Chapter 53: Chapter 53

“I can try Elora, but how much do you need?”

“A lot” Silas looks at me, before staring at my necklace I handed him. It was gold so it had value to the underground dealers that grew stuff in the old tunnels but even I knew it wouldn’t be enough.

“When do you need it, I can’t head to the tunnels now, it is getting dark, it’s not safe out there of a night”

“Which tunnels?” I ask.

“They moved to breach tunnels” I nod. Silas and Matitus watching our exchange confused.

The underground tunnels were moved and kept hidden so they wouldn’t be found easily if the Dragon kings found out about it and put a stop to the operations underground, unfortunately those that did know like myself and Victor it cost a lot to get herbs from them. Medication being an expensive and valuable trade to those that had a green thumb.

“How much?” Silas asks.

“Depends how much you want. This would buy maybe three herbs, enough to make two bottles” he said holding up my necklace. Silas digs in his pocket before taking my necklace and handing it back to me. He pulls out a handful of gold coins and so does Matitus and Dragus.

“This?” Silas asks. Victor’s mouth falls open before he grabs one biting into it. “Solid?” he asks and Silas nods.

“Well, you could buy the entire place with what you have there,” he says, nodding to the handful of coins.

“I can’t go now; the vamps will be out hunting and the rest of the creatures” Victors says.

“I will go, if you can make it” he nods before realising what I said and shaking his head.

“Elora, it is dangerous at night,” he tells me. I shake my head, no one would mess with me while I have these three with me.

“Just listen out for my knock,” I tell him walking out. Victor follows behind us, locking back up. The dragon kings watching me before following as I turn down a dark alley.

“How do you know where you’re going, and why would you give him your mother’s necklace?” Dragus asks.

“You don’t have the luxury of keeping things in this city, Dragus, you barter to get what you need. Come on,” I tell them, walking up another alleyway before stopping at a drain. I lift the grate before using the ladder to climb down. Silas follows first then the others.

“Have you been down here before?” Silas asks.

“Yes, I have come here before with Victor, they move so they aren’t discovered. But yes, I have been here, even lived in these tunnels when I was younger,” I tell him while navigating through the tunnels. I could feel their shock through the bond and guilt. But I paid no mind to them, instead looking for the ribbon markers that were set high on the walls to show the way. This was life for so many it was about time they realised the hardships their people went through. After about twenty minutes, the tunnels started widening and opening up and I could see light up ahead. Before hearing a voice sing out.

“Password or I shoot”

“Aloe vera” I called out hoping they still used the same one.

“Elora?”

“Yep” I called out before recognising the voice.

“Max?” I ask walking forward and stepping into the light. Under the lights, plants grew even drugs, but that’s not what I was here for.

“Elora, what are you doing bringing them here?” Max says, raising his gun. I grab the barrel pointing it at the floor. Max used to work for Victor, so I have known him for a while, but I honestly thought he was dead.

“We need medicine, I have money,” I tell him before the clear film curtain opens up and a man walks out to see what’s going on, instantly raising his gun.

I put my hands up and Silas growls loudly at the gun being pointed at me. “We mean no harm, just need herbs,” I tell him. He had dark skin the colour of mocha and green eyes with a shaved head. He lowers his gun but eyes the dragon kings. I hold my hand out to Silas.

“Give me the coins” Silas hands them over.

“Her only,” the man says, and all three dragon kings growl. He raises the gun again. It wouldn’t kill them, but I knew it would hurt and probably get everyone here killed if he fired it. Realising that himself he lowered it. I stepped forward walking through the curtain, the entire place looked like a greenhouse inside. Lights ran off a generator hanging above the pots of plants and the smell of herbs strong enough to drown out the pungent smells of the tunnel.

“I need medicinal herbs.” The man nods before showing me what he had left.

“All of them, I can get more if needed,” I tell him, showing him the coins, his eyes going wide. He nods and helps me wrap them in paper. Walking out. I see my dragons waiting, leaning against the wall except Silas who was glaring as I walked out.

He tugs me to him as soon as I am in reach. Max and the other man stepped back with their hands up.

Silas growls, before stepping forward.

“I want you to move this above ground, If I have a place set up can you move it above ground and supply the pharmacies and the people?” he asks. Both men looked shocked for a second.

“I will be open to being robbed above ground, and this costs money, and I need the lights to grow. It is too cold” he tells him.

“Power is on and I will cover any costs, just move it above ground and as for security we can make the place secure”

The man seems to think for a second before nodding.

“I can try. I need to organise people to move it, that takes time.”

“I will send help,” The man nods before holding out his hand. “Deal” Silas grabs his hand, shaking it before putting his hand on my back and pushing me towards the way we came. All of them followed me through the maze of tunnels.

“How do you know where you’re going?” Matitus asks.

I point to the bricks, “every intersecting tunnel will have a ribbon showing the way,” I tell them by showing them at the next one and pointing to the corner above our heads.

When we find the tunnel we came out of, I climb the ladder. Hopping out, I am yanked by someone. A menacing growl comes from behind me as I feel an arm rip me from the drain and toss me. Dragus jumped out and tackled the man, which was actually a human man. Dragus claws cutting through his neck as he swiped at him. I stand up before running over trying to stem the man’s bleeding.

“What are you doing?” Dragus yells at me for trying to help the man.

“He would have been trying to rob me not kill me, he is human” I yell but it is too late, the man gurgling and choking on his own blood before he stops breathing. I shake my head standing up.

“But he was going to rob you?” Dragus says, and I can feel their eyes on me.

“Yes, because they are forced too, this is what happens when there isn’t enough to go around. He isn’t the monster here. The vamps are. He would have robbed me; vamps would have killed me or the lycans would, that break into the city, not the humans” I tell him and Dragus looks to his mates.

“That’s why everyone goes into lockdown after dark, this man must have been desperate, believe me no one likes to be out after dark here,” I tell them.

Silas helps me up before we start making our way to Victor’s shop. I knock three times and he opens the door ushering us in. I hand him the rolled-up paper full of herbs.

“Yes, I can make a bit with this,” he says, sorting the herbs. “I can have it done by morning” I nod, and Victor shows us out. The night was extra cold tonight and by the time we got back to the castle, I was shivering and my hands aching from the cold, my teeth chattering loudly. The gates open and Matitus tugs me against him lending me his warmth. I press my hands under his shirt and onto his hot skin.

“Geez your hands are like ice,” he says before grabbing them and blowing on them. My fingers warm before I rip them away when they become too hot. “Ow”

“Sorry,” he says as Silas opens the front door.

“Come, a shower should warm you up” Silas says, and I follow them before turning to Matitus.

“Abbie?”

“She is at her house with her mother and daughter” I nod, relief flooding me that she is ok.

“Lilith” I ask Dragus.

“Marian gave her your room” Dragus answers. Silas had been pretty much silent the entire trip home and I could tell he was thinking, and I had also found him invading my thoughts a few times but instead I let him. Walking into the bedroom, I rush to the bathroom, turning the shower on.

Stripping off, I step under the showers spray. The hot water burning my skin made me flinch till my skin heated enough for it to stop.

Matitus stepping in with me and Dragus. “Where is Silas?”

“Thinking, he didn’t realise things were so bad out there, none of us did” Dragus answers guiltily. I say nothing, instead showering quickly before hopping out. When I walked out Silas was walking in with a tray of soup and bread like we gave the kids. I get dressed and he hands me a bowl and some bread as I sit at the desk. My belly rumbling from not eating all day.