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“Any door that has red fabric on it, you don’t enter. It won’t be a problem tomorrow as we’re not bringing the inmates down, but do not go in there. These are the women who’ve come into heat.” We all jumped when we heard a thump and then a muffled scream from beyond the door, making the Volken chuckle. “The kids have been moved into surrounding rooms for their safety, but these women are dangerous. If you’re dumb enough to go in there, you’ll get your just desserts quick smart. Now, I’m going back to my post on the other side of the door.” The Volken tossed the keys to me. “Lock it once I go through, and don’t come out until you’re done.”
“Yes, sir.”
A weird kind of quiet settled over the complex once the lock was clicked, broken only by whatever was happening behind the red covered door.
“Almost makes you wanna find out what’s going down,” Slade said, attempting to smile.
“Except it's probably Grey or Rhydian they’re throwing around in there, forcing them to desecrate their vows to my mother,” Finn replied.
“Shit, I’m sorry—” Slade said.
“Bloody easy way to get the keys,” Jack said, eyeing the set in my hands. “This has all been pretty easy. You seers got any divine insight into why?”
“That vision I had yesterday with Jules was the clearest I’ve had since I told you what I was,” Brandon said with a shrug, Aaron’s hand landing on his shoulder.
“Clearest?” Finn said. “What’s that mean?”
Brandon shook his head. “I get glimpses of stuff, mostly just really boring stuff, like someone having a smoke or taking a shit or something.”
“But…” Finn prompted.
“Sometimes it’s just an empty field. Green and peaceful.”
“And the other times?”
“Darkness.”
“Very enlightening,” Sylvan said. “The keys being within easy proximity tells you a lot about how seriously the women are taken as a threat. Let’s just do this. Let’s go to Lian’s family first. They’re high up the hierarchy, and I have a contact in there.”
I nodded and then took the keys and turned the lock.
We crept inside, everyone’s heads whipping around when we heard the wheels of one of the carts squeak. Hawk stopped pushing it, moving to join us as we moved further in.
If you’d asked me what I’d expected, this wasn’t it. Which was weird, as I had seen rooms like it before in the vision Sylvan shared with us. I flicked a look at the seer as he followed us, but if anything, he looked the calmest. He strode forward, taking the lead, walking past the beautiful paintings and sculptures leaned up against the walls and the overstuffed couches covered in rich silks until we entered the main room. Huge, I wondered just how much space they’d excavated under the city to create it and the many others besides. Then they came.
Looking like feral supermodels who just couldn’t take another day of the Diet Coke and Tic Tac diet, beautiful women appeared, from the small accompanying bedrooms, from couches, and from a room that had been set up as a schoolroom. They approached us with halting steps, long slender legs poised and ready to retreat at a second's notice, and I saw why. Twined around their bodies, hiding behind their skirts, were the children. They stared at us with eyes the size of saucers, nostrils flaring as they looked us over. Each step we took had them flinching back, but they persisted in their inspection, until they saw the seer.
“Sylvan…” one woman said, her voice soft and sweet. “Is that…? Is that you?” She came forward, her hand wrapping itself around her daughter’s, drawing the child along with her. She had a long tumble of auburn hair and striking green eyes that seemed to pierce our souls with one glance.
“Of course, Arelia,”
“And you’ve brought…” Her voice trailed away, and her eyes wid
ened as she took in the guys. She froze on the spot, pushing her child behind her skirts as her nose worked to take in the scents of the guys. “You brought breeders to us? Here?” Her voice started to waver as she shot questions at the seer, cracking when she turned to her daughter. “Kiralee, go to your room, now.”
Kiralee must have been her daughter, as she pushed the child to do her bidding, but the little girl seemed resistant to the order, her fingers grasping at her mother’s skirt, clinging hard even as she was pushed.
“No, Arelia, not breeders. Let me—”
“These men reek of Tirian,” one woman said.
“But not of rut,” another said, peering at us.
“I’m not sure I care,” a dark beauty with grey eyes said, slinking forward, her child left to fend for herself. “These are much better specimens than those we’ve had before. I could think of worse ways to spend the Longest Night.” She strode over, the dress she wore swishing around her hips as she went, her eyes flashing red for a moment as she approached.
“Stop!” Sylvan said. His voice was clear and crisp, and held a note of authority I hadn’t heard the black wolf use before.
“Do not think to order me around, interloper,” the dark woman said.
