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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

G wil didn’t like waiting. He had plenty of work to be getting on with once he was home, and he was missing Hyax something fierce. No amount of suggestive text messages and flirty calls could fill the void left by not being able to hold him in his arms and he knew Hyax would feel the same.

He threw the newspaper he was reading to one side and took out his phone to reply to Hyax’s last text, which had been a veiled reference to what he’d like to do with his tongue. His phone beeped with an incoming message:

Jack: Another orderly has been called to collect Simon. We need to act. Robin’s getting Catlin. Make your way to the lower ground floor outside the linen supply room. Let your friend know. We need to get Simon out now.

Gwil had suspected it would only be a matter of time before Mettle made a move to ensure Simon didn’t leave. He was a rechargeable magical battery and there was no way a lich would want to lose him. Robin would be going spare, he wasn’t the most level-headed when it came to Simon. If Simon had been taken to the lower floor, there were a series of treatment rooms there and they had a small advantage as Gwil had been able to get a recce when he’d accidentally followed a nurse into the area before being chased out.

Gwil: Will do. Coming.

He was prepared for this to be an extraction and he hadn’t brought anything with him to the facility that couldn’t be replaced if they had to leave in a hurry, but they hadn’t yet mapped out all their potential exits so he would need to think on his feet. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to act on a half-arsed plan, but at least this time he wasn’t on his own and Jack was someone he’d want on his side.

He tapped out a message to Hyax.

Gwil: Could be home sooner than we thought. Might need to be ready to leave Rob on short notice. Can you get me some things together?

The text needed to be vague enough in case they were caught and needed to remain, but also provide the information to give Hyax time to react and have the blood stocks he’d need. He didn’t have much mobile phone coverage, it was spotty inside and he was grateful he’d been able to be in contact with Hyax at all. But it also meant he wouldn’t know whether it had got through and they might be on their own.

Gwil left his room—he needed not to look obvious and was lucky the corridors were quiet. Since it was late and most of the residents weren’t nocturnal it was less of a risk but he still needed to be careful. Robin was collecting Catlin and she was down a different corridor. He’d not spoken to her much. Robin was a link to her sired brother but Gwil didn’t have a way to earn her trust so had left it to Robin, given he wouldn’t be shepherding her out on his own. He took the stairs down to the ground level and peered around the door to one of the main hallways. He would need to cross this intersection and then head to the back of the house. There were cameras, but from what they’d been able to ascertain not all were monitored to the same extent though being the sole one out and about could lead to him attracting attention.

Jack, Robin and Catlin were waiting by the storage closet as he arrived. They were in front of a set of doors with keypad access, and Gwil assumed that was where Simon was and it was the place he’d been able to get a glimpse into.

“We ready?” Gwil asked.

“Not really,” Catlin said, for some reason, she was brandishing a knitting needle like a weapon. “All seems like a shot in the dark.”

“I can tell you that through the door is a lobby, with several other smaller rooms, I followed a nurse in and was chased off, but it was enough,” Gwil explained.

“Right, I’ll pick the lock,” Jack said. “We get in fast and check the rooms. Grab Simon and get out, I’ll try to provide cover, but I need to manage the portal so your best bet is not to get hit.”

“Were you able to get word to Hyax?” Gwil asked, his fear the portal would be their option was fast becoming the reality and fae portals were not good for him, hopefully Jack’s warlock ones weren’t so bad. “To have supplies on hand?”

“Aren’t they meant to be coming through to capture Mettle?” Robin said. “Otherwise, we could be back to square one.”

The retrieval plan they’d devised wasn’t meant to have been done on the fly. Hyax, Alex and Ashley were meant to come through to grab Mettle to stop him from escaping. An emergency portal would mean they were on their own and would have to make the best of it even if it meant the vampires getting a little crispy around the edges.

“I couldn’t get enough signal to call,” Jack said. “I’ve sent a message but the reception’s patchy. But we don’t have time to argue about this. We’ll figure something out.”

“What did you mean by supplies?” Catlin sounded worried

“The fae portals can be a bit rough on vampires. I’ve assumed a similar issue for those created by warlocks,” Gwil explained, there was no point in sugar-coating things. “The blood supplies help with the immediate aftermath.”

“I take it there’s not an alternative?” she asked.

“You could stay here,” Robin snapped. “Look, we need to move, if nothing else we don’t want to get caught in this corridor.”

Jack raced over to the door and his fingers danced over the keypad, a slight purple haze the visible sign of his magic. “Nearly there. Triple layer encryption is impressive, but people are always complacent over the matrixing.”

Gwil was impressed, those locks were not easy to break and he’d seen Hyax have trouble with something similar. Jack was a remarkable warlock and was probably brought in to assist on all sorts of matters. A useful man to know and Gwil wouldn’t think twice about contacting him in the future.

A soft click announced the door release being activated. Robin, ever the reckless fucker was first through the door. He knew Robin was desperate to get to Simon, but if he was extinguished or injured then Gwil was sure the House of Hewel would find a way to hold Gwil responsible. They followed Robin, the lobby was empty and there were five doors, only one closed and the other treatment rooms were deserted.

“Stand back, I’ll blast the door open,” Jack instructed. “Grab Simon and I’ll open the portal for Catlin and Gwil. I might need another one for us.”

Gwil was happy enough to get out of there and he’d take Catlin with him. Jack hit the door with a discharge of magic and cast out a sea of mist, then with his other hand opened a purple portal. Gwil grabbed Catlin’s hand and dragged her through the portal and to safety.

They collapsed onto the floor, some sort of flowery carpet that, alongside the burning sensation in his veins, made him want to throw up. So much for hoping the warlock portals wouldn’t be as bad as the fae’s. He was vaguely aware of a series of shouts. Someone picked up Catlin and he was rolled onto his back, a blood pack forced to his lips.

He guzzled down the blood, and he was already beginning to feel a bit less shit. His world righted just enough for him to realise Hyax was kneeling at his side. “I’ve got you.”

Hyax administered another pack of blood, even in his current state he could tell it was better than his usual supplies. There was a commotion to his right, Robin arrived with Simon, they were safe. A wave of nausea hit him, and his nerves felt as if they were on fire.

Hyax brushed his fingers across his temples. “Sleep.”

And Gwil slept.