Page 138 of Tainted Souls
“We’re missing a few,” I say, observing.
“They couldn’t make it to the tunnel in time,” Reece says, his usual charm absent. “Turned, most likely.”
I want to ask how many, but the grim set of their faces tells me I don’t want to know the answer.
Ace makes a gesture the whole group seems to understand, except me. Palina nods, then weaves through the bloodmaids, offering gentle touches and murmured reassurances. Kale follows her lead, his usual imposing presence softened as he carefully helps an injured woman to her feet.
Together, they head for another passage, guiding the bloodmaids elsewhere—safety, hopefully.
Everyone else follows Ace through the main door, so I do too.
It opens to reveal the night sky above and the dark surface of a lake stretching before us. We’ve emerged from underneath the peninsula where the mansion stands, the water lapping gently at our feet. The moon’s reflection ripples across its inky surface, and in the distance, I can make out the shore we need to reach.
“Stay low and quiet,” Ace instructs. “We swim from here.”
Without hesitation, he steps into the water and submerges himself, disappearing from sight completely. Reece follows, then Irene. I pause at the water’s edge, the cold already seeping through my boots.
“Can you swim?” Irene asks, treading water as she waits for me.
“Yes,” I say, but it’s been years since I’ve had to. I take a deep breath and step forward, gasping as the cold water touches my hips, then neck.
The shock passes quickly as I force my limbs to move, following the dark shapes of the underwater Ravens ahead.
I keep my strokes steady, matching their pace without exhausting myself, occasionally going to the surface to catch a breath.
My body can go without oxygen for far longer than a human’s, but it still depends on it to function.
Halfway across, my muscles begin to burn with the effort. The low temperature numbs my fingers and toes, making each movement more difficult than the last. I push on, focusing on the shore that refuses to grow closer no matter how hard I swim.
The pressure of the current grows with every push, the water and sky merging into opaque darkness, leaving me slightly disoriented and struggling to tell which way is forward.
Something wraps around my arm.
I nearly cry out before recognizing Ace’s masked face beside me in the water, realizing it’s his hand gripping me.
He points upward and we both break the surface. “You alright?” he asks, his voice barely audible over the lapping of waves.
“Yeah.” My breath comes in short gasps. “Just the water’s cold.”
I will myself to keep moving, but it’s hard. Harder than I’d like to admit. My human side isn’t built for these kinds of frigid conditions.
I adjust my stroke to conserve energy, then take a few sharp inhales, readying myself to dive again.
Ace watches me, and I can’t help but panic under the scrutiny of his gaze. He could easily drown me if he wants. I know he’s thought about it. I close my eyes in an attempt to center myself, but the weight of his assessment remains. With one quiet inhale, I force myself underwater again and don’t look back, focusing on the pull of my arms as I kick forward, determined to get away from him before he decides to remind me what he’s capable of.
Two hands firmly grip the sides of my waist, fingers gently pressing into my stomach as I’m pulled forward with incredible force. My body tenses instinctively, but then the reality hits: he’s helping me.
I don’t resist, just continue swimming and letting him pull me faster through the water, unable to suppress the strange rush of heat that his touch sends through me despite the freezing cold. When we reach the shallows, Ace moves ahead without a single glance back. I stagger onto the shore, teeth chattering uncontrollably.
Irene hands me a vial and I down its contents without question, too cold to care what it might be. Almost immediately, heat blooms in my chest, spreading outward to my limbs. The shivering finally stops, and I straighten, aware of how vulnerable we are on this open shore.
Without wasting any more time, we slip into the forest, the Ravens forming a loose formation around me as we begin our journey toward Northcross, making me feel both shielded and trapped. Ace is leading us at a grueling pace, forcing me to push my limits to keep up. They all move with a kind of grace that barely disturbs the undergrowth, while I struggle not to trip over exposed roots and fallen branches.
Kale and Palina join us halfway.
After what feels like an hour of silent travel, the landscape begins to shift. The wild, untamed forests surrounding Mythcrest gradually give way to the more ordered woodlands ofNorthcross territory and their carefully maintained perimeters, from the nearly invisible sensor points disguised as broken branches to the strategically cleared sight lines and the occasional watchtower. I’ve patrolled these terrains countless times, and now I’m crossing them with the very creatures I yearned to destroy.
Ace signals for everyone to halt, his eyes scanning the tree line before turning to me. He doesn’t need to say anything for me to understand he’s expecting me to drop intel.
