“Believe it.” I thread our fingers together as we walk along. Wind whistles high above us, but not even moonlight can reach this deep. The road is barely here, the rock uneven and gaping in some places. And the darkness sometimes falls away into nothing on both sides. I keep Beth close, focusing all my attention on pitfalls and crumbling bits of rock.
She trails her fingers along a black bit of obsidian before pulling away. “What’s on the other side of the Abyss? I mean, the jungle with the grabby vines is behind us, the mines are ahead, so what’s on either side? All I know is that you can’t travel either way, but I’m not sure why.”
“Siren Sound is to the west.”
“That name says it all.” I shiver. “Deadly.”
“Definitely. But far beyond Siren Sound it is the Grave Bridge. It’s passable, but dangerous, and a long way from any semblance of a town or shelter.”
“And to the east?”
“The Neverending Sea.”
“Oh.” I nod. “I’ve heard of it. The place where the beaches are made of bone.”
“Yes. No fae can travel it. Or, at least, none has been able to yet.”
I stare down at the stone beneath my feet. “Arin is so bizarre in places. I mean, how did this road even get here?”
“The Abyss isn’t absolute. There are some remaining bridges of stone that run through, connecting the sides. There used to be more, or so I’ve heard, but they’ve fallen over time.”
“You think one day it will all fall?” She follows me around a particularly dangerous gouge in the rock.
“Perhaps.” I don’t know how it’s stood this long, but I don’t say that. Not when Beth seems so … fragile. “What’s bothering you?”
She shrugs.
“I can feel your tension.” I speed our pace a bit, keeping a lookout for some sign, some hint that the caravan might be nearby. But I don’t hear anything except the moaning of the wind and the distant clicking of the spiders. “Tell me.”
She sighs and hews close to my side as we reach an area where there is no ceiling overhead, no lichen to light our way.
I stop and bend my knees. “Get on my back.”
“What?”
“It’s safer. I can see the road. You can’t. Besides, I can’t concentrate when I worry you’ll take a wrong step.”
“Clotty told me to never turn down help when it’s offered, especially from a male.” She climbs on my back, and I lift her with ease.
“Clotty is wise.”
“Mmhmm.” She rests her chin on my shoulder.
“Tell me, my beloved.” I jump over a narrow chasm. “What’s on your mind?”
She tightens her hold, pressing her body against mine. The feral purrs, but its tail twitches. It wants to know what she’s thinking just as I do.
“I’m going to die.”
I stop. “What?”
“I mean, not right now.”
“Oh.” I keep going.
“I’m saying that I’m a human. I won’t live like you. One day, I’ll die. Just like one day, all this will fall into the Abyss.”
“I see.” I move faster now, even with her extra weight. The road widens just a hair, and I can see a faint glow ahead. More lichen.
