“Dad said they were gathering in the square,” Sloan said somewhere near my left shoulder. But I didn’t need her to direct me. I could sense the chaos that ran through Hunter.
It called to me and beckoned me towards him. And the closer I got, the stronger it built in intensity, and it didn’t take long to see why.
Hunter stood upon the raised dais once again, surrounded by citizens of Elysia. He spoke to them with a sombre gravitas that demanded authority as it conveyed the unfortunate news.
“This was never what I wanted. I have tried my utmost to keep Elysia balanced and to keep us all safe, in the best way I know how.”
I edged closer, watching the show. The faux sadness Hunter wore was almost believable. It would be easy to mistake him for a ruler that had been showered with unfortunate events wildly beyond his control. A benevolent King who was distraught that the dwellers in his kingdom may find themselves at risk of danger. What he truly was, was a snake who led them to whichever path suited him best.
“Gray, we need to go,” Erik whispered urgently, grabbing at my arm.
My focus drifted from Hunter to the empty dais around him. Of course he would not keep her there with him. She was not his equal, no matter how much he wanted others to believe him. I scanned the crowd, backs of heads visible, and tried to find the dark locks that belonged to her. Where would he have placed Quentin for this show?
“Gray,” Erik hissed.
But it was too late. Hunter’s eyes found mine as my gaze returned to the dais in search of my soulbound. The smooth facade showed cracks as his eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth turned down.
“Hello, brother,” I said, a grin spreading across my face. The rapt attention he once maintained had dissolved into gasps and whispers.
“See what they’ve done?” Hunter asked, focus fixed on me while he addressed the crowd. “None of them care for your safety. They’ve helped the biggest risk to Elysia to escape.”
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” I shot back. “Do they know how you’re forcing Quentin against her will? Do they know the role you played in all the murders during the first war?”
The conversations grew louder around us.
“I took no joy in that,” Hunter called out loudly. “Unlike you. And Quentin didn’t have the truth about you. Once she did, she made a choice that she felt fitting.”
“You—”
“He’ll destroy us all if we allow him. Do not let Elysia fall into destruction again. Defend your heavens.”
It was a call to arms, and there was no clear side to take.
And that was exactly why all chaos broke loose.
Tobias left me stranded in my home with no way back to Elysia. Even without the cuff, I had no way of getting back to the heavens since I had not learned that particular trick. The frustration at all the Gods continued to grow, and I chastised every decision I’d made that landed me here. I’d never trusted them before and I should have gone with my gut instinct. Gray had blinded me. Love had robbed me of all sense and pulled me into the most corrupt system that was beyond my imagination.
In Elysia, under Hunter’s fist, I couldn’t act on my anger. I watched my words closely, only allowing the occasional slips, for fear of the consequences. I couldn’t be sure, but maybe that had led him to the false sense of security that I would sit at home and wait until my next move was ordered. It’s what I had been doing at his house. I’d made trouble, but no escape attempts. Sat like a (semi) obedient prisoner. But that would not happen. Ignoring the flush of anxiety that was becoming all too familiar, I left my room, grabbing my lanyard off the desk as I did so, and headed for the lab.
By the time I made it to the building, the sky was beginning to look ominous. I stared up at it, wondering if this was linked to the storm that was brewing in Elysia. If the heavens were unbalanced, it equated to an imbalance on Earth—wasn’t that how the Gods had put it?
I slammed my badge against the electronic reader to be met with a red light. I blinked and tried again. Same response. Why was my pass not working? I didn’t have my phone, and I needed to get into the labs. I went around the side of the building to check if the door there was open. It was against our fire safety rules, but there was always someone who propped it open with a box to get some air into the building or because they needed to do multiple runs to the bins. Today, it was firmly closed, and I let out a scream of frustration.
Rounding the building again, I saw someone walking down the path and away from it, heading home after their shift. If I believed any of the bastards that put me in this predicament, I might have fallen to my knees in thanks.
“Hey!” I called after the retreating back. “Hey! Can you let me into the building?” I walked towards them at a brisk pace.
When the person turned around, I could have cried. Shock was written all over James’s face, but he soon broke into a smile.
“Quentin!” He sounded happy to see me. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to get into the building. My pass won’t work. Can you let me in?”
“Yeah. Sure.” James walked towards me and fiddled inside his jacket to pull out his lanyard that his pass hung from. “What are you doing here?” he continued, the smile still plastered on his face. “Hunter said you were settling in Elysia. Something to do with making your transition easier. I have to say I was a little upset that you?—”
I cut across James as rage ran through me, hot and white. “You can’t believe a thing he says.”
“I mean,” James’s brow furrowed, smile faltering, “he spoke to Gareth and relayed the message. The project is on hold indefinitely, as far as the test subjects are concerned.” James finally swiped his card against the reader and I heard the glorious electronic buzz as it granted us access. The moment a gap opened up that was wide enough, I slipped through, unable to wait for the painfully slow automation of the doors.
