He quickly explained what I needed to say. I practiced the words a few times, still feeling weak. He handed me my wand back and gave me an encouraging smile. “You are powerful. You can do this.” Taking another deep breath, I reached toward the stone archway, channeling every bit of magick I could muster. This was my chance to prove myself, to show everyone that I could be strong.
I focused on pushing the magick through the wand, inch by inch. But it felt foreign. Like the wood didn’t want to answer my call.
Come on, demon.
“Don’t think of the wand as something separate from you,” Devlinn reminded me. “Think of it as part of you.”
I kept at it, repeating the spell again. As I let the magick flow, something inside meclicked, like a key fitting into an ancient lock, and the power surged through me, into the wand.
When it did, the sound of a rusty chain paying out came from somewhere behind the arch. The metallic sound sped up, tipping the stone doorbackward.A sharp blast of musty air escaped from the gap as it continued to lower in fits and starts, inch by inch, until it revealed a narrow passageway wide enough for only one person to squeeze through at a time, leading down into darkness.
My white wolf pushed her head into my hand and whined. I swallowed hard.
“You did it!” Tansy cheered as she threw her arms aroundmy neck. I wanted to celebrate with her, but there was something about the darkness I didn’t like.
“Of course she did!” Devlinn was saying. “She had an excellent mentor. If I do say so myself.”
“As much as I love a good celebration, it’s time to go. Uncle’s orders.”
“I should help them hold the line while the rest of the army retreats underground,” Okeri said.
“You don’t get to kill werewolves while I babysit the witches.”
I crossed my arms. “We can hear you, you know?”
Okeri gave Tyson a stern look that made his grin falter. She pointed to the opening with her sword. “It’s going to take ages to get everyone through this passageway in single file.”
Tyson shrugged. “I don’t care how long it takes. I need you. You know that.And we agreed to stay together.”
He said the last line under his breath, and it reminded me of how young he was. Eighteen. And had never left the capital before. The two of them were like me and Sera leaving Prideaux Hill for the first time.
The fight left Okeri, and she dropped her sword. “Right. Together.”
Something warm and cold twisted in my chest, causing tears to prick in the corners of my eyes. I went to grab my bloodstone to let Bastien know that we’d done it, when I realized he hadn’t put it back on me after the spell. It was still in his pocket.
Panic landed in my chest, and something in me wanted to run back to him. Even if he was fighting werewolves. I had magick now. I could help.
Tyson grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me back toward the arch. “My uncle gave me a very clear order. To get you into the tunnels.”
I thought to argue, but there was no time. The longer we lingered, the longer the army would need to fight.
A soldier handed Tyson a lit torch. “Stay between Lady Okeri and me, and everything will be fine.” A grin split across his face. “Until we meet my cousin in the tunnels and she realizes not only have we managed to get through the spell on the door without her, but that our uncle entrusted me with leading the mission.”
Tansy set her hands on my shoulders, right behind me, and together, with my wolves, we followed after Tyson. I tried not to worry about my husband. I knew he was a fearless warrior, and his fighters would protect him. But still, doubt buried in me as we continued to descend into the endless dark.
The path leading down into the graveyard tunnels reminded me of the one that led down into Imogen’s cave. Except that instead of stairs, it was damp earth. Every so often, my boot would get stuck in the soft dirt, and my ankle would twist.
“Stay alert,” Tyson whispered. “I sense heartbeats.”
“Heartbeats? As in… there are people down here?” I asked.
I set my hand on my belly. Wondering if there’d be a heartbeat inside of me soon.
“Well, this is a place of peace,” Tansy offered. “That’s what His Grace said. So it would make sense for people to be down here. Especially with the wolves running around.”
“Exactly,” Tyson said.
I gave Tansy an encouraging smile, but it was hard to trust Tyson when he’d never been in these tunnels before, and his bravado overruled his sense of right and wrong. But I had no choice but to keep my wand aloft and my ears open. I couldn’t hear anything over the shuffle of feet and murmur of voices behind us.
