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“Nothing leaves my lips,” I added. “The anticipation to find her is killing me too.”
He glanced across his shoulder quickly, a strange expression on his face. "You’re not such a bad guy, you know.”
I grinned as that would be the closest to an acknowledgment of his acceptance as I’d ever receive from him. Daxon had changed, his sickness slowing down his crazy, but once we got Rune back, I was sure he’d be back to his normal self.
I thought about how much I wanted Rune, how no matter what stood in my way, I’d persevere and make her mine. Agitation and desperation poured over me, and I moved faster, ready for this nightmare to be over.
A trickle of power danced up my arms as we reached an invisible barrier.
“This reminds me of the entrance to the fae world,” Daxon muttered. “Hand over the crystal, and I can do it.”
“Don’t even mention that fucking bitch, and I’ve got this.” I huffed and lifted the crystal towards the barrier that started to ripple in response.
The moment they touched, a zip of power snapped, curling up my spine and every hair on my body stood on end. And just as quick, the barrier dropped and light shone from deeper in the cave ahead of us.
“That stung a bit,” Daxon huffed, gasping for breath, and when I looked over, he clasped his chest.
“I’m guessing the crystal isn’t the exact key to break into the city, so it’s got some kickback when used.”
“Whatever. We’re in. Let’s go get our girl.”
We ran, both of us completely focused on what lay ahead. The anticipation, the ache of missing her, the worry that Ares had done something to her drove me to insanity.
One second we were in the dark cave, the next we burst out into daylight in a forest. Ahead of us stretched a wide path, the ground marked up by car tires. “This has to be the way.”
We ran once more, my head thundering with uncertainty of what to expect, but if it meant finding Rune, I’d face Satan himself.
It wasn’t long before the woods thinned and a different landscape came into view.
The dirty path became a golden paved road. Overhead, the sky beamed bright blue.
Then there were the blooming flowers in every direction, the golden path serving amongst them, leading us directly to a quaint town with white houses and black roofs.
I paused, convinced we’d arrived in the wrong place. I stared incredulously at the sheer number of flowers…all the shades of pinks, purples, and golds. What was going on? Farther in the distance stood a mansion with brightly colored flags and banners. The flags and banners were all over the town, as though they were about to hold a festival.
There were a few people mingling at some shops in the distance. Were they vampires?
“Wait, you’re seeing what I’m seeing, right?” Daxon blurted, turning on the spot. “I’m expecting the Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz to come rushing out to us any second now. Did that witch put a spell on us?”
“You’ve watched that movie too?” I was slightly startled for Daxon’s sanity.
“Is that what you’re worried about? I’m more worried about why vampires live in such a colorful world with all these flowers.”
“I don’t really give a shit. As long as we find Rune.”
I kept glancing over my shoulder, expecting something to jump out at us, but there was nothing, so we followed the golden paved road, scanning our surroundings. Mountains painted the backdrop, making the place picturesque. It just wasn’t what I had pictured the home for vampires to be like. In my head, I imagined a dark, dingy castle with dungeons, where it rained all the time.
This place was the complete opposite.
As we got closer to the town, people spotted us. They immediately started to run away from us, terror paling their faces. They gathered their children and ran into their homes.
I glanced over to Daxon, who shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe these vampires are vegetarians. I mean look at all the flowers.”
I shook my head. “Or they aren’t vampires. Otherwise why would they run when they saw us?”
Maybe I spoke too soon because that was when a dozen uniformed guards rushed towards us.
But it was also the same time I caught movement of someone with white hair fluttering near the mansion, and my heart stopped.
