“You’re from Kessel,” Caz says as soon as we’re inside the building.
“I have Kessel blood in me, yes,” Danica responds, standing several steps away from us. “What gave it away?”
“The sword.” Caz shifts on his feet, looking all around.
I look with him, smelling something similar to rotten eggs or sulfur. It’s dark all over, and soot clings to every wall and surface. There’s nothing inside but a couple of broken chairs and tables. Parts of the wall are covered in black residue, concealing the brick, most likely from being burnt. Everything appears to have been set on fire and left here to rot. Was this Decius’ doing? Did he try burning this place down when he realized it would be his downfall? I recall the story Hassha told about Decius burning down all the trees in The Trench. Perhaps those flames spread and singed everything.
I hold back a gasp when I spot a rat scurry across the room, twice the size of an Earth rat. Why does she have my brother in this place? And how is she able to breathe without a gas mask?
“There were rumors that the original tribe of Vanorians used the Katana to fight,” Caz goes on, his eyes fixed on Danica again. “That was centuries ago, and they aren’t made anymore. How do you own one?”
Danica ponders his question a moment, her bold brown eye surveilling him. “It was my mother’s,” she finally answers. “She belonged to one of the original Vanorian tribes, long before Alora was ever born. Believe it or not, her tribe was blessed by the hands of Hassha, and my mother passed her gifts to me before she died. It’s why I can breathe in this filth and not die, and how I vanished before your very eyes last night at your castle.”
Caz digests this information, holding Danica’s gaze. There are a million questions running through his head. He’s confused by this woman just as much as I am.
“Why do you need Willow?” he asks, shifting the subject.
Danica’s face changes, an uneasiness stealing her rugged features. “Come this way, I’ll show you.” She turns away, walking up a curved staircase missing several steps. It doesn’t look safe to walk on, but Danica takes the steps with ease. Caz goes after her first, keeping my hand in his as we follow her up. We pass three floors until she ventures down a hallway and pushes a rickety door wide open.
I choke on my next breath when I see a man sitting on a bed in front of a window. The window pours in that filmy white light, and at first, he’s nothing but a silhouette. Tall, square shoulders, his head hanging low, focused on the floor. I step closer, taking in the details. His locs are much longer, the roots dark, poofy, and thick. That childhood scar remains on his forehead when he’d cut himself trying to jump a fence.
I can’t believe it. It’s my brother, in the flesh.
“Warren!” I scream, pulling my hand out of Caz’s and running across the room. I throw my arms around him, holding on tight, hot tears dripping down my cheeks. I wait for him to hold me back, to wrap his arms around me in a tight embrace once he’s realized this is me and that it’s all real…but he doesn’t. He remains stiff, unmoving, and I sense something terribly wrong.
I pull away from him, studying his motionless body. He’s breathing just fine, his chest rising and sinking, but his head is still down. He’s still staring at the floor, face solemn. I force his chin up to look at me, and he stares right at me—the same brown eyes as mine—but there’s nothing inside them. They’re empty and cold, and my heart plummets.
“Warren?” I whisper. I drop my hand and his head falls again, eyes gluing to the floor. “What’s wrong with him?” I demand, turning to look at Danica.
Danica looks from me to Warren, her eyes now thick with tears. “Warren and I were a source of Decius’ power for years. It’s how Decius could change forms and blend in while keeping his negative energy at bay.” She steps deeper into the room. “I was with Warren the day Decius came for us. We were in Vanora, and I remember feeling this strange pull inside of me, like a magnet being drawn to an iron board. I could sense Warren before we even met—his fear, his panic, and I followed those senses. I left Vanora and made my way to Gilded Forest, and the closer I grew to him, I began to hear what he was thinking. I’d heard his voice many times before, around the time I turned twenty-seven, but my counselor told me it was the guidance of a Regal—that they took on many voices to lead us and help with our decisions. But I didn’t believe that because I could have full conversations with this voice. We’d talk about things or confess our deepest secrets.” Danica swipes the tip of her nose, bobbing her head toward Warren. “I found him near the ocean. When I saw him, I just knew he was my mate and that we were to be together. The moment we locked eyes, we fell in love. But only two weeks later, while we were residing in Vanora, Decius infiltrated. First with our dreams, then in person. We started feeling random bursts of coldness, even when we held each other to keep warm. Eventually, Decius took us both and brought us here to The Trench. He kept threatening how he was going to kill us, but that he couldn’t yet—that he needed someone else before he could. He kept saying something about a twin. That he needed both twins together before he could absorb the energy from our Tether.”
“What?” I stand up straight. “So, he kept you and Warren locked away in here until he could find me?”
“I believe so. We were nothing but his puppets, really. We lost control of our bodies, our minds. I don’t remember being able to eat or drink. It’s all so dark during the time he had us under his spell. But, only days ago, something changed. That darkness I felt with Decius keeping us hostage lifted, and I suddenly remembered everything.”
“Sounds like what he did to the people of Whisper Grove,” Caz says, more to himself than to us. His eyes swivel to Danica. “Decius is now gone, trapped in a coffin, and the spell he had over you has lifted. He can’t take you or your Cold Tether anymore.”
“Are you certain?” she asks.
“More than.”
“I could remember everything when I came to. All my skills, my purpose, our Cold Tether…but Warren. He’s never really gotten out of whatever it is Decius has done to him,” Danica goes on. “I don’t think Decius still has a hold on him, but I think his mind remains in a dark place. He won’t leave the bed. He won’t look at me. He won’t speak.” Her bottom lip trembles a bit, but she sucks it up and raises her chin. “I didn’t know what to do, so I ran to a Mythic in Vanora, who told me he most likely needed a mental recharge. She said he needed to encounter something or someone he remembers before he ever entered Vakeeli.”
“That’s why you were looking for me,” I breathe, and I glance at Warren again. “But I’m here now, and he’s still acting weird. He’s not looking at me either.”
Danica steps forward, digging into her front pocket and pulling out a blue capsule. “The Mythic told me to give you this.”
Caz snatches the capsule out of Danica’s hand before I can even attempt to take it. “What the hell is it?” he asks, more in a demand.
“She said it will help Willow get into Warren’s mind.” Danica’s brows are furrowed, her lips pinched.
“No. I don’t trust you or your Mythic. You won’t be giving my mate any of your concoctions.” He chucks the pill out the window behind Warren, and Danica’s face turns beet red before she reaches behind her and draws out her sword.
“What is wrong with you? Do you know what I had to go through to get that?” she shouts.
Caz already has his gun out, pointed at her, ready for whatever she decides to do next. “I don’t care. You’re not about to poison my mate.”
“It’s not poison, you uptight, pompous jackass!” She raises the tip of her sword to Caz’s throat, and he points his gun at the center of her forehead.
“Both of you, please stop. Seriously.” I step forward, pushing them apart, but they don’t back down. Their weapons are still aimed, ready for one wrong move. It’s astounding, really, because they’re just alike. Defiant. Headstrong. Don’t trust easily. It’s no wonder they’re butting heads. Then again, Caz butts heads with a lot of people.
“Let’s compromise,” I offer with my hands in the air. “I need to get my brother out of here. We can’t do that if you’re fighting.”
“Yeah, good luck. I’ve tried getting him up, but he goes right back to the same spot and sits there. He won’t leave that bed,” Danica says.
“Well, I’ll have the soldiers out there rip the bed up and put it in the tank. I don’t care,” I return. “I just need to get him out of The Trench. Once we’re out of here, we’ll go to a Mythic Caz and I trust to confirm that capsule is the proper way to get my brother back to his best state of mind, and then we go from there. You can come with us, Danica. It’ll be safer for you.”
She eases up, lowering the sword, only an inch. Caz does the same, keeping a careful eye on her.
“Fine,” she grumbles. “But if this demented fuck tries anything, I’ll slice his bloody head off.”
Caz chuckles. “I wish you luck on that one, vanisher. You’re not the only person who loves their weapons.”
I ignore their squabbling and lower to a squat, grabbing Warren’s hand again. I search his eyes for something—anything that will give me sign that he’s still in there. Nothing comes. His eyes are vacant, as if no soul exists beyond them. This is not my brother. He was full of life. He was active and outgoing. I have to get him out of this place. “We’re going to get you better, Warren. I promise.”
“I’ll tell my men to come up,” Caz announces, pulling out his transmitter. “How the hell did you get into my castle anyway?” He’s eyeing Danica, clearly still wary about her.
“I heard through whispers that you were part of a Cold Tether and that your mate was from another world, like my mate. Found out there was a dinner, applied for the position to assist with Bella and Joelle, and showed up. It was quite easy, actually. You should be more careful, Monarch. If I were someone who wanted to kill or poison you, I could have.”
He grimaces at her before cutting his eyes to me and offering a hand. “Let’s go, Willow, before I blow this woman’s head off.”
