A Valley of Darkness (A Shade of Vampire #52)(62)

We found the edge from which Fiona and Hansa had rappelled down to the small beach below. The bolts were still firmly implanted into the stone, both ropes hanging from their hoops. We used the same method of descent and reached the base of the mountain, with its abandoned jetty, deep shoreline, and three tunnels. The only sound we could hear was that of water splashing against the rocks that isolated this place from the rest of the shoreline.

“Wow, Hansa wasn’t kidding about that controlled explosion,” Blaze muttered as he stared at the collapsed tunnel.

“How do we clear it fast?” I asked, then glanced at the other entrances. “I’m not sure we should try the other routes, as they might not lead us to Fiona…”

Blaze gave me a confident smirk, then started taking off his combat suit, prompting me to blush and turn around. My cheeks burned as I heard zippers and buttons being undone.

“Sorry, Caia, but you’re going to have to get used to me doing this,” Blaze said, amusement lacing his voice. “You might want to go up on that boulder there, too—I don’t want to accidentally knock you over with my wings.”

I nodded, grabbed his backpack—which he’d left, along with his clothes, by my feet—and did as he asked. I heard his heaving breath, and allowed myself to face him again once he had burst into his full fire dragon form. His large scales glistened gently beneath the moons, and his claws sank into the soft sand. He looked at me, his big blue eyes filled with warmth and familiarity.

He growled, and it echoed all around us, scaring the nocturnal birds out of nearby trees. He first used his enormous tail as a whiplash, the bony spike breaking down the massive stone clutter blocking the entrance to the middle tunnel. Whatever Blaze’s bones were made of, they were stronger than the limestone he was cracking open like a dozen eggs. He then used his front claws to grasp the broken slabs, further loosening and pulling them out until he had cleared the tunnel completely.

Dust billowed out in thick rolls, and he sniffed a couple of times—I found it adorable despite his humongous size. I got off my secure boulder and rushed to the tunnel entrance. I took off the pendant that Patrik had given me, and unraveled the spell scroll.

He brought his massive dragon head close, his hot breath warming me up like a fireplace, while he peeked at my scroll. I gave him a smirk over my shoulder.

“Can you even read this with your eye… size?”

He purred again, like he’d done earlier in the day, making me giggle and shift my focus back to the spell, before I lost myself in the midnight of his gaze. I held Fiona’s bracelet and the pendant in one hand, making sure they made contact as I chanted the tracking spell.

“Light in the dark, guide through the nocturnal frost,” I recited. “Oh, compass of the ancient souls, will you show me the way to the one I have lost?”

The obsidian pendant started to glow bright and orange, and I held my breath as it swallowed Fiona’s bracelet and turned into a sphere of pure light. It left my hand and hovered around for a couple of seconds, then started floating through the tunnel.

Blaze lowered himself and nudged me with his head, so I quickly climbed onto his back, gripping the scales protruding from the thick skin covering his spine. The light darted through the tunnel, and Blaze went inside, as there was enough room for him to fly through it.

He flapped his wings, and we shot through the underground passage, the light guiding us through. My heart thundered as we followed the tracking spell, my mind set on Fiona.

Hold on, Fi… We’re coming…





Harper





(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)





By this late hour, the second-level crowds had thinned. The curfew was midnight, though some still ignored it. It was more of a “polite request” from the city’s leadership, anyway. Most of the Exiled Maras who spent their evenings down here in the common taverns had retreated to their homes, and only a handful of Imen were left, walking down the narrow alleys in pairs, fearful to go anywhere on their own.

Hansa, Jax, and I patrolled the streets, constantly paying attention to any noises or sudden movements. A couple of Imen children darted past us, giggling as they ran inside one of the townhouses on the west end. Their mother reprimanded them before she locked the door and pulled the shutters down.

The moons cast their warm light over the city, while the nocturnal winds rustled through the massive tree crowns overhead and billions of stars cluttered the sky. I looked up and found the asteroid belt, a string of purple shimmers stretched from the southeast to the northwest. What a beautiful sight, and what a troublesome phenomenon, given that it was most likely responsible for blocking our Telluris.

“Let’s get a higher vantage point,” Jax said, and climbed up on top of a townhouse.

Hansa and I followed, and we settled on the edge of the roof. We could see the whole second level of Azure Heights from there, including the stairs coming down from above. I nudged Hansa, prompting her to follow my gaze. I could see Rewa headed down from the third level, accompanied by two Imen servant girls.

“What is she doing here at this hour?” Jax frowned, noticing the Exiled Mara.

“I thought Darius would keep his daughter on a shorter leash after this morning’s events,” Hansa muttered, moving closer to the corner to get a better look.

My jaw clenched as I noticed invisible figures rippling through the air on the second level below, just below.