Fighting Destiny (The Fae Chronicles, #1)

“On my way,” I whispered looking at the sleeping Fae. I walked back over and pulled the small special camera phone from my pocket before opening his eye and flashing the device silently. “Thanks Dristan, sorry,” I whispered before moving to the elevator and slapping another vellum onto the door.

“Open, patefacio,” I said adding the Latin to intensify the spell. When I was inside, I quickly kicked from the side of the glass wall and jumped to the top. Luckily the glass double paned elevator window didn’t cave from my weight. I pushed the top open from where I stood with two feet pushing against the glass and removed it before making the small leap and grasping the opening with my hands to pull myself up.

When I was on the top of the elevator, I paused checking for more cameras. I held my hand up to my ear and relayed to Adam. “Clear, heading up to the vault,” I whispered.

“All is quiet outside Syn, good luck,” came back over the comm.

“Who needs luck?” I gave a soft nervous laugh after the com had gone silent. I looked around, still kneeling since the elevator had yet to stop. There was an overhanging ledge from the top floor, which would mark his rooms.

When the elevator had finally gone up close enough that I could jump, I did, sailing through the air with no margin for error. My fingers touched upon the thick metal and held. I inhaled slowly, letting it out even slower. After a brief second, I pulled myself up and used the small picture of Dristan’s eye at the sensor to gain entrance into the chamber.

I held my breath and after a second that seemed to last for an eternity, it finally beeped and the doors slid open revealing the Dark Princes’ personal rooms. These were not warm and neutral, as the other room had been. They were masculine shades and vibrant. The walls were a bright shade of red with artistic Celtic designs that seemed to encircle the entire room. He had expensive white couches that had been strategically placed throughout the entryway. The large mirror that sat behind the couches wasn’t just for looks. It was expensive double paned glass that you could watch those who sat in the entryway without them knowing they were being observed. Shit.

I ripped another piece of vellum from my pocket and slapped it on the wall whispering the same words…and the entire wall opened up. I quickly stepped back and took a fighting pose.

The mirror that sat behind the couches opened, revealing nothing more than a walkway into the next room. I approached it cautiously, my eyes searching for anything out of place. When I was satisfied that it was only a passage and not an actual portal into their realm I stepped through. Thick spelled walls moved, pulsing with a life of their own.

We had suspected that the Fae had brought parts of Faery into our world to bind the two and keep their entrance open. But this was more than we could have imagined. It also indicated that the Dark Prince probably had a Witch working with him.

The spelled walls were a dark blue, with a vibrant green that seemed to be pulsing, moving and twisting as I walked beside it. It begged to be touched, calling out with a sirens song. I knew better, but even knowing it would probably lock me in place wasn’t helping much. When I finally spotted another entrance, I took it.

This one opened up to his bedroom, not exactly where I would have chosen to go. The bed was huge, red silk sheets covered the entire frame snugly. Black pillows that matched the color of the walls were propped at the top of the bed and silver chains had been sewn into a few of them—so the Prince had a dark side. Go figure.

Pathetic. I scanned the room noting there was only a single camera inside this room and it was aimed at the bed…yup, guy had issues. I left the room without a sound, scanning the few doors that were open to other rooms down the long hallway. I grinned when I finally saw the one I needed.

It was thick type of wood and would take a few strips of vellum to open it. After I applied it and spoke the words very carefully, I entered the room and cussed violently. It was not lost on me, the irony of it all. It had been relatively simple getting to this point.

Before me stood what appeared to be a torture chamber. And if that wasn’t bad enough, a medieval obstacle course ran the length of the room up to the vault doors. It wasn’t the torture chamber that had my knees shaking, nor was it the wicked looking tools either, it was the course. Whatever Fae had designed it had either spent way too many hours watching bad B rated movies or had a perverse sense of humor thinking this would deter humans.

Wicked looking curved blades swung from the wall in a synchronized pattern. While thick twelve-inch axe blades swung from another part and fire blared to life right after those nasty little bits. Of course it had been crazy easy to get inside. No one in their right mind would try the damn course.

“Syn? How we looking in there?” Adam's voice vibrated in my ear.