Challenged by Darkness (An Urban Fantasy Novel) (Befallen Tides series Book 2) (12 page)

“Are you telling me that she has disappeared again? Have you sent anyone to go looking for her?”

“We cannot spare the resources. It’s too risky. The camp has grown since we’ve last been there. More bandits are searching for shelter and different territories uninfected by this uprising.”

“And those areas are dying out by the day.” Silence. Then, “You don’t think that this goes deeper than we imagined?”

“London? What would make you say such a thing?”

“I don’t know. I’m out of ideas, perhaps? But consider. We received the order to bring Genevieve out of the state by any means necessary. Orion wouldn’t specify why the order was immediate despite my requests for more information. Now there has been no news of Keaton or Winx, and we know that the hotel was under siege by savages.”

“You think the attack at the Yertz was orchestrated?”

“I cannot rightly say.”

“London, to accuse the High Chancellor is not wise.”

“Trust me, I realize this. And I do not know what motives Orion would have in seeing Winx dead. All I know is that if he did have something to do with it, he may not have succeeded. The daevor and the bandit’s bodies were not found, but savages aplenty were.”

“We have no evidence that Orion would aid Chavez.”

“Perhaps not. But we do know that Winx is a wanted felon. When left with an opportunity, can we be sure that Orion wouldn’t make an example out of her? After all, he could have easily had me poison Genevieve.”

“And you agreed to it. Sir.”

“I did.” London’s voice quavered just slightly. “You need to understand the depth of the people that we are dealing with, my love. You have to understand… the pressures… that come with being a Chancellor.”

“What do you plan to do, sir?”

“Honestly? I haven’t the faintest idea.” There was a sound of glass clinking, someone pouring themselves a drink. “The lixyn authority has officially crumbled. Any fool can see that. We’re not even in control of our own territory any longer. Protests are already rising up, counterlegions are surfacing to take matters into their own hands…it’s going to turn into an even bigger bloodbath out there. And in the end, who knows what regime will be in charge.”

“You cannot control vigilantes.”

“Quite right. And I refuse to try. But Orion…” A sigh. “He’d see us all dead before admitting defeat. His search for Esteban Chavez is a joke. He’s refusing to send troops to the royal palace and insisting it’s because of the huge number of savages there. But I think I know better. Chavez is there. And Orion is not ready to deal with him just yet. Why or why not, I cannot say.”

“Sir, we cannot stand by and let this happen.”

“It’s already happened, Roy. There’s no stopping a rebellion that Chavez has won.”

A large hand covered Genevieve’s mouth. She squealed, but the sound was completely muted by the cupped extremity. A deep voice tsked by her ear.

“Eavesdropping is a terrible habit. But it must run in the family. Did you know that this entire palace is bugged? Cameras, microphones, sensors…did you think yourself unseen?”

Genevieve felt faint with fear. She trembled when she felt the hollow point of a gun rest against her temple.

“One shot to the head, and you will be entirely unable to heal yourself. And don’t think that I will be doing that for you. After all…you did shoot me in the neck when last we met. I’m anxious to return the favor. Now, come with me, nice and quiet, and we’ll see just how long you get to live, yes?”

CHAPTER 12

Keaton and Winx were handcuffed and marched along the side of the road until a large van pulled up to meet them. It was nondescript and resembled a transport used for criminals or the insane. Heavy back doors were swung open, and the two prisoners were tossed unceremoniously into the hatch.

“Look at that, company,” a deep voice drawled with humor.

Inside of the van, handcuffed as well, was a beast of a man. He had a lot of overgrown stubble and blonde hair that curled around his earlobes. His face was a handsome that you could have picked out in a catalog if it weren’t for the overgrowth of beard. His clothing, although stained with dirt and blood, fit snugly over a strong form. He was stretched out for all the world as if he’d been snoozing with his head against the side of the vehicle. He gave Winx a megawatt smile when she turned her frown at him.

“Keep quiet,” one of the guards spat at the captive.

”Come on now, gorgeous.” The beast was full of sarcastic charm. “I’ve been in this van for three days now.”

“By all means, get comfortable,” Tipping cut in. “We have a long way to go.”

“You killed Stori.”

Archibald was closing the doors, but he stopped when he heard Keaton’s accusation. His face remained blank, but he did not deny it.

Keaton growled menacingly from the back of his throat. “You won’t be greeting too many more sunrises now that I’ve found you.”

Archibald did not look frightened by the words, but nor did he look brave. He merely nodded his head once as if he’d gotten the message, and then he had the doors slammed closed. Almost all light was extinguished, leaving the three inside blinking to adjust their eyes. The lock clicked from the outside, and the van shook as the guards piled in the car bed.

“There’s no use threatening a Lighter,” the stranger chuckled in the dark. “That’s a complete waste of time.”

“Lighter?” Winx asked.

“That’s what I call them, anyway. Cryptids who are controlled by those harnessing the light touch. They had all of their will overtaken a long time ago. All they know now is Chavez’s path to glory. They’ve been so tortured and brainwashed they don’t fear anything but him.”

Winx shifted so that she could sit upright. “How do you know all of that? Who are you?”

“Who are
you
?” he asked silkily instead of answering, the teasing never leaving his tone.

“Are we not trusting each other?” she asked.

“There’s all kinds of trust, sweets. From what I can assume about you, you’re in as much shit right now as I am. But that doesn’t mean that we are on the same side.”

“We’re imprisoned by the same people. That would make allies out of anyone.”

“Time will have to tell on that one.”

“We can help each other,” she insisted, annoyed.

“Unless you’ve got a five course meal in your back pocket, I don’t see how you’re helping me anytime soon. Hell, I’m so goddamn hungry I’d settle for a mushed bag of M&Ms.”

The van was chugging away from their position on the side of the road. Winx toppled over when it made a wide U-turn. She mentally tried to pinpoint their direction, but it was difficult from their wobbly position.

“Where are we heading? Do you know?” she demanded of the stranger.

“I couldn’t tell you, sweets.”

“Where did they pick you up from?”

Even in the dark caravan, she could see the glow of his secretive, toothy grin.

“What harm could come from me knowing that?” she was exasperated.

“It’s funny what little bits and pieces of information can be used against you. I have too much at stake to go shooting my mouth off.” He lowered his voice. “Besides. Don’t think for one second that they can’t hear us in there. You’re interrogating me just as bad as they’ve been.”

Winx squeezed her eyes shut. Right. That made sense. “I’m sorry.”

“Not to worry.” He really didn’t seem offended. No, in fact, he never lost his touch of humor with the situation. What could he find amusing being trussed up and carted away by the enemy? Winx did a cursory flit into his mind, but she was blocked. Cryptid. Still, something about him seemed more accessible than the others she’d been in contact with recently.

It didn’t take her long to figure out why that was. He was of the dark touch, like her. That didn’t mean that she could read him completely, but it did make it a bit easier to get an impression about him. And from what she could tell, he was keeping a lot of secrets.

Winx tried to look over at Keaton, but the way he was slumped made a visual hard. “Are you okay?” she asked him timidly.

“Nope,” the stranger answered for him. “He’s sucking in sharp breaths every time we hit a bump in the road. He’s in pain.”

Winx had known that, but she still flinched at his observation.

It had sounded like he could have broken something back there, and they did just narrowly escape from a fire. Winx shuffled her bottom, sliding over to where Keaton was laid out with his brow against the floor.

“Hey.” She nudged him with her shoulder. He hissed in pain. “You need to keep your wits about you. There’s no telling where they’re taking us, or what they’re going to do…” Her gaze shifted to the dark silhouette of their new companion. If his injuries were any indication, these Lighters weren’t the type to avoid hitting their captives. Or of starving them.

“It’s fine to rest while you can,”  the stranger advised. “It’s when we stop that you should be worried.”

“Funny how such a big palace can be a hindrance,” Esteban Chavez kept up a conversational tone as he walked Genevieve, gun still pressed to her head, throughout the halls she had recently been lost in. Obviously, he knew his way around.  The thought was as discomforting as the bullet awaiting her in its chamber.

“I’ve downgraded recently to a mere bunker of a home,” he continued. “Not glamorous by any definition, but it’s prime territory when it comes to defense. No place for anyone to surprise me. You can buy security like that, just like you can buy luxury as this. But instead, your pompous family must flaunt their wares, even while in hiding. How asinine of you Merricks.”

“W-where are you taking me?”

“You sound afraid, my dear. There’s no need to be. You’re my leverage. If anything, you should be pleased.  It means I need you to live, for the time being.”

“The palace is surrounded by guards,” Genevieve tried to deter him even as he marched her along the corridors. “Whatever you’re planning won’t get off of the ground. My uncle is here.”

“Yes, and so is the Queen. Yet I’ve still managed to bypass Orion’s security systems. How do you think that is?”

She would love to know. Something in her felt even more slighted by the fact that her uncle had not taken her warnings about Chavez seriously. All of her talk had fallen onto deaf ears, and now, it seemed it was too late. Who knew what kind of example Chavez was planning on making out of her, or of the others who had tried to stop him?

Esteban brought her around to the grand staircase at the opening of the palace. Five armed guards waited at the base, and they went on alert when they saw the Chancellor with his captive, all of them pointed rifles in their direction.

“Stop right there!” one guard shouted. “Release the princess!”

“Why, if it isn’t Orion’s personal guard.” Esteban’s voice leaked with superiority, his gun twisting about in Genevieve’s fiery hair. “You might as well lower those. Because if you don’t…”

He intentionally squeezed the trigger. Genevieve’s head jerked violently. She knew a blinding moment of substantial pain before it all went away. When she reopened her eyes, she was covered in thick coats of her own blood. The Chancellor had shot her in the head, and then he’d immediately healed her before death could steal her away. No discomfort was leftover, but the message was clear.

“Next time,” Esteban said wickedly, “I won’t heal her.”

That was all of the message that the guard needed. They all dropped their weapons. None of them wanted to be responsible for the death of the princess.

“Very good. Now, make way, amateurs. I have an appointment with Orion.”

Chavez walked through the five guards without giving them a second glance. Genevieve saw real fear etched onto each of their faces. She was sure that her expression was similar.

It was a long, slow waltz up the marble stairs for her. She was doing her best to keep her balance with Chavez’s death grip around her. Genevieve could still feel the blood from her brief head wound sliding stickily down her neck to pool onto her shoulder blade. Heading toward her uncle should have made her feel safer, but it didn’t. But it didn’t. If his guard couldn’t help her, how could he?

 When they reached the landing, Genevieve’s wing was to the left, and the queen’s was to the right. But of course they wanted Orion’s, so they went straight down until the Head Chancellor’s massive doors were before them.

“Be of some use,” Esteban chided her when they stopped. “How am I supposed to open the door while I’ve got you
and
the gun?”

Genevieve reached a shaking hand out to turn the handle. When it clicked over, Chavez kicked it heavily. It banged loudly as it slammed into the opposite wall.

“Knock, knock!” Esteban walked over the threshold with Genevieve still clutched to his body. “I request an audience with his holiness.”

Orion’s suite was as highly renovated as the rest of the palace. It doubled as a place of work as well as sleeping quarters,  so it looked as stately as any agency for high society. Though the color tones were rather drab, all the decorations and furniture were at the very height of fashion. A plush rug led the way to the Head Chancellor’s intimidating desk.

Orion stood there before it. The way he was dressed and the disheveled state of his hair implied that he’d been about to have a relaxing afternoon after his trying meeting with Iragall and that he’d undressed quickly. The lines of his loose, robe-like clothing did nothing to hide the prominence of his rounded abdomen. Still, he remained stiff and imposing as Esteban brought Genevieve further into his quarters.

“Chavez,” Orion greeted him without inflation.

“High Chancellor.” Esteban sounded out of breath near Genevieve’s ear.

“This is not what we agreed to.” An irritation was building underneath Orion’s calm exterior.

“Quite right.” Esteban guided Genevieve to sit at his feet, gun still trained onto her. “But I’ve waited long enough for my kingdom.”

“You were not promised the kingdom,” Orion revealed. “You were promised the power of High Chancellor were you able to agree to certain terms—“

“I’ve upheld my end of the deal!” the madman screamed suddenly. “I’ve done your dirty work! I’ve started the culling! Now it’s your turn to make good on your promises!”