Chapter 6

I looked back to the palace that was at the top of the road. If anyone had told me I’d be out on a stroll with Alterealm’s princesses a week ago, I would have sent them to medical to have a brain scan.

“At least the weather is nice.” Bethany said.

Daxx stopped and looked back at Tim. “Is it ever not here?”

He grinned. “You’ve been here since spring.”

Daxx nodded. “This is fall now?” She turned to Alona, “how long have we been here?”

Alona hesitated for a moment. “I have no idea. It feels like a minute some days, then eons the next.”

“Does it snow here?” Kara turned around to look at her guard.

Bart nodded. “It does snow in Alterealm.” He motioned around us. “Not in this area though.”

“I can’t wait to see snow.” Crissy sounded excited. “Vic said we would go to the cabin when it does.”

“There’s a cabin?” Paisley snapped another picture of the view, then tucked her phone away.

“It’s called the cabin, but it’s more of an estate in the northern mountains.” Felix said.

“An estate.” Daxx looked at Alona.

“Who do we speak with to find out what the family owns, I wonder.” Alona mused quietly.

“I’ve barely adjusted to a palace. I don’t know if I can digest anymore.” Reagan said with a grin.

“There’s a path this way.” Autumn stopped walking.

“Is there a shortcut down?” Daxx looked from the path to the road. “This feels like it could take all day on this road.”

“If I were on team bad, I would use a path and stay off the road.” Bethany said as she nodded.

“Makes sense.” Autumn started walking down the path.

I looked up at Woods, wondering if the guards should go first. He gave a brief shake of his head. Sighing, I continued to follow without comment.

“That is a pretty lake.” Paisley took a picture.

“It’s a bit swampy in that area, princess.” Felix said loud enough she’d hear.

Her shoulders slumped. “That’s too bad, it looks so nice from up here.”

“We are not going near any water.” Kara said looking at Crissy.

Crissy nodded. “Water and floating rocks.”

“That.” Kara pointed at her then looked around slowly.

“Maybe the floating rocks were the portal markers Arwan was using?” Reagan offered.

Crissy stopped and looked at the ground. “I don’t think those were it.” She looked back to her, “the markers. They weren’t big enough.”

“How big are these floating rocks, Criss?” Daxx didn’t look happy.

“Big.” Crissy nodded and started walking again.

“Oh jeeze.” Daxx hissed out a breath and followed.

I looked at Bronx. “Floating rocks?” I kept my voice down.

He nodded. “Her latest visions are of bad water and floating rocks.”

I opened my mouth to comment, then realized there was nothing I could really say. “Got it.” I said softly, then stared at a boulder as we went past. I was beginning to second guess my decision to tag along. Standing around the palace in case Rena wanted to go somewhere was mind numbing, but at least I didn’t have to worry about bad water and floating rocks—whatever that was.

“It’s like a stream used to run here.” Reagan stopped and looked down at the rut we were standing in. She turned to Derian.

He shrugged, “I don’t know, I was never stationed up here.”

“Is that a cave entrance?” Autumn pointed.

“They love the caves.” Daxx went past her and walked off the path.

I hurried to follow the guards as they rushed to see what they were talking about. My gut was starting to turn into a tight knot. I wasn’t sure why, but something was not right with this whole scene.

“It is another cave.” Kara pulled the case off her back and made fast work of assembling her bow.

I watched the other women get various weapons out, but noted none of the guards were, so I left the blade on my back.

Reagan went over and looked in the cave.

“What do you see?” Daxx watched her intently.

“Green.” Reagan said in an exasperated tone.

“Crap.” Daxx looked at Bethany. “Think you can take a look?”

Bethany nodded, then turned to Reagan. “Can you make yourself invisible and come with me?” She gave her a wide-eyed look. “It freaked me out last time, going in alone.”

Reagan nodded and blew out a breath. “I can only do it for about a minute before I lose focus.” She rubbed her hands together. “Prince Bastian says it’s all about holding the thought in the mind, but apparently my mind is scattered and short term.” She grinned.

I moved away from the guards to stand closer to the women. They may have seen all this before, but it was new for me and more than a little exhilarating. Reagan pulled a surijin from a pouch on her belt. She held the handle in one hand and the weighted end in the other. When she nodded to Bethany, she slowly disappeared. Bethany moved her hand down her own body and vanished as well. Everyone stood silently watching the entrance to the cave. I’d seen a lot in my years, but nothing like that. I glanced around at the other princesses and none of them seemed awed. I lived in a realm where our people could do things that were considered amazing and impossible and now, I was learning that our once human princesses were probably more powerful than my own people. I frowned, I needed to rethink my whole belief about these women—and possibly humans in general.

Bethany appeared first, then Reagan right behind her.

“There’s nothing in there. It’s a long tunnel.” Bethany looked at Reagan. “Was there more haze?”

Reagan nodded. “Yeah. It got thicker as it went down.”

“The tunnel goes down?” Daxx asked, then looked at Tim. “Are the caves in this area mapped out somewhere?”

Tim pulled out his phone, “I can ask.” He tapped the screen, then put the phone to his ear as he stepped away from the group.

“Do we call the guys?” Paisley asked.

Alona tucked her nun-chucks under her arm and hugged her waist. “They’re currently taking turns trying to get more information from Willis and his top people.”

Kara nodded, “Izzy is helping with that. She’s listening in, trying to hear anything useful.”

Daxx put her hands on her hips and looked at the ground. “I don’t want to pull them away from that.”

“We could give them a heads up.” Paisley said. “We have eight,” she looked at me, “nine guards with us, surely that counts for something.” Her look wasn’t as hopeful as her words implied.

Alona nodded slowly. “Who do we call?”

“Neither king.” Daxx said quickly.

“Definitely not Arius.” Paisley added.

“Or Michael.” Autumn looked unamused. “He’ll start talking variables and all that stuff.”

“I’ll call Vic.” Crissy nodded as she pulled out her phone. “He’s the most reasonable one of the brothers.”

Daxx laughed quietly. “Maybe to you.”

“It’s true.” Alona smiled, “he will see the whole picture and has lately been coming to our defense.”

Daxx nodded slowly, then turned back to Crissy. “Okay, Criss. Give it a shot.”

Crissy nodded and started typing on her phone. “I always message first because calling at the wrong time could get his head chopped off.” She glanced up from the phone. “If he’s being justice.” She nodded. “Oh.” She smiled and taped the screen again.

“Heart, what is it?”

She had the phone on speaker. It was strange to hear the justice’s tone so soft.

“Vic, we went for a walk.” She nodded.

“Are you well?”

She nodded. “Yes. I am well.” She said slowly enunciating each word.

“Where are you?”

“We went down the road from the palace toward,” she closed her eyes for a second, “Valena— that little town.”

“Have you found something?” His tone was still soft, but I could hear the concern.

“I think we did.” She looked at the cave entrance. “It’s a cave,” she looked at Bethany, “or could be,” she paused, “Beth and Reagan went in and looked it’s a tunnel leading down.” Daxx pointed to Reagan, “oh and Reagan sees green haze.”

“I see.” The Justice’s tone was harder now.

“We want to go in a look.” Crissy nodded again. “We have nine guards with us and all of our weapons.” She gave Daxx a serious look.

“Am I on speaker?” That tone I knew.

“Yes.” Crissy held the phone up higher.

“Bronx, you are to dial in immediately and keep me posted with each step taken.”

Bronx straightened. “I will.”

“I am going to mute the call on my end. Be aware if anything happens my brothers are not going to be as agreeable as I am.” There was no mistaking the seriousness of his words or tone. “I will inform them when they aren’t otherwise occupied.”

“How’s it going there?” Daxx asked.

“We are getting some viable leads—for the first time.” Victor informed her. “There is still no movement from the tracker placed at the asylum, so that is a small comfort.”

Daxx grinned. “Great. We’ll shout if this turns into anything.”

“Before you get yourselves into a situation would be preferable, Daxx.” He answered.

“Absolutely.” She nodded. “We just can’t sit around doing nothing.”

“I understand. Have care.” The background noise was gone.

Daxx nodded and looked from the phone to Bethany, “how cramped is this tunnel?”

Bethany shrugged, “It’s pretty narrow.”

Daxx nodded, “Okay, lets stagger going in, so we’re not all smushed in a small space.”

I stepped forward, “I think a guard should go first.”

Daxx smirked, then motioned to the entrance. “After you, guard.”

I hadn’t expected her to pick me but wasn’t going to pass the chance to be chosen first. As one of the few female guards, it never happened. Everyone always went with the large men. I pulled the blade from my back and went in. Bethany was right behind me, the sparks arcing from her hands serving to light the way.

I glanced back at her, she smiled, “no flashlight necessary.” She turned, “Rea, you come in behind me, we need to know if the haze gets worse or vanishes.”

“Do we have a game plan if we find Arwan?” Paisley asked softly.

I stopped and glanced behind to see the women come in one after the other. It was too dark to see how far back the rest of the guards were. I sucked in a deep breath, preparing myself to do whatever it took to protect the queens and princesses.

“The green continues.” I heard Reagan say.

I continued down the tunnel. I was no expert, but the walls looked like nature had carved them out, not a man. When my heart wasn’t pounding in my chest, I’d decide if that was a good thing or not. A few steps later I noticed the tunnel was starting to get wider and blew out a quick breath of relief. The worst-case scenario had this tunnel narrowing into a dead end.

“It’s like the walls are coated in green.” Reagan said from behind me.

I breathed another sigh of relief as we entered a small cavern, there was a little more breathing room now. I moved into it, checking as best I could with the low light to make sure we were alone. There was a tunnel leading out the other side, so no dead end.

“What does that mean?” Paisley turned in a circle and looked around the space.

“Maybe this space is protected?” Bethany walked over to the wall and touched it. “Or not.” She whispered.

“Great.” Daxx huffed out a loud breath. “A dead end.”

I frowned and looked from her to the opening on the other side. “Are we following the…” The slate beneath my feet shook as a loud rumbling filled the cavern. I stumbled sideways, trying to keep my balance. Large rocks and stone scattered around my feet. The dust made it hard to see anyone. I stepped back a few steps and after a near miss with one that went past my foot.

When it stopped, I tried to see.

“Hold on.” Bethany coughed, “I’ll give us some light.”