64. Chapter 64
Chapter 64
W earing the uniforms, we gather in front of the Pull Chamber with de Groot, Lorcan and Nimueh coming to see us out. There’s an air of anticipation that’s telling me I’m not the only one feeling nervous excitement. Everyone else also seems to think this might actually be over soon.
But before we can step into the Chamber, Alaric steps out, de Groot rushing to him even faster than Raven.
“She’s okay,” he reassures us, as usual starting his report with what we’re most eager to hear about — Jaeger.
We nudge him to keep going.
“They still think she’s too low-level to actually know anything of importance, but they’re not letting her go simply because they’re too afraid of disobeying…” He glances at Cain. “His direct order.”
It’s with a dose of hesitation that de Groot asks, “They’re still not…”
He shakes his head. “Miserable conditions, but no torture.” Without waiting for reactions, he says, “I’ve nothing else to report this time.” Then he turns to me. “Anna, a word?”
I glance at Raven, who’s frowning, but he’s already taking me aside with a brusqueness in his demeanor. “I know his real name,” he says once we’re out of earshot.
Everything else falls away. “Cain’s?” I mutter.
He nods. “It’s either Alexander or Maximillian Wolfram.”
I frown. “Why do you sound like that’s a problem?”
He takes a deep breath. “ He is thirty five, right?” I nod. “Well, the Wolframs used to be a highly influential vampire line in my part of the world. Which is why I know there haven’t been any descendants in over a century.”
My frown grows deeper. “I see.”
“Well, that’s that,” he abruptly announces. “I will see you next time.”
My eyes widen in shock. “Wait, you’re leaving already? What about Raven?”
He shrugs, seeming so cold, I can barely recognize him. “You’re all off on your own mission anyway.”
With that, he steps away from me and heads back to the Chamber. “Bye, everyone.” Raven comes to block his way, putting her arms around him and whispering something in his ear. “No,” I hear him say with this awkwardness in his voice, “yeah, of course, love you too.”
Without another word, he ducks out of her hug and jumps back into the Chamber, almost instantly disappearing.
When I look around, I see everyone but Cain immersed in a slightly relieved conversation about Jaeger, only Raven standing desolately to the side, staring at the Pull Chamber.
I rush over, my heart breaking when she turns to me and whispers, “Now I never even get to see him anymore.”
I move to pull her into a hug and she’s already leaning in, when Nuala’s concerned voice booms from behind our backs. “What’s wrong?”
Raven quickly steps back and squeezes my hand, mouthing “Thank you” before turning to Nuala and saying “Nothing” in a sing-song voice.
Nuala throws us both a suspicious look, but the next thing I know, we’re moving as one again.
Within less than a minute, we’re landing back in Uppsala, the runestones already visible through the trees ahead.
While a minute ago I was anxious yet excited, now I’m anxious and distracted. There are two names and two faces fighting for my attention. Alexander and Maximillian. Jaeger and Alaric.
But as soon as we start walking, I spot a dead body on the ground. I stop midstep, sensing everyone follow suit.
“A shadowcurse victim,” Raven establishes as soon as she comes a little closer. “Dead.”
We exchange a somber look, but we keep walking, and I’m back to being fully focused on the mission.
As soon as we step out onto the clearing where the graveyard is, we slow to a stop. My eyes land on the runestone that’s now only an arm-length away. The one with the Reh-Yah symbol on it.
“Still no bones under there,” I hear Raven say.
“I could try to lift it,” Nuala suggests, “to break any potential illusion magic.”
I keep staring at the runestone, frowning. Then I nod and turn to her. “Yes, do that.”
Nuala approaches the stone, fixes her eyes on it and slams her fists together. The very next second, the old stone snaps out of its place and lifts off the ground. It levitates to the side, where she gently places it back down.
For a moment, there’s only silence that makes me think we’ve failed.
Then this low groaning sound reaches my ears, just before I see a crack appear in the runestone’s old spot. A hole opens up, with a staircase leading down into the darkness.
I turn to exchange a victorious look with everyone else, only to hear another sound that makes me freeze in place.
This one is blood-curdling and very familiar. My head snaps back, my eyes fixing on the opening.
Then I sense Cain come to stand next to me. “A bargain,” he leans to say with unusual anxiousness in his voice.
“No time,” I reply with a shake of my head.
He doesn’t let it go. “Take my collar off and I’ll take care of it for you,” he says through gritted teeth.
“No,” I insist. “That won’t be necessary.”
I spot Nuala, Raven and Dryden moving as if they’re planning on going inside and come to block their way. “You stay back,” I tell them.
Bracing myself, I ignore the frustrated groan I hear from Cain’s direction and get moving.
But the second I do, a shadow blasts out of the tomb, making me spin on my heel and throw myself down in order to avoid it.
Coughing and pushing myself off the ground, I see it slam into everyone but Cain, wrapping around their bodies and rendering them completely paralyzed.
But only for a second, before they start moving again, this time like puppets, all headed straight for me .
My eyes widening, I watch Dryden swing his arm back to send an air blade at me, Raven shift to attack me with a gust of air, and Nuala slam her fists together to make the earth beneath me start shaking.
It all surprises me so much that I just remain standing there.
Until the air blade almost reaches me and something hard slams into me, throwing me to the ground and rolling with me.
I find myself trapped under Cain, whose body has shielded me from all three attacks. But before I can react, he’s already jumping to his feet and continuing to fight them.
Considering he has no powers of his own, he’s wiping the floor with them, and within a matter of minutes, the shadow is being sucked out of my people’s bodies and back into the tomb.
I rush to help Cain put the runestone back.
Nuala, Dryden and Raven are still on the floor, panting, and we’re all a little dazed, so when I sense something in the air above us and lift my eyes to the sky, that dead body is already coming down on me, probably awoken by the shadow we’ve just released.
Fuck.
Struggling to move, I stand straight and swing my arm back, but the next thing I know, Cain is stepping in front of me and the dead body is falling straight on his back, digging its claws in and starting to bite.
Everyone snaps out of it, getting it off Cain and killing it, but it’s too late, at least judging by the gashes on Cain’s shoulders.