I take a moment to pick my words. As I was growing up, Mother never solicited my opinion on religion. She just taught me her beliefs as truth.
That seemed to be her approach with most things.
“If there really are Gods, I don’t know how they could allow what happened to Evermore,” I finally say. “Some people like having something to believe in, and it makes them feel better about the shit world we’re living in. And I think that’s lovely and all. But to me…I dunno. It almost makes me feel worse to imagine someone is watching this and choosing to do nothing.”
“I don’t like faith as a concept,” Cygnus agrees. “I’d rather put my trust in what I can control.”
Shocking.
“And that’s served you well?”
He smiles faintly. “I’ve gotten this far, haven’t I?”
Silence falls. Eventually, the rocky cave floor gives way to smaller stones. We pass over a section of soft, fine dust, descending into a narrow chute of knee-deep, muddy water. We’re moving along, boots squelching, in heavy mutual silence, when Cygnus stops abruptly.
His head swivels, reminding me of a hawk. “Do you hear something?”
I stop, listening for unfamiliar sounds in the cave.
“No?”
“Down there.” He points.
We stand frozen for a moment as I strain to hear what he has heard. Then, faintly, I catch it: a voice. High and distant. Howling, almost. Wailing. The sound is oddly familiar, but I am not quite sure how to place it. I take a step toward the noise. Cygnus looks transfixed.
I begin to say, “It almost sounds like—”
Cygnus gasps. “That’s my mother!”
He starts running.
“Wait!”I bolt after him in pursuit.
The shrieking grows louder, wordless and primal, echoing off the walls. It’s a raw, otherworldly cry of a terrible loss. Pure grief and rage.
“Cygnus, that’s spellcraft!” I shout after him. “It’s not her!”
But then I hear another sound, another voice rising, from the opposite end of the cavern.
I stop dead in my tracks.
“Lyria!”the voice screams.“Lyria, I’m here! Help me, please—Lyria!”
It’s Mother.
I don’t know how, but I’m certain it’s her. I feel it with every humming cell in my body. She’s down here. She’s trapped andhurt, and she needs help.Myhelp. Without another thought toward Cygnus, I take off after her voice.
With each step, the intensity of her screaming grows. I run with abandon, hurtling toward the sound.
“LYRIA! Where are you?”
The torch tumbles from my hand. I take another step—
And then I’m falling.
I hit the ground with a sickeningcrack.
White-hot pain erupts in my leg, and I cry out, clutching it. My stomach roils as I look down and see severed bone jutting out of my thigh. Mother’s screaming goes on and on as my vision crumbles. I think I lose consciousness briefly. When I find myself again, the screaming is gone.
