought them, but there was no comparison. Their strength and speed wasnat legendary for no reason. I knew why they were at the top of the food chain.

aGet her out of here, OaShea,a I yelled, my words echoing against the painted walls.

He snarled at mea"defiance I could feel dancing along my skina"and s.n.a.t.c.hed one of the vampires by the leg and threw them against the wall. From the corner of my eye, a vampire reached from the darkness toward Pamela, his mouth open with glee. s.h.i.+t.

aGet her the f.u.c.k out of here!a There was nothing I could do, my body completely controlled by the vampires who held me tight.

OaShea spun on his haunches, and I saw him take everything in. There were just too many of them, we wouldnat win, and he finally got it. Time for a retreat and a re-group, if wanted any chance at saving me, he had to leave. His claws scrabbled across the uneven rock, and then he bolted past me, grabbing Pamela as he went. Down one of the corridors they ran and disappeared into the darkness.

The vampire closest to me leaned down and put her mouth close to my ear. aOur Empress is waiting for you, Tracker. But donat worry, weall find the girl, and her little dog too.a af.u.c.k you.a aUmm. Iad like that, but I heard you prefer your wolves to women.a She licked my cheek and I went very still, turned just my eyes to her.

aPerhaps your girl would be more to my liking.a I stared up at her, knew that the three colors in my eyes would be s.h.i.+fting wildly with my anger. aTouch her and Iall stop playing nice, you f.u.c.king piece of s.h.i.+t.a She laughed, but there was a touch of fear in her laughter, like she was trying to convince herself.

They lifted me, one vampire on each arm and one on each foot, holding me above the ground as they took me down the hallway toward Jackas door. The last vampire stripped me of my weapons as they walked. Everything wenta"my two swords, knife, whip, crossbow and bolts.

The door opened, and I was thrown into the cell, landing flat on my back on the hard floor. It knocked the wind out of me, and I lay there, waiting for my breath to come back. What a freaking mess this was.

Finally, I rolled to my knees and squinted into the darkness, knowing Jack was in here somewhere with me.

aJack?a aWhat the f.u.c.k, Rylee.a He was in the corner on a low pallet, a blanket over him. I made my way to his side and sat on the edge of the pallet. His skin, what I could see of it, was grey and sallow, his eyes were sunken into his head and his bright red hair seemed to have dimmed in the short time since Iad seen him last.

aJack, shouldnat the vampires have been sleeping?a aThey are, you idiot. Those were the mother f.u.c.king pets. How the h.e.l.l did you get this far, anyway?a Head barely finished speaking when a series of coughs wracked his frame, the wet awful sound of fluid on his lungs. Fluid or blood, one or the other.

aWhat happened to Doran, why didnat he try to help keep you out of their hands?a He spat a gob of something against the wall, and we watched it slide down for a moment before he answered.

aThere were too many of them, no need for the fanged f.u.c.k to get taken too. He was all but shaking in his boots, didnat want to be taken to the Empress again.a I put a hand on his shoulder, hoping I was right about him and the fact that they would have thought him defenseless when they took him. aJack, they took all my weapons.a aThat surprises you?a aNo, but did they take all yours?a He gave a chuckle. aNo. They didnat even check me. Iam just a dying old man. Itas between the pallet and the floor.a I slid my fingers along until I felt the handle of a weapon. I pulled out a short sword, about half the length of my two, but it was a h.e.l.l of a lot better than nothing at all.

aIt is spelled to cut deep, like yours, so watch the edge,a he muttered.

aTheyare going to take me for an audience with the Child Empress.a aYou think youave got it in you?a I took a couple of swings with the sword, feeling the weight of it, how it cut through the air.

aIf I donat, weare all dead. So yeah, I guess I do.a aGood. But donat come back for me. Stupid bunch of idiots, you shouldnat have come here in the first place.a I ignored him and checked the door over, but it was too solid, even for a spelled blade.

aRylee, I have a few more things to tell you. If youare ready for it,a Jack said, coughing again after he spoke.

aIs it bad? Cause honestly, Iam full up with bad s.h.i.+t right now.a I went and sat beside him, found my hand wrapping around his, knowing that again, I was going to lose someone I cared about. Yet head only been in my life a few weeks. Not long enough to get this attached, surely. Especially not since head avoided and p.i.s.sed me off at every turn.

His fingers gripped mine. aI should have let you read those d.a.m.n books.a A s.h.i.+ver of fear tiptoed up my spine and sat on the back of my neck, but I still had to know. aWhy?a aI lied to you.a Dear G.o.ds, not again. Men and lies, lately they seemed to be f.u.c.king joined at the hip.

He leaned back on his bed. aThere is a prophecy that I would train the last Tracker, Iave always known that it was true. You are the only one Iave ever trained, even a little bit. I donat have much to offer you, only the knowledge of what we are, of how to not get used up. But that doesnat matter.

aYou are the last of us, Rylee. You are the one who will stand between the world and the darkness that comes. Iave known it from the minute you walked into that f.u.c.king hospital room with that bedraggled werewolf. I saw it in both of you, the start of the prophecies coming to light. Even though I couldnat Read you, I knew.a I tried to pull away, but he held my hand tighter than a dying man should have been able to.

aJack, you are f.u.c.king delusional. Just rest.a The fear on the back of my neck dug in deep, just like Farisa fangs.

With effort, he sat up until he was looking me right in the face. aI canat Read you. But I can Read all those around you. And their stories, what I see there, all of it points at one thing. You are the center of it, the center of where all the stories sit. Like a bright spot that keeps me from Reading you.a What the h.e.l.l was I supposed to say to that? Anything?

aJust listen to me, kid. You have so much coming your way, but just follow your heart. That is what you have to do. Hold to what you know is right, no matter what anyone else says.a aEven when it means rescuing an old, stubborn, dying Tracker?a I lifted an eyebrow at him, wanting to change the subject. Needing to. I couldnat be the last Tracker, that wasnat possible. But hadnat I for years thought I was the only Tracker?

He shrugged and slumped back to the pallet. aPerhaps, but was it your heart that brought you here or your need for revenge?a My jaw tightened. aDid you meet the Child Empress?a aBriefly. I saw a lot around the kid, even though she was covered up. Death, lots and lots of death and manipulation, but that is true for any vampire no matter how young they are. But you are trying to change the f.u.c.king subject. Right now, itas about prophecies. You need to read them, understand them, so when the time comes you have at least an idea of what youare going to be up against.a I scrubbed a hand over my face, thinking that perhaps Jack had a fever, and that head lost his marbles in the last few days locked away inside the palace walls. f.u.c.k, anything was possible. But what he was saying couldnat be true. I was no legend in the making. Trackers were just thata"Trackers; nothing more.

I stood, and Jack let me go. Pacing the small room didnat help, only made me feel more freaked out. f.u.c.k, this was bad.

aRylee, the end game is going to be played out, and you are central to it. Many of your friends are central to it.a aHow the f.u.c.k am I supposed to take this, Jack?a I shouted, feeling an unfamiliar wash of anxiety sweeping over me.