Rule thirty-nine:Don’t become an exhibitionist in enemy territory.
We take off running down a tunnel, headingaway from the sound of approaching guards. “Is this East?” I whisper, disorientated.
Sin squeezes my hand, and I take that as a yes. We hurry down multiple well-lit tunnels, straining to hear if the guards are getting closer. Their footsteps echo across different corridors. It’s impossible to know if they’re close.
Sin turns down a completely blacked-out tunnel, and we falter. It’s too risky to take a torch, but Sin’s power isn’t back yet.
I pause, trying to picture the silver Reaper energy. As if energized by this realm, the threads spring to life across my hand.
Well, that would have come in handy during my last cave exploration.
Shame.
Sin pulls me forward, and we continue, trying to be completely silent. The blacked-out tunnels must be used less frequently. This is our best bet for finding a place to hide.
The tunnels continue for ages, all completely dark. We keep moving until Sin finally stops. There’s a small crack in the ceiling above us, similar to the one we climbed into earlier. Sin points to it before taking my waist and lifting me up.
It takes me a few seconds to crawl through, pulling myself over the narrow crevice. Once inside, I swallow my panic and let a bit more power flow out of my hand. With the added light, I can faintly see the crevice opens to a small tunnel.
“I think this is good,” I whisper down to Sin.
A moment later, Sin pulls himself up and follows my lead as we start crawling. I sing ‘Highway to Hell’ in my head, hoping it will distract me from how narrow this tunnel is. The stones feel like they’re pressing down on me, and I’m sure in a few more minutes, I’ll get stuck, wedged between the rocks. My heart is racing, and my vision is starting to darken around the edges. Unless Sin is keen on knocking me out, there’s no way I’m going to last seven hours in a tight space like this.
Almost blindly now, I push forward for another few breaths until, finally, the tunnel opens up to a cave. It’s about the size of a minivan. Not high enough tostand up, but still large enough that my lungs don’t feel like they can’t work.
Sin follows me inside and appraises the spot. “This is good. We’ll hole up here until my power returns.”
Sighing, I lay back on the cold stone floor. I don’t even care that it’s cold. The stones are smooth, and nothing is digging into my back. That’s a win in my books.
The adrenaline that’s been pumping through me during this mission is quickly wearing off, and exhaustion is setting in. I shiver and let the power I was using to illuminate our path die down. The darkness is absolute, but I know it’s wiser to conserve energy.
Sin lies beside me, his arm and leg pressing against me. I feel my shoulders relaxing a bit, savoring his body heat. We stay like that, listening in silence for what feels like ages, until finally, Sin whispers, “So, are we going to talk about what you said back there?”
While a silly piece of me is thrilled to know that Sin isn’t keen on me dying, I can’t ignore the logic in ending my mortal life. “My death is a solid option, Sin.”
Sin stiffens at my answer. “I’m not even going to entertain that thought.”
I pause, confused. “Then what are you referring to?”
Sin turns to face me. “The god of death offered to make you a goddess, kitten, and you turned him down.” His hand finds my waist, and he pulls me so I’m flush against him. “And when he asked you if youwere certain of your relationship with me, you said yes.”
My pulse grows erratic at his whispered words.
“I did,” I whisper back.
I hold my breath. Sin’s thumb brushes against my waist. Once, twice.
His whispered question is barely audible, “Did you mean it?”
My heart beats so fast, I’m sure Sin must feel it against his chest.
I could lie. I could tell him I only said it to be polite in rejecting Hades. But at my core, I don’t want to. I trust Sin and don’t want to be dishonest with him.
War is coming, he is my partner, I’m magically bonded to Leon, I have major insecurities… all the reasons I need to avoid Sin are still there. I haven’t pushed them away, hoping to escape for a moment.
I just don’t care. Those worries pale compared to what I am starting to feel for this man.
“Yes,” I whisper back.
