CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE STONE BUILDINGS WERE STILL QUIET. WITH CURFEW ended I knew time was against me.
Behind me the steel doors to the Sanctuary remained closed.
My feet slammed onto the pavement as the ghost of those mothers’ screams ran with me.
The Illum would know what I was doing before long—my MIND would give me away.
Running wouldn’t change the consequences of going against the Illum.
I could be eliminated for this. The sound of Pods rumbled in the distance.
I started to sprint. Sweat dripped down my neck.
Lungs screaming, I finally saw the bridge from Collin’s map. The sound of rushing water welcomed me as I peered over the edge toward the current below. Two meters down sat a narrow ledge. It would be challenging to balance on it.
You could go back, a small voice whispered. I had no idea what I was actually doing. This plan seemed stupid.
You can’t swim, that small voice warned me. This seemed like an inopportune moment for that knowledge to make itself known.
There was no one to witness me jump and no one to save me if I fell in.
Fear wrapped around my throat. I had too many reasons to push me off the edge of the walkway, and only fear to hold me back.
What scared me more? Drowning? Being a vessel? Being eliminated? Knowing I could have saved others from that fate and doing nothing?
I sucked in a deep breath. I knew my answer.
I swung down. My body slammed into solid stone.
The impact stole the air from my lungs. I felt skin break as my fingertips clung to the surface.
I kicked wildly until I found purchase, my toes resting upon the narrow ledge.
I gripped the edge above my head harder, the stone biting into my cut palms.
I had done it. I breathed in deeply. I had made it.
I looked toward the bridge and my seconds of relief from not plummeting to my death evaporated. I had thought I was close to the opening. From here it felt miles away. I couldn’t see the entrance I thought I saw on the plans.
What if there wasn’t an entrance? What if I was wrong and I was stuck down here?
I was on a ledge above rushing water. I couldn’t swim. I was attempting to find an entrance I didn’t know was there. Decisions that would ensure I was eliminated.
Fucking idiot. My hold became difficult as my pulse pounded in my ears.
“What are you doing?”
I squeezed the stone as my heart jumped out of my chest.
I turned toward the noise as much as I could. A woman stuck her head out of the wall. That must be the entrance.
“I’m trying”—I grunted, adjusting my grip—“to find someone in the Underworld.”
“You’re a Minor.”
“Astute observation. Please, let me in.” I moved at a painstaking pace, my racing heart leaving me unsteady.
“Fine,” the woman conceded.
I shuffled along and reached for more ledge, only to realize it ended as it met the bridge. I couldn’t balance without holding on. I rested my face against the cool, wet stone. I couldn’t go any farther.
“Here,” the woman said, thrusting out her hand.
“What if I slip?”
“You’ll have to trust me.” Her dry tone didn’t evoke much confidence. “None of you ever have any trust.” She rolled her deep brown eyes, one of her two braids falling through the opening. “What’s it going to be, Minor?”
“Don’t let me fall,” I pleaded as I stretched my hand out. Her grip was firm.
“Let go, Minor, I’ve got you.”
I let go, trusting—putting my life in the hands of—someone I didn’t know.
“That’s it,” she coaxed as I took tiny steps toward the opening. When I reached it, her grip remained strong, anchoring me.
I hooked my left elbow and hoisted myself into the opening, bringing my other leg up, then shimmied through the entrance.
“You can let go,” I told her as relief flooded me.
I finagled my legs around, scooting against damp stone before dropping out the other side.
A musty smell hung in the air as my feet met hard stone.
The tunnel was dark. The entrance was big enough for one person at a time but no more.
“Thank you,” I panted. I glanced around to see a long stone tunnel. A ways down, small lights illuminated the path. I had made it to the Underworld.
“Turn around,” the woman instructed, smirking.
Her light brown skin was covered in freckles, and she wore a tight sweater, leggings, and boots.
She was tall, I realized, with weapons strapped to her long legs.
Nothing she wore was blue. She had a formidable strength about her I didn’t realize a woman could have.
“Wait, I thought you said you’d help me?” I asked, confused as she tugged up my sleeves. A golden glow illuminated the tunnel. Cold metal clamped down on my wrists, and my left wrist throbbed wildly as she secured the restraints.
She stepped in front of me, staring at my mismatched gaze. “I said I wouldn’t let you fall. Which I didn’t. I never said anything about helping you. This might hurt.”
Her triumphant smile was the last thing I saw as pain erupted down my neck and the world went black.
“HOW HARD DID YOU HIT HER?” A DEEP ROLLING VOICE brOUGHT me back.
“I barely touched her,” my supposed rescuer responded.
“Now, when you say barely, do you actually mean knocking her out cold?” another voice jeered. Warm hands gently touched my face.
“He is going to be pissed when he finds out,” a calm male voice stated.
“If he finds out,” the woman countered.
“He’s going to find out, Bri.”
“Not unless you tell him.”
“What was the Reaper’s one request yesterday?” the calm voice interjected.
“I wouldn’t call it a request, more like a fucking order.”
“No one touches her,” that deep rolling voice stated.
What had happened? Were they referring to me and the Reaper? That didn’t make sense.
I finally opened my eyes to find myself before four complete strangers. Bri stood bickering with a man with bright red hair. I blinked several times, adjusting to the dimly lit room. Everything around me was stone. I groaned at the pounding in my head.
“I still don’t understand why the Reaper cares so much about her safety,” Bri snapped. “She’s in bed with the Illum.”
“I could make a list of things I don’t understand about the Reaper,” the redhead claimed. “One—”
“It isn’t for either of you to understand,” the man with the deep voice said. “Her Mate killed Christopher last night. If the Illum kills more of our spies, we’ll be in deep shit. We don’t touch the Illum’s Mate. We don’t make contact with the Illum’s Mate.”
The voice belonged to a large man with long black hair, rich tan skin, and ink covering his exposed skin. My heart found my throat. The dinner. The blood. The impending ambush. I tried to stand, but the room tilted off its axis.
“Whoa, easy, Emeline,” a man with dark brown skin told me, his warm hands gently grabbing my arms and steadying me.
They all fell silent, watching me. I tried to pull away. “How do you know my name?”
“Everyone knows the Illum’s pet’s name,” the redhead shot.
“You are known in all areas of the city,” said the man holding me. Black ink ran up his neck, disappearing into hair shaved close to his head. “I’m Gerald, that’s Kane.” He pointed toward the man with the long black hair. “That’s Barrett.” The redhead winked at me. “And you know Bri.”
My eyes narrowed at the woman who I thought had been helping me.
“How are you feeling?” Gerald asked gently.
“My head hurts.” I brought my hand to my head only to stop at the sight of the cuffs on my wrists. “Do these mess with the MIND?”
“They do, but not forever. How do you know about them?” Gerald asked.
“A friend. You’re being nice,” I said suspiciously.
“Your informant from up there making you soft?” Barrett teased.
Gerald rolled his eyes and ignored Barrett. “Do you mind if I look you over? There’s debate on how hard Bri hit you.”
I looked at Bri, who shrugged. “Force of habit. Surface walkers aren’t welcome here.”
“Forgive her, she’s terrible at following directions.” The redhead, Barrett, shook his long hair out of his face. Gold hoops on his ears glinted, as did his multiple necklaces.
“Is she okay? The quicker we get her out of here, the better,” Kane said. “Who all saw you bring her in?”
Gerald flashed a light into my eyes. I squinted away from it.
Bri shrugged. “A few people. Rajesh, Tony, Bex.”
“Follow the light, Emeline,” Gerald told me. I tried to as my mind ached.
“He’s going to fucking kill you,” Barrett practically sang to Bri.
“Why does that make you happy?” Bri demanded, shoving him.
Barrett regained his balance, the necklaces around his neck swinging as he grinned toward Bri. “Finally say yes and I’ll take the heat for you.”
Gerald put his light away as he continued to watch me—like he was still looking for something.
“Enough,” Kane commanded. “Let’s figure out why the Illum’s pet is here and get her to the surface where she belongs. We were told not to raise any suspicions and to lie low. This isn’t lying low, Bri.”
“She’s the one who jumped off the bridge,” Bri snapped.
“Yeah, to help you,” I shot back.
Kane tilted his head. “How did you plan to do that?”
“You want to help us?” Barrett asked suspiciously. “Or were you sent here by them?”
“No one sent me. No one knows I came here. I wanted to bring information, to help. I risked a lot to come here. They watch my MIND. I told Bri I needed to find someone.”
“Incoming,” Gerald called out as footsteps sounded from beyond the room.
“Here we go.” Barrett winked at me.
“East watch is clear. Cargo was successfully transferred. They said—” The voice cut off.
Hal stood at the entrance, still as a ghost.
“What is going on here?” he asked quietly.
“We were about to get to that.” Kane crossed his arms. “Apparently the Illum’s pet came down through the river entrance to help us. Strange, is it not?”
I stood, and Hal was moving as if ready to catch me. His hands found the cuffs around my wrists before brushing my curls out of my face. “How long?”
“Maybe twenty minutes,” Gerald told him.