I looked back, using my True Sight to see all the way to the diamond dome tunnel end. I cackled with pure, unadulterated joy when I saw Kailani jump in, with Corrine, Ibrahim, and Lumi. They were the last four in our massive crew. In front of them, most of the founders stayed together. Farther ahead were Jax and Hansa, the nine wards, and Hunter, who was constantly glancing over his shoulder, making sure he could still see Kailani.
Hundreds of our GASP people were in-between, while Zeriel was right behind us, keeping an eye on Vesta ahead. Sprinkled among us were the fae, who did their parts as we kept moving through the tunnel.
Some held the tunnel together. Others passed flames around to keep every section well-lit as they advanced. Fire was provided by the dragons. A few of the air-proficient fae made sure the currents flowed from one end to another, giving us a constant supply of fresh air, which they pulled from the diamond dome. This was a team effort of extraordinary proportions, and I had to admit, I was genuinely impressed.
I was also beaming with pride. These were the kind of people I was ready to fight for.
Without the shock collars, they could all use their abilities and remind us of why they were a fit for the GASP alliance, in the first place. They were all ambitious and fearless, determined and resilient. They were all warriors and survivors, and it was my duty to make sure they lived through this.
The ground quaked, over and over, making it a bit harder for us to run without tumbling down. My True Sight gave me a full view of the destruction unraveling on the surface. The diamond colosseum was collapsing, consumed by bright orange-and-black clouds of fire and destruction.
“It’s coming down,” I shouted, for everyone to hear me.
“Araquiel, are you there?” Rose asked, pressing the main button on her earpiece. “Araquiel! Herakles! Douma! Amane!”
“Team, come in!” Ben joined her on the line, using his earpiece to contact the general channel. We could all hear anything on it, but no answer came through.
Rose panted as another tremor made her lose her footing. Ben was quick to catch her by the elbow. They kept moving and trying to reach out to the others. Scanning the surface above us, I couldn’t see much—I couldn’t make out who was out there.
People were running away from the colosseum. Most of them Faulties. I spotted some Draenir, too. But I couldn’t find our team leaders. I couldn’t see Amane or Amal… Raphael or Douma… Araquiel. Nathaniel. Uriel. Angelica or Deena. Heck, Herakles was nowhere to be found, either.
I cursed under my breath. “I can’t see them. But it’s a mess up there.”
“Define ‘mess,’ little sister,” Varga shot back.
“The Faulties were definitely warned,” I replied. “Isda did her part. There are lots of them up there, running from the colosseum. But I can’t see our people anywhere. I mean, it’s hard to track them while we’re down here, running as well.”
“Keep moving!” Rose advised us. “Keep digging. Once we reach the surface and get to a safe spot, we’ll do a tally. We can’t stop now!”
I nodded and shifted my focus back to Vesta. The earth opened up in front of us, in shades of black and brown and fragments of marble, limestone, and a multitude of colorful crystals. I felt as though I was moving through an iridescent painting of an unreal world, something imagined by an artist’s mind.
Shimmers of diamonds and rubies and sapphires and emeralds—all of them raw and unpolished—caught my eye, both to the left and right. Occasionally, there were threads of glowing blue serium and gorgeous obsidian. Lava fissures had to be close, most likely deeper underground. We passed by ancient tree roots stretching and swirling for hundreds of feet down, buried bones, and sheets of sweet water.
It reminded me of our Hermessi-induced tumble through the entrails of Strava, shortly after Cassiel came after us with an army of Perfects back on Merinos. I wondered how he was taking all this.
“By the time Ta’Zan figures out what happened, it’ll be too late,” Nevis said.
“Most of the colosseum is coming down,” I replied, frequently checking the disaster scene that we left farther behind. “Some parts will probably collapse later. The diamond dome is still standing!”
“It’s a separate structure,” Nevis said. “It’s only linked to the colosseum through minor fixes. The structural damage is done, though. I think it looks worse than it actually is.”
“That’s why Amal used those red, powdered chemicals for the explosive charges,” Varga reminded us. “She said they’re mostly for show, since the Perfects can’t be permanently destroyed like this, and since the entire colosseum is pure diamond.”
“Yeah, but the charges were well placed,” I replied. “Either way—” I went quiet for a moment, hearing an unfamiliar sound. A wail of some kind, mechanical and sharp, much like the air raid sirens the humans had on Earth. “It’s coming from the surface,” I added, then looked at Varga.
He, too, could hear them. They were getting louder, to the point where everyone was aware of them. The sound made my skin crawl.
“Sirens,” Varga confirmed. “They’re all around the island. The Perfects are ringing their alarms, I think.”
“Good, because we’re about to get to the surface and hopefully see a fae shuttle come through,” Vesta said, then raised her hands slowly.
The earth reacted to her movements, almost as fluid as water. The tunnel began to ascend, and we gradually made our way back to the surface. It split open, eventually, in the heart of the jungle, about two miles from the colosseum.
Varga and I immediately pulled on our hoods, masks, and goggles as we made it into a small clearing. The other vampires managed to rip leafy branches along the way, which they used to shield themselves from the afternoon sun cutting through the foliage, its beams lighting up patches of wildflowers. Vesta dropped to her knees, trying to catch her breath. She’d put in an insane amount of work. She definitely needed the break.
I gently squeezed her shoulder, while the prisoners emerged from the tunnel and occupied the clearing. When there was no more room, they spread out into the woods but stayed close to us and the founders’ crew.
“Well done,” I said to Vesta. “That was epic, to say the least.”
Vesta looked at her trembling hands, turning them over once in a while. She seemed surprised by what she’d accomplished, and she gave me a weak smile. “I didn’t really feel like myself… It’s like I was in the backseat, watching the earth open up in front of me.”
Zeriel kneeled next to her, then kissed her temple and held her close. “Maybe the Hermessi gave you a hand.”
“See, that’s a little creepy. I’m pretty sure consent would be appropriate if they’re going to use my body like this,” Vesta grumbled.
Taeral stepped forward and motioned for the trees in front of us to move. Like magic, the trunks moaned and creaked, but still bent under his fae influence, clearing the view for us.
“Whoa, didn’t know you had earth manipulation abilities,” Bijarki breathed, watching in awe as the forest bent in front of us, so we could see the colosseum coming down in hot flames.
“I didn’t know, either,” Taeral replied, his voice shaking.
“This has to be the Hermessi’s doing,” Ben chimed in.
“Imagine what will happen when the full moon rises and all one thousand and one fae are present on Strava,” Lumi muttered.
Kailani scoffed. “I know I should be more excited about that, but I don’t know… My gut’s telling me we’re playing with a different kind of fire.”
Derek and Sofia couldn’t take their eyes off the colosseum, while the rest of the founders’ crew proceeded to do a quick tally of the GASP prisoners gathered around them.
