Ludo steps up on my other side, his large hand enveloping my free one.
—Ready?—his voice rumbles in my head.
“Ready,” I say, squeezing both their hands. My heart is pounding, but not with fear anymore.
I have my team. “Let’s go find Wes and Maximus.”
One.
Two.
We jump.
And everything stops.
6
Not what I was expecting.
The world warped as we entered the blackness, then violently snapped into this.
A fucking dank cave of nothingness. A tangible, suffocating nothingness, surrounded by black craggy walls.
Though, wait a moment, it’s not literally suffocating.
Air! I breathe in deeply, and it’s not hyperbole to say it’s the most satisfying inhalation of my life.
Donovan stumbles against me. “You alright?” I ask.
“Yeah, just a bit swimmy. Oh, wow. Air! Shit, and I made it through.” In the gloom, I see him blink several times. “And we’re in a cave,” he says, stating the obvious.
“Well, yes.”
I cast an illumination spell and set up some spheres of light. I’m just finishing up when the rest of the traveling circus appears. The dud doesn’t stick her landing and crashes onto the cavernfloor. The janitor and Feniks instantly start fussing around. So tedious.
Dono’s eyes flash in her direction, but he stays by my side, not joining them, for which I’m grateful.
I reach a hand out to his shoulder, and Dono turns, giving me a half smile. “I know it was unlikely, but I’d really hoped Wes and Max would just be here, like waiting for us.”
“Those fuckers aren’t the type to make life easier,” I reply. “Where the fuck do you think we are now?” It’s a rhetorical question. None of us have answers.
Theodora is back on her feet, but now the janitor is stumbling around like a bull in a china shop.
“Ludo, what is it?” she shrieks. “He’s choking! Help him!”
Hmm, it’s true, the giant doesn’t look too good.
I move closer and see his skin ripple. “He’s going to shift.”
Theo goes to stroke his forehead, and the janitor's eyes meet mine. “Step back, dud…”
Ludo stumbles away from her as Feniks tugs her into his arms.
An unearthly groan comes from deep within the janitor, then he releases the snaps on his coveralls, revealing a chest already monstrously large.
Suddenly, my jaw gives a phantom throb. Wait? Why does this moment seem familiar? Ludo shedding his coveralls…almost feels like I've seen it before.
Fuck.
