Saving Daylight Read online

  She hadn’t realized how hard it was going to be to watch her makeshift family struggle and not do something to help them.

  But Joseph had realized it. That’s why he’d bound them to their word.

  Unfortunately, it was even harder for Paul to watch his brothers suffer.

  After a few days, they’d had to learn to block it all out. Ignore the battle raging around them and focus on their task. If they could get the wall repaired, everyone would be safe again. Everyone could rest.

  Even the idea made her eyelids flutter with exhaustion.

  They’d been out here since dawn, but she was weaker today than she had been yesterday. With only a few hours of rest, she came to work more tired each day than the one before.

  None of them were going to be able to keep up this pace for long.

  “Just a few more hours,” Lexi panted. “Then we’ll rest.”

  The idea made Andra stifle a groan. A few more hours of exertion seemed like a lifetime.

  Her son moved in her belly like he was swimming laps in there. She swore she could feel his eagerness to be born, his excitement to enter the world and join the fight.

  She didn’t want to let him out. She wanted to hold him inside her forever where she could keep him safe. Maybe it was a ridiculous thing to want, but she couldn’t help it.

  She needed her son to stay safe. She needed that like she needed oxygen. If anything ever happened to him….

  “Don’t go there,” Paul said. His voice was weary, but firm. “You can’t think about things like that right now. Stay focused.”

  He was right, of course. She needed to keep her concentration so her shield didn’t falter. If even one of those sword-wielding demons got to Lexi, they were all dead.

  Paul squeezed her hand. “Positive thoughts only, love.”

  She nodded.

  They were going to fix the wall. Lexi was going to make it all the way around the perimeter. Andra was going to keep her safely shielded while she did.

  Their son would be born inside these solid walls, safe and sound.

  “Incoming!” Zach shouted as he had so many times before.

  Andra pulled in a burst of power from Paul and channeled it into the shield just as a flurry of demons bombarded them.

  They scrambled around the edges of the shield, hammering at it with their clublike swords. There were so many of them they had to crawl on top of one another in an effort to reach the juicy prey inside. Eventually, their numbers blocked out the sun.

  It had happened before, but every time it did, fear bubbled inside of her.

  She’d been afraid before, but always more for others than herself. First for her mother, then her little sisters, then Paul, and now for the life growing inside of her.

  She wasn’t afraid to die, but she was terrified of living on without those she loved.

  After a few moments, the cloud of demons began to clear as warriors hacked them to pieces. Reddish-black blood streamed down the sides of the blue dome, leaving a sickly film behind. Severed, gray limbs piled up like firewood around the base of the shield.

  They wouldn’t burn up in the sun as normal Synestryn did. Their corpses had to be burned in giant pits dug for just that purpose.

  Andra wondered if her home would ever be the same again.

  Positive thoughts, Paul whispered to her mind as he held her close.

  Andra wasn’t sure how much positive she could find in this place with blood and bodies all around, but for her family, for her son, she would try.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Serena struggled to concentrate on the task at hand. Something was upsetting Morgan, but right now, she didn’t dare rummage around in his thoughts long enough to figure out what it was.

  Link was down in that cave, and with any luck, they’d find him still alive.

  The sun burned bright overhead, which meant that demons from all around had taken refuge down here. Even right inside the shadowy opening of the cave she could see piles of them sleeping.

  One raised its ugly, gray head and stared at her with black eyes. She was too close to the sunlight for it to dare charge her.

  “There are so many of them,” she whispered.

  “You know we can’t charge in there, right? It would be a suicide mission.”

  She nodded and they backed out into the sun, out of sight of the demons inside. “We need a plan.”

  “Can you hide our presence?” he asked.

  “You mean like the Sanguinar do?”

  He nodded.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never tried. Give me a moment.”

  She closed her eyes to aid her concentration and latched onto the tendril of power emanating from Morgan. While still a meager flow, it came to her easily now, seething and eager to do her bidding. There was more at her disposal than there had been only yesterday, which gave her hope that their bond was finally progressing.

  As soon as the thought entered her mind, she felt Morgan’s resistance to the idea.

  He didn’t want them any closer than they already were.

  Her concentration shattered before she could command her magic to take shape.

  She looked at him, frowning. “You don’t want me anymore?”

  “It’s not like that, Serena. Not even close.”

  “Then what?”

  “Can we talk about this later?”

  “Not if you want to live. I can’t focus on our mission if I’m distracted by wondering what’s going on. So, tell me.”

  He scrubbed his cropped, black hair with a broad hand, as if he could rub loose an answer she would accept.

  Finally, he said, gently, “You deserve to be loved. I can’t be the man to make that happen. As much as I wanted my pain to end, as much as I thought we could simply be partners, I see now that was a foolish idea.”

  Serena’s stomach dropped at his words. A familiar pain radiated in her chest, a pale version of heartache.

  “My parents did it,” she said, her words sounding childish and petulant.

  “Were they happy?” he asked.

  She thought about it, but the answer was as bleak as it was clear. “Never.”

  His shoulders sagged in defeat. “I don’t want a life like that for you. I don’t want to be tied to a woman I can’t provide for in the way she needs. And like it or not, Serena, you need to be loved.”

  Maybe he was right. Maybe her heartache over Iain was too new for her to really know what she wanted. The only thing she did know was that this morning, she’d seen a glimmer of how she could feel for Morgan if they stayed together.

  She could fall in love with him.

  And then what? Spend the rest of her long life tied to a man who didn’t love her back? Tied to a man who was with her only because he had no choice if he wanted to survive?

  She wouldn’t do that to herself. As it was, ending things with Morgan now was already going to hurt. She wouldn’t put off the inevitable for any longer than she had to.

  “Once we’re out of this cave,” she said, though the words made her heart squeeze hard, “I’ll set you free.”

  She didn’t know why she felt like she was losing him. He’d never been hers to begin with. He’d always belonged to Femi. He’d never once tried to hide that from her.

  He nodded slightly, but didn’t meet her gaze, as if he was ashamed. “I think that’s for the best.”

  She turned away and struggled to make her words come out steady and even. “Until then, we have a job to do.”

  It took her a moment to regain control over her emotions. They were rioting around inside of her, unsure whether she should be grieving over the impending loss of Morgan’s company, or grateful that he’d spared her far worse pain in the future.

  Either way, she was about to be free again, living life on her own terms.

  Without looking at him, because she knew if she did, she’d burst into tears, Serena grabbed hold of Morgan’s power and forced it to obey.

  A shimmering blue
film wrapped around them, clinging to their skin. Her vision was distorted slightly as she peered through it, but there was nothing she could do about that. Masking their presence was the only way they were getting in and out of this cave alive.

  “I think I did it,” she said.

  “Only one way to find out.” Morgan stepped into the shadowy mouth of the cave, sword drawn and ready to strike.

  Serena was right behind him.

  ***

  Morgan moved as fast as he dared through the winding tunnels and the caverns they connected.

  Serena’s magic had worked, shielding them from detection. They still had to be careful, but at least they had a fighting chance at going undetected.

  Sleeping demons were everywhere. There were hundreds of them. Possibly thousands.

  In some places, there was nowhere to step without touching one, which would have definitely woken them. Instead of risking it, Morgan used a piece of chalk he always carried into caves to mark those tunnels he couldn’t scout and moved back until he found the next open route.

  As they went deeper into the earth, the tunnels changed. They became wider, taller and perfectly round, as if something had drilled a hole straight through solid rock. The surface was burnished and far smoother than it would have been if this had been done by mechanical means. Something had bored this tunnel. It was definitely not natural.

  The air changed as well. It became thicker, warmer, and more humid. It smelled horrible—a swamp filled with hot garbage and decaying corpses.

  He felt Serena’s disgust shudder through their link. The protective shield around them sputtered before she secured it back in place.

  One of the daylight demons on his left stirred in its sleep. It lifted its head and sniffed the air.

  Morgan froze. Serena did the same. Neither of them breathed.

  After a few seconds, the demon lay its head back down and closed its giant, red eyes.

  They’d been steadily descending for several minutes when they reached a spot where everything seemed to level out again. Unlike the other caverns they’d seen, this one was empty, with no sign of life.

  There were three openings into the space—the one they were standing in, the one to their left, and another to their right, which was glowing a pale fluorescent green. Light was such an odd sight to see down here that Morgan was shocked into stillness.

  “What is that?” Serena asked in a faint whisper.

  “No idea. I’ve heard some of the daylight demons have learned to use fire to help them see—that they were too close to human to be able to see in the dark—but that’s not fire.”

  “Link?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Let’s find out.”

  They crept forward. Morgan kept close tabs on her exact location through the luceria. He was amazed at how easy it was, how natural. He didn’t even have to exert effort to feel her presence along his side, radiating out of her like heat.

  She was easy to be around. If things had been different—if they hadn’t suffered the pain of loss so acute it left them emotionally damaged—they would have made a great team.

  But that was the thing about history. It hung around, coloring every decision and skewing every emotion. It was the house guest you couldn’t get rid of, the chronic disease ruining your life despite your best efforts.

  If there was a way to get past history and emotional damage, Morgan didn’t know what it would be.

  With a force of will, he brought his attention back to the matter at hand. Whatever they found down here in this glowing tunnel would be dangerous, if not outright deadly. It was their job to fight, and they were equipped to handle most things, but Synestryn always seemed to have more tricks up their demonic sleeves.

  Especially lately. Things were changing fast. Demons looked more human than ever. They could even walk in the sun without bursting into flames. Something was shifting in the Synestryn world, altering the rules of the game in ways that left the Sentinels struggling to catch up.

  Only those who maintained focus and kept their head in the game would survive long enough to be surprised another day.

  As he stepped toward the glowing opening, he caught a glimpse of something far to the right. It was pale—like the underbelly of a deep-sea fish—and undulating. The closer he got, the more of it he could see. But it wasn’t until his head passed the unnaturally round, perfectly smooth entrance to the chamber that he could see just how huge this thing really was.

  At least twenty daylight demons surrounded it, each holding a sword. They looked sleepy, like they weren’t able to stay alert and do their guard duty during the day. A few of them had given up and were slumped against a wall, snoozing.

  The floor in here was wet and shiny. It reflected that green, pulsing glow onto the ceiling of the cavern, which was easily thirty feet up.

  In the middle of the chamber, sitting on a huge nest of wet, dead grass and leaves was the object they guarded. It looked like some kind of larva, but was the size of a city bus. It moved just enough to prove it was a living thing, rather than some kind of construct. A faint green glow emanated from inside it, like a pulse, lighting up what it contained.

  As soon as Morgan realized what he was seeing, his stomach gave a hard heave.

  Inside this massive…thing were dozens of daylight demons, curled up inside translucent sacs filled with thick fluid. They varied in size from fully grown to as small as his fist, but Morgan recognized them easily.

  As he watched, he could see them growing, visibly getting bigger as they progressed through the giant creature as if on some kind of conveyor belt.

  Whatever this thing was, it was growing the daylight demons inside it. Fast.

  This was the source.

  As he watched, a wet, slime-covered demon was expelled out of the back end of the creature. It clawed at the sac around it until it burst and flooded the area with clear, mucus-like goo.

  Within seconds, the newborn was up on its feet. A fellow demon nearby handed it a heavy, rusted sword, which it took without question. It then trundled off behind its mother into a tunnel Morgan couldn’t fully see.

  Just that fast, another enemy soldier was armed and ready for battle.

  Another one was expelled only seconds behind the first.

  Serena was right behind him. When she saw what had happened, what it meant, she sucked in a harsh gasp.

  The sound wasn’t loud, but it carried easily in the still, thick, humid air down here.

  The guards came instantly alert, scanning the area and sniffing the air for the source of the sound.

  She maintained the shield that hid them from sight, but Morgan didn’t know how long that would keep them hidden. Even their heartbeats might give away their location if her magic faltered.

  We must kill it. The thought was hers, but he heard it as clearly as if she’d spoken aloud.

  Surprise rippled through him.

  Their bond was strengthening faster than he’d thought possible. And as convenient as it was for them to be able to communicate in silence, he knew that it came at a cost.

  He glanced at his ring. The colors within the surface of the luceria were still churning pinks and reds. They hadn’t yet solidified—hadn’t yet trapped her with a man who could never deserve her.

  It took him a moment to steady himself and find the mental pathway she’d used to speak to him.

  We will kill it, he told her. After we find Link.

  He hoped she’d heard him. He was new at this telepathy stuff, and didn’t dare ask her if she’d gotten the message.

  Her body was shaking, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the shock of seeing this thing, or need to kill it raging through her.

  He put a hand on her arm, hoping to calm her either way.

  The contact made the colors swirling inside his ring kick up like stormy seas. Deep ruby red and brighter, curling plumes of pink crashed inside the band.

  Perhaps, if they’d been able to stay together, she would have be
en known as the Ruby Lady. There was no way to know what color the luceria would pick for her with a different man.

  The idea sent a jolt of jealousy through him, which he ignored completely.

  They would find Link alive, rescue his ass, and she would tie herself to him so that she wouldn’t be alone and defenseless.

  End of story.

  With that thought in mind, Morgan took Serena’s hand and backed them slowly away from the chamber.

  When they were out of sight of the daylight demons guarding the monstrous incubator, he led them to the next opening.

  They hadn’t made it twenty yards into the next perfectly round tunnel—a shape Morgan was now certain was created to allow the giant larva to pass—when they heard a low moan of pain.

  “Link,” she whispered aloud before taking off in the direction of the noise.

  Morgan wanted to grab her and shove her behind him, but he didn’t dare disrupt her concentration. If he did, the energy shielding them from sight could fail. Instead, he moved as fast as he dared, and let his long legs eat up the distance between them.

  By the time he reached her side, she’d found the source of the sound.

  Link was strung up by his arms, dangling from a rope, just out of reach of the demons sleeping below. He was shirtless. His body was a mass of cuts and bruises. His left shoulder was completely purple, and bulging at an odd angle. Dried blood from what appeared to be a head wound covered his face in a gruesome mask. More blood coated his lifemark.

  Strangely, he wore bandages on some of the wounds.

  She came to a dead stop, only feet away from one of the daylight demons.

  Morgan grabbed her arm both to steady her and to keep her from running in there to save Link. If she did that, she’d wake up every demon around.

  Her sword quivered in her grip. Rage and regret thrummed through their link, so thick, he couldn’t tell it the emotions were his or hers. Maybe both.

  If they were going to get Link out of here alive, they needed a plan.

  Serena sent him an image of what she intended to do. It burst into his head, fully formed and in living color. He’d never experienced anything so amazing in his life, which made him wonder what else she could do.