The Shadows Trilogy (Box Set: Edge of Shadows, Shadows Deep, Veiled Shadows) (60 page)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

David felt the presence of the guards behind him as he exited the chamber. His mind was spinning from everything Veronica told him to do.  He didn’t have much time. Now more than ever, Ellie was in a precarious position. He had to move quickly.

The fog was as heavy as ever swarming through the air outside the chamber. He quickly made his way across the stone walkway over the gaping divide and found the three transports waiting for him on the other side. Lila, who had been sitting on an outcropping just above their heads, jumped down with a worried expression on her face.

“Are you okay? How did it go?”

“Better and worse than I expected,” David answered honestly.

“Are you ready to go back to the waypoint?” Lila asked. “Did you get everything you needed?”

“I got everything I needed,” David said. “But this is the point where I need to say goodbye, Lila. Thank you for being willing to help me. Your kindness is appreciated, and I appreciate everything that you and Braz have done on my behalf.”

The confusion was evident on Lila’s face. “I don’t understand.”

“I am not going to the waypoint,” David said. He kept his voice neutral. “I have other duties to attend to at the moment.”

“David, I heard some of the guards talking,” Peter said, stepping forward and keeping his voice low. “There is a rumbling that something is happening at the Bradford waypoint. The way line connecting it to the sectors has disappeared. There are emissaries from each of the sectors being dispatched now to find out what is going on.”

The news wasn’t what David wanted to hear at all. He feared for the situation that Ellie in. He hoped that when this was all over, she’d be able to understand why he had done everything that he had done so far, and why he didn’t go to her side when he had the chance. It was all to protect her.

“That is an unfortunate turn of events,” he said. “But whatever is going on at the waypoint isn’t any of my concern.”

“I thought you said that Ellie was your concern,” Peter said.

“Things change,” David snapped. “Again, thank you for your help. It is appreciated.”

“You can’t go anywhere without us,” Lila said, clearly trying another tactic. David gave her points for tenacity. “Or did you forget that already?”

David turned to Dane, who so far had been silent throughout the exchange. “I have no need of the others if I wish to travel to Hell, correct?” He could feel the weight of Lila and Peter’s shocked expressions.

“Why would you want to go to Hell?” Lila’s voice faltered. “There’s nothing there for you. In fact, I think that is a really bad idea. Braz wouldn’t have allowed you to leave if he thought for one moment that you’d ask to go there.”

“I wish to rejoin my aunt. I understand that she is lobbying for Mikel’s seat on the council, and she is going to be confused about my actions earlier in Purgatory. I need to meet with her and reaffirm my support for her appointment.”

“Why, exactly, would I help you do that?” Dane sneered. “You know that I hate Lillian Bradford. I wouldn’t help you do anything that helps her, especially when that is my position she’s lobbying for on the Council.”

“You will help me otherwise I will expose your relationship with Lila,” David said. Inside, he writhed from the pain that he saw on Lila’s face but he kept his face expressionless. Peter looked equally stricken. On one hand, he was relieved that he had guessed right about what was going on between the transports. Their faces gave it away. But the other part of him wished he had been wrong. But that truth was necessary in order to be able to play out this next critical piece of the plan. He needed Dane to take him to Hell.

“You know nothing,” Dane said, his chin jutting out. He stepped so that he and David were toe to toe and David saw his fists clench. “You would dare to threaten me? It would be our word against yours.”

David cocked his head toward Peter. “What about him? Do you think he’ll protect your secret to, especially if he is called before a tribunal during the formal inquest into the nature of your relationship?”

“Why would you do this?” Lila said. She grabbed Dane’s arm trying to pull him away from David. “We’ve helped you.”

David’s eyes never left Dane’s. “You take me to Lillian, now. No detours. No wrong turns. If you do that, I swear that I will keep your secret. No one else will know by my lips.”

“Dane, you don’t have to do it,” Lila said.

“You know that I do,” Dane growled. He looked down at her tear-streaked face, and for the first time, David saw a glimmer of softness beneath the other man’s hard exterior. Dane reached up and wiped the tears from her cheek. “We can’t risk anyone else finding out. You know what would happen to us if they did.”

Lila’s black glare struck David squarely in the heart, but he didn’t flinch beneath it. He couldn’t appear to care. “You belong in Hell,” she said.

“Good thing I’m on my way then,” he quipped. “I’m ready to go. Now.” He directed his words back to Dane.

“Give me your hands,” Dane said.

David lifted his hands palm up in front of him. Dane reached out and clutched his forearms. “This isn’t going to hurt, much.”

The ripping sensation was unexpectedly brutal, even though David thought he was ready for it. There was no light, only darkness in those moments. He felt the drizzle of blood from his nose even as the swirling started to stop. He and Dane were standing in front of a door.

“That’s called a dry run,” Dane said. He pushed his finger into David’s chest. “Don’t forget what you swore. If anything happens to Lila because of something you spilled, I’m going to come for you.”

David knew exactly what was driving the other man’s threat. It was that sinking feeling that you could lose the one that you loved forever. David knew it well. It twisted within his insides. “I’ve forgotten already,” he said. “So I take it that Lillian is close by?”

“Your aunt is on the other side of the door,” Dane said, casting a distasteful look at the door. “I hope you know what you are doing. If not, this place will eat you alive.”

Dane turned and walked down the long hallway before David could stop him. David wondered how much Dane had reasoned out on his own, and felt a bit like kicking himself for being too transparent. But in the end, Dane hadn’t been able to be sure that David was running an elaborate deception, and so David had gotten what he wanted from the man. He needed to focus on that.

David took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The door opened, and David found himself face to face with Lillian. Bile rose up in this throat, but he forced himself to step up and engulf her in a hug. “Mother, I’m so glad that I found you.”

Lillian pushed David away and then looked around him into the hall. “David, this is a surprise. After your rather abrupt departure with those transports in Purgatory, I imagined you’d have found your Ellie by now.”

David pushed into the room and looked around. It looked exactly like an expensive hotel room on the Other Side. Thankfully, the room appeared to be empty. He wasn’t sure who else he may find there with her.

“Lillian, forgive the intrusion. After I left Purgatory, I had an opportunity to reflect on my decisions. You were right. The time has come for me to make a choice. Life in the Afterlife is a very long time, and I need to be more thoughtful about my future. It’s time for me to think long-term. Ellie was short-term. I decided that I wanted to support you here in your efforts to move onto the Council, and perhaps there is a place for me here in Hell.”

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that you’ve had this epiphany, David,” Lillian said. “Although I have to admit that I am still surprised, especially with how protective you’ve been of the Coulter woman.”

“How can I prove to you that this is what I want?” David asked.

Lillian’s lips pursed. “There is a lot of dissention here in Hell right now, David. I admit that having you openly declare your support for me would be beneficial for both of us. Because of Braz’s bungling inability to keep you in Purgatory, you have been automatically assigned here to our care. There are many ways that you would be able to make an impact quickly. I could help you with that.”

“Whatever you need me to do,” David said dropping his head. He wanted to ask what had happened to Braz, but he didn’t dare. “You have to forgive me for all of the insanity of the last few weeks. I had no idea the size of the world here, having been inside the waypoint for so long. It took me a little while to realize that my future is intertwined with yours. As you have always planned it to be.”

The smile that crossed Lillian’s face was cruel, but David knew that she was pleased by his words. He hesitated to lay it on too thick. Lillian was suspicious by nature, and he needed her to believe him. He had a trick in his back pocket, but didn’t want to play that card this early.

“You will need to swear the bonds of allegiance as soon as possible. Those will bind you to me and ensure that there is no way you can lie to me or ever possibly think to betray me.”

“I am ready now,” David replied.

“Then come with me,” Lillian said. David followed her out of the room and back into the hallway. Again he was struck by the feeling that he was in a grand old hotel. Hell was not at all what he thought it would be, but then he wondered how much was hidden behind the luxurious façade.

They arrived at the end of the hallway at the doors of an elevator. David looked at Lillian. She was perfectly serene. He wondered what had been done to her in her human life to twist her into the monster that she was at that moment.

“I didn’t see Joseph with you,” he said carefully.

Lillian laughed. It was a garbled bark that grated on David’s nerves. “That fool? That one had no imagination. I got rid of him as soon as I could find a way to unravel our ties.” She looked at him sharply. “Why do you ask? The two of you were never fond of each other.”

“Only because he seemed part of your plan,” David said. He tried not to fidget. The elevator seemed to be taking forever. He looked at the side. There was only one way to go it seemed. Down.

Then the light on the side of the door lit up and the heavy doors slid open. David gestured for Lillian to enter first, and then he followed her in. “Can I ask where we are going?”

“I have a friend in a high place,” Lillian said. “You can say your vows to him, and he will be able to bind you to me.”

“Sounds like a good friend to have,” David said looking around him and pretending to study the elevator’s interior. He kept his tone nonchalant.

“Indeed,” Lillian said. A small compact appeared in her hand and David watched out of the corner of his eye as she powered her nose.  Then she applied a layer of bright red lipstick. Clearly Lillian wanted to look her best.

Before David could say anything else, the doors opened, and they were walking into what appeared to be an office. The dark mahogany wood everywhere naturally darkened the room. Off to the side, there was a large fireplace that David was certain that he could have easily walked into.

Then David saw the man sitting at the desk at the far end of the room. He looked vaguely familiar. His silver hair still held streaks of black. The man looked up as they drew closer, and David’s feet stopped. The man’s face was unlined, and it was impossible to guess his age, but his eyes were rimmed with red. The nonplussed smile on his face made David wonder if he might have gotten in over his head. This did not look like a man who could be easily fooled.

Lillian’s pace had increased, and she stopped just short of the man’s desk. “Alain, I have quite the surprise for you.”

The man, Alain, put his forearms on the desk and leaned forward, never taking his eyes off of David. “So I see. Your prodigal nephew has come home.”

Lillian turned to David and gestured for him to stand next to her. David felt like his feet were moving through thick mud. He didn’t want to be there anymore. He wondered if he was about to lose every part of himself in the process. He berated himself for his arrogance.

“Alain, this is my adopted son, David Mitchell. David, I would like you to meet First Council Member, Alain Dramer.”

David nodded to Alain. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“We’ll see,” Alain said. “Please, sit.”

David realized that two chairs had appeared behind him and Lillian. Lillian primly sat on the edge of her seat. David hesitated only a moment before sitting down in his.

“David is ready to pledge his allegiance to me and to Hell,” Lillian said. She smoothed her hair back slightly, and David knew that was one of her few ticks that gave away her uncertainty. Whoever Alain was, Lillian was afraid of him.

Alain’s gaze returned to David. He had to hold himself from squirming under the older man’s gaze. “That is good news. Of course, David, you realize the consequences of such an action?”

“I do,” David said. “I am ready.”

Alain steepled his fingers in front of his face and said nothing. There was a long stretch of silence and David watched Lillian open her mouth to say something, but Alain held up his hand and gestured for her to be quiet.

“I will take your oaths and do the binding,” Alain finally said. His voice held a note of something else, a kind of gleefulness, although David couldn’t understand why. “But first, I would like you to tell me everything that I want to know about my granddaughter.”