Chapter Seven - Wilder
We burst into a room down the hall from Leigh’s grandfather’s study. Jax and Soter are already there, along with Commander Wendy Detzer, who immediately thrusts her digital tablet into my hands.
“Your Majesty, Madam President, Commander Dunn, thank you for coming so quickly. I hate to interrupt your party, but this information can’t wait.”
We stand side by side in the castle’s sitting room, a place where Leigh’s family has traditionally celebrated Yule.
It’s an expansive room where twin leather sofas in a rich red wine color face each other before a large stone fireplace.
Soft rugs add warmth, and thick tartan drapes block the windows.
Leigh and I haven’t spoken a word since I confronted her.
I don’t understand why she does it; I always find out.
“What the hell is going on?” I look at Soter, whose lips are pursed, then at Jax. His posture is stiff, and he’s turned away from Soter, like they’re in some childish pissing match.
“Wendy insisted that we wait for you so we can all watch the footage together,” Jax said, his tone clipped. “We would have alerted you about this new breach sooner, but I couldn’t find Soter.”
Soter’s jaw clenches.
“What’s this about an apocalypse?” I ask Wendy.
“Rest assured, sir, we have things somewhat under control,” Wendy says. “But you need to see this for yourself—some things can’t be explained.”
Chills run through me as I press play on the digital device.
The CCTV footage showcases a hooded horseman galloping through downtown Glaucus with a small, crying child tucked under its armored arm.
Unease twists my stomach as the horseman carries the child over the pedestrian bridge and into the wooded forest, disappearing.
Replaying the footage, I ask, “This is a daemon?” It’s unlike any I’ve seen before.
“Yes, sir. We believe it is,” Wendy replies. “Its genetic makeup is similar to that of the Harborym or any other greater daemon. It’s just unrecognizable.”
The figure on Wendy’s screen differs from the other daemons they’ve killed in recent months. Those were smaller and more animal-like than man. This creature might be eight feet tall.
A heavy hood hides its face, but thick armor covers its chest, arms, hands, legs, and feet.
The horse it rides is larger than any I’ve ever seen, with a coat as black as midnight, looking sticky, as if it were bathed in blood.
And its eyes … I shiver. I’ll never forget them.
They are red—redder than Desiree’s—and they fucking glow.
“It’s a Dullahan,” Leigh whispers.
We all turn to her. “A what?” Soter asks.
“A ranger of death. They belong to Mictlan, the realm where lost souls go. Dullahan serve Kosac, the Reaper of Death.” She protectively folds her arms over her chest. “I don’t expect any of you to know, having just learned about them myself, but death is drawn to life, and there’s nothing more vibrant and purer than a child … ”
A hush falls over us.
“Please give that to me.” Janus points to the tablet. I hand it over to her.
She hits replay, her eyes fixed on the screen as Jaxson tries to get a better look at the footage over her shoulder.
“Wait, so this rift isn’t a portal to Hell, but to Mictlan?
” I ask, my heart rate picking up speed.
“We’ve been approaching this all wrong, treating it like any other daemon summoning circle we’ve encountered when it might emit a completely different type of energy.
Maybe that’s why we’ve had trouble locating the source. ”
Leigh averts her gaze.
“Dullahan aren’t in the Daemonic Codex,” Soter says, an annoyed bite to his tone.
He shoots a look at Wendy, who has been nodding along to everything I’ve been saying.
“It would have been nice to know we were dealing with creatures from a realm other than Hell before now. How could you miss a detail this huge?”
“It was an honest mistake, Commander,” Wendy replies firmly.
“Yeah, simmer down, Commander,” Jax grumbles at Soter. “You’re new to this, while Wendy and I have spent countless sleepless nights chasing these daemons. I can assure you that nothing pointed to us needing to look for a rift between our world and Mictlan rather than Hell. So back off.”
Taking the tablet back from Janus, I press replay on the digital footage.
The red-haired commander, who reminds me of Marlowe—who couldn’t make it to our wedding because she’s on another continent still trying to find herself—stands with her hands on her hips.
Her light eyes are lost in thought as I examine the creature again for signs of weakness.
“Who is this child?” I ask. If the Dullahan serves this Kosac, why target him specifically?
“A little boy from the Lethe Orphanage,” Wendy replies, her voice thick. “His name is Fynn Cygnus and he’s four years old.”
“Wait, what?” Jaxson exclaims, snatching the tablet from my hands.
The footage of the Dullahan flickers in his concerned eyes.
That orphanage must be in Jax’s jurisdiction.
He’s going to beat himself up over this.
“How did that thing break into the orphanage? There’s security—those kids were supposed to be safe there! ”
“Easy. We’re going to do everything we can to get him back safely,” I assure Jax. Turning to Wendy, I say, “Send an extra unit to the orphanage. Just in case the Dullahan comes back.”
Wendy nods, already pulling out her phone. “On it.”
“Where did the creature go after the orphanage? Is this the only footage we have?” Soter barks.
“We don’t know; the footage cuts out here, where the sidewalk meets the trees,” Wendy says. A vein in Soter’s temple throbs. “The second the creature enters the forest, the cameras stop. I bet the rift is somewhere in there. I hate to say it, but I think the Dullahan took the boy back to Mictlan.”
“What?” Leigh gasps.
“A baby,” Jax whispers, his hands shaking.
Jax has two younger brothers whom he helped raise.
Although he wasn’t excited about the responsibility of looking after them in high school, he loves them.
He’s always had a soft spot for kids. “He’s just a baby.
Four years old and probably terrified out of his mind—”
“We need to move,” I say at the same time Soter says, “Let’s go after the daemon.”
He glares at me.
“Are you suggesting we go inside the rift?” Wendy asks.
We both nod. Soter’s mouth pinches. I narrow my eyes. What’s his fucking deal? He’s acting like a child himself. I figured his promotion would give him confidence and ease his temper, but it’s had the opposite effect.
The incident happened nearly thirty minutes ago; if we don’t act soon, the trail will go cold. Some horseman, monster, Dullahan, whatever it is, entered the town, dashed to the orphanage, and snatched a child. If we want Fynn back, we need to go now.
There’s a knock at the door. Janus opens it, inviting Ry and Isolde inside.
“Gianna has everything under control,” Ry says.
“Thank you,” Janus replies.
“We need to save Fynn. Standing around talking about it solves nothing,” Jaxson urges.
“The plan is to save the child,” Soter begins, “but we need to find the rift first. I say we split into teams. Isolde and Ry are with me—”
“It is also worthwhile to learn how to fight one of these Dullahans, so we know what we’re up against when we send a team to retrieve the boy,” I say. “Do we think sunstone bullets will still do the trick?”
Soter catches one of his two lip piercings between his teeth. “You’re not Blade Commander anymore, Wilder. I am. So stop talking about we. There’s only us.” He gestures to everyone except for Janus, Leigh, and me.
“Fynn?” Leigh’s nails dig into my arm as she stares off into nothing. “His name is Fynn? And he’s in Mictlan?”
I turn.
All the color has drained from her face. She’s trembling. Fuck. I’m just like my dad. How many times did he forget I was in the room when a case consumed him? Too many to count.
I steady Leigh’s hand in mine. “It’s going to be okay.”
She just shakes her head, unable to speak.
How could I forget I’m no longer a Blade? My wedding is tomorrow. The rift and missing boy are critical, but I trained Soter for exactly this kind of crisis. If I don’t trust him to handle it, what does that say about me as his mentor?
That I’m too obsessed with work to comfort my distressed fiancée when she needs me most.
“All you need to do, Wilder, is figure out if this wedding is still happening or not in light of this situation,” Soter says, stealing my attention from Leigh.
“Of course it is,” I snap.
Soter grunts. “Then you aren’t going anywhere except to bed. We can handle it from here. Wendy shouldn’t have shown this footage to you until after we solved the case anyway.” He says that last bit pointedly to Wendy, who narrows her eyes at him.
I glare. Soter’s right about Leigh being my focus, but he doesn’t need to be such a dick about it.
“We tell no one about this,” Janus announces.
“Respectfully, don’t the people deserve to know?” Isolde responds from her seat on the couch.
Janus jabs her with a glare. “If word gets out, we know someone in this room leaked it.”
“We should get moving,” Soter says. “Team up—”
“Wilder, will you please help?” Jax asks, desperation in his tone. “We could use you.”
Expectant eyes turn to me, waiting, but my attention is on Leigh. She’s staring at a family portrait. Her brother is in it. Her eyes water, and my chest tightens. She needs me now more than ever, and I’m a piece of shit for not prioritizing her before.
“Handle it without me.” Each word is akin to swallowing glass.
Soter nods.
Anguish twists in my gut. My hands itch for action, for purpose—for the familiar comfort of doing what I’ve trained to do. But this is the right decision. Someone needs to stay behind with Leigh, and that someone is me. I’ve made my choice.
“Go now,” I tell them. “We’ll wait for your updates.”
Isolde glances down at her party dress. “I need to change.”
Wendy nods. “Quickly.”
Sol, Soter, and Ry leave.
Janus approaches Leigh cautiously. “Tomorrow is a big day. You need to be ready. Rest.”
“But that boy … Fynn.” Her voice cracks, and so does my heart.
“The Blades will find him,” I reassure her.
Leigh winces. It’s a struggle for her to prioritize herself. “Okay.”
Janus leads Leigh toward the door. “I’ll send your mother up to be with you.”
“I’ll go with her,” I tell Janus.
“You shouldn’t see the bride the night before the wedding,” Leigh argues.
My jaw tightens. Circumstances are different for us. She’s hurting.
When Commander Wendy steps out to take a call, Jaxson approaches me. Leigh leaves without looking back, too caught up in her thoughts.
“We could use you, Wilder.” I slump into a nearby chair as Jaxson goes on. “This case is too big for Soter to handle alone. Fynn needs the best going after him. Soter’s too green, Wendy’s too cold. I just … Wilder, please.”
“Whoa, calm down,” I say, sitting up straighter. “I trust Soter, and you should, too. Besides, you’re on this case as well. Believe in your abilities. I’ve heard nothing but praise from Wendy every time your name comes up. You can do this, Jax.”
“I only trust you.”
“I need to be here for Leigh. That boy having the same name as her brother spooked her.”
Jaxson looks at me, disappointment clear in his eyes. “If Leigh is right for you, why does she want you to give up something you love? Being a Blade is in your blood.”
“Leigh isn’t making me give up anything. I’m doing it for her.”
“Make me understand.”
“My parents were great at their jobs, maybe even the best, but at what cost? Desiree and I barely saw them. When we did, they were exhausted and miserable.” I don’t comment on how I almost succumbed to the same temptation five minutes ago.
“That’s not the husband I want to be. I’m not sacrificing my happiness for my career.
We’ve postponed this wedding multiple times already.
If it doesn’t happen tomorrow, I doubt it ever will. ”
Jax inhales a shaky breath. “I get it, but you’re not Moran, and Leigh isn’t your mom.”
“And that missing boy isn’t Marcus or Xavier,” I reply, mentioning his younger brothers.
I leave to check on Leigh, but Jaxson’s words echo after me. Am I making a mistake?