Rio’s hand runs over my hair. “I know. I know it hurts. Smee, you check on Matthias. I’ll stay.”
Esme’s hand brushes my foot. “I’ll be back.”
Help me.I seek out the maegis, desperation lacing the words inside my mind as the cavern appears.Please. Help me.
They vanish, and my anger grows.What use are you? Why are you even here, if you do nothing? You helped me before.
Not yours.
I pause at the words.What?
Not yours.
You?
Silent agreement.
But you’re here. Help me. What is this pain?
The shadows swirl.They want to be free. They call for aid.
Who?
They shrink away.
Show me, then. Show me the way to them.
My lips form the words. Another face swims into view. Matthias, a deep frown on his face as he presses his fingers to my neck.
Voices rise and fall, silencing at my slurred words. “Show… me.”
The shadows try to hide, to bury themselves in the edges of my mind.No. You will show me.
My hand, clenched so tightly that blood fills my palms, unfurls. Heat flickers.Now.
“Gods,” a voice hisses. Matthias is there when my eyes open. “Selene. Can you hear me?”
I nod, even as the pain begins to waver, and lessen. “The shadows. I need to go.”
Arms around me. Callan’s voice murmurs in my ear. “Where do you need to go, love?”
He helps me upright. Everyone stares at me as I hold my hand over my chest. But of the agony, only embers remain. The remembered echo of pain. “They said that they want to be free. That they need help.”
My voice shakes.
“Who did?” Callan turns my face to his, searching it.
“The shadows,” I whisper. “They spoke to me.”
“Well,” a voice breathes. “That’s different.”
Matthias kneels beside me. “Let me just check you over.”
I shake my head. “I need to go. Or it will start again.”
I can feel it, pushing at the edges. But it waits, as if seeing what I will do. I swallow, eyeing the shadows that unfurl from my palm. They hover in the air.
When I push myself to my feet, more flow. They move toward the doorway, and I glance at Callan uncertainly. “I think that whatever this feeling is. This is the answer. Wherever they lead.”
