28. Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Erik
T he city of Howen appeared in the distance, the intense, red glow of the sun illuminating it from behind in a way that made it look like the entrance to hell. Shadows lengthened from its buildings, creeping toward them like long fingers ready to pluck them from their horses and pull them into the darkness. Erik shifted, subconsciously pulling Janelle closer, his arm wrapping tightly around her middle.
Obsidian paused, stomping his feet as Gray turned to look at Lea. A silent conversation passed between them, and despite the stifling heat and the heavy, thick atmosphere of uncertainty, Erik smiled. He’d spoken to Gray several times about his frustration with the lack of mate bond, with the fact that he and Lea could no longer communicate without words spoken aloud or prying ears listening in.
But what Gray didn't seem to realize was that even without the physical bond marking their skin, or the auditory sound of her voice in his head, they were still deeply in tune with one another, always communicating with small shakes of the head or shrugs of the shoulder. Always touching, searching for each other's eyes.
Not for the first time, Erik wished for a bond like that with Janelle. He’d considered trying. Just a few days ago he’d been thinking of private spots beneath the sun where he could —
"Stop it," Janelle snapped. "Stop thinking about that. Now’s not the time."
"Hey!" His hands flew in the air. "I'm not thinking about anything!" he protested. "I would never ."
"Tell that to little Erik digging into my back," Janelle fired back, and Erik laughed. He shrugged. There was no use denying it. She could obviously feel the evidence of his desire for her. It wasn't her fault. His need for her was constant, almost insatiable. Erik was considering his retort when Gray motioned him forward.
The tension in his shoulders and sadness in Lea's eyes caused Erik's body to turn off immediately, switching from desire and need to adrenaline and alertness.
"What's going on?" Erik asked. "Is he here?" Erik peered through the trees as if squinting would somehow make Alaric appear.
"Lea feels his presence, but it's gone stale."
"It's older. Days. A week, maybe," Lea added.
"Do you want me to follow it?" Erik asked. "I can try to track him while you investigate here."
"I think we need all hands in the village," Lea said, her shadows floating down onto the ground and between the long blades of grass like fog rolling in at dawn. "Alaric isn't the only thing I can feel."
"What do you mean?" Janelle asked, and Gray’s lips tipped downward.
"Death. The air is thick with death." His voice was almost a whisper, and Erik turned on instinct to find Emma. Maybe she knew something that could prepare them for what they faced.
He regretted it immediately. Emma’s face had gone ashen, a shaking hand covering her mouth and tears welling in her eyes.
"So much death…" she whispered .
Thomas moved to her side, grabbing her reins and pulling their horses closer together. "What do you need from me? What do we need to do?" he asked, his voice gentle and warm.
Emma cleared her throat as she tried to push away the tears choking back her words. She looked around, her eyes settling on empty air all around them, and the familiar eerie feeling of knowing the dead were near and though he couldn’t see them settled on Erik’s shoulders. He subconsciously pulled Janelle closer.
"They want to be laid to rest," Emma finally said.
"Then that's what we'll do," Thomas soothed. He turned to Gray. "Right?"
Gray and Lea shared another one of their looks, and Lea nodded, her hands squeezing tighter around her own reins. Black flames cascaded down the side of her horse, sinking onto the ground and singeing the grass. Her shadows trailed outward, intertwining with the flames and twisting, almost violently, and Erik looked away, giving her privacy to fight her inner demons.
Lea cleared her throat. "Let's go, then," she said, sliding off Luna and tying her off to a tree. The others followed suit. Erik and Janelle joined hands, as did Emma and Thomas, and as one, they moved forward, the heat growing almost unbearable as they walked through the tall grass on foot. Erik's heart pounded in a combination of heat and anticipation.
Emma was used to death, or being close to it anyway, so what had she sensed that had been so horrible it’d taken the color from her face and brought tears to her eyes? It was a tiny village, after all, but after only a few yards, Erik sensed what both Lea and Emma had felt.
Death did hang heavy in the air, the scent of decaying bodies so pungent and suffocating, it made his eyes water. Lea and Gray remained stoic as Emma began to sob, and Erik’s heart sank for her. It was bad enough walking into the village knowing what waited for them. But to feel it? To see the dead and hear their pleas? It made Erik shiver.
Thomas pulled her closer and helped her continue forward, as if the only way they would make it further was if their feet never stopped moving. It was only a few more yards before Janelle coughed, her non-Fae senses finally allowing her to smell what the rest of them already had.
"He's not here," Lea confirmed, speaking under her breath to Gray.
"Are you certain?" he asked.
Lea nodded. "His magic, I can't feel it. Not like I would if he were hiding here somewhere."
"My dagger isn't alerting me to danger," Emma said, sniffling as they stopped at the entrance to the village—an old, rickety wooden gate hanging slightly off its hinges.
With a sigh, Gray turned to the others, his shadows already floating toward the village. Erik knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth. "No one is required to follow me. I've seen this before—what a village decimated by my father’s magic looks like. I will never unsee it. It haunts my dreams. I will not fault you, any of you, if you want to stay behind."
One at a time, Gray looked to Emma, then Thomas, then Janelle, and Erik was grateful Gray had the sense to know he wouldn’t be dissuaded. "Whatever waits for us inside this town… it will likely be worse than anything you’ve seen before."
"The dead might be able to help us," Emma said.
A sad, proud smile darted across Thomas’s face as he looked down at Emma. "Thank you for your concern, Gray, but I will be joining as well."
"Janelle?" Erik asked, leaning down to speak in her ear. "No one will blame you for not wanting to see—"
"Where you go, I go," she said, cutting him off. "You should fucking know that by now." A surge of gratitude and pride filled Erik’s chest at Janelle’s words. So brave. So honest.
"Of course," he said, squeezing her hand tighter. Janelle was his, and he was hers, and he would no more allow someone to separate them than the gods would allow the sun to set.
"Then it’s decided," Lea said, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin. "No turning back now."