I tapped Audrey on the back of her hand. She squeezed my fingers back. Reassuring, but also nervous. We were on the same page.
Hush stopped and stared at us, something flickering over her molten eyes that I couldn’t catch in the darkness, before she lifted overgrown shrubbery out of the way and revealed a small, run-down cabin built right against a surface of the mountains. Vines of ivy crawled up the sides of the wood that could use a new paint job. There was a crack in one of the glass windows on the second floor. Flower boxes that hung off the front porch were overgrown with various weeds and—based on the smell in the air—herbs.
Audrey and I stared at each other, having a silent conversation.
Do we do it?
We’re already here, I guess.
It could be a trap.
We’re probably dead anyway if it’s a trap.
…Might as well.
After that, Audrey followed Hush up the wooden steps, across the porch, and into the cabin. Before I followed, I studied my surroundings, committing whatever I could see to memory.
It was musky in the clearly abandoned home Hush quietly led us through. Dusty, worn books lined the far wall of what looked like a sitting room. There was a fireplace bracketed by two floor-to-ceiling windows, exposing a view to the dark woods along the side of the mountains. Halos of dust and dirt circled random spots on the walls, where picture frames used to be. A broken flat screen TV sat in the far corner.
But Hush didn’t acknowledge any of it, taking us to the very back of the cabin, into an empty room that looked like a study. Brushing her fingers over the paneling of the far wall, she slowly pulled it back to reveal a dark tunnel and promptly disappeared through it.
Audrey shook her head before following Hush. And I followed Audrey.
Hush waited until we were through before she pushed the paneling shut behind us, encasing us in complete darkness. I trailed my fingertips on the rough stone walls on either side of me, keeping up solely based on the sound of their steps as my eyes struggled to adjust to the dark. Audrey and Hush’s footsteps were the only confirmation I had that I wasn’t left behind in here. We turned a corner, I assumed. A few more quiet moments passed, and a light started to shine up ahead. It was muted, but a light at the end of the tunnel all the same.
The small tunnel that could barely fit the width of two of us finally widened, revealing a large wooden door. Ancient designs were carved into it; images I couldn’t quite make sense of. Next to the door, a small sconce. The only one in here.
Hush turned to face us, giving her back the door, as we finally made it to the opening.
“Do you truly want to help Hyvenmerians? All Hyvenmerians?” Hush asked us. She still wore her mask, like always, but after maybe an hour of silence, her voice startled me. It sounded loud.
Audrey swallowed and nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Hush narrowed her eyes at her. “What I’m about to show you could get all of us killed.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “…You didn’t want to mention that before you dragged us here?”
Hush popped her shoulders and said, “I trust you two.”
“…Does Liam know about this?” Audrey’s voice was quieter. Hush studied her for a moment before shaking her head. Silence hung in the air again.
“…Why do we get to see, and not Liam?”
Hush crossed her arms and braced her stance, replying in a low voice, “Because males have failed us. Perhaps showing his mate first, however, will get him to understand why I’ve done everything that I have.” Audrey and I let her sentence sink in,and I couldn’t speak for Audrey, but something deep in my bones confirmed the truth of her words.
Were things escalating more than I realized in Hyvenmere?
What about Audrey and me made Hush feel the need to expose whatever was behind the door?
“If I show you this…” Hush tipped her head toward the wooden entrance behind her. “And if, for some reason, you two decide you are no longer with us…” I lifted an eyebrow at her, wondering what that meant. “I will lock you both out of Hyvenmere myself.”
Audrey stiffened at that, I didn’t. I ended up crossing my arms and studying the designs on the wood. My eyes were still adjusting, and I could make out the faded markings better. It was a root system, that much was obvious. A large tree, with branches and roots connecting what looked like thousands of different icons. Animals. Plants. Oceans. People.
Children.
I squinted, focusing on a smaller carving in particular. Branches in the shape of hands and fingers, cradling children. Something sank low in my gut, and I cut my gaze over to Hush, who was watching me closely.
“Show us,” I said. “You know we’ll be on your side,” I spoke to Hush quietly. “That’s why you felt safe bringing us here.”
