My purpose was not to punish him further. Rather, I wanted to show Tanzanina and Archer what he could do. I need them to be careful. Tanzanina is not a creature of old magic, so Jonah could kill her. Archer could be hurt badly. I intend to remain between them and Jonah at all times, but I don’t want them to risk their safety.
The two women barely flinch, but they both give me quiet, acknowledging nods. The first time I met them, we were enemies, but we aren’t any longer.
Slade turns to Vanguard and Jonah. “Tanzanina Grey will transport us directly from within this realm to the maze’s entrance,” he says. “Once we arrive, Vanguard, you will immediately retrieve the bones. I will create another realm in which you will stay until the entrance to the maze is opened.Howthe maze is opened will not be revealed to you.”
Vanguard nods. “As long as you get me in, I don’t care how it’s done.”
Slade’s narrowed eyes reveal his skepticism, but I quietly verify Vanguard’s intentions. “He means it.”
“Okay, then.” Slade exhales heavily before giving Tanzanina a nod. “Over to you, Tansy. May blessings be upon your power.”
Tanzanina pulls a slip of paper from her pants pocket, her expression serene as she centers herself and focuses on the curvy script visible on the parchment.
The power gathering around her makes the hairs on my arms stand on end as she takes a quiet breath and then whispers, “Transport tranquilly to the terrible timber thicket.”
Just like that, a rush of power whooshes around me, pressing in so hard against my chest that everything goes dark.
22. STRIKER DRAVEN
Tansy’s power rushes around us, a wave of pressure, and I’m aware of the way that everyone else she’s transporting—Peyton, Archer, Jonah, and even Slade—drop where they stand, their eyes closing and knees buckling as if a massive weight is bearing down on them.
But for me, the air seems to become weightless.
I’m acutely conscious that Vanguard also remains standing and fully conscious, his focus zipping to me. I’m certain I see a spark of alarm in his gaze before he hides it.
The whole experience lasts only a few heartbeats before our surroundings become clear again, and the others right themselves before they hit the ground, including Peyton, whose snakes dart out to coil around her waist and chest as if they’re checking that she’s okay.
Ignoring Vanguard, whose shadowed expression is unsettling, I take stock of our new surroundings.
We’re standing in a clearing surrounded on either side by enormous trees with trunks so thick they could be thousands of years old. The sound of rushing water fills the air, making me think of a surging river or maybe a waterfall. My suspicion is confirmed when I take a few steps forward.
The edge of a ravine rests only ten paces ahead of me, with a steep fall hundreds of feet down to a wide, crashing river.
Directly to my right, a gray stone bridge stretches across the ravine, positioned right in front of a waterfall. The spray mists the air around the bridge, making it hazy as I lift my eyes to try to see the top of the waterfall. It’s impossible to see past the mist. The water may as well be falling from a cloud.
What’s even more intriguing is that each end of the bridge—on this side of the ravine and on the other—is blocked by an enormous tree. The trunk of the tree in front of the bridge on this side is at least seven feet wide. Wider than the bridge itself, which means there’s no way to step safely onto the bridge.
My senses prickle, and my beast is on alert. A glance at Peyton tells me the hairs on her arms are standing on end.
The magic within this place is impossibly strong.
Slade recovered from our transportation as quickly as Peyton and doesn’t miss a beat, heading straight for Vanguard. “The bones.”
As he speaks, Tansy and Archer take up positions in front of the giant tree blocking the bridge.
I have no doubt that in the short space of time between when Slade left the previous realm to when he returned with Tansy and Archer, they would have come up with a full plan. They’ve shown me many times how quickly they move as a team, take into account any number of contingencies, and plan for the risks that could arise. They will have discussed every move and will play to each other’s strengths.
It strikes me how much I already miss being part of their lives.
Ever since the assassins took me in, I’ve had the chance to see the family they’ve made, the way they respect each other’s strengths and protect each other.
I have to believe that I can build a family like that for myself, too.
Vanguard hesitates, but only for a moment. “In a show of faith, I will tell you where the bones are hidden, and Striker Draven can retrieve them. That way, you can be assured I won’t attempt to use them against you.”
I find myself looking at Peyton again, trying to read the deepening crease in her forehead and the purse of her lips.
Is she concerned?
