Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

DD Chapter 26 - Satan's Hollow

VIVIENNE HAD NO choice but to head up the mountain. Precious minutes were slipping away. Julian had mentioned Tercel. Was he one of the passionate Remin citizens who somehow found out the identity of Vivienne's boyfriend?

She didn't have Blake's phone number. In the past, Blake had told her to reach out to him through the cameo necklace. The necklace was now in Julian's hands. Did Julian know what it was? There was no way Julian would know that the necklace represented the bond between her and Blake. Perhaps, Julian thought Vivienne had a demonic animal like Zissa had Yomi.

Vivienne prayed that Julian didn't destroy the necklace. As she wandered up the mountain, she realized she wasn't alone.

There was a make-shift campground up ahead made up of the students from last night's party. Tercel had pushed the students into the forest, but they hadn't run home. Vivienne had to admire their perseverance.

"Vivienne!" Nicole saw her first. She had changed out of her dress into a sensible outfit of jeans and a parka. "You're here! I knew you wouldn't abandon us."

"Where is your boyfriend?" Zissa asked from a nearby log. "You came by yourself?"

"I-I don't need him," Vivienne said. "I'm going to go into the inner sanctum by myself. Right now. To get these Tercel dogs out."

"You?" Zissa laughed as she strolled over. She was still wearing her green dress with the blue flowers from the night before. Vivienne could see the grass stains all over it. The shoulder strap was ripped. She hadn't gone home to change. "Do you have any idea how to get there?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to try. Right now," Vivienne stressed. "I have no time to waste."

"Good luck getting past the Tercel guards," Ashlar chipped in as he showed up with a bat made of Segais wood. "They will shoot you before you get within fifty feet of the entrance."

"I can get past Tercel," Vivienne offered, swallowing hard. "If I can sneak us past them, will you help me into the inner sanctum?"

"Yes," Zissa immediately replied without the slightest hesitation.

Vivienne nodded and motioned for them to follow her. She had to admire Zissa's determination. She didn't stop for a second to consider her own welfare. Vivienne wished she believed in anything as strongly as the Remin kids strongly believed that Satan's Hollow was their responsibility to save.

In a way, this was all her fault. If she hadn't been picked to go to Manna City, Blake wouldn't have had to trade that Yageron deal for her freedom. If Blake didn't make that deal, he would not be here in Remin plundering Satan's Hollow.

Within the hour, Vivienne had a feeling her hands would be covered with blood. It will either be the blood of Janun's death or that of her friends who are following her to their inevitable doom.

"Wait here," Vivienne said, clearing her throat. "I'm going to speak to the Tercel commander, and I'm going to lead him away. Once the guards are gone, make a run for the entrance. I'll meet you there."

"What about you?" Ashlar asked suspiciously. "He'll let you pass?"

"He will," Vivienne continued, and smiled with a bold-faced lie. "I've got blackmail material on him."

The Remin students gave her a fist bump before they crouched down in the shrubs.

"Be careful, Vivienne!" Ashlar whispered. "Those are real bullets in those guns."

Vivienne nodded in his direction. There were many things she didn't know. But the one fact she could be certain of was that she wasn't going to be shot by a bullet that Blake had paid for.