Chapter 34 THE IN-BETWEEN
CHAPTER 034: THE IN-BETWEEN
Falling feels like flying in reverse.
The wind screams past my ears. My stomach drops into my feet. The ground rushes up to meet us.
I should be terrified but all I feel is calm.
This is it. This is how I get Kieran back.
The boys hold my hands tight. Their presence steady even as we plummet toward certain death.
Then everything stops.
Not a crash. Not an impact. Just a sudden absence of motion.
I open my eyes.
We're not falling anymore. We're floating in darkness. Complete. Absolute. No up or down. No ground or sky. Just void.
"What the hell?" Cassian's voice comes from my right.
"We're in the between," I say. "The space separating life and death."
"This is what dying feels like?" Alaric sounds disturbed. "I don't remember this."
"That's because vampires don't die like humans," Zev says. His voice is calm. Clinical. "They transition. This is different. This is actual death."
"So we're dead?" Cassian asks.
"Not yet. We're dying. There's a difference."
As if responding to my words light begins to bleed into the darkness. Not warm light. Cold. Blue. Like moonlight filtered through ice.
Shapes form in the distance. A landscape that shouldn't exist. Twisted trees with black bark and silver leaves. A sky that pulses like a heartbeat. Mountains made of shadow and bone.
The Hollow King's realm.
"There," I point. "That's where we need to go."
"How do we get there?" Alaric asks. "We're just floating."
"We will ourselves forward. This place responds to intention."
I think about moving and suddenly I am. Gliding through the void toward that impossible landscape.
The boys follow. We drift together through the space between worlds.
As we get closer I feel it. A pull. Something familiar calling to me.
Kieran.
"I can feel him," I gasp.
"Where?" Cassian demands.
"Everywhere. He's everywhere." I close my eyes and focus. The pull strengthens. "No wait. That way. He's that way."
We angle toward a structure rising from the twisted landscape. A tower. Black stone. No windows. Just one door at the base.
"That looks ominous," Zev mutters.
"Everything here looks ominous," Alaric points out.
We touch down on solid ground. The moment my feet hit the surface pain shoots through my body.
I gasp and double over.
"Thalira!" Alaric grabs my arm.
"I'm okay. It's just the rebirth starting. My body is already healing back in the real world."
"Then we don't have much time," Cassian says. "Once you fully resurrect we'll get pulled back."
"Then let's move."
We run toward the tower. The door is massive. Made of the same black stone as the walls.
I push but it doesn't budge.
"Locked," I say.
"Step aside." Alaric moves in front of me. He slams his shoulder into the door. It cracks but holds.
Cassian joins him. Together they hit it again. This time it splinters.
One more strike and it crashes inward.
We rush inside.
The tower is hollow. Empty except for a spiral staircase that winds up into darkness.
And at the base of the stairs stands the Hollow King.
"Hello daughter. I've been expecting you."
We all freeze.
"How are you here?" I demand. "You should still be trapped."
"I am trapped." He gestures around. "This is my prison. My realm. But it's also my domain. Here I am god."
"Gods can die," I say.
He smiles. "Yes but you've already tried that. How did it work out?"
"I'm still here aren't I?"
"For now." His eyes flick to the boys. "And you brought friends. How thoughtful. I'll have companions after I tear you apart."
Alaric moves in front of me. "You're not touching her."
"I don't need to touch her. She came to me willingly. Jumped off a tower to get here." The Hollow King's smile widens. "Thank you for that by the way. Saved me the trouble of dragging you here myself."
My blood runs cold. "What are you talking about?"
"Did you really think I didn't plan for this?" He laughs. "The moment you died and opened a portal you gave me exactly what I wanted. A bridge back to the mortal world. And when you resurrect that bridge stays open."
"No. My mother said—"
"Your mother is a fragment. A ghost. She told you what she thought was true but she's been dead for seventeen years. She doesn't understand how my magic has evolved."
He takes a step closer. None of us move.
"When you go back you'll pull me through with you. And this time there will be no stopping me. No last minute saves. Just me walking into your world and taking everything I want."
"I won't let you."
"You don't have a choice. It's already done." He gestures and the air behind him ripples. A window forms showing the real world. The academy. My body lying on the ground beginning to glow.
"See? You're already coming back. And when you do I'll be right behind you."
"Then I won't go back," I say. "I'll stay here. Stay dead."
"And abandon your friends? Your precious Kieran?" He shakes his head. "You're not that selfless. You'll go back. You always do."
Cassian's flames ignite. "Where's Kieran?"
The Hollow King's eyes flick to him. "The wolf? He's upstairs. Top of the tower. Alive. Mostly."
"What does that mean mostly?" I demand.
"It means he's been here for hours which is years in this realm. Time moves differently. He's been fighting my influence the entire time. Holding onto his humanity." The Hollow King's expression turns thoughtful. "Impressive really. Most break within minutes."
"Let him go."
"Why would I do that? He makes excellent bait."
Alaric moves first. Vampire speed carrying him straight at the Hollow King.
But the Hollow King just waves his hand and Alaric crashes into an invisible wall. He hits the ground hard.
"You're in my realm now vampire. Your powers mean nothing here."
Zev's dream magic pulses outward but it fizzles the moment it touches the Hollow King.
Cassian's flames sputter and die.
We're powerless.
"Did you really think you could fight me here?" The Hollow King sounds almost disappointed. "This place is made of my will. My power. You're insects trying to fight a storm."
"Then why haven't you killed us yet?" I ask.
He pauses. "Because killing you defeats the purpose. I need you alive to maintain the bridge. And them?" He looks at the boys. "They're leverage. Insurance that you'll behave when we return."
"I'll never help you."
"You already did." He turns back to the window. My body is glowing brighter now. "Any moment now."
I feel it. The pull. Yanking me back toward life. Toward resurrection.
"No," I gasp. "Not yet."
"Yes. Now."
The pull intensifies. My form starts to fade.
"Thalira!" Cassian reaches for me but his hand passes through mine.
"I'm sorry," I choke out. "I'm so sorry."
Then I'm ripped backward. Through the void. Through the between. Back into my body.
I gasp and sit up.
I'm on the ground at the base of the astronomy tower. Sofia and Morgana are kneeling beside me.
"She's back!" Sofia shouts.
People rush over. Healers. Faculty. Students.
But I barely see them. Because behind me the air is tearing open. A portal forming where none should exist.
And stepping through it is the Hollow King.
He looks more solid here. More real. His red eyes scan the gathered crowd.
"Hello," he says with a smile. "Miss me?"
Chaos erupts. People scatter. Some try to fight but he waves them away like insects.
"Where's Thalira?" he calls out. "Ah there you are."
He starts walking toward me.
Sofia and Morgana try to block him but he passes through them like they're not there.
"Stop," I croak. My voice barely works.
"Why would I stop? I've waited lifetimes for this moment."
He reaches down and hauls me to my feet. His grip is ice.
"Now then. Let's discuss the terms of your surrender."
"I'll never surrender."
"You say that now but you will. Because I have something you want."
He gestures and three more figures step through the portal.
Alaric. Cassian. Zev.
They're bound in chains made of shadow. Unconscious or dead I can't tell.
"Your boys," the Hollow King says. "Safe. For now. But if you don't cooperate that changes quickly."
"Don't hurt them."
"Then do what I say."
Another figure stumbles through the portal. This one on his own feet but barely.
Kieran.
He's covered in blood and wounds. His eyes are wild. Feral. Like he's barely holding onto his humanity.
But he's alive.
"Kieran!" I try to run to him but the Hollow King's grip tightens.
"Not yet. First we negotiate. Then you can have your wolf back. Maybe."
Kieran's eyes find mine. For a moment they clear. He mouths something. I can't hear it but I can read his lips.
"Run."
Then he shifts.
Fully. Completely. Into his wolf form.
But something's wrong. He's bigger than before. Darker. His fur is matted with shadow.
The Hollow King's realm changed him.
"Ah," the Hollow King says. "How unfortunate. It seems the wolf broke after all."
Kieran lunges.
Not at the Hollow King.
At me.