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Zach froze at the echoing scream.
“Simon,” he whispered.
The fact that he couldn’t feel Simon at all terrified him. There had always been a connection between them, since the first time Simon appeared in his bedroom at Annie’s house.
It had broken when Simon disappeared, a ragged, missing piece of himself. Zach knew he’d been too dependent on being able to feel Simon again once he got closer to him. Instead, he would have to use his talent, and hope for—
“Don’t you dare.” Misty whispered against his ear, her voice hard. “Yes, you said it out loud. We’ll use old fashioned detecting.”
“But I can—”
“Drop, right here. Tell me I’m wrong.”
He turned to meet her eyes. Fear darkened the blue depths. He couldn’t read her emotions, not like with Alex. But then, he’d never healed Misty, didn’t have that connection with her spirit. This time he didn’t have to read her to know what she felt.
“Let’s keep going,” he whispered. He nodded to Alex and Sam, who stood on his other side.
Sam led them forward, the bulbs strung along the tunnel lighting their way. He had his flashlight in one hand, his other holding Alex’s hand. Zach wanted to be in front of them, to take whatever might be thrown at them when they found Elias. All he would do was get them lost in this maze.
As much as it hurt him, Simon’s scream gave them a new direction, a sign that he was still here. That Zach still had a chance to save him.
Alex’s whisper filtered back to him. “Do you think he has Simon where we found the Devil? The—scream, came from that direction.”
Sam nodded, his shoulders hunched. “It will be dark. We haven’t repaired the lights in that part of the tunnels yet.”
“Sam—”
“I’m fine.” He started moving faster.
Zach caught up with them, and grabbed Sam’s arm. “Slow down.”
Sam jerked out of his grip. “What the hell do you want, fallen?” The growl in his voice had Alex moving between them, her face white.
“Back away, Zach. Now.” She spread both hands on Sam’s chest, looked up at him. She was so small, standing in front of him, unarmed.
Misty tightened her grip on Zach’s hand and pulled him back.
“Let her handle this. She’s the only one who can talk him down.”
Alex’s voice was calm when she spoke. “The necklace isn’t working, is it?”
“I don’t—” Sam’s jaw clenched, and he shook his head. “It feels like my control is fading.”
“You can go back. I know how to get—”
“Not a chance.”
“Fine,” she said, stepping back. Zach watched her leash her temper. “One growl, and you’re out.”
Sam pulled her into a one-armed hug, his head lowered.
Zach gave them as much privacy as he could, being in a tunnel, and turned to Misty. “I have to keep going. Simon is running out of time.”
“They know the way there. I don’t—I was following last time.”
He stared at her. “You saw him—”
“Change? No. Alex was on her own for that. Her dad had been injured, and I took him back up. Alex still hasn’t told me the whole story. I think she’s protecting Sam. He went after her, when he changed into the Wolf.” She leaned into him, and he noticed how she angled herself between him and Sam. “Here they come—don’t say anything, Zach. Sam can be, well, violent, when he’s on edge like this.”
Zach stepped around Misty, ready to intervene if Alex needed it.
“We’re good, Zach.” She kept moving, practically dragging Sam after her. They made quite a picture—tiny Alex hauling a six foot plus muscled athlete. “The tunnel entrance is down here. Get your flashlight ready, Sam.”
Zach understood the request when they hit the end of the tunnel. From this point it was pitch black. When he took a step forward, he heard glass break under his shoe.
“That would be what’s left of the lights,” Misty said. She flashed a smile. “The Devil’s not fond of bright, happy spaces.” Her smile faded as they followed Alex and Sam. The beam of light danced off water—a lot of water. “Shoot—I forgot about the water. These are my favorite tennis shoes.”
“You can always go back, Misty.” Alex sounded amused.
“Not on your life. Let’s get sloshing.”
They slipped into the water, which got deeper the farther they went into the tunnel. Sam caught Alex around the waist when it reached her hip. Zach found himself pushing against a subtle current. One that seemed to be getting stronger.
“Sam—”
“I feel it, Alex. I don’t remember this being part of the active sewers. The water was full of algae last time. Which means your friend is on to us, fallen.”
Zach clenched his jaw. “Stop calling me that.”
“What’s the matter?” Sam stepped away from Alex, ignoring her attempts to pull him back. “Hearing the truth hurts?”
“I’m more human than you are. Fenris.”
Zach knew he’d overstepped the second the words left his mouth. He had just enough time to let go of Misty before Sam was on him.
They hit the water. Hard. The impact knocked the breath out of Zach—and he couldn’t take in another with his face underwater. Sam’s weight trapped him on the slick bottom of the tunnel. Zach fought to free himself, and the panic escalated when one hand clamped around his throat. A hand with claws.
Heat burst through him—familiar heat. Elias. What was—
He saw the keys then, in his mind. Three keys dangling from a chain, Elias’ power outlining each key. That power faded, then flickered out, leaving behind nothing but cold metal.
Muffled voices filtered through the water. Black spots danced around the edge of Zach’s vision, and he knew he was about to go under. If he did, there was no coming back. He’d drown, right here, so close to saving Simon.
Light slid over him, focused on his throat. Hands plunged into the water, and fingers dug into Sam’s arm. Zach swore he saw blood—just before Sam released him.
He shoved up and burst out of the water, sucking in a breath. The force of it had him coughing. Strong hands held him, kept him from going back into the water face first.
“One breath at a time, Zach.” Alex’s low voice brushed over him. “Get the hell away, Sam. Now.”
“Alex—I didn’t—”
“Right now, Sam. Or this is the last thing you’ll ever hear me say.”
Zach looked up in time to watch Sam back away, his normally clear grey-blue eyes almost black.
“Alex—”
“It’s okay, Zach.”
“Keys,” he whispered. “Sam—keys were part of the shield. Their power is gone.”
“Oh, God,” she whispered. “Just—give me one minute.” She stood, facing Sam.
He clutched the tunnel wall, every inch shaking, like he was barely holding on to himself. “I can’t let you go in alone, Alex.”
“Whatever’s in there is messing with your emotions, Sam.” She brushed one finger over the chain at his throat, and Zach saw the keys hanging from it, as black as the desperate anger surrounding Sam. It eased as Alex touched him, soothed him. “The necklace—it’s useless now. You’ll change, and I won’t be able to stop it. You won’t be able to stop it. You have to stay here.”
Fear flashed in those still black eyes. Fear for Alex. “No—”
“Simon needs our help. I won’t leave him, because a former angel with an attitude decided he wants to play possession. Misty—”
“Nope. I’m going with you.”
“Misty.” Zach took her hand. “I can’t protect you.”
“And Alex is different, how?”
He swallowed, braced himself for the backlash. “We’re connected, because I healed her. Misty.” He slid his arm around her waist, knowing he could be rejected. He needed to feel her, needed to have her with him, just for a minute. “I didn’t plan for this. God knows I want you with me. But I can’t keep you safe, and the thought of you being anywhere near Elias without protection scares the hell out of me.”
“You care about this—angel, don’t you?”
Zach nodded. “He was the only one in Between who treated me with care. I owe him, Misty. He’s hurting, and he thinks this is his only way out. I’m going to give him another one.”
Before she could ask what, he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss until he felt dizzy. They were both breathless when he finally eased back.
She laid her forehead against his. “I’ll stay here with Sam. I don’t want to, but I also don’t want to be a distraction.” A smile flashed across her gorgeous face. “I’ll save that for after.”
He closed his eyes briefly, relief threatening to overwhelm him, and leaned in to kiss her again. “Something worth coming back for.”
“You better come back. Both of you,” she said, glancing over at Alex.
“We will,” Alex said. She waded over to Sam, reached up to brush her fingers over his scarred cheek. “I promise you, we’ll be back. I want you and Misty to wait in the dry part of the tunnel. You’ll be more comfortable.”
And out of the line of fire. Zach knew what she wasn’t saying. Her quick glance at him confirmed it.
She closed both hands over Sam’s shoulders and stretched up to kiss him. Sam lifted her off her feet and pinned her to the wall, their kiss so intimate Zach turned around to give them some privacy.
Misty touched his throat. “You’re okay?”
“How bad does it look?”
“Sam scratched you, and there are some bruises starting to form. But you’re not bleeding, and you should be. You don’t feel it?”
He shook his head—and realized why. Elias was screwing with everyone’s abilities, which meant he was inadvertently enhancing Zach’s uneven healing skills.
Then what she said hit him.
“Sam—scratched me?”
Misty squeezed his hand. “It’s the bite that infects you. I’m guessing something in the saliva. And I can’t believe I know that. Jeez—what happened to my life?”
“It became more interesting?”
She kissed him. That was just getting interesting when a throat cleared—loud and obvious.
Misty smiled against his lips, and pulled back. “Time to go.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t disappoint me, Zach, and do the hero martyr thing. I want to see you, walking out of that tunnel with Alex, in one piece.” Tears filled her eyes by the time she finished. “Understand?”
“Trust me, I want the same thing.” Zach gave in to impulse and hugged her, his face buried in her hair. He wanted to carry everything about her with him—her scent, her joy, her strength. He had a feeling he’d need it before he was done. “I have to go,” he whispered.
Misty nodded, and he let her go, stepping away so he wouldn’t be tempted to hang on.
“Ready?” Alex looked up at him, her eyelashes damp.
“Yeah.”
“Good.” She took his hand. “Let’s go get Simon back.”
***
They moved through the swirling water, the current pushing at them with every step. Zach took the flashlight from Alex when the water started lapping at her waist, and leaned down to whisper against her ear.
“Climb on my back.”
“I don’t need to—”
“You’re short, Alex. Admit it and move on.”
She stared up at him, and he braced himself for a blistering comeback. Instead, she smiled and shook her head.
“You do know you get away with more because you’re so—charming, don’t you?”
He shrugged, and bent over so she could reach his back. “Good looking, too.”
She snorted. “No self-conscious on you, is there?”
“Just a whole lot of unsure. Climb on.”
Once she scrambled up, she held the flashlight, leaving Zach’s hands free for whatever hit them next. He was expecting a doozy, knowing Elias. The angel was not subtle, or lacking in ways to knock people down. He had done it on a regular basis in Between, cutting inflated egos at the knees. He’d always told Zach that type needed to see their own failings before they could help other people overcome theirs.
Zach just hoped it was a blow he could handle.
The water turned cold, then icy, and both of them started shivering. It seeped into the old burn the fire elemental had left on Zach’s left leg, aching more every time he put weight on it. Holding Alex only made it more painful. And the water started rising again, until it hit Zach’s waist.
“How is he doing this?” Alex clung to him, her body shaking.
“Angels can—control the elements.” Zach sucked in a breath, the water like an invisible barrier he had to keep pushing against to move forward. “Elias didn’t change, not completely. He obviously still—has some of the power he planned to leave behind.”
He hunched over. The icy water inflamed the scars from his knife wounds. No—not the water. God, Elias found his weakness.
“Zach—you okay?”
“Not—really.”
“I’m going to get down.”
“Alex—” His left foot hit a deep depression and he toppled.
The water pummeled him, pushing him into the side of the tunnel. He scrabbled along the wall, his old injuries on fire, his body smacking against the rough concrete. He needed to take a breath, had to take a breath—
Zach opened his mouth. A small hand clapped over it, another hand twisting into his shirt, dragging him up. His head broke the surface of the water, and Alex freed his mouth.
“Breathe, Zach.”
He did, the pain from his scars wrapping around his chest, restricting his lungs. He couldn’t do this—Elias kept lashing at him, and even his enhanced healing wasn’t keeping up. And with Alex here—he was terrified that he couldn’t protect her, that she’d pay for his choices, his decision to become mortal—
“Zach.” Her voice sliced through his panic. She touched his cheek, her fingers as cold as his skin. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s bouncing around in that busy mind.”
“Alex...”
“Don’t you dare shut me out. We’re going in together, Zach.”
He swallowed, and closed his eyes. She looked so fierce, and so small. He ached at the thought of her being hurt by this.
“I call the shots,” he whispered.
“Fine.”
Her sharp reply opened his eyes. Alex was furious, those dark blue eyes narrowed. She really was something.
“I don’t know if I—” He took a deep breath, and spit out his fears. “I don’t know if I can win this. I really don’t want you anywhere near Elias. Not when I—” With a harsh cry he doubled, hot pain flaring through his knife scars.
“Zach, let me—”
“No.” He tried to pull away, and his body screamed at him. “I don’t—want you anywhere near him.”
“If not me, then who, Zach?” That fury edged her voice. “Can you make it without me?”
He closed his eyes. “I—no.”
“Then this conversation is over.”
“I won’t give him the chance to hurt you!”
“And I won’t let you waltz in there and sacrifice yourself.” Her fingers brushed dripping hair off his face, gentle, careful. “I want Simon back, but I won’t lose both of you trying to do it. Are we clear?”
He stared at her, wanting desperately for her to be anywhere but here. “Yeah.”
More pain scorched him, deeper, hotter. He clutched the wall and locked his knees, afraid that if he fell again, he wouldn’t get up.
“Zach.” She caught him around the waist, her arm shaking.
“Alex—you’re not—”
“I’m okay, just cold. You look terrible.”
“Elias—pinpointing my weak spots.”
“Huh.” She studied him for a few seconds. “I have a couple of fabulous wounds he could use to take me down. Why hasn’t he touched me?”
“He doesn’t—see you as a threat.” He smiled when she raised her eyebrows. It faded at his next thought. “We might be able to use that. Maybe.” As a last ditch, only in a deadly emergency kind of maybe. He wanted her on the sidelines, looking as harmless as Elias obviously thought she was.
“Zach?” He opened his eyes, not sure when he closed them. God, he hurt. And he was already exhausted, before the battle had even began. “You ready?”
“Not really, but we have to go.”
“Yeah. Hold on to me—I’ll get you there.”
He nodded, in too much pain to do much more. Focus—he needed to focus. Elias had given him enhanced healing abilities. Now he needed to use them.
If he wasn’t functioning by the time they found Simon, they had no chance in hell of getting around Elias.