Lennox slowed, ready to pause. Ready to succumbto that magical freeze button. To the fear. The two in front of him had as well. She pushed them on, Tarian with her.
The tunnel reached a circular area with four paths. Two stopped at the first on the right, looking back at Tarian. His hand tightened on her shoulder. She could see his nod from his point of view, but he didn’t share what was said. The female branched off left and paused as well. Another roar and more crashing walls. It sounded like it was stomping through the rubble.
Let’s go, dove,Tarian said, stepping in front of her and taking her hand. It was back to the action hero again.
Despite the terror of the situation, she felt his amusement.
The tunnel curved, and he followed it before they hit a fork. He didn’t hesitate to go left. Here he slowed, sneaking, being quiet. She followed suit, holding his hand, eyes closed, watching through his vision and trying not to trip on his feet.
The tunnel dead-ended at a ladder, not unlike the one under the ruined shanty-hub. He paused with one hand on a rung and the other holding hers, looking back the way they’d come. The earth trembled.
She saw herself in his gaze and couldn’t believe how confident and badass she looked, with her determined expression and set jaw. She looked like she was ready to go out and confront that beast single-handedly. Muscle memory, obviously. Show no fear so theenemy or bully or magical person who hates Chesters doesn’t think she’s weak and easy pickin’s. Internally, however, she was absolutely shitting herself.
Did you leave the door open or closed?Tarian asked her.
She racked her brain, trying to remember.
He touched her face delicately, his thumb tracing her cheek.It’s okay,he said.I can look in your memories…
Open, I think,she admitted.
Here’s the situation. I need us both upstairs, with the trapdoor and main door closed, in order to set the ward. Once I do, the ward will render this shanty-hub, as you so lovingly call it, indestructible. It can stomp on it all it likes and only get a sore foot for its trouble, okay? Then we’ll rest.
I should be the one to go,she said grudgingly, clutching his soft tunic. He’d freshened up as well.I know what its version of danger feels like. Let me go?—
His thumb moved over her lips.You’ll be right behind me, little dove?—
But she’d already slithered and pushed her way past him to the ladder, feeling it in her gut that she needed to do this. That she had dialed in on that creature and was the best person to ensure their survival. At least in the first phase of this endeavor.
She felt his head shaking, confused yet intrigued that she should be able to ignore him and get her way so easily. She felt his complete unwillingness to let hertake the lead, but they’d made a pact in the caverns to trust each other when their lives depended on it. So he sighed. And shifted his weight. And finally said,Okay. But Daisy, be careful. If we can’t do it, we’ll sleep in this tunnel.
Can’t we go ask for admittance into one of the other shanties?
Not after their ward is put in place. They won’t be able to hear us knocking and will be beyond the reach of mind touch. But that’s okay. That creature won’t stay out there forever, and it can’t blow fire or fit into these tunnels. If we can’t get that door closed, we’ll just pass an uncomfortable night together. It’ll be fine. We have options.
Assuming she didn’t get seen at the wrong time and killed before she could get back to the tunnel.
Assuming that,he said.
She shook her head and saw the flash of uncertainty on her face before it hardened again. How often did she let that expression through, she wondered? That physical glimpse into what was really going on in her mind.
Every time you do something that requires great courage,he whispered in her mind, like a caress.We are all mortal with the right wound.
It must’ve been one of the fae’s sayings, immortal until they were killed.
She nodded and felt for the rungs, made it to the top, and shoved him out of her mind. Hefled immediately, having felt her desire for space. Or maybe she was getting the hang of things.
Her hand curled around the latch, and she clued in to her surroundings. The wylds were waiting, tricksy and playful and ready for games, violent or fun or both, one never knew. Within that, though, was the darkrend. Twisting and rolling and turning the lush life around it to ash. A scourge. Unbalance. It was plain as day, like being able to tell if someone was magical or not just by watching them move. Watching them interact. At the heart of it, that was nothing more than a feeling, too. Like this.
She had great instincts—Zorn had always said so. She’d lived by them, as he’d always said she should.
The darkrend searched. Looked. Destroyed. Its attention was elsewhere, but the gaping hole that was the doorway to their shanty stood open. The moonlight from the window danced across the dark space.
She edged the trapdoor open slowly. Tarian moved over her feet, his chest touching her bare ankles. He was ready to go up right after her.
If it doesn’t see, it doesn’t know,she thought to herself.
The trapdoor opened away from the wall, shielding her. She peered around it, only able to see a slice out of the front door. Through it, the moonlight showed the darkrend in all its glory, ripping through the wreckage it had caused, trying to scratch its way to the bottom. It knew she and the others had disappeared within it.
