Beautiful nightmares, p.15
Beautiful Nightmares, page 15
Because he was Collith, and keeping secrets was his speciality.
I started to ask Laurie about the nearest Door, and where Finn was being kept, but he’d already strode out of the cell. With Gil struggling beside me, I skirted around Belanor and Fende’s bodies. I eyed each one in passing, alert for any movement. Faeries were immortal, with a preternatural healing ability; it was possible one or both of them would recover from this. I wanted to ask Laurie about this, too, but there was an urgency in the air that kept me silent, my grip on Gil too tight.
As we entered the bright hallway, Laurie didn’t offer to take Gil. Knowing him, he’d probably learned everything about my time with Belanor before stepping foot in that cell. If that was the case, Laurie was aware that Gil’s grasp on the bloodlust loosened with every second. I could feel faint sensations from the bond—did Laurie know about that, too?—and the holy water had only worsened the vampire’s need for blood.
There was no sign of Peeks, Vulen, or the other Guardians that had been about to stand by and listen to Belanor rape me. Pity, I thought. I would’ve loved the chance to make them rethink some of their life choices.
An eerie silence coiled in the air. The three of us rushed past the rows of doors, and I kept my gaze directed forward—I didn’t want to think about all the people I wasn’t saving in order to save myself and the ones that I cared about. Laurie’s behavior was indication enough of how little time we had. I didn’t know what would happen once we ran out of it, and hopefully I never found out. If I used my powers to take on every creature in this palace, innocents could get hurt. Including the people I was trying to protect.
Up ahead, there was someone waiting in front of the elevator. We got closer and I saw that it was the mean-faced Guardian who’d given me Laurie’s message before the Games.
“The camera feeds will only be disrupted for two minutes,” he said tersely to Laurie, completely ignoring me and Gil. “The override for the elevator is less than that. Let’s go.”
I swallowed a dozen questions and adjusted Gil’s arm so it wasn’t pulling my hair. “I think I got it now,” he said, leaning away to test his full weight.
“You sure?”
“We don’t have time for this,” the Guardian said tightly.
Painfully aware of Gil’s ever-increasing hunger, I didn’t snap back. My gaze lingered on the vampire’s face before I finally let go. The four of us got onto the elevator.
The Guardian jabbed the screen with his thumb. Watching him, it was obvious that he was risking a lot by helping us. The tension he exuded was practically a thrum beneath his skin.
As usual, Laurie read my mind. “I owe you one, Morelli,” he said as we started climbing.
His accomplice didn’t look away from the changing numbers on the screen. “I like cars. Red ones.”
Laurie looked at the numbers, too. He was grinning. “We’ll talk.”
A ding sounded, and the elevator doors opened. I tensed, wary of what would be on the other side. My shoulders slumped when I saw the empty hallway. We were back at the palace, above the ground where everything was grand and gilded. Long tables stood along this hallway, each one holding up large vases of real flowers. Their fragrance was subtle but sweet.
All of it was just a pretty distraction from the rotted core below.
Our small group stepped into the open, Morelli included. Gil looked around with faint surprise. He hadn’t seen this part of the Seelie Court, I remembered. Belanor had brought him straight to the cells.
The elevator doors had just closed behind us when a sound drifted down the hallway.
“What’s that?” I whispered, instinctively stepping closer to Laurie.
He shifted, too, and his chest brushed against my back. “That,” he said, “would be the Royal Guard.”
* * *
We ran.
The faeries took the lead, veering down a hallway to the right. Laurie didn’t need to tell us to soften our footsteps, and I winced with every squeak my bloodstained shoes made on the tiled floor. Halfway down the hallway, there was a cluster of doors tucked out of sight. Laurie yanked me into the pocket of space. Morelli and Gil followed, the latter looking ashen.
“Why—” I started.
Laurie spoke without looking at me; he was listening for the guards. “You just potentially killed the future King of the Seelie Court. Even if the cameras were turned off by that point, your scent will be all over him. Or, if Belanor recovers, he’ll have grounds to execute you.”
“He won’t execute me,” I said shortly. “He wants me alive. I’ll summon Lyari and we can fight our way—”
“She can’t sift onto palace grounds,” Laurie cut in, already shaking his head. I scowled at the second interruption. “Not without starting a war between the two Courts. She’s had no official invitation from the king or queen. Even if we did have Lyari, the Royal Guard are too many. Brute force isn’t the way. Not this time.”
“They’ve passed,” Morelli muttered. “We need to keep moving.”
Laurie nodded, stepping out of our temporary shelter, and we ran again.
Night hovered outside of every window I saw, but there was no hint of moon or stars. As if the sky itself had tucked itself behind a thick layer of clouds, hiding from the dangerous creatures far below. The only sounds in that elegant, darkness-drenched hallway were Morelli’s shifting armor, Gil’s uneven breathing, and our faint footsteps.
At the very end, Laurie skidded to a stop.
When I realized there were two faeries standing in the shadows, I felt my powers tense like muscles, readying to strike with the force of a viper. But neither of them sounded an alarm.
“You’re late,” the faerie on the left said.
“Tabby was having some trouble with the cameras,” Laurie countered. “Shall we continue chatting about it, or would you like to flee for our lives?”
Now I looked at the faeries with interest, and they looked back. One male, one female. They were dressed like courtiers. Neither of them said a word, but their cool gazes lingered on to my face. They would be seeing the beautiful illusion, no doubt. I wondered if they were always this silent when Laurie introduced them to someone. Maybe they’d never met one of my kind before, or maybe they resented me for everything I’d cost Laurie. For a moment, I felt like a bug under a magnifying glass, but then I remembered who I was. I lifted my chin and stared back at them.
Laurie didn’t give me a chance to say anything—he turned, grasped the bottom of my shirt and, in a blur of movement, ripped half of it away. The cold air was a shock against my bare stomach. I didn’t protest, though, because it was obvious what he was doing. Confirming my suspicions, Laurie handed the scrap of material to Morelli, who left us without a word. I watched him go, wondering if it was loyalty to Laurie or a substantial compensation that prompted the faerie to risk his life for a stranger.
Laurie proceeded to rip off each of my sleeves and give those to the others. They, too, hurried away the instant they had a scrap of clothing clutched in their fingers. The sound of their footsteps hadn’t fully faded when Laurie wrapped his fingers around mine and tugged, his meaning clear. Run.
“I assume you have a plan?” I asked under my breath, glancing behind to make sure Gil was following. He was on my heels, his spiky hair a splash of color in the dim. His expression was grim and I could sense his fear all around us. It was in my mouth, too, and it tasted like… blood.
“Don’t I always?” Laurie countered. Once again, he spoke without sparing me a glance.
“Okay, well, does your plan include getting Finn—”
“Fortuna, for once in your life, will you just shut up and trust me?”
It was his use of my name that kept me from arguing. I settled for a glare instead. The three of us continued on through the shadowed, ornate hallways, and I didn’t attempt to ask about Finn again. Later, I told myself. Laurie was risking far more than his throne to save me this time. The thought made me feel a stab of guilt.
Paintings of bearded men and solemn-faced women seemed to watch us as we passed. Normally I’d be curious about them. I’d wonder whether some of them were Laurie’s ancestors. But right now, I was focused on getting the fuck out of this place.
Voices floated through the air. Before I could question whether it was courtiers or guards, I heard the undeniable clatter of armor. Laurie dove to the side, pulling me with him, and I found myself in a place within the wall that had been adjusted to fit a column. We were tucked behind it, mostly out of sight, but if either of the guards rushing by bothered to look, they’d find us without difficulty. Where was Gil? I craned my neck, hoping he’d found a hiding place of his own.
The vampire peered back from across the hallway, tucked in an identical nook. Seeing the overly bright sheen in his eyes—his hunter’s instincts and bloodlust kicking in—I sent a feeling of encouragement down the bond. He sent an identical feeling back, silently reassuring me. I’m fine.
He wouldn’t be fine for much longer if he didn’t get some human blood.
I hid the thought from Gil and shifted out of sight again, breathing more calmly now that I knew where he was. The Guardians hurried past a second later, their clanking armor oddly synchronized. It felt like every bone in my body had turned to ice. I stood in the thick shadows, trying not to think about what would happen if they found us.
I would use my powers. I would feast until I was delirious. And then I’d kill every living creature inside this palace. Since the return of the Nightmare, I had been so worried about Belanor using me for his spell that I hadn’t thought about the other dangers. The entire reason I’d asked Cyrus for his help.
Great job not thinking about it, Fortuna. Just as I finished the thought, I noticed that the synchronized clatter had faded. Were they gone? I refocused on Laurie, wondering why he hadn’t moved. The moment our gazes met, I comprehended that we were still smashed together, chest-to-chest in this gilded pocket.
I knew the exact moment Laurie realized it, too—his eyes darkened and his arms clenched harder around me. Whether it was intentional or not, I didn’t know. All I knew was that his heartbeat was nearly identical to mine. It became the loudest sound in the universe, like fragments of a crashing meteor hitting the ground. Boom. Boom. Boom.
“They’re gone,” Gil said, making me jump. He stood near the pillar. I hadn’t even heard his approach.
Laurie must’ve heard him coming, though, because he didn’t react. After another second, he tore away and his expression smoothed into a neutral mask. I watched his silver eyes scan the hallway. Deeming it safe, the faerie slipped into the open, and I quickly moved to follow.
I started when I felt Laurie’s fingers skim the tender skin along the inside of my arm, then fold into the spaces between my own. I glanced up at him, but he didn’t look back. Laurie led us silently through the shadows again, keeping close to the wall.
We’d nearly reached the end of yet another hallway when he let go of my hand. Laurie took his phone out of his pocket, activated the flashlight, and held it out to me. I took it, more questions hovering at the back of my throat. I swallowed them all—after everything he’d done, Laurie deserved my trust.
“This is the only place the guards won’t search,” Laurie muttered. The lines of his body were tense, which spoke volumes, as Laurie never worried about anything. When I saw that, my own anxiety heightened until it was practically a hum at the back of my head.
We stood in front of a narrow door made of cherry-toned wood. Faeries apparently liked their carvings, regardless of which Court they were in—intricate lines and shapes had been cut into that smooth surface. Feathers. Dozens and dozens of feathers, I thought.
Without another word, Laurie reached into his pocket and knelt. I watched as he began to pick the lock with expert precision. I didn’t know why I was surprised; Laurie had probably learned how to get inside forbidden rooms before he was out of diapers. I pointed the light so it shone on his hands, even though he probably didn’t need it. Only a few seconds later, we all heard a click. Laurie quickly got to his feet, opened the door, and ushered us in. I barely had a chance to register the familiar smell of dirt before Laurie closed the door behind him.
We were in a passage between the walls—it was obvious from the closeness of the space and the wooden beams.
“I’ll go first,” Gil muttered. In spite of what I’d told him in the cell, he didn’t trust Laurie. I could sense his wariness within that beautiful dust floating between us. When he started off, I followed automatically.
Laurie brought up the rear, and he didn’t make a single joke about the view or anything else. His silence was unnerving. He held up his cell phone again, lending us the small glow of the flashlight app. It only made everything look more sinister.
From what little I could see, the passage swiftly became a tunnel. The walls farther down seemed to be formed of rocky earth and precarious-looking wooden archways, and there was an abandoned feeling that clung to the cold, as if no one had been here in a long, long time.
My instincts balked at going deeper into the darkness. I was tired of running from scary faeries underground. Why wouldn’t we fight for our lives on the surface, like normal people? My agitation began to rise, and the weak nudges of comfort from Gil had no effect.
“Can you move through the entire palace like this?” I murmured, trying to distract myself.
When Laurie didn’t respond, I looked over my shoulder at him. He shook his head, wordlessly answering the question, No. His silence made me wonder if our voices could carry to the guards searching for us.
The path sloped downward. Eventually the hard floor became dirt. There was a strange smell in my nostrils, but I couldn’t define it. It got stronger and stronger with every step. My stomach began to churn. Something doesn’t feel right, instinct insisted.
Then Laurie turned his phone off.
As soon as the flashlight was gone, the darkness was absolute—there were no windows or cracks of light around us. I resisted the urge to search for Laurie’s hand, and he didn’t offer it again. For several seconds, all I had to guide me through the oblivion were their faint footsteps. Then we walked around a curve in the tunnel, and indistinct shadows flickered over the walls. There were probably torches farther down the path.
Soon after that, we arrived at a gate.
It might have been black, once, but time and damp had reduced the bars to rust. Did this lead to sewers beneath the city? Were we leaving palace grounds?
Flakes drifted off the gate when Laurie pulled on a latch. Strangely enough, the hinges barely made a sound. My brow furrowed. Someone must oil them regularly, I thought.
Gil was already through the gate and in the tunnel beyond it, but Laurie paused to press something into my hand. A pocketknife, I realized after a moment. It wasn’t nearly as small as the one Gil had hidden in his boot—this blade could do some real damage. Why give it to me now? I grasped the handle, mentally reaching for the Nightmare inside just to make sure she was still there. I wasn’t human anymore. The reminder made it easier to hold back another rush of questions.
I stepped through the gate.
Laurie closed it so gently that I only heard a faint click. I stared at the tunnel ahead, straining to find the source of that distant glow. Wherever it was coming from, the firelight was far enough away that I still couldn’t see anything. There was only Gil, who stood waiting. His mind was a cloud of hunger and protectiveness. For me.
“What is this place?” I whispered, succumbing to the unease rumbling through my body.
“If you want to survive the next minute or so,” Laurie replied, his voice dangerously calm, “I suggest you stop talking.”
With that, both Gil and Laurie moved to take the lead, or maybe put me behind them. If my pulse had been fast before, it was practically wild now. Still holding the pocketknife in one hand, I reached out with my arms to use the walls as a guide. But we’d entered a bigger space, I discovered instantly. There was nothing on either side, and yards off in both directions, there were deeper pockets of shadow, like the uneven walls of a cave.
Then a stench assaulted me. It was so powerful that I started breathing out of my mouth. Gil and Laurie didn’t stop, though. I held back a gag and kept going.
I’d only taken a few steps when something squelched beneath my foot. I looked down and frowned at the sight of something… glowing. I lifted my leg gingerly, trying not to gag at the strings of slime stretching between the ground and the bottom of my shoe. The substance gave off a slightly greenish shine.
Where the hell had Laurie taken us?
“Holy fuck,” I heard Gil hiss. Before I could ask him what was wrong, or ask Laurie about the source of that smell, something dropped in front of me. I recoiled, an instinctive scream hurtling up my throat. Laurie’s hand clapped over my mouth and stifled the sound. My body heaved as I struggled to breathe.
A wing hung in our path.
Slowly, I followed its length up to the ceiling.
Cherubim slept above us. They clung to rafters like bats. I struggled to breathe as I peered into the darkness again, dreading what I would see now that my eyes had adjusted. Those weren’t gaps of shadow, I discovered with slow horror. They were cherubim, too, sleeping in piles throughout the room. There were so many of them, even more than the large groups that had attacked Bea’s bar or come to the hospital.
A bubble of panic swelled and popped in my chest. Why would you bring us here? What kind of plan is this? I wanted to shriek. Just as I tensed, preparing to turn back and go back the way we’d come, I thought of Laurie’s comment when he opened the door.
This is the only place the guards won’t search, he had said. Not only because the reek of the cherubim disguised our own, but also because no one sane would come down here. He must’ve been truly desperate, if this was the best course of action. For Laurie to endanger his own life, along with ours…
