Talk about adding pressure to someone.
“You can do it, Yemi, but if not, you’re right. It won’t matter. We go in, swords at the ready. Go ahead. Don’t second-guess yourself,” Thayla orders, giving Yemi a gentle push.
She nods, rolling her shoulders out, and I swear we all take a collective breath as she lays one palm to the door, the other on the brick wall.
Sevryn steps up, right behind her, when a ripple blasts around the stone.
I cut my gaze over at Amick and stare as the corner of his lip twitches.
When another current flows beneath her palms, he steps closer to them.
“Don’t command your power to block it. Command it to fill the space. Her power is an empty container. You’re going to fill it with your power.”
“Shut up and give her a minute,” Sevryn growls, but Yemi shakes her head.
“Don’t. I-it’s working.”
Her stutter has all of us inching closer as her knees shake. Ever so slowly, a dullness spreads across the door and the bricks molded around it.
“You all are going to go first. As soon as I lift my hands, my block’s coming down.”
Her trembling intensifies, and Sevryn instantly grips her hips.
“I’m not leaving you out here.”
“Everyone just get the hell inside.”
Her broken shout has Amick gripping my shoulder and pulling me with him. He gives Thayla the realm’s fastest kiss on her lips, and he barely allows me to do the same.
“Our group on us. Now. Follow closely, or we will leave you behind. Let’s go.”
There’s no hesitation in him as he pulls the door open, and Yemi’s grunt pierces my ears as we pass through the threshold.
The familiar hallway greets us, and my throat constricts.
If not for Amick snatching me along, I’d be frozen in time.
Nothing has changed.
The dark blue walls feel like they’re closing in around me, and my feet sink into the ash-gray carpet.
“Snap out of it, Kyzen. He needs us.”
He needs us.
He’s restrained here somewhere.
My head thrashes from side to side, and I shake Amick’s hand off my shoulder, pushing him behind me as my pace picks up down the hallway.
“Stay behind me.”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“I’m not patronizing you, but I already have one fucking brother stuck here. I can’t lose you too. With me in front, I can slow down anyone coming toward us.”
I don’t look back at him, nor do I slow my steps to discuss this with him. There is no discussion.
He will stay behind me whether he likes that or not.
