“There.” The Elven Commanders’ excitement makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Elwyn spins to Grayson. “Time to fly, Grayson.”
I shiver as Grayson slides one arm around my waist from behind me, his other reaching for the knife, his big hand gently gliding down my arm before he pries the blade out of my cold fingers and drops it to the ground. He makes no move toward the older Commander, causing Elwyn to frown.
Grayson kisses the side of my neck and whispers, “Not like this, Marbella.”
He must be talking about the knife. Or the sky. Or the way we’re about to ascend. Or what… I don’t know. I’ve given up trying to figure him out.
He sighs against my neck, holding me fast, unmoving, and says, “Tell me again how my mother died.”
A confused frown grows on my forehead. “You didn’t kill her.”
“Shh. Not you.Them.” He lifts his head, still cradling me, relaxed, as if he’s asking nothing important. “Elwyn?”
A deep frown joins the wrinkles on Elwyn’s forehead. His mouth turns down. “You killed her when you were born.”
“Hmm. Gideon told you that, didn’t he?”
“It happened, Grayson. We were all there to see it. Now, let’s get on with it. The pathway won’t remain open forever.”
“All of you were there. Right.” Grayson chews his lip, tilts his head, not budging. “Why were you all at my birth?”
Elwyn falters. “Your mother had a vision of the Earth. You know that.”
“Yes, but… what did that have to do with me? You are all very important people. Yet you took time out of your day to be there when I was born. Why?”
“We…” Elwyn looks to Osian, clearly floundering.
The big Commander clears his throat. “Her vision involved you.”
“In what way?”
Osian licks his lips. “The pathway… isn’t easy to get through. It looks like the surface is right there in front of us, but we are two miles under the surface.”
Grayson nods, still holding me. “You need me to transport you. I guess my mother saw that too?”
Osian pauses. “She did.”
“Did she tell you her vision willingly? Or under force?”
Above us on the ceiling, the image of the city fades at the edges, the rock face reappearing as a ring around it. It’s a slow transition, barely a few inches, but it’s visible.
It’s closing.
Elwyn turns angry red, increasingly agitated. “Grayson, keep your eye on the prize. The city is right there! You’ll have a new life. You can start fresh. You’ll even have Marbella. Now, why don’t we—”
“No! We aren’t leaving until you tell me the truth.”
Elwyn glances at the ceiling. The opening is still wide, but smaller than it was. Whatever placating response he was going to give disappears as another three inches of rock appear around the edges. He strides right up to Grayson. “Take us there. Now.”
“Or what?”
“Or I will compel you.”
Grayson carefully untangles himself from me, nudging me out of Elwyn’s way. “You can’t.”
Osian advances on Grayson too, both Commanders standing much closer than I expected. Grayson returns their threatening glares with one of his own. “Be warned: I’m not cloaked.”
