And all through the entire Bind.
As that resonance flowed through the Bind, stabilized, Layla felt more than heard Nimir’s heartbeats increase on the crystal bier before them. She felt his breath rise to a fuller state like a man in a coma waking, though he did not surface any further. Holding that resonance, Dusk slowly began a true growl in his throat, raising up a dome of sapphire and diamond through the floor. Sealing it slowly around the unconscious man, Dusk formed a sphere, then smoothed it with gentle motions of his hands until it was sarcophagus-shaped. Within the glassy blue gemstone, Layla could see Nimir now – along with the selenite-diamond pillars he’d been resting on. As Dusk heaved a sigh, releasing his magics, he set a hand to the sarcophagus.
And Layla felt that universal resonance trapped within – Nimir’s heart beating slowly but normally inside the sarcophagus as his breath rose and fell.
“Shit.” Dusk blinked as he looked up with amazement. “We did it. He’s stabilized in there, with our Bind’s universal resonance still moving through the pillars he was sleeping on.”
“Any idea how long it will last?” Adrian asked quietly, watching the sleeping man.
“No clue.” Dusk shook his head now. “I didn’t even think we could stabilize him in the first place. If it hadn’t been for Rhennic, Reginald, and Fury helping from outside this cavern, I don’t think we would have.”
“So how do we get this thing out of here?” Layla glanced back the way they’d come, along Dusk’s sensation of anchoring that led back to the granite entryway. “Because I seriously doubt we’re going to be able to portal it out and still keep Nimir stable inside.”
“I think I can burst the selenite-diamond blockade now, instead of us needing to portal out.” Dusk spoke as he glanced at Layla. “Let’s get Nimir back to the entrance and then we’ll see.”
As Layla gave Dusk a nod, Adrian lifted his hands to the sarcophagus, elevating it off the floor of the cavern with a strong flow of his desert winds. But it took all he had to hold such a heavy edifice steady, so Layla used her hands to swirl up a second flow of wind for them to walk on, using it to push the sarcophagus along Adrian’s winds like sliding a block of stone over ice. It was slow going, but she and Adrian coordinated their magic, winding back through the forest of columns. It was only thirty minutes back to the entrance, when Layla had thought it was hours. But time had stretched coming in here; now they were anchored by Dusk’s magic embedded in the granite foyer, leading them back out like a lighthouse beacon through the sea. As they arrived, Dusk nodded for Adrian and Layla to set the sarcophagus down.
Then faced the exit, lifting his hands.
Dusk didn’t hesitate this time as he dealt with the selenite-diamond crystals blocking the entrance. Layla felt how he’d assimilated the column’s frequencies now with the part of Adrian’s power that was a magical savant; learning quickly from his new observations of the universal vibrations inside the cavern. In moments, Dusk had wrangled tremendous amounts of power from everyone in the Bind, hurling it down through his body as he slammed his hands up so fast the crystals covering their way back shattered with a terrible wrenching sound. Blasting away to diamond snow, the crystals were pulverized as Dusk sent another devastating pulse through the slit, exploding the glittering coating of micro-diamond-selenite that still covered it.
And opening their passageway back.
As Layla and Adrian hefted Nimir’s sarcophagus back up on their winds, they walked forward through the granite passage. Arriving at the other side, Layla’s elation at leaving the crystal cavern suddenly spiked into a vast, terrible shock, as Adrian and Dusk’s did the same.
Seeing Quinn surrounded now by a black sea of Revenants in the underground Ways.
CHAPTER 11 – LUCK
All around, Layla could feel malevolent minds dig into her, as Vampire Revenants stared at her, Adrian, and Dusk emerging from the crystal cavern with Nimir’s sarcophagus. Hundreds of them had gathered in the underground hall now, seething like a terrible ocean of wrath as Gold-Eyes’ thirty kin held them back. And though they were yet successful, the sight of all those red eyes and swirling black smoke made Layla’s heart pound in utter terror, as she, Adrian, and Dusk approached Quinn and their Revenant escort. Holding their clothing from when they’d portaled away, it was clear Quinn had been having a tense conversation with Gold-Eyes as they both glanced at Layla – before Quinn blinked at what they’d brought out and moved quickly to them. Swirling close also, Gold-Eyes stared down at the unconscious Nimir, and Layla saw the Revenant’s face brighten in a diabolical way.
As it understood what Hunter had hidden in the Vittrian Dragon’s vault.
What a curious treasure. I hope it brings you benefit against the Illuminate One.Gold-Eyes breathed through their minds as the swirling darkness of other freed Revenants moved in also for a closer look.
“I’m sure it will.” Adrian spoke bluntly as he looked at the creature, then lifted an eyebrow at Quinn. But Quinn merely shook his head as if not wanting to talk just yet about whatever he’d been discussing with the ancient Revenant before they’d emerged from the crystal cavern. Glancing back down the tunnel – now full of Revenants that had not been awakened to their saner minds – Quinn spoke quickly.
“We need to leave, Adrian. I fear if we delay even a few minutes longer, we shall be overrun.”
I will protect you back through the Ways,Gold-Eyes breathed,or do you doubt my word?
“I don’t doubt your word, only your strength to hold back this burgeoning tide.” Quinn snapped at the creature now, his onyx eyes flashing with that curious copper-red light once more. “Come quickly, Adrian, Layla, Dusk; bring your treasure. We must away.”
As Quinn gave Gold-Eyes a curt nod, Adrian gave it a more respectful one and the creature nodded back. It was between them that a bargain had been struck; and as the creature pointed down the ghastly hall with its smoke-black spear, it made its Revenants carve a path through the sea amassing around them. As Adrian walked through that gauntlet with Nimir’s sarcophagus on his winds, Layla aided him, and Dusk followed with Quinn. She held her breath as they passed through hundreds of hateful Revenants now swirling all around them, held back by the concentration of the few awakened ones. But Gold-Eyes walked beside them with his long black spear, his body more present than ever before as he took them through that sea of wrath.
As red eyes watched him from all around – hateful but also respectful.
They were soon through. As they finally reached a node and Dusk rumbled it open to a ruby-red hall far beneath the earth, Gold-Eyes dismissed twenty of his retinue to remain behind and keep back the angry tide as ten of his strongest came with. As Dusk took them into the ruby hall, Layla felt lighter, despite the carved vaults’ bloody color.
And as the node closed, she breathed a sigh of relief that nothing followed.
Continuing back to the Paris Hotel, they soon arrived at King Lorenz DuVir’s ornate French Baroque halls beneath the Hotel, far faster than the wild goose chase Gold-Eyes had led them on initially to claim his Revenants. Layla was relieved when Dusk finally shut the last node to the Thin Ways, the shimmer of modern Crystal Dragon works surrounding them once more. Adrian and Dusk issued sighs of relief also, as Gold-Eyes was left behind with one last flash of his intense gaze. But as Quinn handed all their clothing back, his dark eyes didn’t leave the slit where they’d left the Original Vampire. Setting Nimir’s sarcophagus down, Adrian began pulling on his trousers as the rest of them dressed also.
Everyone watching Quinn.
“Quinn?” Adrian asked at last as he buttoned his shirt. “You’re stewing. Talk.”
“I feel you have made a bargain with a devil, Adrian.” Quinn spoke curtly as he looked around from staring at the node they’d left, lifting a russet eyebrow at Adrian. “That thing was more powerful than we know, and more tricky. It was what it professed to be – an Original Vampire. Not a creature who was once human or even a Twilight Realm being that got Sired into Vampirism, but one who fell from grace ages ago. It had been an Ascendant before it became dark – and now it isDescendant. Descendants are far stronger than even Fallen Archangels. That thing was stronger even than Heathren Merkami’s father, the late Vladimir Merkami, also known as Dracula.”
