Chapter 19
Zera
It was nearly sunset by the time Quill finally shimmered all of them to the woods lining the east side of the river.
The Steel Titan, as it was nicknamed, stood like a towering beast carved right into the cliffs along the most dangerous part of the rapids.
The last bit of light reflected off the churning waters of the Mystic Rapids, located southwest of Mystic City.
There was no going around it—the only way was through, and then they’d climb the side of the mountain.
Zera tried not to think about that just yet.
A shiver ran down her spine every time she looked at the rocks that jutted out of the rapids like jagged teeth, ready to devour anything foolish enough to get too close.
She clenched her jaw, focusing on the group huddled in the shadows of the trees.
The thunder of water as it crashed against the rocks filled her ears, drowning out all other noise.
She couldn’t help but notice that Maverick hadn’t said anything to her since her confession at the penthouse.
She tried not to take it personally. She knew better than anyone what was at stake if they lost their focus on the mission, but she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking or if he’d even given their future any thought.
“Remember,” Maverick said to the group hiding behind the tall oaks, his voice barely audible above the rapids, “once we’ve broken through the wards, we’ll still have to limit our use of magic to keep the element of surprise.”
They all nodded.
“When we get inside,” he continued, “our primary objective is to lure Gareth into the dining hall, the belly of the stronghold, and surround him. When he’s checkmated, Zera will come in with the final kill.”
“Got it, boss,” Felice said with a smirk, winning her an impressive eye roll from Irdeel.
Zera sent another prayer to any fae god that whatever beef they had with each other wouldn’t cause a problem. Once they breached that stronghold, anything could happen, and they needed to stay united if they were to take down Gareth.
She rested a hand on the Whisper’s staff, tucked into her protective vest. It hissed in response, and she quickly dropped her hands to her side. When it came time, she would use it, but she prayed she was strong enough to wield it.
Once Gareth was out of her way, she would be able to see her son again. That was the only thing that mattered to her right now.
She adjusted her vest, the weight of her gear digging into her shoulders. Zera checked her faestone, but there was still no call back from Jade about Cole. A twinge of worry gnawed at her, but she pushed it aside, focusing on the mission ahead.
With a deep, calming breath, she centered herself.
Regardless of where she and Maverick stood, she would see her son again.
That was a promise to herself. She had hope again now that the final everfrost seed had been planted.
The wintry terrarium hovered at the perfect elevation, thanks to Maverick’s rooftop garden.
In a few more days, she’d have her precursor to create her synthetic pixie-dust drug.
She just knew it. To get there, she had to focus on the here and now—infiltrating the stronghold and taking down Gareth.
She turned her attention to where the rest of the team was assembled, near the break in the trees.
The ominous fortress loomed menacingly across the choppy waters, its stone-and-steel walls towering high and casting a dark shadow over everything in its path.
Zera couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down her spine at the stark contrast to the lush greenery surrounding either side of the Mystic Rapids.
One wrong move, and it would devour them.
Maverick, Quill, and Felice were engrossed in discussion.
Zera couldn’t really hear them from where she leaned against a huge bald cypress between its many exposed roots.
Irdeel and Cillian stood closer to the water’s edge but far enough away to not be spotted or, ideally, smelled by any of the fae guards across the waters.
They both scanned the perimeter of the stronghold, no doubt looking for weaknesses in the magical wards that supposedly protected it yet were invisible to them.
By Irdeel’s harrumphs and Cillian’s furrowed brow, it wasn’t going well.
“What’s the verdict?” Maverick asked, moving to stand next to the vamp as he used whatever technical power he had. Zera chose to keep her distance from him. Who knew when the bloodsucker would need a snack? “Are you able to crack whatever wards they have surrounding the stronghold?”
Cillian shook his head, his hands extended out, but he dropped them and muttered curses under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” Zera asked, pushing off the cypress.
A snap of purple energy singed a piece of bark in the process, and her pixie senses hummed in overdrive.
She had drunk extra water to ensure her pixie dust was at full capacity, but it would need an outlet soon.
It snapped and sizzled under her skin, and the heat of it put her on edge.
Cillian ignored her question, still focused on their wolf leader. Perhaps the vamp could smell her distaste for his kind. She didn’t care if he did. He could drink pixie blood just as easily as a human’s, which put him in the predator category, despite him tagging along on this mission.
“I’ve never sensed anything like it,” the vampire told Maverick, who she noticed stood with his back to her. He hadn’t looked at her since they’d arrived at the river. She tried not to take his silence personally.
“But can you crack them?” Maverick prodded, the tone gaining the attention of the others.
“From what I can tell?” Cillian shrugged. “They’re virtually impenetrable. I don’t know what they used, but I can’t get a read on what was used to make the wards.”
“Is it even warded, then?” Quill asked, now tuned in to what the agents were doing.
“It’s invisible, even to my powers,” Irdeel said with a nod. “But there’s definitely something there.”
“There’s an energy to it,” Cillian added, “but it’s imperceptible to the untrained eye.”
Quill scowled at the subtle jab. The vamp breezed right by it.
“It’s as if it’s both there and not there,” Cillian continued without paying the demon any heed. “Whatever magic this is, it’s beyond my technology. At least from this distance.”
“Then we get closer,” Maverick said with a tone of finality. “Quill, can you shimmer us across the rapids?”
“That’s a definite no,” Quill said. “When I tested my shimmer, this was as close as I could get. Anything beyond that river is like running into a brick wall.”
“I could perhaps use my siren song to persuade the rapids to slow enough for us to cross,” Felice suggested.
Maverick shook his head. “That would be too noticeable and alert any number of those guards to our presence.”
Zera followed his gaze across the rapids that ran into the side of the cliff wall and Steel Titan.
The smooth stone shot upward and stopped at a ledge, where a slew of guards patrolled the wall that lined the modern stronghold built into the rock.
Each guard was armed to the teeth and moved with unnerving precision, steps practiced and efficient.
That didn’t even take into consideration what other types of powers they could wield.
The team finally settled on moving farther upstream to find a way to cross.
If they could shatter the wards, then they would climb to the top of the mountain to attack the stronghold from its only visible weak spot—from the top.
Zera cringed inwardly at the idea, even though there seemed to be a clear path once they were at the top. Heights weren’t her thing.
The group kept to the trees and out of the guards’ line of sight, in search of a way to cross without using magic in case it would set off any kind of alarm.
The rapids frothed and swirled in the wind, picking up mossy water droplets that sprayed her cheeks.
If the team members were without the ability to use their powers, they would have to brave the treacherous waters and approach the stronghold head-on.
Zera set her jaw, her resolve hardening. They would find a way in. Failure was not an option when everything she cared about hung in the balance. She would see this through, no matter what it took. Gareth’s time was running out.
After a tense search and after they had backtracked several times, they found a more manageable crossing to the stronghold.
A series of large rocks jetted out from the water like stepping stones, deceptively stable against the raging current.
Without the ability to use her pixie dust, Zera was certain she’d slip and fall, only to be swept away downstream.
She shuddered at the very real possibility.
Even the water on the wind stung her cheeks like little icicle pinpricks.
“We’ll do this one by one,” Maverick instructed, his eyes scanning for any potential threats. His canine ears shifted to enable him to better hear over the water. “Be careful, stay low, and remember your training.”
Zera nodded, though she wasn’t sure their training sessions had included anything helpful for this situation, aside from strengthening her calves and core muscles.
Quill went first, nimbly leaping from rock to rock like it was a Riverdance.
His hands weren’t even out for balance but still shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket.
The nonchalant approach he took was inspiring.
When he was successfully on the other side, it was Felice’s turn. Her ability to navigate waters and her control aided her in getting to the other side even faster than the demon. Irdeel and Cillian made quick use of the rock crossing as well, leaving just the two of them.