The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld (29 page)

“You know Evina, she is a temptress, and you can’t ask for a better skill than that when it comes to getting other vampires on your side. Al is recruiting others topside to infiltrate Greggan’s organization. And Jax,” Halston paused and Koa tensed at the name. “You are going to free him, because he is the key to killing Greggan and freeing your mother from her curse. Your mother, she is the only one who can stop Bund.”

Koa didn’t say anything. Halston had just revealed his plan, in simple terms. She didn’t know what to say. She stepped back and let his collar slip out of her hands.

Halston searched her eyes. “Feel better?”

Koa let out a sigh. She was nervous but she nodded. “I just don’t want to be left in the dark. I mean, it seems like I have to do the hard part and break this fool out of prison.”

“Fool?” Evina made a face.

Tristan chuckled. “She’s kind of funny.”

Koa looked between both of them. “Well yes, I am not going to hide the fact that I don’t think highly of him.”

The War-Breeder and the temptress shared a look.

Halston pulled Koa back around to face him. “We don’t have much time. Let’s get going.”

Koa thought about Raven. She knew that Jax could change her back and that he had valuable information for her.

“Whatever. Let’s just get it over with.” Koa shook her head and stared up at Halston. She felt like a puppet being controlled. She had her own motives, and she would get what she wanted.

Halston reached into his jacket and put something into her hand. Koa raised a brow. A vial. Koa touched the glass. The gravity of the situation was settling in. Things were about to get dangerous. Koa thought of Galena and how Halston had given her one of his vials weeks ago.

Koa eyes widened when he put two stones into her other hand.

“You went to the Alchemist?” She was awestruck. She felt a little cheated. She’d always wanted to meet that notorious being.

Halston nodded. “Yes. Drink this down in one gulp.”

Koa swallowed. “You sure, it’s safe?”

“Yes. He is the best at this. I promise.”

Koa sighed and pulled the top of the vial open. A tiny spurt of air escaped and she smelled something foul. She gave Halston a look. “What will this do to me?” She licked the roof of her mouth as she imagined what the potion would taste like.

“I am not sure. It will transform you for a few hours so that you will be able to enter the prison without being questioned. If they saw you trying to go inside, they would immediately arrest you.”

Koa thought of all of the possibilities. She could only imagine what she’d be transformed into. She didn’t like the idea.

“Wait a minute,” Evina cut in. She stepped closer to them and pointed to the Vial. “Won’t it wear off the instant she enters Jax’s portal?”

Halston ran a hand through his hair. “Yes. That’s when she’ll use the stones to escape.”

Koa held them up. “How do they work?”

“She’ll have to fight her way out,” Tristan said.

Evina leaned against the wall. “Well, at least she’ll have Jax by then.”

A torrent of warnings flooded her mind. She felt strong, but she had a worrisome knot in her stomach.

Halston put a hand on Koa’s shoulder. “Go on. Take it, Koa. We will be watching for you. We will all be outside and prepared when the time comes for you to escape with the prince.”

Koa cleared her throat and eyed the contents of the vial. She felt queasy but the certainty in Halston’s eyes gave her the courage to gulp it all down. It wasn’t as disgusting as it smelled, but it was thick and she could feel it slowly creep down her throat and into her esophagus. It worked immediately. It burned her from the inside out.

She clutched her throat as it clogged her airway. Her eyes widened as she felt something enter her and take over. Her skin started to crawl and she felt her eyes roll into the back of her head.

Halston held her up. “You can take it Koa. It will all be over in a moment.” Koa felt comforted by Halston’s embrace, but the pain was almost too much. She cried out as a powerful force morphed her body into something that felt foreign. She fell to her knees with a crash of metal.

Koa opened her eyes. She heard Evina gasp. Koa gasped when she saw her hands. They were covered in metal. Her fingers were long and sharp. Koa felt fear enter her heart. She was afraid of herself.

“Halston,” Koa called, but her voice was not her own. It had a robotic tone that made everyone cover their ears. Koa widened her eyes. Everyone looked odd. She saw them as colors now.

Evina was red. Tristan was green and Halston was yellow. They still had their forms, yet she could see their inner aura, the difference between their races.

Koa stood. She sucked in a breath when her head hit the ceiling. She bent over and towered over them all. She saw that her legs were covered in black metal as well and her metallic boots were sealed to her gaiters. She wore a metallic breastplate and she touched her face to feel it covered in metal as well. As far as she could tell, she was completely covered in smooth, black, metal. She felt heavy, yet strong.

She looked at the others as their aura’s pulsated. “What am I?”

Halston was staring up at her with wide eyes. “A Scayor.”

Tristan stroked his chin. “No one would dare question her like that.”

Evina nodded. “It’s brilliant.”

“Damn, you look awesome.” Tristan grinned. “It even adapted to her female features. It’s rare to see a female Scayor.” He knocked on her belly, which was nearly as tall as his face. Koa had to be nine feet tall.

She felt awkward. She had never been taller than anyone. She was so used to standing in the shadows and getting lost in the crowd. Now, everyone would see her, and run. Halston swallowed hard and shook his head. He looked Koa up and down. “Roderick is a genius.”

Koa clasped her hands. It felt odd, hearing the metal clink against each other. “What now?” she asked.

Everyone looked at Halston.

“It’s time.”

K
oa approached the Ivory Tower. The prison was the one structure that passed through all of the levels. All of the worst criminals were housed in those ivory stone walls. She’d never seen a building so tall. The Ivory Tower stretched upwards and went through a circular hole that led to the upper level of the Netherworld. Made of stone and bone, the building looked like an ancient castle. It was clean and bright, and yet one could feel the evil radiating from it.

Koa felt her heart thumping in her new, foreign, body. This is where Jax awaited her. She swallowed and realized that her throat was dry.

Halston had led her here. She could trust him. She had no choice. She was in a place where everyone was a stranger.

She checked the pouch that was secured around her waist and made sure that her sword was secure. It pulsated against her belly inside the armor. She felt the subtle vibrations running up and down the armor.

There was so much evil surrounding her that she didn’t even need the sword to warn her. Evil was thick in the air. She said a silent prayer for strength and joined the ranks of the other Scayors that lined up to enter the prison. Koa blended in with at least seven other Scayors.

Koa tried to keep up with their quick steps and felt her breath start to quicken. The sound of their armor clinking away on the stone floor made Koa wince. She hated that sound, but was grateful that no one questioned her when she entered the Ivory Tower.

No one even dared glance at her. Even the other Syths that stood guard, kept their distance. Besides, who would dare try to sneak into the prison?

Koa smirked as she passed by. Then she wondered if they’d be able to smell her differences. It made her worry.

The Alchemist is the best
, Halston had said. She held the stones in her pouch as well. This had to work.

The harsh reality that she might die settled onto her. She felt nauseous. Koa turned to the one memory that made her smile every time. The day she met Halston and kissed him. She had been drunk, and he simply laughed and picked her up like a rag doll and took her back to his car. Koa hadn’t been afraid. Even then she had known that he was someone special.

When she woke up, there he was. “Good morning,” Halston said, as if they had been close friends for years. It was that simple, and for the next twenty years, they had become just that, but more than close friends. They became best friends, and it was their secret, inside, joke…that Halston was Koa’s guardian angel.

Koa felt better. She breathed deep. She had to keep her cool. There were too many narrow hallways that she began to feel dizzy. Creatures she’d never seen before stalked the hallways, carrying electronic devices and taking notes. Koa was amazed by how much technology the Netherworld utilized. They seemed to enjoy a balance between technology and Medieval and Gothic architecture.

Koa checked exits and noted the number of Syth guards posted. Her brows furrowed at how many children walked the corridor. There she was, in the dimly lit, prison and there were children swarming the halls. They all wore the same uniform, gray slacks and blouses, with their hair pulled back into ponytails. Their eyes all had the same hollow look in them.

Koa sniffed the air. They were not human children. Koa’s eyes widened. Her gaze followed a procession of two straight lines as they walked from one door and across the corridor to another. Two more groups like that did the same, except they came from the opposite side and disappeared into a door on the right. Koa noticed that each child carried a tiny dagger. They ignored her. She felt as if they had an arrogant air about them, as if even as a Scayor, that she was beneath them.

Once the children disappeared through that massive steel doors, Koa’s mind went back to Halston’s face. His image kept her calm. Even though he wasn’t there, he kept her from focusing on the skeletons that lined the walls like gruesome art. The other Scayors were horrific enough. Just being near them made her anxious.

Koa went over Evina’s directions in her head over and over. It was simple, the temptress had said, Jax’s cell was directly down the main entrances corridor. She would know it when she saw it. Evina was right.

Koa turned a corner at the end of the main corridor and her eyes widened in awe. She stopped before a portal. The royal seal was posted on the metal brackets. Snakes and golden swords. It reminded her of the inkwell portal in the safe house. Koa wondered if it worked the same way. She knew that the portal would let anyone in…but it wouldn’t let anything back out. Koa gulped as the black liquid reached out to her. Black hands reached for her.

With a gasp, she pulled her face back. Between four silver brackets stood a black pool, stretched like the faces of those Shadows, except this was a liquid.  The portal faced her. The outer edges were illuminated by an alien light. She didn’t want to go. She had no choice. Koa held her breath.