My whole body had gone cold while he spoke. Anger disappeared and in its place a sheer determination that I would not fail mixed with utter dread. “The Darkness will not have her and we will not fail.”
“I know.”
In the distance, I heard Ryland shout something to Zeke. Stone shifted and flew away, leaving me with knowledge I both needed and hated.
I stared up at the sky. “Revisit your beliefs, Divinity. They can come after her again and again. They will not have her. She belongs to us.”
Chapter 6
Krystal
A gentle hand stroked my hair off my face. “Krystal, I need you to wake up. If I could carry you to do this I would, but it’s going to require both of us.”
I forced my eyes open. Well, we hadn’t magically been transported out of the underground cavern, but then I hadn’t much expected to be. “What’s going on?”
I’d been comfortable pretty much strewn across Paden, which had to mean he wasn’t. That hadn’t been very nice of me. “I’m sorry to wake you. You need to sleep. But there’s this very large tree limb, and I think that I can hear Titus yelling. I imagine we have to climb up the limb.”
It was a struggle, but I managed to sit up. Climb? I didn’t know if I had it in me, but I’d always managed to do whatever I had to do. That was how life worked. You pushed through or you didn’t make it. I shook my head. Deep thoughts by Sister Krystal. What did I know about anything?
Paden kissed my forehead. “Can you do it?”
“I can always do whatever I have to do.” I hoped I wasn’t exaggerating. Maybe believing that would make it somehow so. “But if for some reason I can’t, you get yourself out.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, that’s not happening. Come on, sweetheart. I don’t leave my Sister behind.”
“I shouldn’t like that so much. That you call me that.” I got up just in time for him to practically shove a nut in my mouth. With no other choice, I chewed and swallowed it. “You eat half, I’ll eat half.”
He put a nut in his mouth. “Not my first pick but that’ll do.”
We stood there eating and when we were done, stared at the tree branch swinging around. “How do we let Titus know that we are going to try to climb the thing?”
“That’s a good question.” Paden scratched his chin. “Okay. Tell me truthfully, are you feeling strong or not? Because I need some help doing something for a second, and I won’t ask you to if you’re not up for it.”
Mind over matter? “I’m feeling strong.”
“All right, let’s say that I’m more confident in my ability to hold you than your ability to hold me.” The branch swung just in front of us. It was practically a tree limb. It had to be taking all four of their effort together to be doing this at all. At least I hoped that was what it meant. I could conclude none of them were dead or hurt too badly. I could help them if they needed it.
Paden was waiting for a response from me. “Right.”
“Then I think what we’re going to do is you’re going to tug as hard as you can on that limb so they feel it. I’ll hold onto you while you do it so you don’t fall. Then you’ll climb up the branch.”
I supposed that sounded like a good idea. Still, wariness warred with my desire to be tough and strong about this. “No way we could climb up together?”
“I’m concerned that’ll be too heavy for them. I don’t want them to drop us.”
The last thing either of us needed was another fall we might not survive. “Could you go first?”
“I really don’t want to leave you down here alone.”
I touched his arm. “I appreciate that. But I’ve never done anything like this in my life. I’m not sure I’ve even climbed a ladder. It might be helpful to me, dark as it is in here, for me to see you to do it first. I could imitate you.”
He shook his head. “Now I’m not sure I can let you do it at all.”
“You can.” We couldn’t spend the rest of our lives down here. “Let’s tug on the thing and then you go. Please, my idea can work.”
Paden lifted his lids. “Actually it could. But not with you climbing if you never have. We’ll pull you up holding onto the limb. I’ll go first because it’ll take all five of us.”
That sounded much better. “If you’re sure you can. I’m not tiny.”
He scrunched up his face. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Paden picked me up. “Lean forward.” I did just as he said, eventually holding onto the limb. “Shake it.”
I did my best to do as instructed, although it was awkward. Eventually I felt a tug back. That was the sign we’d been looking for, so we stopped. Paden set me back on my feet. “I don’t know if I can do this, sweetheart. How are you going to jump onto it?”
“I can jump.” I’d actually done that and after leaning toward the thing I knew how to do it. I’d be fine. “Go. Let’s get this over with and then you can stop worrying.”
Paden sighed. “All right, you’re right. Let’s put this behind us.”
He jumped, catching the tree limb before he straddled it with his legs and started pushing upward. Never had I hated my skirt more than right then. It wasn’t going to feel great to have my bare legs on that thing. I was going to cut myself, badly, and that was if I could manage to do this at all.
I bit down on my lip. Why had I acted so secure over this? I strained my neck, trying to follow his progress. Paden faded from view. I could hear noises above. He was talking to someone, but the ways the words bounced off the cavernous underground region made it impossible for me to hear exactly what they were saying.
I didn’t know if he was officially off the limb or not but I was going to have to try now and hope they didn’t drop me. Never had I wanted to be tiny more in my life. Well, the five of them seemed really strong. I was going to have to hope they actually were. I couldn’t weigh more than Paden. They hadn’t dropped him.
I shook my head. Time to get out of my own way. I took two steps, and I jumped. I caught onto the limb. It vibrated for a second but held. Oh, thank Divinity. I took a deep breath. The wood dug into my hands. If evil could send a flying demon at me, the other side couldn’t provide a happy, good bird to fly me out of this hole?
When had anything ever been that easy? The guys were pulling the limb, and I stopped moving. The part of the tree I’d held onto fell. The tree was disappearing, piece-by-piece as I scooted up it. I gasped, anxiety becoming the smartest reaction I could have right then. I had to climb for real, not just hold on. I’d watched Paden do this. I was capable. I had to be. Inch by inch I climbed. There was nothing about this that came naturally. My thighs burned and my hands hurt.
I was never wearing skirts again. Somewhere, I would find some damn pants. By the time I got to anywhere near to the top I’d lost track of how long I’d been doing this. Paden had certainly been more adept. Sweat dripped down my face, and I was half convinced I’d imagined the sensation when I was hauled the rest of the way up and straight into Ryland’s arms.
I pressed my face into his chest, listening to his heart race while he said something to me that I wasn’t really paying attention to. The limb went flying, traveling downward. Five sets of hands patted me on the back, the arms, the side of my face, and my powers surged to life.
Pulling back, I stared at all of them. They were all injured except for Paden. The demon must have hurt them.
Paden’s voice called out to me. “Not necessary, Krystal. Seriously.”
He and I both knew I wasn’t going to be able to resist helping them. I touched my hand over Ryland’s heart. I could make them all feel better. I closed my eyes.
Light flickered through my eyelids, and I wrenched them open. Was I in a bed? I sat up on my elbows and looked around. I had no idea where I was. The room was small, the door closed. Was I back locked in a space, awaiting the Darkness? Had I simply been moved to another Sisterhood and the dream—the five guards, the whole escape—been a weird dream?
I cried ou
t, covering my mouth. I never let Katrina or the Darkness hear me cry. I never…
The door opened and closed, Jett coming in. “Hey, you’re up. How are you feeling? Why are you crying? Do you have pain?”
I sucked in my breath. “Jett?”
He sat down on the edge of my bed, placing his hand on my forehead. “You don’t feel hot.”
“You’re real.” I threw my arms around him. I’d never have thought of myself as a hugger, but I couldn’t stop embracing these men.
He squeezed me back before he sighed, but didn’t let me go. “You must have had bad dreams. I’m real. You’re real. We’re here.”
“Where is here?” I whispered. “I might very well have lost my mind. I don’t remember getting here. I have times like that. When I was locked away, that I can’t remember. I’m losing my mind. Maybe you guys should take me somewhere other than Anne’s. I’m maybe not fit.”
He kissed my cheek. “You don’t remember, beautiful, because you were out cold the whole time. Knocked out, on the horse with Ryland most of the ride, and we got to this town. We took some rooms, and you’ve been sleeping for a long time.”
Okay, I hated being passed out, but that was better than losing time. “That makes sense.” I pulled back to look at him. “Sorry for fainting.”
“Oh, it wasn’t so much fainting as a surge of power that healed pain that I think I’ve had since I was, maybe two years old, and then collapsing right there. You didn’t hit the ground. Nothing happened to you.” He ran a hand through my hair. “None of this is particularly surprising, considering that you’ve been through hell, had almost no food except Paden’s nuts, no water, and no rest. Plus, you climbed a tree limb in a dark cavern, got thrown off a horse, and attacked by a demon. So, yeah, no big surprise it was too much. Don’t you dare apologize again. No more healing us. Save your powers.”
They were all on that rhetoric. “I don’t control that. It’s Divinity granted.”
“Fuck that.”
His words were shocking. In general, people didn’t say that about Divinity. At least not those I knew. “Jett?”
“Don’t worry about it. Long story. I recently heard something I don’t like. Don’t feel uncomfortable. Titus went to get some food, he’ll be back soon. I won the draw. I got to stay with you.” He leaned back on the bed and I went back with him. Why was this so easy? It shouldn’t be so simple to be with people I’d only recently met.
I stared at his hard profile, a contrast to the light beauty of his blond hair. “Not much to do with a knocked out person.” My stomach grumbled. “Okay, I won’t deny it, I’m hungry.”
He winked at me. “Easier on me than you are on Paden.”
“Oh, so you guys talked about it? The crazy Sister you have to take care of for a little while who refused to eat?”
He shook with laughter. “Crazy beautiful, maybe. But no, that’s not how we talk about you. Paden spent the whole time we were trying to get you up worrying he’d made the wrong decision. He said a lot of things. Mostly rambled. Never seen him like that before.”
“Jett.” I liked saying his name. “My powers. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do with them than take care of all of you.”
My cheek was warm where he’d kissed me earlier, and I wondered if he might do it again. His gaze moved over me and it was as though I could feel it like he’d touched me with his fingers.
Jett sighed. “How could you have been there that whole time? At the Sisterhood? And I never knew you were there? Locked in a room? Before that? I went through every day and I didn’t know. So… ineffectual.” He leaned past me to grab his bag off the floor, pulling what looked like breadsticks out of it. Jett handed me one. “Here.”
I took a bite. “Thanks.”
If Titus was coming with more food, I didn’t have to worry about taking Jett’s. He smiled at me like I’d given him a gift. I shook my head. Why were they so nice to me? “I’ve done little but have to be looked after since you met me.”
“Saved a child. Exorcised a demon. Went after a demon that would have killed you with more bravery than I’ve ever seen. Lived through having to resist that task. Got attacked. Fell in a hole. Climbed out. Fixed the pain of five people. Yeah, you’ve done nothing but have to be looked after.” He lifted one eyebrow, like he dared me to contradict him. “Most Sisters lose consciousness after they perform tasks. The magic is a lot. That’s what they tell us in training, anyway.”
A lot of the Sisters thought the guards hated them for just this reason. “Must be taxing. I mean, you had to take care of Katrina like that so, um, yeah. Has to be exhausting.”
He furrowed his brow. “Our guarding Katrina was… different than most Guard-Sister relationships.”
That had not answered my unasked question about the sex. I might never know. That was probably better. “Where is here exactly?”
A crash outside stopped our conversation, and we both rushed to the window. Without a word, Jett pushed me behind him slightly, but I could still see. There were zombies. Well, possessed people, but I’d always thought of the hordes of them as zombies, coming straight at us.
“Shit.” Jett didn’t move from the window as I guessed he was either counting how many were coming or he was too stunned to do anything but stare. Given the hard line of his jaw, I guessed the latter. He didn’t seem like the type to scare easily.
I glanced down at my hands. “My powers are off. Why are they off?”
“Because they’re dead already. Nothing for you to heal.”
That made total sense. Why did he understand my powers so much better than I did? That was a question for another time. “What do we do?”
“We kill them. Well, I do. The others will make their way back here. Zeke and Ryland are in the barn taking care of the horses. They’re not far. Paden and Titus will be back. I’ll keep them away from you until then.”
He couldn’t possibly be as cool and collected as he sounded. “Jett? You sound like this is no big deal.”
“It’s not.”
He stepped back from the window. “Get in the closet.”
“Get in the closet?” I raised my voice. “Why not put me under the bed? I can help. And this is too a big deal.”
Jett’s smile shocked me. He should not be finding this amusing. “Under the bed isn’t as safe as the closet. I’ve been killing these things since I was five years old. Slaughtering the hordes. They used to overrun my town. They killed my family. I can kill them. Easily. So get in the closet and let me do this.”
I ran to his pack and pulled out a knife. Jett put his hands on his hips. “What do you mean to do with that?”
“In case they get in the closet.” What did he think I meant to do with that?
Jett opened the door. “With a knife that size, you’ll have to slit their throats to bring them down.”
I shuddered and Jett palmed the side of my face. “All will be well. You won’t have to kill anything. I can’t even imagine you doing that. You heal, you don’t hurt.”
“I’ve never killed anything. I don’t think. I mean, I guess that demon.” Banging downstairs made me jump.
Jett motioned toward the closet. “You won’t today either.”
The door banged open, and I shrieked but it was Ryland and Zeke. Jett nodded, like he’d expected it. “I’m putting her in the closet.”
“Assuming Paden and Titus come at it on the other side, we should be able to take down the whole lot of them fairly quickly,” Zeke answered him. “Don’t worry, Krystal, we’re going to take care of this.”
Ryland pointed at the closet. “Jett, stay in here with her. We’ll cover outside.”
“Got it.” Jett nodded. “Let’s get this over with. She’s hungry. I want to give her more than breadsticks.”
Ryland’s face fell. “You’re hungry? Yes, Titus needs to get back with the food.”
“Guys!” I didn’t mean to shout. “There is a mob of dead people walking toward this place. Can you foc
us?”
Jett motioned toward the closet. “Go on.”
I did as he asked. Why on Earth were they so okay? This wasn’t a joke. Those things killed people. They usually were under the direction of a nearby demon so there was that to consider, too. Jett closed the door and then a second later spoke to me through it.
“What was the thing you wanted to do the most when you were locked in the room that whole time?”
Was he serious about that? He wanted to talk? “Being locked in a closet while you made light of a big situation ranked nowhere on my list.”
His laugh sounded like he was in there with me. “I told you, I’ve been killing these things since I was five. We all have. Hordes of zombies were very common where we lived in the Badlands. Actually, only several hours from here.”
“That close? Do you want to go home?” We had to be very close to nobility in that case, too, since Paden had said his mother worked for the nobles and took the train back and forth.
“Nothing there to go back to.”
That was right. He’d said the zombies killed his parents. “These things murdered your parents. You shouldn’t be so blasé.”
“They did.” His voice lowered. “But my parents were drunks and assholes. I’m only one of those things so you should be fine.”
My own laugh shocked me. That should not have been funny. “I’m not worried just about me. I’m concerned about you.”
“Answer my question from earlier.”
I had to stop to remember what he meant. “What I wanted to do when I was trapped in the room?”
“Yes, that one.”
There was pounding downstairs, and I sucked in my breath, pulling my knees close to my chest. They had to be coming. I gripped my knife. Take them out by slashing their throat. Could I do that? If I had to. Like I’d done with the climbing. I’d told Paden. I would always do what need necessitated.
“Krystal.” Jett’s voice was gentle. “The question.”