Chapter 121

Charles

The gravel crunched as we slowed and drifted between the warehouses toward the open area. The warehouse stood looking more like a ruin than anything that was still being used. Behind it, the house, which once served as a ticket booth to the preserve, now stood deserted, its windows and doors silent, yet there was a foreboding in the air that set us on edge as we ventured further into the forest.

I could feel it in my bones, the unease that came with the stench of blood. We stopped the jeep a few feet from the entrance of the preserve near the black car that had pulled in front of City Hall and took Eason.

"Be on your guard. Remember, the priority is finding Eason." I checked my gear. "Seraphina thinks that the ritual that's being used requires a bit more involvement than just his death. Incantations, proper preparation, etc. Alpha Shadow isn't going to blow up Mooncrest without being absolutely sure if we're right."

I didn't want to think about what would happen if I was wrong. We followed the trail into the forest. The drops of black liquid on the ground were steady, but there was only the faintest scent of blood. They must have punched him in the face or something.

The forest seemed to close in around us as we delved deeper. The canopy overhead filtered the fading light, casting long shadows that seemed to whisper secrets hidden within the trees. The scent of damp earth and pine needles hung heavy in the air, mixing with the ominous tang of blood that seemed to be growing stronger.

I clenched my jaw.

"Your Majesty?"

"I know," I said. "We need to move quickly."

We proceeded carefully, taking to the shadows and following the trail. The silence in the woods was oppressive, only broken by the rustling of leaves and the distant sound of birds.

I couldn't shake the feeling that danger lurked around the next turn, yet I knew we had to push forward as quickly as possible.

We came to a clearing, and there, amid the towering trees, lay a scene of horror. Blood-soaked earth, signs of a fierce struggle, and a half-fallen tree. The tang of magic still lingered.

Eason must have had at least a little training. I kneeled, trying to get a scent from the blood. It wasn't all Eason's, but there was some of his mingled in. The fact that there wasn't a body was a different problem.

"Hell of a fight," someone said behind me.

"Bad sign," I replied. "He's probably burning through whatever energy he's got left from breakfast."

He'd be unconscious and completely helpless soon.

We continued forward and fanned out, searching for any signs that they'd deviated from the path. There were tracks and signs of more of a struggle. Bullet holes and more blood. This time, more of it was Eason.

He'd tried to escape, but based on the drag marks, he hadn't gotten far before they shot him.

"Not enough blood for a fatal shot. Thigh?"

"Probably," I said. "Alpha Shadow wouldn't be using a gun... This is Kalen's work."

"Good or bad?"

"Hopeful," I said. "So long as we get to Kalen and Eason before Alpha Shadow does."

As we pressed on, the forest's oppressive silence turned tense. As we approached the mouth of the cave, I could hear a gasping sound. It was more pronounced but still too far and getting farther. The unmistakable scent of Eason's magic hung heavy in the air, confirming we were on the right track, but there was no time for relief.

I felt them before they moved, before anyone lifted their weapons, and I was lifting my weapon before they leaped out of the shadows of the rocky formations, wielding makeshift weapons, desperation etched across their faces. As their first blows landed, I cursed. They weren't trying to stop us, exactly, so much as distract us, stall us. We fought for only a few moments before the attacking force broke into a run into the entrance of the cave.

"Pair up. After them!" We followed, and I hissed as they broke apart and started darting in multiple directions. I took center with one other following behind me. I heard the other pairs going after the others. My heart was pounding as we rushed after them through the darkness.

They had to be witches, too, or they had magical tools that let them see in the dark. Werewolves didn't have the same kind of night vision as lycans. The passage twisted and curved before opening to a slightly larger area. "Shit," I said, my gaze catching sight of the glowing lines snaked and twisted between boxes of what could only be explosives. I slowed down, torn between continuing the chase and trying to do something about the explosives.

I tapped my earpiece, calling Seraphina.

"Your Majesty," my partner hissed. I turned as more people started to come out of the other entrances to the area, wielding random pipes and chains. I stowed my gun.

"I'll take the left?" I asked.

She nodded, her eyes glinting in the dark.

Then, they lunged. I slammed my fist into one of their faces and followed with a sharp kick. I heard breaking bones and the splatter of blood, the clink of teeth bouncing on the ground. The smell of blood grew thicker. These witches weren't trained. Hell, I wasn't even convinced they were supernatural, but none of that mattered. We managed to incapacitate most of them, leaving them unconscious on the cold cave floor. But a few managed to slip away, making their escape through the dimly lit passages.

My instincts urged me to pursue, to apprehend the fleeing figures. However, my partner turned back to the cluster of bombs.

"Charles?" Seraphina asked. "Are you there?"

"We're in the cave system. I can't even smell the sewers yet," I turned, opening the visual transmission so she could see.

"Any chance we could diffuse these?" I asked.

She hummed thoughtfully as I swept my gaze over the structure.

"They're not gunpowder," my partner said, scoffing. "Magical for sure... Sinister. These are part of the ritual."

I set my jaw. "Seraphina?"

"It's part of the outer circle, a support to one of the pillars. You touch this, and it could all blow. You'll need to disassemble the pillars."

I didn't remember much about ritual construction, but Seraphina described what the pillars of the ritual would look like. I passed the information on through the communication network and turned towards the paths that the attackers had escaped.

"I think I found one. Blue, not red, right?" He cursed. "But I don't know enough magical transcription."

"Blake," I said. "Can you locate where he is in relation to where I am?"

"On it... About three miles east and two hundred feet down."

"There's another level?" Someone hissed.

I wished that was the main problem. "How far is everyone else who has found a support."

She rattled off the directions, and my stomach turned. If all the supports we'd found were attached to the one pillar we'd found, it wasn't looking good for us.

"At that distance, it'll take us hours just to sweep this section of the sewer, never mind the cave system..."

"... are you even sure you're in the outer circle of the ritual or the outer circle of this pillar?" Blake asked in my ear.

Seraphina huffed. "Give me some time, and I can work it out."

"Ask Ethan if he knows anything about the size. They attacked surrounding packs. It's possible that we're not on the outer circle."

Which meant that the plan was so much bigger than we first thought.

"Seraphina, walk them through disabling that pillar. The rest of the teams are to put markers down." I switched over and nodded towards one of the cave entrances, taking a deep breath and moving on until I caught even the faintest scent of Eason. We went through the right passage.

"Unit Crown requesting back up at the reserve. As many as can be spared with magical training, specifically rituals."

As we continued through the passageway, my chest grew tighter. As we passed another support, following the scent of blood, I called Grace.

"Has he moved?"

"Not much. They're still in the same area. Are you near? Is there anything I can do to give you better direction?"

"Can you tell me how deep underground he is?" I asked as he turned another corner. "I'm on the trail, but it's fading."

"What does that mean?"

"That it's old or being overpowered," I said. "How deep Grace?"

"I don't know, at least a few hundred....wait, he's being moved."

I cursed and picked up the pace. "Time is running out. I need you to do something, and it might feel like a lot, but I think you're in the best position to do it."

"What's that?"

"Alpha Shadow is going to make his speech in tomorrow sometime. Get the details from Ethan. It's unlikely I'll be coming up before then, but I need you to stall for time."

She hesitated, then her voice came through, strong, determined.

"I have a plan."