The Moon's Fangs | 1

When I couldn’t take the hollowing pang in my chest anymore, my body succumbed to a heart-sickened sleep.

With the lull of sleep came the end of the trembling, and with it, a dreamless blanket of darkness. But once it turned heavy, a faint light like a distant star brightened in the distance. My feet unconsciously approached it like a beacon I needed to reach.

When the faint light took shape, I stopped, standing only a few feet away from a wispy illusion of a woman.

The wisps swirled around her face, obscuring her features, giving off a mesmerizing appeal like a liquidized opalesce galaxy.

Her dress, like a silken midnight sky, matched the abyss surrounding us, flowing into it like endless night.

I had an urge to ask for her name, but something ominous about the stranger kept me from saying anything at all. Her presence alone shoved my instincts on edge. Like how it may feel if I found myself standing in front of a dangerous predator who hadn’t yet decided if she had an appetite demanding enough to pursue me.

Even though this was a dream, I didn’t belong here. I walked into this woman’s domain. She held power here, no question.

Just like before, nothing accompanied me in this dreamscape. Nothing to defend myself with, nothing to wear. It was like the being wanted me to be in a vulnerable state as the cobra did, at her utter mercy.

When she turned to walk further into the darkness, I fell into step behind her.

Every time I thought I caught up, she grew further away, forcing me to play an unending game of catch-up. Unintelligible whispers hugged my back like an enticing wind, urging me on. She pulled me along like a puppet on her enchanted strings.

Something about how the woman’s hair held a moonlight iridescence reminded me of how this whole mess started, with that cobra.

A fresh burst of realization rushed through me. There was a connection between the two beings. There had to be. Was the cobra trying to tell me something new, show me something important? But why would it take a new form?

I picked up speed, but my shoulder knocked into a solid, invisible force. I fell back a step from the sudden impact. It caused the surrounding darkness to begin to fade away like a sunrise slowly casting away the night.

“Wait-” I reached out to the strange woman. She noticed our connection dissipating, and she quickly reached an outstretched hand toward me. Like a moon reaching out in the night, she didn’t want me to leave, didn’t want the sun to rise. Her fingers stretched, desperate to make contact. But she was too far. Her form warped into silvery tendrils, evaporating with her domain.

The intangible strings which previously held me in her trance were gone, but I couldn’t let her leave without figuring out why she came in the first place.

“Stop!” I yelled. “Don’t go yet!”

I bumped into something else. But I shoved past it and tried to grasp onto the wisps. My fingers glided through her outstretched hand like mist. Yet before her top half vanished, I caught a faint glimmer where her eyes would be behind the guise. It was cold and gripping.

~By the Fates, my head hurts!~ Nox stated profusely.

The last of the cloaked darkness and wisps rushed away.

My eyes widened. It was as if someone had turned the lights on in a pitch-black room. But the kicker was that I was no longer in the room I fell asleep in. I wasn’t even in the lab.

Holy hell.

Clusters of amber rocks lit up an underground city.

A mixture of taupe, pink, and gray quartz structures inhabited the vast cavern, like a clandestine market with a dystopian-stellar twist. I peered down the side of the bridge I found myself standing on, where I saw several similar layers traveling down until reaching a dark bay at the bottom.

The lower the layers of the city went, the darker each one became. Slivers of amber light barely lit the bay up enough to tell it was a body of water at the very bottom. If it wasn’t for that faint reflection of gold light, it would have appeared to be an endless pit.

The color drained from my face.

I took a cautious step back from the marble railing, catching myself before bumping into a stranger with a tangle of vibrant pink hair poking out of her multilayered scarf. She shot me a squinted glare over her shoulder. A small holographic oculus over her right eye rapidly spun counterclockwise as if somehow reading me.

She couldn’t have been older than sixteen, but the girl had the look of a mechanic, covered head to toe in oil stains and splotches with oversized worn-out gloves to match. She repositioned the overloaded crate in her arms before deciding I wasn’t worth the time, then carried on and disappeared in the moving crowd.

The congested mass weaved through one another in, half trying to go down the bridge while the other went up. There was no order to it. People bumped into one another and barked out like one would with unfiltered road rage. Pale light from their own projection technology clashed in the condensed space. Someone’s shoulder bumped into mine just as another’s jammed into my back. Tattoos glowed. Someone yelled at me to move. The orleizen language came at me from every direction. My foot caught on something, and I fell into someone else. They snarled and shoved me away. I yelped as another pair of hands shot me forward.

My heart thrashed against my chest in a wild panic. Too much. It was all too much. I fought the urge to scream, bodies pushing against me, suffocating me. I stumbled out of the crowd and off the bridge on the upper level and ran. I ran until the crowd thinned, and I pressed my back against the corner of an ally wall. Stars blistered my vision, breath erratic and uneven. I slid down to my butt, unable to think straight or see past a few feet in front of me. Unable to slow my heart, my harsh breaths.

I had done it again. Sleepwalked. But now I really didn’t know where I ended up. Now I couldn’t just get a ride home. Strangers surrounded me. I didn’t belong here. Lost and alone. Oh, God.

~Amelia, you are hyperventilating. You must try to calm down.~

Tears spilled down my cheeks, chest heaving uncontrollably. “I don’t know w-where I am.” My whisper came out as a croak. “I’m scared.”

My skin tingled as something shimmered down my arm. A projection of a small snake rose from my skin and slithered across to nestle on top of my upward-facing knees. Slitted eyes met mine. ~You are not alone. I am here with you. Please do not cry.~

The snake’s mouth didn’t move, but I could hear its silvery voice in my mind through our newly made connection. Nox’s cyan-blue scales shimmered violet when the light glided over its small body.

I blinked, staring at the life-like projection for a long moment before reaching up to touch it. My fingers trembled as I made contact with the side of Nox’s head. A tingle of warmth radiated from its sleek, gelatinous-like form. When I added pressure to my touch, the scales felt almost mesh-like. If I pressed hard enough, my fingers would glide through the serpent like a hologram.

My heartrate steadied as I focused on the strange sense petting Nox gave me.

“Nox… where am I?” I asked, wiping at the dried tears. “How did this happen?”

It flicked out its forked tongue, looking over at the bustling market retrospectively. ~Everything is a bit fuzzy. I am unable to gather any intel on what transpired between the time you fell asleep and moments ago when you woke here. But I can tell you this place is a city underground, beneath the oasis of Orlaith’s fallen empire. Before the Fall, this place was once a sanctuary used to protect the citizens during the violent Adamant Horde attack. It had never truly been used until then. The remaining majority of the population still take refuge here to this very day. It is known as Asylum.~

I continued to stroke Nox’s neck as I peered over at the orleizen citizens.

Most females wore variations of fitting tops or bandeaus and high-waisted harem pants with large scarves bundled around their necks. The men adorned variations of studded vests or sleek shawls and dark pants with bracers. Most, if not all, had some type of holographic tech. Some had a little oculus, like the pink-haired girl. Others had the projection-like tech circulating around their forearms or just hovering near their face.

“But how did I get out of the lab? And where’s Reks?” I said under my breath, staring at a woman’s back which was completely covered in a glowing tattoo of a creature I’d never seen before.

As I slowly got back to my feet, Nox slithered up my arm like twirling around a vine, then moved to rest on my shoulders. Its scales tingled warmly against the back of my neck.

~Were you not listening?~ Nox huffed a short hiss. ~The information is amiss, and my head hurts as a result.~

I walked by a dome with traces of gold flecks in the pink quartz, followed by several market vendors set up on the side of the wide walkway. The ground was made of the same rock as the cave, but the pathway had been smoothed out, and cracks of amberite had been fused into it to provide additional light and a pleasing design. It felt cool on the soles of my feet.

Don’t tell me you’re already broken, Nox.

~Broken? Me?~ Nox scoffed. ~Maybe you’re the broken one! How on Orlaith did we end up here? It was your body that walked us all the way here, after all.~

I fiddled with the end of its tail between my fingers. Either Guides are inactive when their hosts are asleep, or this sleepwalking business just added a whole new level of mystery to it.

There was a woman in my dream. She wanted me to follow her. I think she wanted to show me something, but I woke up before she could. I told Nox via thought, which was both freaky and kind of cool at the same time.

I kept my head down while walking by the street vendors. I glanced over my shoulder every ten seconds or so, wondering if Reks would be on my heels any moment now. How did I manage to get out while sleepwalking and without alerting him? The man was a literal assassin!

And where was that wispy lady leading me? The bridge didn’t exactly seem like it was supposed to be the destination unless the goal was to get me completely lost. In that case, then kudos to her.

With how big this city looked to be with all its descending levels, it would probably be easy to hide from Reks if I didn’t want to be found. But did I want that? We were beginning to get along, but what if he flipped a switch back to that psycho side I initially met? Plus, there’s a good chance he’ll be under the impression I ran away, which may make me look guilty of something in his eyes. I really didn’t want to start back at square one with someone as dangerous as him. …Even if he was drop-dead sexy. I had to keep reminding myself he was equally dangerous.

Why is it so crowded here? Don’t they have a barrier protecting their oasis on the surface? I thought to Nox, meeting the snake’s observant gaze. Is it not safe on the surface? How long ago was that?

~Over eight hundred years ago.~ Nox divulged, causing my brows to climb. ~It is not a factor of safety on the surface within the astral barrier, but an issue of limited space. There are concerns about preserving the fruitful land Orlaith has left within the comfort of the barrier. Many high-ranking citizens still take residence on the surface.~

Reks was connected to that event. He initially thought I was in some kind of warzone when he interrogated me. Plus, Nox had mentioned he was born over eight hundred years ago too. How did he end up in that weird stasis machine? Why?

Questions kept bubbling up in my head as I turned the corner, noticing a lengthy line in front of the mouth of the cave. Several armed soldiers dressed in emerald green uniforms and gold-lined long coats manned the exit. One of them argued back and forth with the next person in line, who claimed to have never used their pass. Finally, after another minute, the gentleman was dismissed from the line. A sour look painted his face for not gaining access to leave.

I kept watching, stopping when reaching the last building closest to the cave exit. I leaned against the building’s wall under the awning, staying discreet. Only after a few more rejected citizens did one finally have the appropriate documents to move forward, which was shown via a small projection hovering over the citizen’s palm.

“Your pass is only subject to half the day.” the guard blandly explained. “You are required to return before your time expires. If you fail to comply, any future passes will be either declined or suspended for an indefinite period of time. Attempting to smuggle any of the listed contraband will result in immediate consequences. Do you understand?”

The gentleman nodded before being escorted through the exit by another guard.

Strict rules.

“Why do I have the feeling that’s my only way out of here?” I asked under my breath.

~Because without Reks Arlen, it is.~ Nox bristled across my shoulders. ~However, I do not recommend you attempt it. Not only do you not have the required documents, but you are also not a registered citizen. Dare I say you should try to keep your head down because the likelihood of you being brought in for questioning is high if caught by the authorities.~

I grimaced at that, giving the snake a sidelong look. How do I know you’re not just saying that because Reks is secretly your favorite?

Nox’s slitted eyes narrowed, flicking its tongue out. ~Who said it was a secret?~

My mouth dropped. I pinched the end of its tail between my fingers. You little asshole.

The serpent’s hiss of a laugh sharply ended as something behind me caught its attention. ~Someone is approaching. I am not detecting any hostility.~

I froze, unsure if I should turn or try my chances at running.

Before I could make a decision, someone tapped lightly on my arm. Stomach lurching, I turned toward a girl about my height with a dark hood casting a shadow over her features. But when she tilted her head up, the shadow shrank, first revealing ruby red lips parted into an o-shape, then mossy green eyes which widened when seeing my face. She pushed the hood off her head, letting her sleek mocha hair free.

Speechless, all I could do was stare at her semi-familiar face.

“Amelia?” Danika blinked disbelievingly.

Before I could muster up a response, she pulled me into a full-on hug. She phased through Nox as if the Guide was completely invisible and nonexistent to her. I blinked in stunned silence, not sure what to do with my hands. She squeezed me, gripping my back with surprising, yet comforting strength.

“Sakes… it’s really you. I’m so glad to see you in one piece.” She pulled back enough to look at me. I could practically see her eyes overflowing with questions with each passing second she stared. Danika glanced quickly over her shoulder towards the exit with the guards, then back at me. She pulled her hood back on, like she didn’t want to be seen by officials. “Let’s find a place to talk privately.”

She nodded towards the entrance of the building we stood beside. When I followed her gaze, Nox translated a holographic sign above it that read: Altered.

“This way,” she said, leading us to the entrance.

“Oh, o-okay.” I said, noticing how she spoke in English to me instead of orleizen. Did that mean she couldn’t tell I had a Guide now? Was it not something their kind couldn’t easily distinguish? And holy crap - since she’s here, this probably means she’s an alien too.

Which means I let aliens pick me up on the side of the road. Why the heck were aliens in Oklahoma in the first place?

“Hurry it up,” she urged, taking my hand as we walked through the front door and into the establishment. A soft glow of orange light set a warm tone in what looked to be a lounge bar.

Groups of people were seated at plush circular couches, enjoying multicolored beverages at their center table. A few of the groups adorned matching long coats, the same as the soldiers manning the exit outside. The foreign melody played loud enough to not overhear conversations as we walked by them.

Danika pulled down on her hood, scanning the wide variety of patrons. I followed her to the back of the establishment, towards the edge of the bar. She gestured for me to sit on the stool. “Stay right here. Don’t talk to anyone and don’t leave this spot. Okay?” Her hand phased right through Nox again as she squeezed my shoulder.

My brows knitted together. “What? Where are you going?”

“To talk to someone. Don’t worry. I’ll be quick.” She pressed a finger against a symbol etched into the bar’s counter in front of my seat. It pulled up a holographic drink menu. “If anyone tries to talk to you, just pretend to be looking at this and ignore them. I won’t be long.”

“O-oh. Okay.”

I studied her as she walked away, hood down while making her way down a set of stairs on the other side of the room, disappearing from sight.

I gave Nox a small glance. What’s down there?

~The owner’s office.~

I spun on the stool, resting an elbow on the counter and looking down at the strange menu. Why couldn’t she see you?

~Because you have not given access to anyone to do so.~ its tail swished across the curve of my shoulder. ~Since Reks Arlen used his own Guide to change me during the experimental process, our artificial rank is technically on par with a vitiate. Because of that, only a vitiate rank and higher have access to seeing our projections without permission from you.~

I glanced around the room, looking at others’ projections. They all looked like tech-based equipment, there simply to provide information when they wanted to know something. None took on a form similar to Nox. It was like they had boring old flip phones compared to my newest generation. Weird, since Reks supposedly worked on Nox forever ago.

One of the bartenders working behind the bar leaned on the counter in front of me. His wealth of sea-green hair was pulled up in a topknot, and a lighter streak in the front brought out the bright yellow of his strange eyes. “My, my. Don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.” He said, voice like rich velvet in his native tongue. “Such a pretty face, even with all those strange blemishes dotting your cheeks.”

I almost reached up to my face in confusion but stopped myself. If I responded to his backhanded compliment, it would give away I understood him, understood the orleizen language. Even though he was a complete stranger to me didn’t mean he didn’t know Danika. After everything I’d been through up until this point, I needed to hold my cards close to my chest before giving anything away.

I offered him a tight, uninterested smile before resuming my pretend perusal of the menu.

“Ooo, one of those hard-to-get types, are you?”

I pointed at a random drink on the menu, hoping he’d get the idea and leave. But instead, he chuckled. “Oh, did you honestly think I work here?” when I ignored his dramatic display of surprise, he pressed the same etching Danika had before and made the menu disappear. “What are you, some high rank’s illegitimate child? I’m right, aren’t I?” he materialized a projection of a coin, then idly began to flip it between his fingers. “It’s the only thing that makes sense since I can’t get a read on you. And you know what else?” a cold finger found its way under my chin.

I slapped his hand away, leaning back from his reach just as Danika came barging up beside me. “Get lost, Orinzah. She’s not interested.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me off the stool. I fell off and nearly stumbled into her.

“Boo. No one like a defensive shrew, Daario.” his velvety voice turned bored as he flicked his projection coin out of existence.

“Better than being a creep.” She bit back, turning me around and guiding me away, hands on my shoulders. She transitioned to English before whispering in my ear. “Are you okay? He didn’t do anything… weird, did he?”

I shook my head, not daring to turn around to see if he still watched. “Um, no? I couldn’t understand anything he said.”

“Nothing worth understanding, trust me.”

Danika led us up a set of winding stairs. A neon pink VIP projection dissipated at the top of the staircase to grant us access, rematerializing again once we stepped onto the second floor.

The color scheme switched from blue furniture and orange lighting on the first floor to dark teal furniture and pink lighting, providing the VIP section with a different mood. On our right, a holographic barrier separated us from the first floor, like a one-way mirror for VIPs to stare down at the first level without being noticed. There was a long row of private rooms to our left, all with lush, gauzy drapes.

“Pod 9 is all ours for the next few hours.” Danika stepped towards the room and pulled the drapes back, letting them fall back in place after we both entered. “We can talk privately here.” she unhooked her cloak before taking a seat on the plush teal couch. Dark drapes enveloped the walls in multiple layers, giving the space a comfortable yet secluded feel.

I took a seat across from her, still processing the shock of running into her like this. I licked my lips, staring at her without a single clue where to begin. There were so many questions, yet my mind blanked.

She folded her cloak and set it neatly beside her on the couch. She set her hands flat on her lap, staring down for a moment as if to collect herself. When she looked back up, her features tightened with stress. “Let me start by saying… Nolan told us everything.”

My shoulders tensed, realizing this must be why she wanted to speak in private.

“So, Nolan… made it out alive?” I swallowed.

Nox sensed my abrupt change in body language. Its tail coiled protectively around my arm.

“Yes.” Danika reached for the pitcher on the center table and poured us both a glass. “We hadn’t realized Nolan left the house after we got back that night until we both received an emergency alert he was in danger.” she handed me a glass, then held hers with both hands. She rubbed her red lips together, then continued. “By the time we made it to your house, he was alone and in critical condition. Nikoe and I… we rushed into the fire and found him unconscious under a collapsed beam and rubble.” she closed her eyes, taking in a calming breath. “We got out of there seconds before help arrived. General Rhosyn — their father — showed up and got us back to the infirmary here on—.”

Danika paused to take a drink, as if to use that as an excuse to stop herself from revealing too much. “Nearly a full day went by before he woke up. That was when he told us about the... attack at your house. The General had him relay— no, I shouldn’t say that… sorry. All you need to know is that those in charge are trying to figure out why those monsters targeted Nolan out of the blue like that.” she shrugged. “I mean, it makes sense. He is the son of the General. His ancestors were closely connected to the Lucils before their reign. I’m sure lots of enemies would love to get their hands on someone they thought could reveal high-level secrets.” She closed her eyes and pinched her lips together, like she wished she wouldn’t have added that last bit of information.

I absorbed it all without reacting. I’d wait until later to dive into what she revealed so reluctantly.

A big part of me wanted to latch onto the assumption the crystalline monsters were after Nolan instead of me. It would have made sense too, if it weren’t for the fact the opal cobra warned me about the danger before I met him. Why they would want a nobody-girl over a general’s son was beyond me. It was possible those monsters only wanted me because of the images the cobra tattooed in my head. In a way, it was like a map to Sio - one they viciously craved. It could be the mental map they truly desired.

I had the map, and Sio was the treasure it led to.

I took a drink, then another. “Did Nolan… say anything about Blaire?” I forced my eyes to stay on Danika to watch her reaction. They stung from the effort, but it was becoming a feeling I was getting acquainted with.

Her green eyes glistened with fresh tears, chin scrunching. “When he woke up, he told me he tried to save her. I—” she quickly wiped away a tear the moment it spilled. “I’ve never seen him so distraught than in that moment. He was devastated. And Nolan… you don’t know him well yet, but even in the worst situations, he always has a smile on his face. Nothing brings him down. Seeing him in the state he was… was just…” she shook her head, unable to finish her sentence.

Imagining the happy-go-lucky Nolan I shortly got to know being anything but that goofy side he showed was hard. It didn’t seem like anything could ruin his mood. A pang shot into my heart at the thought of them suffering alone after I disappeared.

If I’d given him the ring back, he would have made sure all three of us made it out of there.

What did this mean for Blaire? If they found Nolan all alone, if he couldn’t save her, then what happened to her? It wasn’t like her to run away and leave someone behind. Even though she had barely met Nolan, she wouldn’t have left him for dead.

I did this.

This was my fault.

I set my drink down on the table, not bothering with the tears spilling down my face. “It’s not his fault,” I whispered. “He did the best he could.”

He did. Vivid memories of how he pulled Blaire out of the way of danger, him reaching out to me under the fallen china cabinet, trying to help get us all away… it flooded through me like a tsunami.

Danika came to my side. She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. “I am so sorry,” she whispered after a moment. “What you and your friend went through… neither of you deserved that.”

I leaned my head against her shoulder and cried silently. She let me stay there for a while. My tears gradually soaked through the top of her sleeve. Nox quietly vibrated against the back of my neck, similar to a cat’s purr, trying to soothe me too. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before I straightened back up as an attempt to pull myself back together.

“I can only imagine what you’ve been through since falling... here,” Danika said.

We both sniffed, took drinks of the peachy water, and wiped at our eyes again.

“Try imagining if hell had a rollercoaster with no seatbelts and traumatizing detours,” I said with a weak smile.

Danika shook her head in disbelief. She repositioned herself to face me better. “How did you end up here? It doesn’t make sense seeing you here of all places. All gates, er, doors... within the oasis are locked, and only select people are given access to the few we have open. You being here of all places is pretty much impossible.”

Her green eyes adopted a calculated edge. A gut feeling surmised this was the question she wanted to ask the instant she found me.

“How?” I asked, raising a brow. “Half the words you just said aren’t making sense. I have no idea how I fell into this place. It just happened.”

I lied. Manipulating a conversation in your favor was like a special type of card game. Playing dumb was the card at play here. That was the best and easiest one to use and could only be used at a time like this. If I tried feigning innocence later on, she may call my bluff. Better now before I said too much.

Telling her everything I knew up to this point did me no favors. The truth involved a lot of things and details that didn’t make sense, and I wasn’t about to put my trust into people—aliens—I just met. Not when I had absolutely no idea what she could potentially do with any information involving me.

I’m already stuck on a different planet. I don’t need to walk blindly on it, too, giving out my trust like it’s going out of style. Danika seemed like a nice girl, and potentially friend material, but I still knew zip about her.

Nox flicked its tongue in agreement.

“Sakes… you’re right.” she grimaced, tucking a cropped mocha lock behind a multi-pierced ear. “We can figure out the little details later. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Danika acted okay with dropping it for now, but she’d want to revisit it again. A strong feline-like curiosity lingered in her fixed gaze.

I repositioned myself, clasping my hands together in my lap. I needed to be careful how I worded things. She purposely didn’t mention the name of her home planet, so I needed to stick to the theme she put in place. “So, is there any chance you could point me in the right direction of home? My dad’s probably going nuts trying to find me right now.”

She scowled, tossing me a sympathetic look. “That’s where things get tricky. I’d need to figure out how to get you official documents… well,” she looked up in thought then tisked, “no, that wouldn’t work either.”

“Official documents? Does that mean you have them? What if I just walked out with you?”

She shook her head. “The guards would identify you as an unregistered citizen, which would lead to you being detained for questioning.”

~She is correct.~ Nox added. ~Once detained, it would only be a matter of time before they discovered me as well, which would place us in an even worse position. Since I am not on the current Record of Guides, I would be deemed fraudulent. And… would likely be extracted.~

Extracted? I thought back. Wouldn’t that mean you could be used for your original purpose? As a gift.

Nox bowed its head. ~Well, you see… if I am extracted from you, then it will be my death. Once a Guide is bonded, a forced severance results in the Guide’s passing. It is not a pleasant scenario for either of us, I assure you.~

Oh.

If that was true, then Reks had some serious explaining to do. I remembered asking him about how he planned to take his gift out of me, and he never gave me an answer.

“Okay…” I said, tucking those concerns away for future me to worry about. “What if you went and spoke to whoever’s in charge and explained the situation? Surely they’d want me back where I belong rather than wandering around here. Nolan and Nikoe’s dad, maybe? You said he’s a General. He could probably make something happen. Right?”

A tight-lipped smile formed before she took another drink. “I’ll... see what I can do. In the meantime, I can see if the bar owner has a room available you could stay in and hide out for the next few days. She’s a friend of mine, so it should be fine.” she stood stiffly, heading towards the exit and lifting the drapes. “Stay in here until—”

A commotion outside caught her attention, which also kept me from spouting off the little fact I recently learned about Orlaith and Earth’s time difference. But if she thought I would idly sit by and twiddle my thumbs for a few days, she was insane.

I stood and peeked around the curtain with her. A group of around ten soldiers entered the VIP access floor. Their gold-lined long coats were black instead of the emerald green the guards posted near the cave exit wore. They were also sleeveless, high collared, and on their backs each had a snake insignia etched in amber down the length of the material.

Among them, a guy with sandy blonde, textured ivy league hair and an award-winning grin caught my eye. When he looked across the room toward us, his grin fell, then spread from ear to ear.

“Sleepwalker,” Nolan said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”