And she had. He had failed her in every way possible, and every time she had managed to save herself.
“Not to yank my own chain, but why is it that I’m always coming in to save the day?”
The deep male voice made Burke’s muscles instantly tense. He recognized the voice. The deep timber was the same voice that had been in the shadows and told them how to get the amulets. And now that he had time to process, he recognized the voice from another place as well.
“Pitch,” he growled as he lifted his head.
The dark man was standing in the corner of the room with one of his knees bent. Propped against the wall, he was looking decidedly pleased with himself.
“The one and only,” Pitch replied as he opened his arms wide.
Burke’s stormy expression grew rabid as he prowled towards the other man. He was going to rip him limb from limb. “None of this would have happened if it weren’t for you.”
Pitch’s eyes grew wide. “Now hold on there, Burke.” He skirted around the edge of a chair and held it in front of him like a shield. “I’m here to help.”
“Since when have you helped? You’ve been offering her up on a silver platter to Malachi since day one!”
The chair was shoved out of the way as Burke tossed it aside. Pitch moved behind the table on the other side of E. Suspiciously, E had not mentioned anything as Burke attempted to grab the other man across the table.
“I have done no such thing!” Pitch laughed. “I think she’s stubborn and ridiculously attractive, but I haven’t been trying to get her killed.”
“Stubborn and attractive are both bad in your book?” Burke couldn’t help but ask. He was so confused, he even paused in his attempts to chase Pitch around the table.
“They both kill.” Pitch shrugged. “Anyways, I happen to know a way to get her back.”
“How do you know all of these things?”
“I don’t tell secrets.”
“I can make you.”
“Your attempts at seducing me are rather pathetic, Burke.” Pitch faked a shiver and shook his shoulders.
Burke grimaced. “Just sit down. I can see why Wren doesn’t like you.”
“Wren likes me.” Wounded, the tall, thin man righted the chair that had been knocked over and plunked it down next to E. “How are you doing, darling?”
“That’s not Wren,” Burke grumbled as he took his seat as well.
“Well aware of that, handsome.” Pitch reached out to hold Wren’s hand in his own. “I wasn’t talking to Wren anyways.”
A smile spread across Wren’s face. “Always a pleasure, Prince Charming.”
“Hardly. I always thought I was more a Wicked Witch.”
Burke watched the exchange with a horrified expression. “Do you two?”
They both turned to look at him, and at the same time, replied with one word. “No.”
“Oh good.” He relaxed back into his chair. “How do we save her?”
“Well, first of all. You’re going to need the eyeball of a dragon, the fingernails of a witch, several eggs of a basilisk, and let me tell you, those aren’t easy to come by -”
Burke raised his hand to interrupt Pitch. “I work with Lyra. I know bullshit when I smell it.”
A grin was his answer. “Couldn’t help it. Anyways, you’re a Dream Walker. You can get inside any head.”
“Yes.”
“So get inside E’s.”
Burke blinked a few times. “Is that even possible?”
“Legion’s mind is a rat’s nest, but if you’re used to fighting through a dreaming world you might be able to get through each level until you get to the deepest part of its collective mind. And if I know Wren well, and I know her better than most, I might even be able to give you a few tips to draw her to meet you halfway.”
Burke looked at E. “What do you think?”
Wren’s body shrugged. “It’s worth a try. You’re not a human, so you might be able to travel through my unconscious and bring her to the top with you. I can guide you through my mind and into the darkness without you having to find your way. If you can lure her to you, that is.”
“I can.”
“You can’t.” Pitch was leaning back in his chair and staring at his nails.
“Excuse me?”
Burke’s angry tone must have struck some kind of chord. He didn’t know what button he had pushed, but when Pitch looked up at him there wasn’t a shred of humanity left in his gaze. The blackness of his eyes were odd. They weren’t right, those eyes that reflected back Burke’s own flaws.
“Wren has been a dear friend for a very long time, and I don’t have friends.” It wasn’t Pitch that spat the words. “You’ll listen to me and do exactly as I say. Only then will you get her back.”
Slowly, Burke nodded. Pitch’s eyes cleared back to his own dark eyes.
“Wren lives in a forest, but that’s not her dream. She can be lured by a few things. The first is the scent of lavender. It reminds her of her mother. Second, flowers. Whatever environment you set up has to have flowers. She’s a fan of roses. And third, now this is the important one, you’re going to need this.”
Pitch leaned across the two of them and held a long chain in his hand. At the end of it was a vial that held what appeared to be silver smoke. It did not move like Juice should have.
“What is that?”
Wren’s hands were shaking as E reached for the vial. “Where did you get this?”
“I have friends in high places.”
Burke growled. “What is it?”
“The elixir of life,” E whispered. “From a pool that was dried up long ago. This should not exist.”
“What?” Confusion made Burke’s word strangled.
E looked into his eyes. “The fountain of youth wasn’t just a legend. But it was in our dimension, not the human’s. It can heal any wound and preserve any life. The pool was destroyed many years ago and long lost. There shouldn’t be any
