CHAPTER 26 #3
“I flew to the next city over, Lycan territory,” he says, handing me the stuff for her.
I pull the jumper off her, revealing a dirty tank top and underwear.
Helping her into the onesie, she then sits and Matitus puts her socks on.
Her brother is eyeing him and so does she, as she gazes up at him, her dark ringlets falling in her eyes.
Matitus smiles at her, and she smiles back.
The cook brings a bowl of soup over for her and I place her next to her brother, closer to the fire pit so she will stay warm while he helps her hold her spoon.
“What are we going to do with them?” I ask Silas.
“They are too scared to come back with us, so I will speak to some people and see if we can fix a place up for them, get some people to look over them and organize food and clothing to be dropped off.”
“They need medicine,” I tell him, and he nods, “I will see what I can get. I doubt they will accept our blood even if we offered it to them,” he tells me. I nod in agreement; these kids are petrified of them and want nothing to do with them.
“I know a pharmacist who can make medicine, he just needs herbs,” I tell him, and Silas looks over at me.
Dragus does the same. Once the kids are settled, Marian tells them people will be back tomorrow to bring more food.
The cooks leave a few drums of water and loaves of bread until someone can come in the morning.
Walking out of the warehouse, I detour, going in the opposite direction of the castle.
“Where are you going, Lora?” Matitus asks.
“To see if Victor survived the winter so far.”
“Victor, who’s Victor?”
“Someone who can help them,” I say, walking toward the old derelict store. The shutters are down as it is getting late in the afternoon. I bang on them.
“Closed for the night,” I hear Victor’s voice sing out from inside.
“Victor, it’s me, Elora.”
“Elora?” He opens the peephole on the roller shutter. He then rolls it up.
“How is your grandmother, dear?” he asks, opening the door, before freezing and stepping back about to close the door.
“Victor, they won’t hurt you, I just need your help.”
Victor opens the door slowly peeking out and reluctantly, allowing me to enter. He steps further into the shop warily and I hear his heart rate increase.
“How’s your grandmother, dear,” he says, but I can hear the shakiness in his voice at three Dragons in his store.
“She died, Vick,” I say with sorrow in my voice.
Victor stumbles back in shock, and I grab his arm to steady him, helping him to sit behind the register.
“I always loved her, you know. Such a lovely lady. Did the medicine not help?” he asks and I shake my head.
“No, she killed herself,” I tell him, swallowing down the lump that has formed in my throat. He nods in understanding, as suicide isn’t a big deal here—a lot of people see it as an out even though that’s not why grandma did it.
Victor runs his hands through his graying hair. “So, what do you need?”
“Medicine, cough medicine, antibiotics.”
Victor shakes his head.
“I have none. I have been cleaned out and haven’t had the funds to buy more from underground or find any herbs. Everything is frozen.”
I take off my mother’s necklace and hand it to him.
“I can try, Elora, how much do you need?”
“A lot.”
Silas looks at me, then stares at the necklace. It is gold so it has value to the underground dealers who grow stuff in the old tunnels, but even I know it won’t be enough.
“When do you need it? I can’t head to the tunnels now, it is getting dark; it’s not safe out there at night.”
“Which tunnels?” I ask.
“They moved to Breach Street tunnels.”
I nod. Silas and Matitus watch our exchange, confused.
The underground operations in the tunnels are moved and kept hidden so they won’t be found easily if the Dragon Kings find out about it.
People fear they will put a stop to the illegal operations underground.
Unfortunately those who do know like myself and Victor, it costs a lot to get herbs from them.
Medication being an expensive and valuable trade to those who have a green thumb.
“How much?” Silas asks.
“Depends how much you want. This would buy maybe three herbs, enough to make two bottles,” he says, holding up my necklace.
Silas digs in his pocket, taking my necklace and handing it back to me. He pulls out a handful of gold coins. Matitus and Dragus follow suit.
“This?” Silas asks. Victor’s mouth falls open and he grabs one, biting into it.
“Solid?” he asks and Silas nods.
“Well, you could buy the entire place with what you have there,” he says, nodding to the handful of coins.
“I can’t go now; the Vamps will be out hunting and the rest of the creatures,” Victors says.
“If you can make it, I will go and pick up the herbs myself.”
He nods, then realizes what I said and quickly shakes his head.
“Elora, it is dangerous at night,” he tells me.
I shake my head disagreeing. No one will mess with me while I have these three with me.
“Just listen out for my knock,” I tell him, as I leave. Victor follows behind us, locking back up. The Dragon Kings watch me, following as I turn down a dark alley.
“How do you know where you’re going, and why would you give him your mother’s necklace?” Dragus asks.
“You don’t have the luxury of keeping things in this city, Dragus, you barter to get what you need. Come on,” I tell them, walking up another alleyway and stopping at a drain. I lift the grate and use the ladder to climb down. Silas follows first, then the others.
“Have you been down here before?” Silas asks.
“Yes, I have come here with Victor. They move so they aren’t discovered.
But yes, I have been here, even lived in these tunnels when I was younger,” I tell him while navigating through them.
I can sense their shock and guilt through the bond.
However, I pay no mind to them. Instead, I look for the ribbon markers that are set high on the walls to show the way.
This is life for so many; it’s about time they realize their people’s hardships.
After about twenty minutes, the tunnels start widening and opening up, and there’s light ahead when a voice sings out.
“Password or I shoot.”
“Aloe vera,” I call out, hoping they still used the same one.
“Elora?”
“Yep” I call out, recognizing the voice.
“Max?” I ask, walking forward and stepping into the light. Under the lights, plants grow even Weed, but that’s not what I’m here for.
“Elora, what are you doing bringing them here?” Max says, raising his gun.
I grab the barrel pointing it at the floor.
Max used to work for Victor, so I have known him for a while, I honestly thought he was dead.
Although working here clearly benefited him, he has filled out more and is no longer scrawny.
His cheeks are fuller and even his brown hair is washed and his clothes.
“We need medicine; I have money,” I tell him when the clear film curtain opens and a man stalks out to see what’s going on, instantly raising his gun.
I put my hands up and Silas growls loudly at the gun being pointed at me. “We mean no harm, we just need herbs,” I tell him. He has dark skin the color of mocha and green eyes with a shaved head. He lowers his gun but eyes the Dragon Kings. I hold my hand out to Silas.
“Give me the coins.”
Silas hands them over.
“Her only,” the man says, and all three Dragon Kings growl.
He raises the gun again. It won’t kill them, but I know it will hurt and probably get everyone here killed if he fires it.
Realizing that himself, he lowers it. I step forward, walking through the curtain, the entire place looking like a greenhouse inside.
Lights run off a generator hanging above the pots of plants and the smell of herbs is strong enough to drown out the pungent smells of the tunnel.
“I need medicinal herbs.”
The man nods, showing me what he has left.
“All of them, I can get more if needed,” I tell him, showing him the coins, which make his eyes grow wide. He nods and helps me wrap them in paper. Coming out, I see my Dragons waiting, leaning against the wall except Silas who is glaring as I emerge.
He tugs me to him as soon as I am in reach. Max and the other man step back with their hands up. Silas growls, stepping forward.
“I want you to move this above ground. If I have a place set up can you move it above ground and supply the pharmacies and the people?” he asks. Both men look shocked for a second.
“I will be open to being robbed above ground, and this costs money, and I need the lights to grow. It is too cold,” he tells him.
“Power is on, and I will cover any costs, just move it above ground, and as for security, we can make the place secure.”
The man seems to think for a second, quickly nodding.
“I can try. I need to organize people to move it, that takes time.”
“I will send help.”
The man nods, holding out his hand. “Deal,” Silas grabs his hand, shaking it before putting his hand on my back and pushing me toward the way we came. All of them follow me through the maze of tunnels.
“How do you know where you’re going?” Matitus asks.
I point to the bricks, “Every intersecting tunnel will have a ribbon showing the way,” I tell them, showing them the next one by pointing to the corner above our heads.
When we find the tunnel we came out of, I climb the ladder.
Hopping out, I am yanked out by someone.
A menacing growl comes from behind me as an arm rips me from the drain and tosses me.
Dragus jumps out and tackles the man, who is actually a human.
Dragus claws cutting through his neck as he swipes at him.
I rush to my feet, running over trying to stem the man’s bleeding.
“What are you doing?” Dragus yells at me for trying to help the man.
“He would have been trying to rob me not kill me, he is human!” I yell, only it is too late, the man is gurgling and choking on his own blood when he stops breathing. I shake my head standing up.
“But he was going to rob you?” Dragus says, and I can feel their eyes on me.
“Yes, because they are forced to; this is what happens when there isn’t enough to go around. He isn’t the monster here. The Vamps are. He would have robbed me; Vamps would have killed me the same as the Lycans when they break into the city, not the humans,” I tell him and Dragus looks at our mates.
“That’s why everyone goes into lockdown after dark. This man must have been desperate. Believe me, no one likes to be out after dark here.”
Silas helps me up and we make our way to Victor’s shop. I knock three times, and he opens the door, ushering us in. I hand him the rolled-up papers full of herbs.
“Yes, I can make a bit with this,” he says, sorting the herbs. “I can have it done by morning.”
I nod, and Victor shows us out. The night is extra cold tonight and by the time we get back to the castle, I’m shivering, my hands are aching, and my teeth chattering loudly.
The gates open and Matitus tugs me against him, lending me his warmth.
I press my hands under his shirt and onto his hot skin.
“Geez your hands are like ice,” he says, snatching them and blowing on them. My fingers are warmed instantly and I have to rip them away when they become too hot. “Ow.”
“Sorry,” he says as Silas opens the front door.
“Come, a shower should warm you up,” Silas says, and I follow them while turning to Matitus.
“Abbie?”
“She is at her house with her mother and daughter.”
I nod, relief flooding me that she is ok.
“Lilith?” I ask Dragus.
“Marian gave her your old room,” Dragus answers.
Silas has been silent the entire trip home and I can tell he is thinking about something, and a few times I have found him invading my thoughts. I didn’t stop his probing, instead I let him. Walking into the bedroom, I rush to the bathroom, turning the shower on.
Stripping off, I step under the shower’s spray. The hot water burns my skin and makes me flinch till my skin heats enough for it to stop.
Matitus steps in with me and Dragus. “Where is Silas?”
“Thinking, he didn’t realize things were so bad out there, none of us did,” Dragus answers, his expression guilt-ridden.
I say nothing, and instead shower quickly and hop out.
When I walk out, Silas is coming in with a tray of soup and bread like we gave the kids.
I get dressed and he hands me a bowl and some bread as I sit at the desk.
My belly rumbles from not eating all day.