Chapter 29

Luc and I traversed the woods, taking sharp, angled turns and doubling back frequently to throw off anyone following our trail.

"Do you know where you’re going?"

“I know it’s a safe route. Well, safer. We never patrolled these regions, so it should be fine.”

Hearing him use the term we, in connection to the monsters who’d captured us, sickened my stomach. I had to remind myself that he’d been coerced into working for them, just as I had.

A rickety bridge stretched across a small creek and over boggy land. Swathing mist hid the other side from view. I started across it, but Luc paused, holding back.

“I’m not walking through that. I don’t like that we can’t see the other side.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “You really do need to pick your hero moments more conveniently. Like now for instance.”

Luc finally followed me, but it wasn’t until we’d gotten two-thirds of the way across that I realized it was a bad idea.

The bridge beneath our feet cracked and splintered. We tumbled and crashed through at least three layers of rotting wood until we landed on the soggy ground with a bone-crushing thud.

Blistering pain shot through me. When I could draw breath into my lungs, I muttered, “Great plan.”

Everything hurt, even my skin felt ablaze. I was sore and battered. My insides on fire. Even the cool, wet mud covering me felt painful.

“Are you badly hurt?” Luc had pushed to his feet and was now standing by my side. His raspy male voice rang in my ears, although he'd spoken quietly.

“I thought you said this route was safe,” I groaned, attempting to roll onto my side.

He frowned, reaching for me. “It's mostly safe,” he said.

I shook my head, curse words forming on my tongue as I shoved his hand away. “Well, here's a newsflash. Mostly safe isn't safe enough."

“Hey, I was the one who advised against taking the bridge. Remember?”

I managed to drag myself upright, but when I put weight on my foot I cried out as a sharp pain shot up my leg. I limped to the nearest tree and leaned against it, while Luc squatted to look at my ankle. “Is it broken?”

“If it is, it will heal.” Only, I didn’t know how long that would take. I could feel the weakness of my powers. It would take some time to restore them, especially after healing Abby. Holding my breath, I pushed off the tree trunk and hobbled toward the light. For hours I limped along, leaning on Luc for support, as we made our way back toward the town.

Noises rustled in the distance. We froze. Then Luc grabbed my hand and pulled me into an abandoned storm tunnel.

“We have to keep moving.” I groaned, inching deeper into the tunnel. The crumbling concrete opening was coated with moss and living things, long ago reclaimed by the forest surrounding it. “I’m not going to hide in here forever.”

The light was fading, and with it, my chance of finding a place to cross back into the Nevermore. A short time ago, the veil could be found at many points throughout the forest. Now only one place remained. The one held open by the Shades. I had to find it.

“Venus, wait.” Luc lifted my arm and wrapped it around his neck, then circled my waist with his other arm. "Hold onto me," he insisted.

I was not in a position to refuse. We hobbled deeper into the tunnels, splashing through the filthy water, through reek and waste, rotting walls and rodents. It was all I could do not to throw up the little stomach content I had. But there was no time for that either. We had to get out. I had to get home, to warn the people I cared about what was coming.

Eventually the smell and debris lessened. When we reached the edge, daylight hit my eyes like a slap. It took a while to see anything other than the blinding white light. But as soon as I could focus, I limped away from Luc into the day. He grabbed me and pulled me back. “Are you insane? We can’t just walk out in the light like that. We'll be seen.”

I pushed back at him. He'd helped me escape, sure, but he was at least partially to blame for me being captured in the first place, so I wasn't about to cut him a lot of slack now. “Seen by who? No one from the institute is out here. Isn’t that what you said? That they'll be searching the other routes and the woods surrounding the property?”

“Maybe,” he said, squinting out into the light. “But we can't be sure. Let's stay here until nightfall. Once it’s dark, we can get you safely—”

“We have very different definitions of that word.”

“—into the forest. And from there...”

“I can go home.” At least, I hoped I could. I'd long since passed the agreed upon return time. If the Shades still had full control of the veil, they might let me come through. Or they might not. What else could I do but try?

I eyed him darkly. “Guess you’re out of the MBD club now,” I said, “So I need you to check on Vivienne for me in case Abby doesn’t reach her. Swear to me you'll warn her about all of this.” I hated trusting him, leaving something so important to a frenemy, but I was short on options.

“Venus, I swear it. I know you don’t have much reason to believe me, but I—” He shook his head, a tormented expression clouding his face. “I had no idea what they were planning. I thought...”

“What? That they were all about love and light and kittens? That they’d use a syringe to extract magic from a witch’s soul? Are you truly that naïve?” I snapped.

He fell silent.

I loosed a breath I hadn't realized I’d been holding. “But you got me out of there, so for that, I don't totally despise you.”

“You should.”

“Well, don’t talk me back into it now.” I nudged him. “I'm thirsty and dizzy and in pain, and I’m half-trusting you to help get us through this alive.” My whole body swayed a little.

“Here.” Luc’s arm supported my waist, and he led me deeper into the cave to lean against the wall. “I'll find us some food and water once the sun has set.”

It felt good to sit, and for the first time in all of this, I could breathe and think and feel something other than pain and rage. I stared at him, watching his dark eyes blaze in that way I’d first found so attractive. I nodded, nibbling my bottom lip. “And what will we do until sunset?”

He lifted his head and gazed around. “We can…sit.” He shrugged. “Over there. There's a platform.”

We climbed onto a slab of concrete, just large enough for the two of us, and far enough removed from the cesspool beneath us. He'd taken off his jacket to wrap it around me, and it hung loosely past my hips. We were cold and damp and exhausted, and yet strangely more alive. Like we’d been electrified, a million volts zapping through our nervous system, I could feel the thrum of his energy every time we touched.

“Here, let's sit.” He leaned back against the wall and pulled me down to sit in front of him. The warmth of his chest was too inviting not to lean into. We stayed like that for some time, with nothing but our rapid breath filling the darkness.

The agonizing pain in my ankle had dulled to a deep pain, enough to allow other senses to filter into my awareness. The pounding of my heart, the adrenaline still pulsing through me. The proximity of Luc's chest as I leaned back against him for support. The small piece of higher ground he'd secured us, away from the smelly waters and rats. And the imminent danger we were in. It all added up to something neither one of us could hold back.

“What's going to happen to you after this?” I twisted to look at him. He glanced down at me, his gaze intense and probing.

“Don't know. They’ll probably try to have me killed.”

I nodded. That was likely. But something in me thought it unfair. In a way, he'd been duped by these monsters. And while I faulted him for so much, I couldn't ignore the part of me that still saw him as the boy who'd taken me out. My first real date. My first human kiss.

“They can only kill you if they catch you.”

“Don’t suggest that I come with you. I’ve heard way too much about your world.” He laughed. “Think I’d rather take my chances here. Least I know what to expect from human monsters.”

I laughed, too, my head feeling light and spacey as I looked at him. "Our date started out promising,” I murmured. "I've never been with a human boy before."

"And I've never been with a witch."

His brows creased a little as though trying to hold back something he no longer could.

For a few beats we stayed like that, our gazes entwined, then, without another word, we lay back against the cool concrete.

He was damp, rumpled, and warm, and in the stagnant air, he still smelled like a rainforest.

I nestled in closer, slipping out of his jacket and draping it over us. Then in the darkness, his mouth found mine.

He pulled back a little. “Venus…” His voice wavered.

But I refused to let him speak. I kissed him again, pressing closer, so close I could feel the rapid thud of his heart against my chest.

Adrenaline had made every cell in my body icy clear. I felt like I'd been torn to shreds and put back together again, wrong. All wrong. The wrongness of it was a powerful jab to the ribs, but the need to kiss him again was more powerful.

“Just kiss me,” I whispered. And I kissed him again, deeper, longer, and it was wrong, and not wrong, because he was here, and I was here, and this was all we had. Right here. Right now. This moment.

“Venus…” Again he stopped, drawing back just enough to look at me. “That other guy you mentioned...” He searched my face.

“He's not mine. Never really was, never will be,” I murmured, and I surprised myself because I really meant it. For the first time I could remember, I felt free from Adrius and free from the curse binding us together.

Luc held me on top of him and gently pushed the damp hair over my shoulder. My fingers trailed across his jaw, over his lips; his warmth spread through me like the summer sun. He pressed a kiss into my palm. Shivers of adrenaline and fear and desire skated through me as I dipped my head toward his. He released a pent-up breath as his resistance snapped, and he pulled me onto him.

His mouth found mine as his hands slid down my waist. This wasn’t like kissing Adrius, or even Zanthiel, so laden with history and memory and pain. I pulled back a little to watch him, and his face was lit with something like desire, something like fear, something like need.

The weight of the world melted from my shoulders. My eyes fluttered closed. And for the first time I could remember, I tasted true freedom with my whole being.

****

Sometime in the quiet dimness, I'd fallen asleep. I awoke with a start, so sudden it made my head throb. Everything ached; my muscles burned. It was bitterly cold in the stillness, yet, still in Luc’s arms, I felt warm.

Suddenly, too warm.

It felt all wrong.

I have to get out of here. Leave this world at once.

Night must have fallen by now, and it would help keep me hidden from the witch hunters. My magic felt shaky and faint, but it was there, if I desperately needed it. It was time. And I had to go alone.

I slipped out of Luc’s arms and stood. My ankle was raw, but much improved, as I stumbled into his jacket.

The mouth of the cave was obscured by darkness. It was time. I lowered myself from our safe, dry loft, back into the murky tunnel below, and trudged for the entry. The fresh air hit me at once, and while the stars were hidden behind a barrage of clouds, the moon managed to shine just enough light to point me in the direction I needed to go. The forest lay up ahead. Not far. I could make it. I limped along, faster now that my ankle was healing. Once wrapped in the seclusion of the towering evergreens, I exhaled. So close. So close now I could feel it. Just a little further. Deeper. As far from human eyes as I could go.

I allowed myself a small thought of Luc. Would he come after me? I hoped not. It was better this way. He couldn’t come with me, and he had a chance to escape now. Get free of their tyranny if he chose to. I had no time for guilt or remorse, or feelings of any sort. I had to get back.

An hour or more had passed. I'd covered a lot of ground. I was well within the forest now, far enough away from the MBD and their bloodhounds. Away from Greenbalm and his henchmen. My only worry now was whether or not I could pass through the veil. I reached out my hands, feeling for the shimmer of magic that surrounded every entry point. I felt it, just a hint of it. Air rushed from my lungs in a sigh of relief. The veil was open to me, which meant someone on the other side was waiting. I trudged further, almost at the place where the two worlds merged into one. I stopped to looked around me.

I thought I'd gone far enough into the forest to safely get back home. It wasn’t until a hand grabbed my sore ankle and dragged me to the ground that I realized I had not gotten far enough.