As Darkness Falls by Riley Storm

Chapter Twenty-Six

We were going to rob Hades. It was madness.

Of course, everything seemed a little mad lately. My entire world was spinning and expanding. Vampires were real, magic was real, the ancient gods, shifter and human, they were all real. Tangible things.

At one point during the drive back, I reached out and poked Vir in the leg. Just to verify he existed and I wasn’t imagining it. I’d ignored his confused look at my action. Maybe someone else could spend some time being lost and confused, because I was getting pretty sick of being the only one who didn’t seem to know everything that was going on.

I almost envied Jo’s ignorance. She’d slept the entire way back, thanks to Vir. When she awoke, she would still be blissfully in the dark about everything. Maybe I would tell her in time; maybe not. She’d already been through a lot, thanks to Lars. She didn’t need more dumped on her just because I felt like I needed someone to talk to.

Because who was I supposed to talk this over with? We were planning to enter the Underworld before heading to the pits of Tartarus to steal from a god. Not only that, but we had to go through another realm to even get there. How many different realms were there? Who did they all belong to? Why did nobody on Earth seem to know about this anymore?

I had so many questions, and neither Aaron nor Vir had been particularly forthcoming during the rest of the trip. So, I’d sat in silence, my world spinning. The pause at Vir’s temple had healed my body, but my mind was another story entirely. At least I had the advantage of already having been a shifter and knowing that we existed outside of human knowledge. Sure, I’d been naïve and thought we were alone, but I could only imagine how a human would have reacted to everything that had happened in the past week.

I truly was blind and naïve. I probably still am. I thought of Jo. And my parents. And unfortunately, people are paying the price for it. I’m growing up quickly, but I’ve still got some catching up to do, it seems.

“We’re here.”

Jolting back to reality, I looked around. True to Aaron's word, we were parked in the basement of his apartment building. The other truck pulled in behind us, and the other team members began to pour out of it.

I looked back at Vir. “Wake her.”

He nodded, pressing a hand to Jo’s temple. A moment later, she stirred and yawned.

“Are we there yet?” she asked blearily.

I smiled. Tired though she was, I could already hear more strength in her voice. The two hours of peaceful sleep must have done her good, though she would still need to eat and sleep some more to fully recover from her ordeal. Once she went through her Soulshift, that would happen faster, but she wasn’t there, not yet.

“We’re here,” I said, sliding out of the truck and opening her door. “Come on, sleepyhead. I’ll help you upstairs.”

I took Jo by the arm and guided her toward the elevator.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“Kellar,” I said. “One of the friends I brought to rescue you has a place here. You can sleep, eat, and recover. You’ll be safe here.”

“That sounds nice,” Jo said sleepily, letting herself be led into the elevator with Aaron, Vir, and Fred.

The others waited behind to give us some space. I didn’t want to overwhelm Jo, and I smiled at them, thankful for their awareness. We shot upward, and I once again wondered what it would be like to have the money for things such as condos with private penthouse elevators. It surely wasn’t anything I would ever be able to afford.

With a chime, the doors opened.

“Whoa, this place is nice,” Jo said, pulling free from my arm as she walked into the two-story loft penthouse. “You’ve got some loaded friends, Dan.”

I grinned. That was my Jo. I knew then that she would be okay.

A door opened from our left, and from one of the guest bedrooms on the lower level, Johnathan emerged, likely eager for an update. I nodded to him and opened my mouth to explain when Jo hissed and ran across the floor, throwing herself at him.

“You asshole!” she screamed, launching herself at Johnathan, fist cocked to smack him.

Johnathan frowned and reached out, grabbing Jo in mid-air and bringing her to an abrupt halt, leaning his head back at the same time, so her fist hit nothing but air.

“Your family kidnapped me! You took me, you piece of shit!” Jo snapped, and her foot connected solidly between Johnathan’s legs.

He groaned, bending at the waist as he tossed Jo across the floor. I lunged forward and caught her before she hit, bending my arms.

“Gotcha,” I said with a smile, easily absorbing the impact.

Jo looked up from my arms. “You have been working out, Dan.”

My smile became a grin. “Thanks.”

“But why aren’t you or any of your friends kicking his ass?” Jo asked. “Isn’t he, like, your enemy?”

I sighed, setting her down. “It’s complicated to explain. A lot’s changed, Jo. He’s actually kind of our guest here.”

“Slash prisoner,” Johnathan said, bluntly acknowledging his position. “It’s more like house arrest than anything.”

Nobody denied it.

Jo looked at me, her face questioning whether this was my decision or not.

“He’s kind of, sort of, on our side now,” I explained. “In a way. Kinda. He’s not against us anymore, how’s that?”

“If you say so,” Jo said, stifling a yawn.

“Aaron, do me a favor?” I said. “Show her to a room?”

The vampire nodded and gestured for Jo to follow him up the stairs. She looked to me for confirmation.

“It’ll be fine,” I promised. “We’ll bring you some food, and once you’ve eaten and rested some more, we’ll bring you up to date on everything.”

Well, maybe not everything. She didn’t need to know about our plan to rob Hades.

Jo and Johnathan disappeared, leaving just Vir and me.

“We can’t do this, Dani,” he said quietly.

I turned to look at him.

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Robbing Hades? You said we should.”

“No, not that,” he said, stepping closer. “We can do that. Maybe. There’s a chance, I guess is what I mean. It’s incredibly dangerous for you, not to mention stupid, but there is definitely a chance that the three of us, with a bit of help, can pull it off.”

“Then, what are you talking about?” I asked, crossing my arms as if that could cover up the strange butterflies I felt from being alone with Vir.

What was he talking about? Was it us? Did he finally agree that our Soulbond needed to be severed? I was ready to try again if he was. The sooner I was freed, the sooner I could begin making my own choices, instead of always second-guessing myself and trying to figure out if what I wanted truly was what I wanted or if it was caused by the bond.

I longed for that freedom.

The elevator chimed, and Vir and I swayed back away from one another as the rest of the team tromped into the penthouse. Their boots left dirt all over the clean, white marble tile, but they didn’t care.

Vir and I nodded back at a chorus of hey’s, but the team was more focused on getting out of their gear and getting clean than anything, except maybe eating. In seconds, they had all left the room as well, leaving Vir and me alone again.

I looked at him. “Well, explain. Why can’t we give Lars the Idol? What else don’t I know?”

“The Idol is active,” Vir said. “If Lars gets both, if he knows how to wield both their powers combined…”

“Yes?” I wished he would just spit it out instead of being all hesitant.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop him,” Vir said. “He’ll be strong. Possibly too strong.”

“That bad?” I whispered, looking him straight in the eyes. I knew it couldn’t be easy for a god to admit weakness, but I had to be one hundred percent certain he wasn’t overexaggerating.

Vir nodded. “That bad.”

“Damn,” I said, pacing away, deep in thought. “Okay, so if we give Lars the Idol, we’re in a world of trouble.”

“I’m sorry,” Vir said. “I know he—”

I whirled on him, eyes ablaze with anger. Vir took a step backward.

“These are my parents,” I hissed, glad that he was respectful of my fury.

“Dani—” he started, but I cut him off.

“We are not leaving them to rot in some dirty prison, wherever he’s got them stashed. Do I make myself clear?”

I had to hope that Lars had them somewhere other than the Manor. If they’d been down in the cells when we’d rescued Jo, and I had left them there, I’m not sure I could ever forgive myself.

Vir opened his mouth to protest, and I stormed right up to him, for a moment feeling like I had back in the temple, full of energy and power that I couldn’t comprehend.

I watched Vir’s eyes go wide.

“Repeating myself is not something I’m in the habit of doing,” I growled. “Am I clear?”

Vir nodded.

“Good,” I said, the feeling fading. “We’re still going to get the Idol back. Then we can use it on Lars, or we find a way to get my parents back without it. Either way, we’re not leaving them with him.”

The Champion of Amunlea stood in the center of the grand opening to Aaron’s penthouse staring at me silently.

“Whatever,” I said, turning on my heel and walking away.

“Where are you going?” Vir asked, speaking at last.

“To get more information,” I growled, heading for one of the guest rooms.