Page 58 of Secrets of Ruin

Cole’s distorted voice sent a shiver of unease down Brokk’s spine. It had been months since he heard the shadows speaking from his brother, but at least Cole wasn’t referring to them as we… yet.

“So that means we have to go in there,” Brokk said.

“If we intend to learn what’s inside, yes,” Cole said. “More shadows are searching the jungle. If they find anything, they’ll let me know.”

“What are the chances the ophidians stayed in Doomed Valley?” Sahira asked.

“They don’t think anything can take them down,” Ryker responded. “They might have abandoned the pyramid, but they’re still in the jungle, waiting for us, and they’ve set traps. They have no doubt they can take us down.”

“And they’re wrong,” Orin said.

Brokk glanced back at the army of assorted immortals they’d assembled. Ryker had recruited more amsirah from Tempest, and more demons, dwarves, lycans, dark fae, witches, warlocks, brownies, sirens, and a giant stood with them. Tucker and Leland were among the group of amsirah and witches.

A number of vampires waited in Dragonia for night to fall before they too would join them. The only vampire to make this trip was Del; his amulet kept him from burning alive, and he refused to let his sister make this trip without him.

Cole could draw forth more shadows and block out the sun, but the brothers had agreed that wasn’t the best idea. If necessary, Cole would block the sun for the vampires to join them here; until then, or sunset, the vamps would stand as extra guards for Lexi.

Some merfolk and other assorted immortals, such as a few berserkers and pixies, were in the crowd too. They’d all joined to fight against the Lord, but that battle provided mutual benefits to all of them.

With the Lord dead, their homes wouldn’t be destroyed, and they wouldn’t have to live in terror. They could have the rightful queen on the throne, not an insane madman.

Then, all the immortals had done what was necessary to save themselves by fighting the Lord. Now, they’d joined together because they were allies and had each other’s backs.

They would help Ryker free Leonidas because they assumed the amsirah would ally with them afterward and help their power and army grow stronger to stand against their enemies. But they were also here because some of their own, Brokk, Kaylia, and the many others who’d entered Dragonia and never returned, deserved to be avenged.

They were all different species of immortals, who had often refused to work together in the past, but they’d come together to present a united front that no one could destroy. This was how realms should be, and he’d helped make it happen.

“I’ll transform into a wolf and lead the way,” Cole stated. “I sense things better that way. I’ll carry a torch in my mouth so the shadows can go ahead of me.”

“You can control the shadows in wolf form?” Brokk inquired.

“I can.”

“When did you discover that?”

“Not so long ago.”

So, his brother had been experimenting with the shadows. It was probably best Cole learned everything he could do with them, but he’d seen his brother slip into the madness the shadows could create and wouldn’t let it happen again.

While Lexi remains safe, he’ll be okay. Brokk told himself this, but the words didn’t reassure him as much as they should.

“Then lead the way,” Orin said.

Cole’s shoulders hunched forward as, with a shimmer of air and a crack of bones and joints that made Brokk wince, his brother shifted into a black wolf with silver eyes. Cole’s paws were the size of his head as he became the size of a lion.

Brokk looked back at Kaylia, who stood behind him and Ryker. Her chin jutted forward in determination as her pewter gray eyes met his.

After what passed between them yesterday, he’d spent the night and this morning constantly searching her for signs of weakness. The dark fae part of him had fed from her repeatedly yesterday, but he’d only taken her blood once for the connection it formed.

He still wasn’t back to full strength; that would take a few weeks, but his ciphers had darkened again, even if they weren’t their deep ebony color yet. She’d strengthened him, but he couldn’t feed on her like that again. He would take it easier with her from now on, but he was still worried he’d taken too much.

Maybe she shouldn’t be here.

But as he considered it, he knew nothing was keeping her out of this. Just like there was no keeping him and so many others away.

Maverick had brought half his pack, Zeth led a horde of demons, and a lycan named Belda had brought her whole pack. Pip sat on Orin’s shoulder while Puth led hundreds of brownies, and dragons circled overhead.

And they were all about to enter that pyramid… the place of his nightmares.