As Darkness Falls by Riley Storm

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ilooked around the table. Everyone was there, sitting as they had been for the past hour while I went over the plan. None of them had said a word.

“Does everyone understand?”

Immediately, the table burst into chaos as everyone started voicing their dislike at once. Aaron was the loudest, followed closely by Vir. Even Aaron’s team seemed unenthused by the idea, though they at least stayed seated, unlike the other two, who were on their feet protesting.

After it had gone on for around thirty seconds, I leaned in and slammed a palm on the table. The crack of the impact shocked everyone into momentary silence.

“Let me make one thing clear,” I said, my gaze hard, pinning each one of them to their seats in turn. “I did not ask if you liked the plan. I asked if you understood it.”

Silence.

“Does anyone not understand the plan?” I asked in a gentle voice, a trap for the unwary who might think they could speak about something else.

One by one, they met my hard stare, and one by one, they nodded.

“Good,” I said. “So, everyone understands the part they are to play in this?”

Grumbled affirmatives came, again from everyone.

“Good,” I repeated, forcing a smile on my face. “Now, I understand some of you might have some objections.”

I raised a hand to stop them before they started. The last thing I needed to do was lose control of the table, and I would certainly do that if I let them all start speaking at once.

“One at a time,” I said. “Understood? That’s how we’re going to do this. I’ll point at you, and you tell me your thoughts. And, of course, I’m sure you’ll also provide me with advice on how to fix the problems you see.”

Several faces frowned, but I could tell they weren’t ready to cave.

“Okay. Let’s start with you five,” I said, waving my hand at the various members of Aaron’s team. “Jaxton? Fred? Pieter? Alexi? Any objections?”

“What about me?” Dave protested.

I looked at him. “We all know you don’t have any objections, Dave,” I joked. “You just go where you’re told.”

Muted laughter broke out at the table at the jab, but it faded quickly. Still, it was a good sign.

“No major criticisms, ma’am,” Fred said, seemingly speaking for the group. “A few minor suggestions, but those can be covered later if the rest of the plan doesn’t change. Otherwise, we just go where he goes.”

Fred pointed at Aaron. That was about all I’d expected from them anyway. It seemed that whatever hold Aaron had over them, it was fairly complete. Which meant I had to get Aaron on board as well.

“Thank you, Fred,” I said, turning my gaze next to Aaron. May as well deal with him now. “And what about you?”

Aaron sat back in his chair. “I don’t like it.”

I sighed. “No kidding. I hadn’t picked up on that. Care to use a few more words?”

“It’s too many people,” Aaron said. “We shouldn’t go in such strong numbers. It would probably be best if I went alone.”

“No,” I said with an authority I didn’t particularly feel. “Not happening. We need the Idol to rescue my parents. I’m going along to ensure that we get that Idol back safe and sound. End of story, so don’t bother arguing it.”

Aaron grimaced. “Fine,” he said. “Then it should just be the two of us. We get in, we get out, and we come back here with the Idol. Nobody else.”

“Absolutely not,” Vir objected from across the table, placing his palms down, leaning forward. “I will not allow her to enter that place without someone who can get her out.”

“I can get her out,” Aaron hissed icily.

“Not as well as I could,” Vir snarled.

“You can’t even get her in there without me,” Aaron pointed out. “What makes you think you can get her out?”

“I can protect her better,” Vir said.

“Knock it off,” I said, rubbing my temples. “Both of you. Seriously. This is the plan. Unless either of you has an honest-to-goodness workable, viable alternative, then we’re going with it. Now, do you?”

I put my hands on my hips, surveying both of them. Most of me really wanted one, or both of them, to speak up. It’s not that I wanted to go through with this plan. I hated the plan. Going to the Underworld? Stealing from Hades? Not something I usually tried to do on a Sunday afternoon. So, another plan would be ideal.

Unfortunately for mortal ol’ me, none of them spoke up. That meant the plan was a go.

“Okay, break time, then,” I said. “Go start making lists of what you’re going to need. The sooner we can depart, the sooner my parents are free from that lunatic Lars. Thank you.”

Aaron’s team immediately got up and filed out without a word. They knew they didn’t want to be around for what came next. I was expecting an argument from Aaron and Vir, and not a nice one. Both were old creatures who had been around for a long time and thought they knew best. They would try to convince me of that.

So, when Aaron got up and followed his team, I stared in shock, barely able to keep my jaw from dropping open. I had not foreseen that. Not at all.

“I take it you have some more reservations?” I said to the sole remaining occupant.

“You never asked me about mine,” he pointed out.

“You spoke out of turn,” I retorted.

“I’m sorry,” Vir said.

Another surprise.

“I don’t like this plan, though, Dani.” He chewed on his lower lip for a moment, a very human action. “It’s not good.”

“Of course, it’s not good, Vir,” I said. “Don’t you think I know that already? Give me some credit. I can tell it’s a shit plan. Unfortunately, Lars is holding all the cards right now. And since I’m not about to let him keep my parents imprisoned, we have to go with the plan available to us.”

“There are a lot of ways it could go wrong. A lot of things have to go perfectly right, and I’m not just talking about our trip to the Underworld. If Lars gets a sniff of what’s going on… It’s going to be bad.”

“I know,” I said. “But, again, what else can we do but have faith? Trust in the others. It has to happen this way, Vir. I don’t like it any more than you do. I have a hard time trusting everyone involved, but I have to. Because the alternative is worse.”

Vir grimaced.

“What is it?” I pushed when he didn’t say anything. Something else was bugging him.

“Dani,” he said quietly, meeting my eyes. “I’m nervous.”

I didn’t argue with him. It was plain to see. His eyes, normally so strong and confident, were darkened, the blue shifting more toward the deeps of the ocean. I’d never seen him so rattled.

“What are you nervous about? Another emotion you’re unused to?”

Vir nodded. “Yes.”

“What is it you’re nervous about?” I asked, curious to see what was going on in his mind.

“It’s not a what,” he said slowly. “But a who. You.”

The tension in the room ratcheted up immediately. I had to work to steady my next breath, taking it in slow and easy so I didn’t inhale sharply with surprise. I needed to be careful here so I didn’t let myself succumb. It wouldn’t be easy. The Soulbond was pulsing strongly in the back of my head, urging me to go to him, succor him. Give him comfort that only I could give.

No. We’re going to keep our distance. Now is not the time for this.

“That’s your Soulbond talking,” I said, trying to casually wave it off.

“I know,” Vir said, still looking straight at me as if he could see my soul through my skin. “I’ve analyzed that much. But it’s…unusual, Dani. I don’t know how to handle it. There’s a huge part of me that wants to force you to stay behind. To go and do this myself, so that you can be here. So that you’re safe. But there’s a whole different side of me that knows having you along would be helpful.”

I fought back a smile as I listened to him logically describing a warring of the mind and the heart.

“But I know both cannot be true at the same time,” Vir said. “And it leaves me nervous. And confused.”

“Your mind is warring with your heart,” I said. “It happens a lot in humans or half-humans like shifters. We feel one thing, but our minds know that something else is the correct choice. Yet, we have a hard time convincing ourselves of it.”

“Yes!” Vir exclaimed. “Yes, that’s it precisely. But…it can’t be.”

“Why not?”

“Well, I don’t have a heart,” he said. “I’m a god. I’m not really real.”

“Are you?” I asked.

Vir blinked, his eyes going wide. “I don’t know. This is all new to me. Maybe?”

“You need to figure it out,” I said quietly, passing by him to leave the room. I knew that if I stayed I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from consoling him. And if I consoled him, I would hug him, and if I hugged him…

“We need you along on this mission. We can’t do it without you.”

“It’s so reckless,” he protested. “Please, Dani. Let me find another way. Something that keeps you safe.”

I shook my head. “There’s one other thing you need to learn about humans and having a partnership.”

“What’s that?” he asked eagerly.

“You have to learn to trust in us. To let us go, sometimes, even if you want something else.”

This was treading dangerously close to acceptance that the Soulbond was forever, and I couldn’t deal with that. Not now. I had too much else going on. Maybe once my parents were safe, I would have time and mental capacity. But not now. I needed to shut it down.

Vir opened his mouth to say more, and I knew I’d have to cut him off. Perhaps even sharply.

But both of us were saved as someone knocked at the door, and Jo stuck her head in.

“Sorry, I have to go,” I told Vir, heading for Jo, who was looking back and forth between us.

It was the coward’s way out, but I didn’t care. I took it anyway.