Chapter 26
Reverie
The forest thinned as we neared the ridge.
The air grew colder, sharper. Even the birds had gone silent.
Torren lifted a hand to halt us. “The portal’s less than half a mile ahead. Stay sharp.”
None of us needed the reminder. After everything that had happened, trust was a fragile thing. Even the silence felt threatening here.
Zane’s fire flickered over his fingertips as he scanned the trees. “I don’t like this quiet.”
Pantar’s low growl rolled through the air, deep enough to make the ground hum. “Something comes.”
Oren turned, electricity and shadows dancing faintly at his fingertips. “Where?”
Before Pantar could respond, an arrow hissed through the air and embedded itself in the ground between us.
Kharox placed himself directly in front of me, teeth bared.
Nathan flared with fire instantly. “Ambush!”
“Hold!” The voice came from the tree line—a deep, commanding shout with a hint of desperation behind it.
A man stepped into view, hands raised, blond hair catching sunlight like a halo of gold. He wasn’t much older than thirty—fit, battle-scarred, eyes bright and alert, but shadowed with something that looked like guilt.
Razor.
I couldn’t be more excited to see him. I’d been afraid he’d been injured when the coliseum fell. Except why was he here? Now?
“Razor! You son-of-a-bitch! I’m so glad to see you again!” Nathan approached him and gave him a bro hug.
Razor’s grin was quick. “Still a little too touchy-feely, I see.”
Deshawn stepped forward and offered his hand. “You saved my dad’s life. I can’t tell you how much my mom and I appreciate that.”
“Believe me, he’s saved my ass too many times to count. He’s the reason my Faction wasn’t dismantled.” He said earnestly. “Now listen, time is short. The portal ahead—it’s a trap. Selene and Ubel are waiting for you to attempt to use it.”
Torren stiffened. “You’re sure?”
Razor looked puzzled at his presence before answering. “They fortified their position overnight. Once you step inside, the circle closes. You’d never have the chance to make it through.”
Kharox’s heavy form moved beside me, his voice deep and certain. “The man speaks truth.”
Razor’s eyes widened slightly at the sound of it. “Ancestors above,” he breathed. “That’s a Varruk. The one you helped escape, I assume?”
“Yes, his name is Kharox. He’s the reason we’ve come this far.” I wasn’t surprised he’d figured out it was me behind that whole incident.
Razor studied him for a long beat, then nodded respectfully. “Then I owe him as well.”
“What’s your plan?” Oren asked bluntly.
Razor turned to him. “Nyberie.”
Zeke looked at him with surprise. “That’s Draxon territory.”
"Yes, but it’s the best shot you’ve got. At this point, you’re out of options.” Razor looked at us all in expectation.
Chloe exhaled, “He’s right. We can’t risk the portal. Nyberie’s the smarter move.”
Deshawn grunted. “Smarter doesn’t mean safer.”
“No,” Razor agreed. “But it’s hope. And right now, that’s more than what’s waiting over that ridge.”
The group went silent.
Every face turned to me.
Kharox lowered his head, golden eyes meeting mine. “Your choice, Khal’ Sira. I will follow.”
My chest ached at the weight of it—so many lives balanced on what I said next.
I nodded. “We go to Nyberie.”
Razor’s relief was sharp but brief. “Then we move now. There’s a river trail about a mile west that feeds into an underground passage. Once we cross the threshold, we’ll be under the Draxon border and safe from Ubel and Selene.”
Oren gave a slight nod. “Lead the way.”
Kharox rumbled, “If this is the path to survival, then we run.”
And we did.
Through fog and darkness, we chased after Razor—the forest receding behind us, with Nyberie’s promise ahead.
The sound of the river deepened as we descended, echoing off stone walls like a heartbeat. Razor walked ahead, guiding us along a narrow path cut between dark cliffs. The air shimmered faintly—Nyberian energy, old and heavy, bleeding through the cracks between realms.
No one spoke for a long while. The only sound was the splash of boots through shallow water and Kharox’s low, steady rumble echoing down the gorge.
“How did Tanya get to Nyberie? The last time I saw you, she was still being used to bind Factions together.” Nathan and I started tussling over my pack, but he won out in the end and slung it over his shoulder with a smug look in my direction.
“I got her out when your Faction blew up the coliseum.” He glanced in Oren’s direction. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
Oren gave him a nod. “How much information did you get about their plans before you left?”
“Not much. I was too busy getting my Faction to safety.” Razor turned to me. “I did overhear Selene telling Seamus that she wanted you brought to her alive, no matter what it took.”
I felt chills run through my entire body. I knew I was more powerful than Selene, but I needed more time to prepare. Hopefully, in Nyberie, I’d get the chance to practice and improve these new abilities.
“Tanya can’t wait to meet you. Maybe it’ll distract her from kicking my ass. She was less than happy I came alone to find you.”
“I hope not. I love to watch a good ass-kicking.” Zane walked by and pinched my butt. Before I could retaliate, Nathan teleported behind him and set fire to his pants. “Don’t touch my Nexi’s ass without permission.”
“She’s not just your Nexi, you selfish bastard!
And I’ll touch my precious girl's ass anytime I get good and ready!” He tried to turn and see the hole in the seat of his pants.
“You better be glad that I have an excellent ass, or I’d be pissed that you did that.
Now it’s only Reverie you’ll have to deal with when the women of this world won’t leave me alone. ”
“I somehow think she’ll get over it,” Zeke smirked.
Jet walked even with me and took my hand, shaking his head at their antics. Since last night, he’d spent most of the day touching me in some way.
Chloe drew even closer to my other side. “I heard some suspicious noises coming from deeper in the cave last night. I was going to investigate, but Deshawn said it sounded like two cats mating, and it might be dangerous.” She side-eyed me. “Did you hear anything?”
Before I could answer, Razor slowed and held up a fist. Ahead, carved into the jagged face of obsidian stone, loomed the tunnel entrance—a colossal arch etched with faint, glowing sigils.
The edges were reinforced with crude metalwork and weapon racks, signs of habitation.
The Resistance lived here. Looked like we were joining their ranks after all.
Two armed figures emerged from the shadows as we approached. “Identify yourselves,” one demanded, his voice deep enough to vibrate in my ribs.
Razor stepped forward, steady. “It’s me, Turner.”
I heard a gentle, feminine voice say, “Razor?”
I saw his breath catch—the first crack in his composure since we’d begun this journey. “It’s Tanya,” he said softly.
A glow flickered from the tunnel mouth, and then Tanya appeared. Her steps were sure but quick, her braid swinging over her shoulder. She had dark hair and eyes that tilted slightly at the corners. Her beauty was exotic and memorable.
“You made it,” she breathed, relief breaking through her voice.
Razor’s lips curved into a tired smile. “Told you I would.”
We were all stunned when she slapped the shit out of him before pulling him into a tight embrace. Her words were muffled against his chest. “Don’t ever leave like that again!”
When she pulled back, her gaze shifted to me—and the others. Jet at my side. Chloe and her men behind us. And then her eyes found Kharox.
The guards immediately moved, weapons half-drawn. The Varruk stood motionless, his red-tinged eyes catching the torchlight like warning beacons.
“Stand down!” Tanya barked, holding up a hand. “He’s with them.”
Her stare returned to me. “You’re the one who brought down the coliseum.”
I didn’t flinch. “Not alone. But yes.”
For a heartbeat, her mouth twitched into something that almost looked like a smile. “Then you and yours are welcome here. The Resistance owes you that much.”
Behind her, the tunnels stretched into darkness lit by scattered campfires. I caught the scent of oil, smoke, and steel. Distant hammering echoed down the stone halls—proof of life, and of war.
“Come inside, I have a surprise for you,” Tanya said with a grin.
“Do we know anything more about the DF’s movements?” Oren moved to my side and put his arm around my waist.
I kissed the underside of his jaw and squeezed him close. This man was powerful and used that power to keep his Faction safe. Just one of the many reasons I loved him.
Side note: his tight ass and shadow-daddy vibes were among the other reasons.
“The Dark Faction’s been moving troops through the lowlands. We know that much.” Tanya smiled gently. “You’ll be safe here—at least for tonight.”
Kharox’s growl rolled low beside me, his voice brushing my mind like thunder. “Safe is a fragile word.”
I met his gaze, then looked back at Tanya. “Then let’s make it stronger,” I said, and stepped into the tunnels.
The tunnel air was cold, still, humming with faint Draxon energy. Crystals glowed along the cavern walls, lighting the path Tanya led me down. Her fingers are woven tightly with Razor’s. Pantar was padding at my side with a soft, warning growl every time a shadow moved.
I kept expecting another ambush—maybe another Cryptfiend or another assassin from the Dark Factions.
Tanya squeezed my hand and whispered, “You’re all safe. I promise.”
My chest tightened. Safe stopped feeling real weeks ago.
We turned a corner, and I stopped breathing.
Three figures stood in the center of a bioluminescent cavern, silhouettes carved by blue-white light.
A woman.
Two men.
And behind them, a broad shadow leaning on the wall—scarred, feral, familiar in a way that punched the breath out of me.
My voice cracked. “…Mom?”
Adelaide turned first.
Her eyes filled with tears so fast she didn’t even try to blink them away.
“Reverie?” She whispered, like she was afraid saying it too loud would make me disappear.
My legs moved before I even realized it. Zane began to reach for me, but Chloe caught his wrist—this was my parents' moment—a reunion long overdue.
I collapsed into Mom’s arms, and she held me as if she could make me safe with just her will. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I started crying before I even realized I’d begun.
Grumpy and Pop wrapped around us, their arms strong yet trembling. I felt their heartbeat pounding against mine.
“We thought we’d lost you,” Pop said into my hair.
“You were just gone,” Grumpy added, voice breaking. “Vanished where we couldn’t reach you.”
Dad walked over and pulled me into his arms, squeezing me tightly. “I’m so sorry for everything.”
“Why would you be sorry? None of this was your fault.” I hugged him and breathed in his scent.
“Selene may not have fixated on you if it wasn’t for me.” He grumbled.
“Sly! I’ve told you repeatedly this wasn’t your fault. She’s hated me from the first moment we met, but I recognize true evil doesn’t need an excuse.” Mom pulled us both into her arms. “Now’s not the time for self-flagellation. Let’s just be glad we’re all together.”
I pulled back, wiping my face uselessly. “H-how are you here? How—”
A low rumble vibrated through the cavern.
Mira.
She sat like a shadowed sentinel near the wall, tentacles curling protectively around her sides. But her eyes—those huge, telepathic, ancient eyes—were on me.
Her voice pushes into my mind. “I opened the last echo of the rift your men tore through. Their Faction bond left a scar in the veil. I pulled your family through before it closed.”
Adelaide nodded shakily. “She said that our world needed to be set right. That you needed us to do that.”
“We weren’t supposed to stay behind,” Sly spoke up quietly. “The DF halted all attacks almost immediately because of you.”
I blinked. “Me?”
Jesse’s jaw tensed. “When you escaped Aurathia—when you vanished from their control—the Dark Factions stopped attacking Earth entirely.”
John nodded grimly. “They redirected everything. Every resource. Every soldier. Every creature.”
“To hunt you,” Sly finished. “And the men you’re bonded to.”
A suffocating wave rolled through my stomach.
Chloe cursed under her breath. Zeke and Zane exchange stiff, tense glances. Oren went rigid beside them, shadows crawling across the ground like snakes. Jet’s hand twitched, hovering above the dagger at his waist. Nathan stepped behind me, palm warm between my shoulder blades.
“They’re all hunting us,” I whispered.
Adelaide cupped my face gently. “They’re terrified of you.”
I swallow hard. “Why?” I knew the answer at least partially, but didn’t want to admit it out loud.
Mira answered before anyone else could. “Because you shook the curse awake. Because you are the first heir to stand in centuries. Because your Faction is forming without Dionysus’s wine. Because the throne remembers you.”
“They know about how our Faction formed?” Oren looked horrified.
“I’m afraid they do now.” Adelaide nodded. “We’re not sure how they found out, but the council knows.”
The cavern seemed to shudder around me, and my knees weakened. Zeke caught me by the waist immediately, holding me upright with a soft, “Breathe, my Treasure.”
I looked at my parents—really looked at them—and they’re all staring back at me with this mix of terror and pride that makes my heart ache.
“I’m forever grateful that you’re alive,” Mom whispered, brushing hair out of my face. “So glad you escaped that bitch. So happy that your men found you.”
Razor cleared his throat softly. “There is more to tell. But not all at once. Not tonight.”
Tanya nodded. “You all need rest.”
But something cold and sharp slid up my spine. A feeling I couldn’t explain, almost like a warning.
Torren.
My eyes darted around, heart stuttering.
He’s not here, and he should be.
Zeke noticed instantly. His hand tightened around my hip. “What’s wrong?”
I swallowed. “Torren. He… disappeared.”
Oren stiffened violently, eyes narrowing. “When?”
I shook my head, confused. “I-I don’t know. I didn’t see him leave. It’s only a feeling.”
Pantar’s voice rolled through us like thunder. “His thoughts are not quiet.”
The hair on my arms stood up.
My parents look confused.
My men look angry.
And somewhere deep in the tunnels… a shadow listened.