Chapter 47
Ipick myself up off the ground and replace my sorrow with the sheer will to help Crew. He thinks he can do this on his own because he’s saving people from pain, but that’s the last thing I want.
I need him, like the air my body is desperate for.
And just like Crew, I can’t do this alone.
My feet slam against the concrete as I propel my body toward the exit, pushing against the door. The sound of my steps echoes around me as I stumble to the second floor, my feet barely able to keep up. I race down the hallway like a flash of light and make my way to the apartment.
“Fuck,” Damien yelps as I crash into the apartment.
My eyes are bloodshot, and my chest heaves, but there’s no time. They stand, a drink goes flying, and they rush toward me.
“What the hell happened?” Locke asks, grabbing my shoulders to steady me.
“He’s… gone,” I barely get out.
Damien throws his hands and quickly runs them through his messy hair.
“What do you mean, gone?” Locke says.
My breathing is unsteady, and the words are difficult to articulate, but I manage.
“I think he went to speak to Theo alone.”
“Fuck me,” Damien rasps. “Why did he do that?”
The horror sinks in as I ask myself the same question. We've always wanted to talk to Theo about mastering the bond—the seal Sam created between us—but now I fear he’ll ask Theo whether he knows how to break it.
“He isn’t thinking clearly,” I rasp. “He said that he regrets ever bonding to me.”
Locke steps forward. “That is a lie, Mara.”
The words that leave my mouth settle in, and the air leaves my lungs.
“The bond,” I say. “He wants to break the bond. He’s not himself. He’s panicking and can’t calm down.”
Locke releases his hold from my shoulders.
“Idiot. He can’t be out there,” Locke says. “Everyone in this fucking city is looking for him.”
Panic rises in my chest, and I frantically begin to pace. I hear the bedroom door squeak open as Bronwyn glances around the corner, then she steps out wearing a large T-shirt and leggings. Her face is contorted in pain and confusion, but she races toward me.
“What’s going on?”
Damien stops her, looking her up and down, and she bats him away.
“I’m fine, demon boy,” she hisses, clutching her shoulder. “It’s healing. I can feel that the wound has closed.”
“Let me look,” Damien says.
“I’m fine,” she snaps harder this time, nudging him out of the way.
“She’s feeling better.” Damien rolls his eyes. “Her sass is back. Ya know, I think I liked you better when…”
She swings, driving her fist directly for his chest, but his hand wraps around her wrist.
“Yeah, she feels better,” he repeats.
She rips her hand from his hold and fights the urge to smile at him.
“Now, what is going on?” she bites again.
“Crew left,” I tell her. “He’s going to speak to Theo Ren, and we need to find him before the other Orders do.”
“Why would he want to talk to Theodore?” Bronwyn asks.
“I know where the Ren Order is,” Locke interrupts, and we all glance in his direction. He shrugs. “I told you, I like real estate.”
Bronwyn sighs. “Well, let’s go then.”
Damien bursts out laughing. “You can’t be serious. You just got fucking shot.”
She cuts her gaze to him. “And I told you, I’m fine. Wasting time isn’t going to do us any good.”
“Maybe you should stay back.” I step forward. “I’m sure Damien will stay with you until you are fully healed.”
She nearly bares her teeth. “You left me behind once before, Mara, and I’ll be damned if I let that happen again. You’ll have to kill me to keep me here.”
I look around at the men, and Damien raises his brows. “I’m not messing with that.”
“So, let’s go,” she insists, leaning down to grab some shoes. “Now.”
Damien shoots a look at Locke. “It’s a great thing you are a whore and have women’s clothes lying around your apartment.”
He dips his head. “Happy to help.”
Damien’s face shows only concern, but he doesn’t stop her.
I swallow down the fear of what we are walking into and think of Crew.
We move into the hallway after grabbing what guns Locke has in the apartment and make our way to the stairs.
Passing each door, Locke slams his fist against the frame, sounding a thud around the hallway.
The doors open, and a couple of men emerge from each room, walking behind us, ready to spring into action. I jerk my gaze toward him, and a wide smile spreads across his face.
“Who the fuck are you?” I ask.
He laughs. “I’m Crew’s muscles, babe.”
I look at the group of men, and they nod their heads in response, as if they already know who I am and exactly why they are being summoned.
“Are they in the Jade Order?”
Locke shrugs. “You could say that. But they answer to Crew, and I keep their asses in line. We’ve been waiting for shit to hit the fan for years, Mara.”
“And what are they here to do exactly?”
“With everyone looking for us,” Locke continues, “these men will fly with us and be a distraction should it be needed. If not, they’ll return to their apartments to do whatever the hell they want for the night.”
Their steps fall in line with ours as we reach the stairs, wasting no time, sprinting up each step, letting the burn fill our lungs. The open night air greets us, and I unfold my wings, allowing my white feathers to shine in the darkness around us.
Locke and Damien, followed by the multiple men, unfold their wings—some feathered and others leather-like, like Damien’s. Bronwyn watches with curiosity but hesitates to unfold hers.
Damien walks to her, “Just try, and if it hurts, I’ll…”
“I’m not staying back,” she shouts.
Damien smirks. “I was going to say carry you.”
She offers him a soft smile and grits her teeth as they emerge from her back like a bright light. She gasps but fights the pain as her heavy wings tug at her shoulders, straightening her posture.
“You alright?” Damien asks, and she offers him a thumbs-up.
“We need to fly toward the prison. The Ren Order lies halfway between there and the city,” Locke instructs, and we listen intently. “It’s about a mile or two into the woods. It’s usually hidden, but that’s not foolproof—I found it one day.”
Damien exhales heavily, looking at me. “Again, we have no clue what this dude does with his spare time.”
My mind snaps back to the day I was in the wheat field—the cars passing quickly into the patch of woods and Crew. Oh, how things were different, and I wish I knew then what I do now.
“I know the area,” I say.
Damien flashes a look mine and Locke’s way. “Do you two hang out and not tell us?”
Locke clears his throat. “We need to fly together. The other men are going to split up and fly around us, being our additional eyes and ears. Damien, stay close to Bronwyn, since she may be slower after her injury.”
He nods.
“Mara, I want you to go first. Open the bond and do what you can to find him,” Locke continues. “I’ll have your back in the meantime, making sure we can continue without any problems.”
“Alright,” I say, focusing my strength and thoughts on Crew.
“Are we ready?” Locke steps to the edge of the roof, prepping his gun. “Fly fast and keep your eyes peeled. I don’t think we’ll be alone up there.”
Nerves settle like a brick in my gut, and I inhale sharply while glancing at Damien and Bronwyn.
The night air feels heavy as I look over the distant fields.
The silence and stillness of the surroundings don’t ease my racing heart.
I move next to Locke at the edge and cast my gaze toward him, gripping my gun as I let the Hollow Huntress come forward.
“We’re going to find him,” he whispers. “I’ll help you do whatever it takes.”
“Thank you.”
Without a second thought, I launch my body into the sky, faster than I’ve ever moved. The others quickly follow me, letting me lead the way to the open fields.
Locke hovers close to me, while Damien and Bronwyn occupy the back. I observe as the other men fall into formation around us, acting as a shield against any unwanted company we might encounter.
The wind tears at my face, and my heart pounds against my ribs. I push harder and faster with each passing second, using my fear to fuel my power. I scream down the bond, feeling the closed channel rattling against my determination to open it wide.
“Open the bond, Crew,” I say aloud, letting the desperation fill my tone. “Don’t shut me out.”
Blast after blast, I shout to Crew, pouring all my emotions down the golden string, but defeat begins to take over with each silent response.
“I thought I was stubborn, but you take the fucking cake, Bannermin,” I shout.
I focus on the bond—the golden ball that forms around Crew and me. He’s not dead—I would know—but the silence fills me with horror.
“Let me in,” I say, loudly into the night air. “Don’t shut me out.”
I glance toward Locke, and he studies me intently, fascinated by what’s happening between Crew and me. He lowers his shoulder and moves closer, offering any support I may need.
“Can you feel him?” he shouts over the wind.
I shake my head and fight back the tears in my eyes. “No, it’s just silence.”
“Keep trying,” he instructs, offering me a reassuring nod. “You can do this, Mara.”
The bustling city fades into the distance, and as we move farther from the lights, the stars fill the sky.
If it were for any other reason, I’d be mesmerized by the beauty of the openness around us.
I rise higher into the night sky, letting it envelop me like a black lake filled with dancing diamonds.
The fields begin to pass us by, one golden blur at a time, and I don’t fight back the tear that rolls down my cheek. I scream once more through the bond, desperate to feel anything from him, but the ripping wind is the only thing that moves across my body.
“Please, Crew,” I beg to no one. “Please open the bond.”
The darkness deepens as we leave the city behind, and I know we are getting closer.