So how did Kane find us?
I tapped my feet against the stone, needing some type of sound other than Crispin's labored breaths.
No grass or deep roots to connect me with the world. There were bats and fungi and strange worms and things like that, but the beauty of nature didn't exist here and it made me itchy for the sky and grass.
Crispin stirred, then shot up, his eyes wide. He grabbed his side.
“What's the matter?”
His wild gaze went to me, and his shoulders relaxed. “Nothing.”
I had known Crispin for a long time. I didn't want to prod, we had enough to worry about, but I knew he was lying.
“We should get going. Keep moving,” he said and attempted to stand.
I stood, grabbing him, helping him to his feet. “We don't have to go right now. You should rest for a little bit longer.”
“No.” His stern voice ended the discussion. He quickly rolled up the bedroll and refastened it to his pack.
“Are sure you can carry that?”
He scrunched his face at me as if I had insulted him. “Let's go. It shouldn't be much farther.”
Crispin may have wielded the element of force, giving him extreme strength, but wounded, his magical reserves were depleted.
“This path is shorter.” He pointed to the right fork. “It'll take us out by the river, and we'll have to cross it.”
I nodded. We were both strong swimmers, so I wasn't worried about that. There were fewer trees, though. We'd be out in the open.
Crispin stepped in front of me and grabbed my hand.
Together, we walked in silence.
At times, the rocky path became so tight we had to get on our knees and crawl through, the walls closing in and making me want to scream.
“We’re almost there,” he said after what seemed like hours of maneuvering.
The lantern light flickered; our oil was almost gone. We had one more canister of oil in our bag.
Sweat slid down my neck and my knees burned from scraping against the stony ground.
“I can see the stars,” he said, rising to his feet as the tunnel got tall enough for us to stand. “The night will give us cover.”
A breeze of fresh air filled my lungs, refreshing and crisp. Not the dankness and mustiness of the place we had been in. The cavern widened, getting bigger until we stood at the mouth of a cave, staring out. A waterfall plunged to our left, the thundering sound calming. Jagged rocks jutted out from the grassy cliff and adorned the sides of the river below.
My mind replayed the first time Crispin and I had found this place, and the intimate night that followed.
He slid his hand into mine, fingers threading around me as if the same heat-filled moment ran through his thoughts.
“We did it.” Crispin smiled widely and squeezed my hand. “We made it. I told you we would.”
A slow clapping came from somewhere near the trees, shattering the reprieve.
My stomach dropped.
No. It can’t be.
Crispin moved in front of me, a protective shield to what approached.
