As we move forward, the air grows colder, denser. A drop of water plinks loudly as it hits the rocks below, the sound amplified in the enclosed space. Our lights land on small puddles, the water still, undisturbed, as if waiting for something to shatter the silence.
The walls of the tunnel glisten with moisture, and the ground becomes increasingly slick. Every inch of this place could be a trap. My caution pays off when I notice a slight discoloration on the floor ahead.
Kneeling, I set down the pipe and extend my hand, holding it above the surface. A faint heat radiates from the patch, licking at my palm. “It’s an electrified trap,” I call out.
After walking around the metal plate, I continue forward. Further down, the narrow path forces me to move with even more care. Every so often, I glance back, ensuring that the others are with me.
My heart beats faster when familiarity tugs at the edges of my consciousness. I know these pathways; as a child, they were my secret haunts, places where I felt safe from the demands of my father.
“We’re almost at the end of the Trial,” I murmur to Benjamin and Declan, scanning the dimly lit corridor ahead.
My mind races, trying to piece together a plan. We’re close now, close to the hidden room I used to escape to. If I can get Benjamin there, I can protect him, at least temporarily.
“Are you serious?” Declan asks. “It’s about fucking time. I swear my nuts are chafing from my pants being wet.”
With eagerness, he steps ahead of me, his boot pressing down on what seems like ordinary dirt. But then there’s a metallic click, barely audible over our movements. Before I can shout a warning, a panel in the tunnel wall slides open, releasing a dense, white substance.
“Gas!” I shout, my voice muffled by my arm as I cover my nose and mouth. The vapor fills the tunnel rapidly, a creeping fog that’s meant to disorient us. If the sparkling in my vision wasn’t enough of a clue, the flying skulls with wings would be a dead giveaway.
“This way!” I drop the rusted pipe and grab Benjamin’s arm, pulling him with me, away from the main path. Declan, slightly ahead, fumbles as he walks, his curses muted by the thickening haze.
Shadows morph into grotesque figures, and the walls seem to pulse and twist unnaturally. I keep my grip on Benjamin, who stumbles beside me, coughing through the material of his shirt.
I don’t waste my precious oxygen by saying anything to him. Guided by memory more than sight, I find the small, almost invisible seam in the concrete that marks the entrance to my old hideaway. After twisting the section of pipe, the hidden wall swings silently open.
Inside, the air is clear, the small space untouched by the chaos outside. I usher Benjamin in quickly, then glance back to make sure Declan isn’t following as I shut the door.
I cough until I’m about to puke. After a few seconds of breathing the untainted air, I straighten and turn on the lights. My vision isn’t clear yet, but I can see well enough. If I ignore the skulls floating in the air.
“McKenzie, listen to me,” I say, turning to face him. “I don’t have much time, so don’t interrupt.”
Benjamin watches me intently, his back pressed against the cool stone wall, the faint light casting shadows across his features. I wonder what his hallucinations contain…
“My father has plans for you after the Trial,” I say. “Once you’re a crow and have access to the catacombs, he wants you to unlock the McKenzie family vault.”
“Why?”
“It’s unlocked with a DNA code, so you’re the only one who can. Your father designed it before you were born.”
Benjamin’s eyes narrow, a spark of unease flickering within. “AndafterI open the vault?”
I take a preparatory breath. “He expects me to kill you.”
Chapter 44
XAVIER
“What the fuck, X?!”
I meet Benjamin’s gaze steadily. “My father wants to eliminate any threat you might pose to his control by challenging him for the technology that’s locked away in the vault. He thinks it’ll shift the balance of power in his favor, giving him an advantage over the other families. And the means to rule the Order.”
The silence that follows is thick, charged with tension and unspoken questions. Finally, Benjamin speaks, his voice strained, “How long have you known about this?”
I swallow the urge to lie. “Three years ago, I was assigned to keep an eye on you.”
“Frank…” Benjamin narrows his gaze. “That was you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. He threatened you and Delilah. He had to be eliminated.”
