Page 77 of Wraithwound

The eleuth chittered and took a step toward Cross. Lena gasped softly and looked between the two. She was trying very hard not to take that personally when Cross came to the creature’s defense.

“I don’t think it has any interest in me. It’s trying to keep you safe, and it sees me as a means to do that. There could be other patrols out there if the units we ran into managed to get a falcon out before they approached, and you don’t know what you’ll find when we get to The Whispers. Not to mention that I can’t be sure whether Taryk has continued to follow or not.”

“What does he want?” Lena asked. Was he intent on hunting her, too?

“I haven’t quite figured that out yet. It’s troubling,” Cross said.

Lena mulled things over. With Taryk likely still on their trail, the possibility of other patrols, and the uncertainty of what she might find in The Whispers, she couldn’t disagree with him. She also knew the eleuth wouldn’t let Cross near her if it felt he was a danger. Despite him being a wraith hunter, she felt safe with him. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to have him accompany her.

Sighing, she agreed.

The eleuth screeched, a noise of approval this time, and scampered over to her, rubbing its head briefly into her hand, which hung loosely at her side. Lena’s eyes went wide, and she looked at Cross, who gave her a nod and a hint of a smile on his face. She couldn’t help the lump that formed in her throat. Lena swallowed thickly, trying to dispel the emotion. The eleuth simply crinkled its nose and blinked at her. Having settled that, they mounted their horses and went on their way.

They rode at a steady pace, headed northwest toward The Whispers, a region long since abandoned due to strange sightings, mysterious disappearances, and most notably: the strange whispers that were said to drive anyone who dared enter mad.

Unease slithered through Lena’s gut at the thought of entering the cursed land, but Ada and Eduard had told her The Collector resided there and that he had access to a Seer, so she knew at least two people resided in the area. Just then she remembered Laney and Riley intended to travel there and hoped they’d made it safely.

Hours passed, the falling snow slowly wiping the terrain free of any discernible features, yet Cross was not deterred. Lena’s thoughts drifted to Henry and the great black tendrils that had attacked them. Lena sent up a silent prayer that he was okay. The wraith still hadn’t tried to take over again, and she briefly wondered what it was about sleep that triggered the infection to lash out.

“There,” Cross called out, pointing to a towering structure in the distance.

A plateau, Lena realized as it came into view. She took it in, the peculiar hue of stone that was not quite orange, and not quite red, seemed to serve as a warning to outsiders. As they drew closer, a long, narrow passageway revealed itself through the stone.

Cross scanned the terrain, eyes drifting upward periodically. The eleuth, unable to fly, currently lay cuddled against Lena’s chest in a makeshift sling she’d put together. Dead trees protruded from cracks in the stone, limbs stretched upward like clawed hands awaiting the flakes that drifted down from above.

Once they reached the entrance of the passageway, Cross brought Kharon to a stop.

“We’re here,” he said. Kharon snorted and pawed at the ground. Cross bent forward and pet the beast.

“Is he nervous?” Lena asked. She was also waiting to see if her shoulder would prickle, but the sensation did not come.

“No,” Cross said with a chuckle. “He’s annoyed we’ve stopped.”

“He really is the perfect horse for you, isn’t he?” she said, hoping the humor would lessen the unease in her gut.

“That’s quite the compliment,” Cross said to Kharon, bending down and patting his side. The horse snorted in reply. “I’ll go first; you stay close. Once we’re through, we can look for your Seer.”

“Have you ever been in there?” she asked.

“No, I—Are you stalling?” he asked, amused.

EverGods, this man sees everything.

“No,” she lied, “just trying to get an idea of what I should expect.”

Cross lifted a brow, no doubt smug in the fact Lena was expressing some hesitation, which likely meant she was glad he’d requested to accompany her.

“Let’s go find your Seer,” he said, nudging Kharon.

The second they crossed into the passageway, the air seemed to shift, becoming somehow thinner and thicker at the same time. The passage was much narrower than she’d originally thought, wide enough for only one rider. The towering walls of stone at either side closed them in, making her feel claustrophobic. At different points the passageway opened up, but it was often blocked by fallen boulders or decaying logs. Some of the obstacles took longer to clear than others, forcing Lena and Cross to dismount to determine a way around them. Despite their progress, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. She knew Cross felt it too by his rigid posture and the visible tendons in his neck.

When they finally exited the passageway, they were greeted by an abandoned village surrounded by an enormous stone formation that welled up and curved over itself, like a cresting wave. Lena took it all in, her head tilting back to capture the enormity of the stone wave and the peculiar markings etched into the stone. It looked as if a gargantuan needleworm had borne its way through the rock. It went as far as the eye could see on the north side while the rest of the area was closed in, surrounded by towering red-orange stone.

Nestled at the foot of the curved stone were crumbling structures, the snow softening the edges of cracked roof tiles and blunt bricks. The skeletal remains of an entire town sprawled before them. Winter-hearty plants grew out of broken windows, old garden beds, and in the middle of the road, their serrated leaves a warning for people and animals to keep their distance. Dramatic, towering stalks grew from the center of the browning plants, empty seed pods adorning the tops. The small homes stood in different stages of decay and destruction.

Cross urged Kharon onward, and Lena followed, her mare huffing loudly. As soon as they crossed into the deserted city, an eerie silence met them before the whispers began.

. . . the death of many . . . gone too soon . . . where did they go . . .