“What’s our next stop?” Dakota ran his hand down Anastasia’s naked back. She was lying on her stomach and at the sound of his voice, opened her eyes.
She sighed. “Number eleven.”
They had given the worlds numbers, since they weren’t entirely sure what creatures lived in each place. This way, when they did figure it out, they could mark it down. Gregory had once visited the different worlds when he was looking for her after Vincent had kidnapped her, but he had never made any notes of them.
“Sounds like fun.” Dakota smiled at her. “What is it?” he asked softly.
“Just thinking about Gregory.” She smiled softly. “I hope I will make him proud.”
“You already have.” Dakota kissed her forehead and then lay back on his pillow. “We will try and knock out two today. Get back on track.”
Anastasia’s mouth tightened. It had been two days since they brought the Jaitu people back. She had drained herself so significantly while she had been healing the injured that neither Carmen nor Dakota would let her continue her mission until she fully recovered. Had she not been risking Dakota’s life, she would have insisted. But past experiences had taught her that going off unprepared was not a smart move. She had to remind herself that this war wasn’t only about her, and she would have to put her own pride aside if she was going to win.
“I hope Vincent hasn’t destroyed them,” she whispered.
“We will figure it out, Ana.”
She nodded. “Your mom seems to be doing much better.”
“Tony’s good for her.”
“She is good for him too.”
Dakota grinned. “I’m glad she’s happy. She deserves it.”
Anastasia was silent for a moment. “What do you think the future holds?”
“For them?”
“For us.”
“Well.” He lay on his back and put an arm behind his head. “I think that we are going to kick Vincent’s ass, get married, and have babies.”
Anastasia smiled. Only Dakota could make it sound so incredibly simple.
“Where do you want to live?”
He looked at her now. “It honestly doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’m with you.”
“Honestly?”
“Have you ever known me to be anything but?”
“True.”
“Do you remember when we were kids and the biggest thing we had to worry about was homework?”
Anastasia smiled but didn’t bring up the fear she had felt every single day of her life. She wasn’t sure she knew how to not be at war. For as long as she could remember, she had been fighting something. Whether it was Mitch, Vincent, Brutes, or any other creature that came her way, her life had been a constant battle. What would it feel like to just live?
A knock on their door had Dakota getting to his feet. “Who could that be this early?”
Anastasia pulled on some clothes and followed him to the door. “What is it?” he asked Robbie.
“There are some men that just showed up saying they escaped from Seattle,” Robbie informed them.
“What’s wrong?” Anastasia stepped forward. She could read Robbie’s mood and he wore the distrust like some men wore cologne.
“It just seems off to me. You could come see.”
Anastasia nodded and she and Dakota strapped on their weapons and followed Robbie down the path and back towards the village.
Tony stood with a group of Fighters near the gate. When they approached, he turned to face them and she got a glimpse at one of the men standing in the center.
“Gage?” Dakota asked, surprised to see their childhood acquaintance in Seattle.
They got closer and Anastasia felt a wave of guilt so strong, it nearly knocked her over.
“What are you doing here?” Dakota asked, and took stock of the three other men who stood with him. Their clothes were torn and they were all covered in dark tattoos and piercings. What was Gage doing with them?
“We were being held in one of Vincent’s prisons, we escaped,” one of the men answered, and held his hand out at Anastasia.
Dakota, not liking the way he was eyeing her, took a step closer to the man and grabbed his hand. “How did you get to Terrenia?”
“He brought us through in a portal about a month ago. We’ve been held in the mountains ever since,” another of the men answered. Gage still hadn’t spoken, and Anastasia narrowed her eyes on his face.
“What’s going on?” Carmen asked as she stepped from her cottage. Anastasia didn’t miss the way one of the tattooed men eyed her grandmother. Something was off here.
“We’ve come for help, ma’am,” the one who had addressed Anastasia said.
“Gage,” Anastasia said softly, and he turned to face her. “Can I talk to you? Alone?”
“We prefer to not be split up.” The man who Anastasia was beginning to think was the leader wrapped his arm around Gage. “We’ve been through a lot together.”
Anastasia offered a smile. “I’m going to need to talk to him, alone,” she repeated.
“Anything you’re going to ask him, you can ask the rest of us.” The man reached towards his pocket and Dakota drew his weapon.
“Woah, man!” the man said, and put his hands up.
Gage looked straight at Dakota. “You’re going to want to kill them.”
“You idiot,” the man said, and punched Gage in the stomach. He reached for his pocket again and Dakota fired. The man fell to the ground and two Fighters put the other two down.
“You want to tell me what the fuck just happened, Gage?” Dakota trained the barrel of his gun on Gage, and Anastasia stepped forward.
“Vincent sent you.” Gage nodded, tears in his eyes. The guilt he was feeling was overpowered by fear, and Anastasia felt the change so quickly it could only mean one thing. “He has your wife and daughter.” Gage nodded again.
“Fuck,” Dakota muttered as he lowered his gun.
“Why did he send you here?”
“I’m supposed to kill your grandmother,” Gage said, and his voice cracked, “or he’s going to kill my Zoey.”
“That sonofabitch,” Tony cursed.
Carmen walked down her steps easily and straight over to Gage. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Gage. We will save them.”
“I couldn’t do it, I can’t kill an innocent woman.”
“He had to know I’m here and that this wouldn’t work,” Anastasia said quickly. “There must have been some kind of backup plan in case we figured it out. Why would he—”
Carmen coughed, and Anastasia turned to see her fall to her knees. She moved towards her and caught the scent of something that was fowl. Within moments, she was choking as well and struggling to breathe. The burn in her throat was only outmatched by the pain in her body as she clutched her head.
“What the fuck is happening?”
“The vial!” Gage dove for the man who Dakota had shot. “Shit!” he yelled when some glass cut his skin. “It’s broken, we have to get it out of here, it’s going to kill them!”
Tony picked up Anastasia and Carmen easily as if they weighed nothing, and carried them into the cottage.
Dakota and Gage got the man’s jacket off of him and wrapped the broken vial into it. Gage took it and ran for the gate. The fighters standing guard opened it and he disappeared outside.
“Go with him and keep an eye out,” Dakota ordered two of the Brutes who had been standing nearby. They nodded and he ran for Carmen’s cottage. Argento walked to him and followed him into the cottage.
Anastasia and Carmen were both breathing regularly again, but the color had drained from their faces.
“That fucking coward,” Anastasia growled, and Dakota noticed her fingers were sparking green. “He sends Gage here to fucking kill us with poison?”
“That was nasty stuff.” Carmen took a drink of whiskey she had poured. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”
Dakota pulled the door open to see Gage on the other side. He pulled him in and slammed him back against the door.
“Dakota,” Anastasia warned, standing, “it’s not his fault.”
“How do we know?”
“I’m not here to hurt anyone. He threatened to kill my family and I still came so I could warn you.”
“Thank you.” Anastasia placed her hand on Dakota’s arm and he released Gage.
“He is going to kill my wife and daughter.” Gage’s voice cracked.
“No he won’t.” Anastasia began to pace as her energy slowly returned to her.
“Why did that vial only affect you two?” Tony asked.
“Vincent made it so it only affected those with magic. He only wanted to take out you two so he could send those vile fear-inducing demons to this world.”
“I know we all know this, but he needs to die a very painful death,” Argento spoke up from the corner.
Tony nodded in agreement.
“We need to save Gage’s family,” Anastasia said easily.
“I need you to beat me up.” Gage crossed his arms over his chest.
“What?” Dakota let out a laugh.
“I need to look like I barely escaped. Then I can get back to my family and rescue them.”
“He will kill you, Gage.”
“Not if he says he killed me first,” Carmen offered.
“What?” Anastasia and Dakota both asked.
“Did Vincent ask for any confirmation we were dead? Or did he just want your word?”
“He has this way of tearing information out of you.” Gage shivered. “I imagine that’s how he was going to get his.”
Carmen nodded and contemplated. “I have an idea.”
Gage portaled into the living room of the penthouse. He was bloody, and barely able to move. Once they had learned of his plan, Anastasia and Dakota had nearly killed him. Gage closed his eyes against the sight of the old woman lying dead on the ground. Why had he done it? Tears fell down his cheeks as he struggled to stand.
“Master!” he heard someone yell, and then felt himself being lifted to his feet.
Oh God, what have I done? he asked himself as images from the day began to come to him. He had killed her! An innocent old woman all because he was afraid. He had to save his family, though; if anything were to happen to them because of him, he would never forgive himself.
“This is interesting,” Vincent said when he entered the room to see Gage sitting up in a chair.
“I did it. Anastasia lives, but the old woman is dead.”
“So you failed.”
“I barely made it out alive and I wanted to bring word to you that—” He choked. “That Anastasia has plans to return to Seattle soon, she is going to try and rally those who live here.”
“Interesting. Let’s see if you’re lying, shall we?” Vincent snapped his fingers and Brutes hauled in Zoey and Izzy. “I don’t think I need to remind you that if you’re lying to me I will kill them where they stand.”
“No, I’m not lying. Please don’t hurt them.”
“We’ll see,” Vincent said, and placed his hand on Gage’s forehead.
The pain that ripped through Gage’s mind as Vincent read his thoughts nearly killed him. Eventually the pain subsided, and Vincent stared down at Gage. “Well, all things considered, you’ve done well.” Gage winced when Vincent reached for him again. “Relax, coward.” He sneered and eased Gage’s pain. “Allow him ten minutes with his family, then send them back down,” he ordered, and stepped from the room.
“Daddy!” Izzy cried, and Gage embraced her when she ran to him.
“Izzy, baby, I love you so much.” He held on to her as tears streamed down his cheeks. Then he lifted her and embraced Zoey.
“Honey, what did he make you do?” she asked, and he turned his head away.
“I had to—” he started, and his voice broke.
“Shhh, it’s okay. We don’t need to talk about it now. You’re safe,” she said easily and kissed him. “We’re all safe.”
But for how long? Gage wondered, knowing they needed to make an escape as soon as they could.
* * *
“Do you think it worked?” Dakota asked Anastasia as they packed.
“I hope so. I’ve never done anything like that. Replacing someone’s memories? I don’t ever want to do it again.”
“It was the only way to save his family.”
“I know, but it still doesn’t feel right.”
“That’s because you’re a good person.” He wrapped his arms around her and she pressed her face against his chest. His heartbeat was strong, and it was like a lullaby to her.
“I hope we can save them.”
“We will.”
After they were packed, Dakota gripped Anastasia’s hand and stepped through another portal. The stench of death assaulted their lungs the second they were on the other side.
Anastasia fell to her knees and covered her mouth at the sight of the destruction. She was unsure as to what the world had looked like before, because now it was nothing but scorched ground and crumbling rock. It had been completely decimated and its inhabitants slaughtered and laid out in a line as if their attackers knew she would be coming.
“Vincent,” Dakota growled. He knelt in front of Anastasia and wiped away tears she hadn’t known were falling. “This,” he gestured to the damage, “is not your fault.”
She nodded. She knew there was nothing she could have done to prevent this, but the weight of it would still rest on her shoulders.
Dakota pulled her to her feet and together they began searching for survivors. As they got closer to the bodies, Anastasia took note of what they looked like. They almost appeared like canines, similar to a large greyhound. But their black bodies were hairless, backs arched, and Anastasia guessed they would stand close to twelve feet on their hind legs. Where there would have been paws, the creatures had claws with three long points.
Blood pooled on the ground beneath the bodies, and Anastasia did her best to ignore the sight of the smaller ones. The son of a bitch had murdered them and he would pay.
“Ana,” Dakota said, and gestured to the tree line that was still smoldering.
She turned her head and saw one of the creatures staring at her. She immediately put her hands in the air, and Dakota did the same.
“We are not here to harm you.”
“If you were, you are late, little one.” The voice sounded in her head, and Anastasia stared wide-eyed as the creatures began to move closer to her. She looked to Dakota, who had clearly heard it as well.
“What are you?” Anastasia asked aloud.
“We are called Fawnis. My name is Em.”
“How long ago did they attack?” Dakota wondered.
Em waited until she was only about five feet from them before she responded. “Last night. The fires have only recently begun to smolder.”
“We will kill him for this. I swear it,” Dakota said through ground teeth.
“He came to ask us for assistance. Claimed to be fighting against an evil sorceress called the Phoenix,” she said. “We are a telepathic race, it is how we communicate, and we immediately saw his words for what they were—lies.” She shook her slender head. “When we refused, his beasts came for us. Only thirty-two of us escaped.” At her words, others began to come into view. “We know who you are. We have seen you in a vision,” she said, and looked straight at Anastasia. “We will stand with you, Phoenix.”
“Thank you.” Anastasia bowed her head slightly, unsure what would be a show of respect for her. “We will take you all back to Terrenia; you will be safe there.”
“That is much appreciated.”
Anastasia and Dakota repeated what they had done for the Jaitu, and helped to bury the bodies of those Vincent had slaughtered. Once that was done, they stepped through the portal and into Terrenia.
Tony met them as they were coming through the gate.
“This is Em.” Anastasia introduced them.
“Nice to meet you,” he said.
“You as well.”
“That’s new,” he said, and Anastasia smiled.
“You get used to it,” she said. “Can you get them set up?”
“Of course. Come with me and I will show you where you can stay.”
Anastasia watched as Em and the other Fawnis followed Tony to the opposite side of the village. She looked around and saw Nix standing with Nallia. They had been spending quite a bit of time together recently, and it made Anastasia smile. Perhaps some alliances could be made outside of those needed for war.
“Who do you think is sending the messages?” Dakota asked when they were out of earshot.
“What messages?” Anastasia wondered.
“Each world we’ve been to, at least the ones who help us, someone has seen you in a vision. It can’t just be coincidence.”
Anastasia thought for a moment. “I never considered that.”
“I think we need to find them, and thank them.”
“I agree.” Anastasia leaned against him.