I wish I could say I’m feeling confident about my decision to go to The Trench with Caz and his clan, but I’m terrified. All I ever hear are the horrors of The Trench. It’s no man’s land, and we’re strolling right into it.
Caz arrives at the castle to pick me and Juniper up like he said he would. I have to admit, I didn’t think he’d return. I could hear him contemplating going there himself and leaving me here.
He pulls up in a large truck with thick armor on the body of it. It reminds me of a military truck, or like the spy trucks you see in movies. It’s the size of a miniature bus, with windows tinted pitch black. I bet a hundred bucks they’re also bullet proof. The engine of the truck rumbles, the side door wide open as Caz hauls out a black bodysuit and requests that I change into it. Once I do, he offers me a gas mask.
“These are the only things that can protect us from the toxic fumes in The Trench,” he informs me. I study the gas mask unlike the type we have on Earth. This mask has a wide, glassy window to reveal the whole face, and near the chin strap are dials for the gas release. The mask goes over your whole head like a motorcycle helmet, no tubes or wires required. You just put the mask on, switch the dial, and you’re protected. When we’re all set, Caz assists me into the truck, but not without a wary glance.
The inside of the truck is lined with two built-in leather benches on either side. A narrow passageway is in the center, along with dangling leather handles built into the ceiling. In the front, there’s a gap that leads to the driver and passenger seat, and that’s occupied by Veno. It’s very spacious inside.
Now that we’re on the road, everyone dressed in their bodysuits, gas masks placed on the benches next to them, my decision feels abrupt. Seeing Killian so serious is one thing, but to see Rowan frowning with his jaw locked is another. He’s not the one to take things heavily, yet we’re all riding into a place unknown. A place that’s toxic and so corrupt, Caz has six more military-like vehicles tailing us, as well as a tank.
According to Juniper, it’s a twelve-hour drive to the Trench, and since it borders on the dark side of Vanora—a place no one ever ventures because the land is dead and there are no signs of life—we have to cross into Vanora to get through. Caz sent a message to Alora beforehand, so the guards don’t stop us. They let us pass right through, bobbing their heads in their white hats.
Vanora, as always, is beautiful, and we take the roads on the outskirts away from the city to not bring attention to ourselves. Still, I see the skyline—Alora’s towering palace and the golden tips twinkling in the sun.
We’re on the road for hours, and everyone is restless. I try relaxing on the seat, but it’s impossible. To know that I’m about to be reunited with my brother makes me anxious. I never thought I’d see the day.
We eat nuts and berries Maeve packed for us, and when the sky shifts from pitch black to hazy gray, I sense a shift in the air.
We’re nearing The Trench. I feel it before I even see it. The hairs on my arms raise, goosebumps crawling up my back. There’s a friction in the air, and as I rub a gloved hand over my gas mask, it crackles.
“We’re fine as long as we’re inside the truck,” Caz murmurs. “It’s when the doors open that we must put our gas masks on.”
He peers out a window, and I look with him. Veno drives rapidly along the rocky road, passing charcoal trees with stripped branches and bodies of water so dark, they appear to be made of ink. The dirt on the ground is like ash, as if the land was set on fire and the remains were left. There are no houses, no animals, even the sky is colorless. I can’t even say that it’s gray, more like a filmy white.
Veno slows the vehicle in front of a small batch of buildings. The buildings were once red brick but are now covered in dark soot. None of them are up to par. Many are missing doors, roofs, and windows. The buildings that are seemingly intact have broken windows or doors hanging off the frames.
I spot people near the buildings, legs drawn to their chests. They peer up as the truck passes, but there is no excitement in their eyes, no happiness or curiosity. There’s nothing but…emptiness. Their faces are ghostly and sunken in, the clothes hanging off their ill frames. Slowly dying…all of them.
I swallow hard as the truck comes to a complete stop, and Veno says, “As far as I can go, Monarch. There’s a bridge ahead, but it’s damaged.”
“Here is good,” Caz says, then he turns to me. “Mask on.” He picks it up from the bench behind me and helps me put it on. When mine is secured, he twists the dial, and a hissing noise starts up. Through the window of my mask, I watch as he puts his on as well, twisting a valve to release gas in his too. Numbers appear on the dial he twisted, reading 100%.
“Can you hear me?” he asks. I hear his voice inside my mask. It’s staticky, like a radio. There must be speakers built into them.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“Good. We should all be able to hear one another.” He puts his attention on Killian and Rowan. “We’ll go out first. Juniper, you stay here with Willow while we do a surveillance. Keep watch and protect her at all costs.”
“Got it.” Juniper stands at my side as the truck door slides open with a heavy thunk. The air from outside floats in and is much thicker and heavier, the weight of it clinging to my suit. Caz grunts as he hops out of the truck.
“My legs feel heavier,” Rowan says. “That normal?”
“Probably,” Caz mutters.
His heard turns, and those icy blue eyes land on me. “Wait here.”
The truck door slides closed, and I move closer to the window, peering out as Juniper does the same.
Several of the soldiers who tagged along rush between the buildings with guns aimed forward. In my mask, I hear the words, “Clear. Clear. Clear,” until they’re near the vehicles again.
We watch Caz, Killian, and Rowan make their way toward the tallest building. Caz pulls out something round from his pocket, reads it, then he looks toward the roof of the tall building. He’s reading the paper Danica stuffed in my hand.
The building they face has no windows, only gaping holes spread throughout the length of it. The door is thick and iron like. Several of the other men meet up to Caz, dressed head to toe in armor and gas masks, guns up, red lasers pointing directly at the building.
“Danica!” Caz shouts. His voice fills the inside of my mask. “Where are ya? We came to your location, now come out!”
A thick silence lingers in the air. My heart beats faster as I watch the building with bated breath. There’s a thump behind us, and Juniper gasps as the truck door slides open.
A man stands outside the door, pale beneath all the dirt and oil on his skin. He’s shirtless, his eyes red-rimmed, a wild grimace on his face.
“Oi! Fuck off!” Juniper shouts, raising a foot and kicking the man in the chest. He goes flying back, but just as quickly as he goes, two more men appear, gripping Juniper by the ankle and ripping her out of the truck. Her gun falls to the ground as she tries snatching it out, and I suck in a sharp breath, running to pick it up.
“Let go of me!” she screams. One of them tries taking off her gas mask, and she screams again, whipping her head left and right to fight them off.
“Let her go!” I shout.
I raise the gun at the men, and they eye me, but they don’t react. I suppose they’re used to being faced with death. The guns don’t scare them. Being shot to death would make a much better fate than suffering here.
I freeze, unable to pull the trigger. I’ve never shot someone with a gun before, but they’re hurting her. She’ll die if they get that mask off her head. Just as I wrap a finger around the trigger, both men are blasted in the head. For a split second, I believe I did that. I pulled the trigger and shot both of them…but then Killian and Rowan are on either side of the truck, smoke drifting from the barrels of their large guns. The men’s bodies crumple to the ground.
Rowan rushes to assist Juniper after she kicks one of the men’s limp arms off of her. “You all right, Jun?” he asks.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Those dirty assholes.” She straightens herself up, wiping dirt off her clothes.
“For Vakeeli’s sake, Willow. Next time, pull the bloody trigger,” Killian grumbles, moving past me to get to his sister.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
Someone lets out a screeching roar, and when I look to my left, a man is charging my way. I start to raise Juniper’s gun at him, but he doesn’t make it far. A gunshot goes off, and he falls to the ground with a lifeless thud. I shudder a breath as blood dribbles from a hole in his head, and then Caz steps around the corner, pulling the trigger again and sending a bullet into the dead man’s back.
“You can’t freeze, Willow,” he says, turning to me.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper again. I shift my focus to Juniper. “Jun, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she assures me. “I’m fine. Everything’s okay.”
But it’s not okay. She almost died because I was too scared to shoot people who were attacking her. What the hell is wrong with me?
Caz takes my hand and leads me around the truck where the rest of the soldiers are posted.
“Danica! I won’t call you again! Come out now!” Caz orders. I notice some people scatter away from a distance, disappearing into the other buildings to escape whatever chaos is going on. I pray no one else attacks us.
A door creaks loudly on the hinges, and I bring my attention to the door of the towering building again. When it has completely opened, a woman appears.
Danica.
She’s dressed in all black, no gas mask on her face; however, a large sword is on her back secured by a thick leather band that crosses her chest. Her scarred eye is milky, the scar seeming redder now than before.
“Mr. Harlow, you made it!” She lifts her hands, giving off a slow round of applause.
Caz moves a step ahead of me, raising his gun, and Danica drops her arms, sighing. “Where’s Warren?” he demands.
“Inside,” she informs him.
“Bring him out.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that yet.”
“Why not?”
She juts her chin out, eyes landing on me. “I need Willow. Only her.”
“Yeah, fucking right,” Caz snarls, and he takes another step forward, his finger wrapping around the trigger. “You have ten seconds to bring him out or I’m putting a bullet in your fucking head. I’m done with your games, and from where I’m from, when you cross me once, that’s enough for me to end your life.”
Danica smirks. “Try.”
Agitated, Caz pulls the trigger. As he does, Danica withdraws the sword from her sheath. The sword has a slim silver blade with an angled pointed tip and long handle. To my complete and utter shock, she deters the bullet with the sword and sends it flying toward one of Caz’s soldiers instead. The man grunts from the impact and falls, but he’s not dead. The bullet is lodged in his chest plate. Several soldiers rush to help him to a stand.
Caz doesn’t waver, but I can sense his shock. Is that a Katana sword? I hear him asking himself.
Danica tucks the sword back in place without hesitation, raising her hands in the air. “Are we done here?” She takes a step down. “Look, you could have all your men start shooting at me, and I’d ward off every single bullet. And this time, I’d be sure not to aim for the chest. Let’s not make this messy. Bring Willow to me so I can take her to Warren.”
My heart catches speed, and I move closer to Caz. He tenses at my side and partially lowers his gun. “She only goes in if I go with her.”
“Caz, don’t be fucking stupid, brother,” Killian grouses behind him, but Caz ignores him, focused on Danica.
“All right. Deal. Makes sense you’d want to protect your mate. After all, I’m willing to do the same.” Her eyes flicker to mine, and something rocks through me, like a zap to every organ. The feeling is both shocking and intriguing. Still, I frown, eyeing her.
Caz lowers his gun, then shouts for the rest of his men to do the same. They lower their weapons, all but Killian and Rowan.
“Are you sure about this, Caz?” Killian asks, still pointing his gun at Danica.
“I am. Keep watch of the area,” he commands, then he’s grabbing my hand and leading us toward the building.
