Queen of Death

Chapter 33

Hunter

Ace calls to us to gather so we can teleport to the Elder's council headquarters to pursue his father but I know that if I can get Griffin to teleport me, I can get us into that same hallway we were in when the blast went off and Sol slipped away.

Four years ago I made the mistake of going after my enemies first before making sure the love of my life was safe. I won't make that mistake again.

"I'm going after her with Griffin. I'll link you once I find her and we'll teleport straight to the Grove." His face remains impassive as I tell him what I'm doing rather than asking for permission to do it.

Our bond thrums with reluctance on his part. Not because he's alpha and he's stubborn. It's because he doesn't like not having control over everything, he doesn't like taking unnecessary risks.

But if I don't have Sol in my arms within the hour I will kill every single person between me and her until she's found.

"You find her and you bring her home." He says firmly, punctuating each word for emphasis.

I give him a quick nod and turn to Griffin. I concentrate with him on the hallway we were in and fortunately it was enough because we land in the ruins of what was once a sterile, immaculate hallway.

The dust has settled and a stone staircase that leads down into an ominous basement is exposed behind what used to be the hidden door.

Quickly and quietly Griffin and I descend the stairs, winding our way deeper into the depths beneath the council headquarters. For as modern and advanced the technology is upstairs, down here it's medieval by comparison.

Rough stone and a dry heat whirring through the passageways, torches lit with fire illuminate the dark space.

With every step we take it becomes clearer that this is no ordinary basement — it's a dungeon, through and through.

Cells with iron bars, shackles on the walls, steel doors that likely lead to more torture chambers. I knew the council was made up of quite literally ancient dragons but I guess some habits never die. They may have modernized the outside but deep down where the only light to be seen is hellfire they keep to their wilder ways.

Prisoners claw at us through the bars of their cells with skeletal fingers. Their fingertips rubbed raw and bleeding from trying to claw at the unrelenting stone.

When we approach a guard Griffin teleports on the other side of them to draw their attention while I throw a knife into the backs of their skulls. It's a gentle death. They never even see it coming.

Deeper and deeper we press when I catch the sound of chains rattling and muffled voices. We move swiftly towards the source, passing by several rooms with steel doors and two way glass windows. Most rooms are empty, a few have a single prisoner hunched down in a corner.

But the last room has my worst fear. Sol is chained to a chair on the far end of the room. Elena faces Sol and slits the throat of a man I can't yet identify.

I found Sol. I link Ace like I said I would.

"Griffin get me in there," I growl at him.

"You don't think I haven't already tried? It's protected by powerful spells. No magic in or out."

"Damnit!" I punch the glass but the only thing that breaks is my hand. I slam my fist against the glass again and again screaming for Sol but neither she nor Elena flinch. They can't hear me.

I summon weapon after weapon — hammers, crowbars, spiked axes, pick axes, maces, clubs. Metal, diamond, or stone, it doesn't matter. None of them even make a scratch on the glass.