Everlife (Everlife #3)

What if Lina does manage to kill him? If I’m right, and slain Myriadian spirits go to Many Ends…Killian could maybe possibly probably wind up in Many Ends. Does his final destination depend on which realm he most identifies with? His location?

Cold sweat beads on the back of my neck, but I pay it no heed. I used the song to navigate the sub-realm once, and I can do it again. Whatever happens, I can save him.

“Ready?” Killian asks.

Am I? “Wait!” I close my eyes to search the Grid. Shadows still writhe, stronger now, and Light still glows, but it’s duller by the second. I’m tempted to use the Light I’ve stored. I’m dangerously low, weakened, and Light is my strength. But I resist. Before the bond, I could draw more Light to me whenever I wanted. Now, surrounded by darkness, I’ll have nothing and no one to draw from.

Right now, I’m going to keep my reserves on reserve… and trust that Killian has our best interests at heart, if not at mind.

“All right. Yes,” I say. “Let’s do this.”

He takes my hand in his, the “bones” in his Shell smaller than I’m used to, while mine are larger. But his eyes…those eyes…they are the same as always. Eight flecks. A song. Oxygen. The reason I breathe.

Loyalty to Killian. Passion for Killian. Liberty for us all.

How much stronger will we be when we are genuinely united?

He marches forward, determination in every step. I square my shoulders and follow on his heels, drawing closer and closer to the Veil of Midnight…

My heart is a drum, and the beat is pure rock and roll. Soon there will be no turning back.

For over a year and a half, I fought to avoid Myriad, enduring torture at the hands of Dr. Vans. Now I’m willingly walking inside.

Liberty for us all.

Finally we reach the fall of darkness, and I inhale a sharp breath between my teeth. Icy cold encompasses me, making me feel as if I’ve jumped headfirst into a bank of snow. Next, different sensations invade. An increase of fear. Certainty I will fail, and everyone I love will die. I’ll die. The exact opposite of what I used to feel under the Veil of Wings.

Then I’m stepping out of the darkness and into…deeper darkness. But it doesn’t matter. Suddenly I can see in the dark. I have freaking night-vision, and it’s kind of awesome. As Myriad greets me, my mind goes quiet. Eerily quiet. The Grid no longer hums with approval—or anything. Too many shadows cover it. More shadows than before. I’m comforted only by the knowledge that several of my rooms still brim with Light.

I’m sweating now, panting. But okay, all right. At least I’m alive.

I’m standing on a cliff that overlooks… Wow, just wow. The bustling city looks like a king’s treasure chest. Buildings are made from precious gems. Diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Moonstone, morganite. Opal, garnet, topaz. Crystal of every color. Amethyst, aquamarine, citrine. Pearls and peridot. Maybe even coral.

Absolutely breathtaking. In the distance, there’s a towering fortress surrounded by a wall made entirely of skulls. Giant spiders climb those walls. Dragons fly overhead. I count one…five…ten…twenty…thirty. They spew fire, burning the clouds and lighting up the sky.

This is every gothic lover’s wet dream, or sweetest nightmare.

I breathe deeply, taking in the scents of night rain, mysteries and carnal fantasies—if those things had scents. Heady, almost drugging. Definitely drugging. My head swims.

Close by, a cobblestone path winds around a wealth of buildings. Some are sleek and sophisticated. Others are lavish and ornate. Some stretch so high that they knife through the sky—or rather the Veil. The Veil of Midnight circles the entire realm.

In Troika, flower petals fall. Here it’s…stardust? I stretch out my hand to capture a few grains, but they absorb into my Shell and brush against my spirit. A sudden burst of cold leaves me shivering, and the sensation is not pleasant.

To distract myself, I study the flashing neon signs that adorn many of the buildings.

Party! Party! Party!

Companions R Us

Brew for You

Men and women congregate on balconies, catcalling everyone who walks by. Or flies by. A few spirits have metal wings strapped to their backs. Shirts and skirts are raised, body parts flashed. Laughter is plentiful. Everyone is smiling, not a frown in sight. Drinks are passed around. In dark—darker—corners, men and women kiss and touch… and more.

There’s a little something-something for everyone, no vice left untapped.

The sheer number of people overwhelms me. There are too many to count.

“What do you think?” Killian ask. “Ever seen anything like this?”

“Reminds me of the Red Light District in Amsterdam, only on a much, much, much grander scale.”

“You’ve been to Amsterdam?”

“I have. I used to travel with my dad.” He is—was—a Senator for the House of Myriad, tasked with ensuring Myriad’s rights are never violated by Troikans or humans. Once upon a time, he loved me, and took me with him. Now he hates my guts.

Will I see him? Do I want to see him?

“Let me show you more of my world,” Killian says. “Tell me your wildest fantasy and greatest wish. I can make it happen.”

Play now, work later? “I’m not here for pleasure.”

Frustration floods the Grid. “We have time for business and pleasure.”

“Every minute counts,” I say. “I promised Archer I’d check on Dior.” In the process, I’d like to avoid Javier. He’s an Abrogate, and he has a home court advantage. “Then we need to head to the Kennels, free Erica, and proceed to Many Ends.” That’s why we’re here, after all. Get in, get out.

He scrubs a hand over his face. “You hate the realm and I—”

“I don’t hate it.” Not at all. “I hate what the darkness does. It’s evil. Once it’s gone, this realm—”

“And,” he continues, as if I’m not speaking, “I want you to see a side Troika doesn’t talk about. I want you to know what you’re fighting for, when you’re fighting for peace.”

No, he wants me to fall in love with his home. The realization shimmers inside me, and I gulp. “You’re giving me the hard sell, but it’s not going to work. I will never embrace darkness.” I lift my chin. “If you can’t leave it…”

Eyes narrowed, he angles his body toward me. “What did you think would happen when the war ended? I would defect?”

“Yes. Before our bond, you already planned to defect. We were—are—going to help both realms.” Deciding to take a calculated risk, I add, “But if you’d rather sever our bond, as the Generals said, go ahead. It will break my heart, but broken hearts mend.”

I’m not going to let him hold our bond, and our plans, over my head, as if they need to be ransomed. He needs to understand, and fast, that he has as much at stake as I do.

“Sever our bond.” He scowls, as I’d hoped. “You’ll let me go, just like that?” He snaps his fingers.

“Don’t you see?” I grab and shake him. “I’m fighting to stay with you. Why don’t you help me?”

A roar cuts through the night, and my gaze zooms skyward, just in time to watch a dragon the size of a Mack truck fly overhead. His black-and-green scales are resplendent, his wings magnificent. A spiked tail wags behind him.

“Only guards and prisoners are allowed in the Kennels,” Killian says, picking up our conversation as if the argument never began. His grumbling tone tells a different story, however. “We’ll be noticed the second we enter. But I have a plan.”

“If you tell me we need to get ourselves arrested, I’ll punch you again.”

He rolls his eyes. “As you can see, no one can resist a good party. We’ll spend the day spreading word about the one we’re going to throw. Once that party kicks off, we’ll convince everyone to walk through the Gate with us. As they’re kicked out, we’ll sneak past the guards.”

It’s…not a bad plan. “Will your friends help us?” The more people we have on our side, the better our chance for success.

“I have no friends,” he admits. “None outside the Kennels, anyway.”