Chapter 3
The elevator descended swiftly beneath Mount Verta, whizzing past multiple levels of secured Underlock cells, every second adding to Viri’s nerves.
“Just think of him like any other reaper,” Soren said, watching her fidget and misreading her anxiety. “Don’t let him intimidate you. There’s nothing special about Ashton other than how close he is to the Priest.”
Oh, if only that were true.
“I’m not intimidated,” Viri said. “I’m just eager to hear what he says.”
“Unless you’ve learned how to read minds, I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” Soren warned. But Viri wasn’t worried about Reeve not talking—her presence should be enough to loosen his lips. It was the least he owed her after…everything.
“You never know,” Viri said as they continued downward. “Maybe a few hours in the dark has made him rethink his silence.”
The Reeve she remembered was stubborn to a fault, but she needed Soren to see her confidence, especially with the favor she was about to beg of him.
Needing a distraction as the lift began to slow, she asked, “What’s with the sparkles?”
At Soren’s questioning look, she indicated his hands, which were covered in glittery dust.
He grimaced and tried unsuccessfully to wipe them on his clothes. “Jessy’s newest craft project.” In a grumble, he added, “Little sisters are the worst.”
A smile touched Viri’s lips as she thought of Jessalyn Archer, Soren’s only sibling. At thirteen years old, she was a menace, yet still managed to be adorable enough to have everyone wrapped around her pinky finger—her big brother most of all.
Before Viri could ask how, exactly, the glitter had ended up on Soren, the elevator came to a halt, but the doors didn’t open, something Viri had never experienced before.
“You so owe me for this,” Soren muttered, pressing his palm to the command panel and waiting for the complicated magic—set in place by the ancient mages—to recognize him and his clearance level.
A moment later, it did, with the elevator doors opening to reveal a long, dark tunnel. It looked like every other level of the Underlock, the black rocky walls near suffocating, and the dimmest of everbeacons offering just enough light to keep Viri from being completely blind.
“Ashton is the only inmate down this far, but I’m not sure where they put him,” Soren said as they stepped out of the lift into the moist underground air.
The filtration wasn’t as strong this deep beneath the mountain, the earthy aroma so thick and musty that Viri could almost taste it.
“It might be a longish walk, depending on how isolated they want him to feel.”
Likely very isolated, Viri figured. But that was good, since it meant there would be no witnesses to her reunion. There was only one problem to deal with first.
With a fortifying inhale, she halted Soren by grabbing his sleeve and made her request. “I need you to wait here.”
He barked out an incredulous laugh. “You’re joking, right?”
“I’m not.” She planted her feet. “I want to talk to him alone. He might be more willing to share something if he doesn’t see me as a threat.”
“You’re a hunter, V.” Soren flicked her scarlet cloak. “You can’t get much more threatening to someone like him.”
Someone like him—because Reeve was a reaper.
Viri hadn’t allowed herself to think about it, not once in the seven years since she’d last seen him. But of course that was what he’d become—a murderer, just like his master.
“I have a feeling about this,” Viri said, knowing it was the only thing that might sway her friend. Her keen intuition was renowned among hunters and Nox alike, and Soren had seen for himself how many times her instincts had proven true.
“Feeling or not, I don’t like the idea of you being alone with him,” Soren said, his forehead creasing with indecision.
Viri felt a thread of hope and tugged on it. “He’s locked in a cell. He can’t do anything to me.”
“He can say something to upset you,” Soren argued. “Some words cut deeper than blades.”
“At least that’ll mean he’s broken his no-speaking stance.”
“I’m serious, Viri.” Soren laid a hand on her shoulder, his brown gaze full of worry. “You’re well known among reapers”—he gestured to her unusual hair and eyes—“and Ashton hasn’t evaded capture this long by being an idiot. He’ll recognize you on sight.”
That was true regardless of her reputation, but Soren didn’t know that.
“He’s also the Priest’s closest confidant,” he continued, “so you can be sure he knows what happened to your parents. He’ll use that information to taunt you. To hurt you.”
Viri swallowed, but said, “He can only hurt me if I give him the power to do so.” She removed Soren’s hand, squeezing reassuringly.
He’d always been protective of her—overprotective, even, just as he was toward all his loved ones.
But he couldn’t protect her forever, nor did she want—or need—him to.
“This isn’t the first reaper I’ve gone head-to-head with, Sor.
I’ve been taunted plenty of times, especially about my parents.
I love you for caring, but I have a thick skin. Promise.”
Everything she’d said was true, and yet…if Reeve dared mention what had happened that day seven years ago, then Soren was right to be concerned. But she couldn’t allow herself to think about that, or she’d never make it to his cell.
“Please,” Viri said quietly. “I need to do this.”
Hearing her beg, Soren finally relented, though his grim expression showed it was against his better judgment.
“Be quick,” he cautioned, heading back into the elevator. “Someone will have noticed me heading down here with you, and protocol means they’ll flag it with Captain Farrow.”
Viri nodded her understanding. She might not technically be doing anything wrong, but she was definitely bending some unspoken rules.
“I’ll go run interference,” Soren offered.
He jerked his chin toward the command panel.
“You won’t need me with you to come back up—just hit the button like normal.
” His eyes turned hard as he finished, “I don’t need to warn you that Ashton is dangerous.
Don’t give him any personal information; don’t make him any promises.
We don’t bargain with killers. If he’s willing to talk, glean what you can, then leave him to rot like he deserves. ”
“Don’t worry, Sor,” Viri said, her stomach churning despite her show of confidence. “I know what I’m doing.”
She was lying through her teeth, but Soren gave an approving nod. “Come find me when you’re done so I know you’re all right.”
Before she could reply, the elevator doors closed and he vanished from sight.
Taking a second to prepare herself, Viri glanced down the rocky tunnel, wondering if she could do this, while also knowing she had to.
Even if Reeve refused to speak, she still needed to look into his eyes and see if there was any trace of the person she’d once known.
Logically, she was aware that the eleven-year-old boy from her childhood was gone, replaced by an eighteen-year-old killer.
But until she saw that for herself, she would never be able to fully believe it.
Mindful that every minute she delayed was another minute she risked discovery, Viri set off down the dimly lit path, building a mental wall brick by brick with every step.
No matter what happened during this encounter, she wouldn’t let Reeve get to her.
She was a completely different person from the carefree ten-year-old girl he’d last known, and the same was true for him.
They might as well be strangers. They were strangers, as far as she was concerned.
He was a reaper, and she was a hunter. They were sworn enemies, now and forever. That was it.
Even so, her heart picked up speed as she continued along the tunnel, passing empty cells, each new corner making her pulse spike with anticipation.
But no matter how far she traveled from the elevator, there was still no sign of life.
So she kept walking, deeper and deeper beneath the mountain, her insides a riot of nerves.
Just as she was beginning to wonder if Soren was wrong about Reeve being on this level, the everbeacons brightened ever so slightly ahead, leading to one final cell before the tunnel came to an end.
Certain this was it, Viri took a steadying breath, squared her shoulders, and marched forward until she stood before the glass-fronted cell.
Like all the others on this level, it was reasonably sized, with enough room for a thin mattress atop a stone slab, and even a small area for personal hygiene.
The general layout was the same as that of the cells on the higher prison levels, including the lack of metal bars, eliminating the risk of corrosion from the damp earth.
Instead, there was just a large, clear barrier separating her from Reeve Ashton as she set eyes on him for the first time in seven long, life-changing years.
Dressed like midnight, he leaned casually against the rock wall, seemingly without a care in the world.
His black hair was still a familiar tousled mess, as if being windswept was its natural state, and his eyes were still like starlight—or storm clouds, depending on his mood—but that was where any similarities to the boy she’d once known ended.
With his clothes fitted like ink against his body, all it took was a quick, betraying glance for Viri to note how much he’d changed, all his soft childhood edges now sharpened and sculpted into what could only be called a work of art.
He wasn’t pretty—there was something too dark and dangerous about him to be called that—but he was without a doubt beautiful to behold. He’d been cute seven years ago, but now…
Now he was devastating.