“Hey, you can’t do that!” someone on the platform shouted. “There’s a train coming!”
“Don’t worry,” Lucifer said with a wave of his hand, stepping down. “We’re professionals.”
Sam joined them, conscious not to step on the tracks as he met the others at the mouth of the tunnel. It was an endless void, not a spec of light as Alice held out her hand, a ball of light appearing in her palm.
“Lux pila.”The ball floated higher, giving them a little illumination in the otherwise pitch black space. “This doesn’t look friendly.”
“Do you know what,” Riley said as he led them single file into the tunnel, Alice’s light guiding the way. “I think it’s super creepy your eyes reflect the light.”
Sam couldn’t help the laughter that burst, breaking through the nerves that was eating him slowly. “Touché.”
Pulling out his torch, he flicked on the switch, Lucy reaching up to turn on the circular light attached to his head. He turned to Sam with a grin.
“You look ridiculous,” Sam said, hitting the side of his torch when it dimmed. “But also genius. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“It’s handsfree,” he said, punching the air.
Riley whistled. “Guys!”
The wind whipped up violently, lights appearing in the distance.
“Incoming,” Alice called as they all pressed their backs to the wall. The train passed in a bright blur, the rattle of metal a thunder of sound that vibrated the air far closer than was comfortable.
Lucifer growled, rats scattering from between their feet. “There’s Veyn down here, I can sense the fuckers.”
“We need to keep moving,” Riley said, moving faster than before. “I don’t trust the signal not to drop out, plus the authorities are probably going to start sending people to get us.” The tracks split into two, and after a second hesitation Riley chose left. “Luce, can you puff further up and see if there’s any doors or exits?”
“Puff?” Lucifer said, insulted. “Fucking puff?”
The pressure dropped, and Lucifer jumped from behind the group to further along the tunnel, his little light bobbing with every step.
Squinting into the darkness, Sam was careful where he walked, keeping to the left as Lucy disappeared, continuing to search further ahead. Sam wasn’t sure how long they walked, long enough he felt himself becoming agitated once more. “Alice, what’s it like to be mated?” He had asked her that question before, but this time it was different. The idea of being stuck with one person had always been horrifying, to be bound to someone forever. Logically he knew it wasn’t forever, but Sam valued his independence so strongly that it was all he could concentrate on.
Alice shrugged. “That’s hard to answer, all of our mating bonds are unusual.”
“Our beasts seem to react differently per couple,” Riley added. “It’s not a typical mating, the soul bond unique to each individual. If you ask Kace he would probably say he had no control, his beast bonding to Eva without either of them realising it, which makes us believe there’s more magic involved than we initially realised.”
“Shifters mate, but it’s a bond similar to a pack,” Sam said. “We don’t call it magic.”
“Humans marry.” Alice shrugged. “They have no magic, but they don’t believe their joining is any less. It’s not about the magic, it’s about sharing burdens and supporting each other through anything.”
“It’s a partnership,” Riley said, the tattoos along his arms glowing gently. He pressed his back against the wall, Alice and Sam following as another train shot past.
Sam kicked at a rat that tried to nibble his boots, the critter almost the size of his foot. “How do you know if they’re the one? That it’s real and not just some chemicals in your brain telling you they’re just attractive?”
“I knew,” Riley answered, stopping to turn. “I knew a lot quicker than Alice did, that’s for sure. Maybe because of my beast? I don’t know, I just knew she was it for me, attitude and all.”
“Careful,” Alice warned with a quiet smile. She brushed her hand against his chest, and his eyes teased silver at the edges. “I won’t forget the attitude comment.”
“Xander was similar,” Riley continued. “His beast attached itself to Kyra long before Xee could see past his prejudice.”
“And Kace was… Kace,” Alice said with a chuckle. “Everyone deserves to have their own person.” Her last words were aimed at him, but Sam dropped his gaze.
“Aye, may –” An high-pitched screech, the hairs on the back of his neck reacting to the sharp sound.
“Fucking prick!” Lucifer’s voice boomed from the distance, a single dot of light. “Why can’t you just fucking die?”
Running further down they found Lucifer on his back, what looked like a hellhound snapping at his face. Except it didn’t have a canine face, the snout split into eight to reveal several circular rows of razor-sharp teeth. Its ribs were spread out like novelty wings, pale white compared to the black of the scales.
