Mei Li carefully fed the baby several drops of the restorative potion, judging the amount necessary by body weight. The baby coughed, then stirred, her head shifting. The mother let out a sob of relief, smoothing her child’s head. Alright, the baby should be stable enough to move in a minute. Mei Li turned, looking for Shunlei.
A teenage girl dared to touch the rope at his waist. “You can lead us out by this?”
“That’s one of the ways. The talisman I have wrapped around my wrist actually shows me. There’s no chance of being lost,” he assured her gently. “I’ll have all of you hold onto the rope, and each other, as we go.”
“The cart—” a middle-aged man lamented, already seeing the inevitable.
“We can’t take the time necessary to draw everything out,” Shunlei warned. “We’ve too many here to rescue. Have you seen anyone else since you’ve come in?”
“We saw another group about two days after we came in, but they went in further,” the grandfather answered, pointing in the general direction. “They were hunting for food. That was the only time.”
The horror of the situation washed over Mei Li. To be stuck in this desolate place with no way out, no other human contact, just sitting here and waiting to either die or be rescued…a shudder overtook her. She truly wished she’d been able to get to them faster, that Tanguay hadn’t been such a priority. Her words to Rone before were entirely too true—she had too many fires to stomp out all at once. Even when she logically put them into order of priority, her heart didn’t always agree with the assessment. Like now.
“We’ll find them if we can. Let’s get all of you out first. You’re not actually far from the exit.”
A grandmother put both hands over her face and wept. “All this time? We were close all this time?”
“It wouldn’t have made any difference if you’d known,” Mei Li assured her, straightening from where she’d been bent over the baby. “You wouldn’t have been able to see it. Still can’t. You just have to follow in our footsteps. Shunlei, the baby’s a little better because of the restorative potion, but she’s really fragile. I need a doctor called as soon as we hit the torii.”
Nodding in understanding, he organized the rest of the family to hold onto either his or Mei Li’s ropes. They all grabbed each other’s hands, too, hanging on with desperation. They absolutely were not taking chances of being separated or losing someone in this place.
They walked out steadily, more slowly than before. Even with the potions, these people were not in a healthy condition. Dolan had explained that the potions were more like a medicinal pick-me-up, not a cure. The pressure of walking back toward the torii was worse than coming onto the bridge. Simeon’s description of ‘walking into high tide’ now made more sense. It was easy enough when going with the tide, but against it?
Shunlei made up the rear of the group, acting as sweeper to make sure no one fell aside. It seemed to take longer to reach the outside. Whether that was a trick of her imagination or not, Mei Li wasn’t sure. The record truly left much to be desired. She could wring the Tomes’ neck, if he were still alive.
People openly wept as they finally reached the outside world, and Mei Li didn’t blame them. Townspeople greeted them with warm blankets, escorting them to wagons, and Shunlei immediately belted out a request over the crowd for a doctor. One scurried over instantly—someone had thought ahead to have a doctor on hand—and Shunlei pointed him in the baby’s direction.
Mei Li blessed his lung power and left him to it, catching Huan by the elbow instead. “Huan, you have the record of who’s in there?”
“I do,” the Green answered, unrolling it so she could see it. “Some of this is a guess. It includes people reported missing who were set to travel through this area or to the other side of the lake. We’re assuming they’re here.”
“If their name is crossed out, then they’ve been brought out, I assume?”
“Correct. I’m trying to make sure we get everyone.”
“Bless you,” Mei Li said fervently. She’d not thought to assign someone that task. She hadn’t realized they had a full list of names until this moment. Eyes skimming the list, she added it in a quick total. “So that’s sixteen altogether. I’m amazed Simeon got in and out with a group that fast.”
“He said they were very close to the gate, that they had the sense to stop where they were and not wander about.”
“I know, but our group wasn’t far from the gate and we didn’t see him.” Mei Li gave the Bridge a disgusted look. “I wish we had a way to permanently seal this thing off or destroy it. Alright, back in we go. Shunlei?”
“Ready,” he assured her.
Back in they went. Mei Li was aware that Shunlei kept a close watch on her. Admittedly, she was not the most athletic of women, and this was physically taxing. Even Shunlei showed subtle signs of strain. Mei Li huffed and puffed but didn’t stop, didn’t falter, just doggedly kept walking.
Shunlei asked hopefully, “Is there no way to destroy the Bridge?”
“I wish. There’re two problems with that. First, if you destroy the Bridge, you let loose everything on it. Which is fine for the lost souls, but what about everything else? There’s a lot of accumulated evil in here, and we don’t have the necessary army to subdue it all at one time.”
Shunlei winced at this mental picture of evil flying out over the world en masse. “What’s the second problem?”
“It would take a massive amount of magical energy, which we frankly don’t have either. In fact, it would take almost an army of mages to seal it. The Bridge is huge and built by a deity. It’s not something us puny humans can do much about. It’s why the first Tomes who got handed this problem made the decision to seal both gates. It’s by far the sanest option in dealing with the problem.”
Shunlei nodded thoughtfully.
“I take it you weren’t anywhere near the Bridge when things happened?” Mei Li asked.
“No, I wasn’t in this part of the world when the Bridge was twisted into this ugly thing. I only heard about what happened afterwards. I wish I could command that army for you.”
“So do I.” She sighed, but smiled at him. “It’s alright. The help you did give me is amazing as it stands. I don’t think I properly thanked you for it.”
He snorted at the idea.
“I can thank you, you know,” she retorted, properly reading that snort for what it was.
Dryly, he answered, “Of course you can.”
Mei Li rolled her eyes. “You are so full of it sometimes. Switching topics—can I offer to preen Bai’s wings and he not take it wrong?”
Shunlei’s head snapped around. For the second time since meeting, he looked utterly flabbergasted. “Why are you asking that?”
“Don’t ask me how that connected in my head, it just did,” she said with a wave of her hand to discard the question. “But Bai’s…touchy, I think is the right word. He’s barely settled enough to talk to me, and that after several days of knowing me. I think he’s a little like you, where it’s hard for him to ask for help. And his wings don’t look good.”
Mei Li understood that preening wings was something that only happened with friends and family. Offering this might be really awkward for Bai, as there might be some other nuance she wasn’t aware of in dragon culture. She only knew what Rone had told her. It was why she wanted to check with Shunlei first, get his take on it.
He had the oddest look on his face and she couldn’t decipher it. Was he perplexed by her question? Agitated by it? He seemed both those things, but not, and she wasn’t sure how to read him.
“You’ll have to be careful how you approach him,” Shunlei finally answered. “He oscillates between being touchy about accepting help from others, and desperately craving attention.”
“I caught that much. It’s a shame. He’s the sweetest man. He’s ever so glad to be helpful and I just want to hug him sometimes. I haven’t dared ask how old he is; I
felt like that would throw salt in an open wound.”
“Yes, thank you for forbearing, it would have. In fact, he’s just turned a hundred.”
Mei Li nodded, unsurprised. “I thought him an adult, but a new one. He’s not comfortable in his skin yet. Alright, here’s my plan: I thought tonight, when we’re done, I’d offer to preen anyone who needs it as a thank you for their help.”
“Gen might take you up as well, then. He’s also shy about preening.”
“Oh? I haven’t had a chance to talk much with him—” She stopped dead, eyes narrowing as she strained to look off in the distance. “What is that? That black shroud moving about, do you see it?”
Shunlei turned and followed her pointing finger. He swore in the next instant. “I do indeed. That’s a wraith.”
“Sun and stars, that’s not good.” Mei Li looked ahead and then swore again. “There’s more ahead.”
“And this is why I didn’t want you coming in here alone. We haven’t been in here long enough for it to be night, have we?”
“Time runs a little differently in here. I wouldn’t think so, but wraiths don’t always play by the rules.” Grimly, she dug into her waist pouch and produced several talismans. “Shunlei, I don’t think we can just merrily skirt these things and go ahead. We really don’t want them to be here on the way back with a group.”
He nodded shortly. “I concur. I don’t think the talismans in your hands are sufficient to battle them back.”
“You’re unfortunately right.” She quirked a brow at him. “What’s your plan?”
“There’s not much in heaven or hell that can withstand dragon fire.” Shunlei undid the rope around his waist, already preparing to shift forms.
“By all means,” Mei Li invited, cackling. “Go dragon.”
Shunlei’s breath streamed scorching hot as he swung his head around, melting the wraiths that dared to get too close. They died with screams cut off, their ashes melding with the grey air around them. Mei Li kept carefully next to his side, under his wing, as protection from both wraiths and his dragon fire. If any bit of that touched her skin…just the thought sent a sympathetic shudder of pain through her body.
He paused in his attack, breathing deeply, looking about him again in another slow sweep. “It looks as if they’ve retreated for now.”
“I’m surprised they even attacked in the first place. I expected them to stalk us at a distance.” Mei Li slid out from underneath his wing to take a look for herself but saw nothing but ashes and the interminable grey.
After another minute of scanning the area, Shunlei gave a grunt of satisfaction. “I believe it safe enough to continue.”
They did so, more cautiously this time. Mei Li kept a watchful eye on the sky, for all the good that did her. It didn’t look any different than when they’d started their rescue operation and that was hours ago. She was with the last group they could take out today and even this was pushing it. Her group was smaller this time, only four, but they’d been here the longest as well. They were very weak and for their sakes, Shunlei had put two on his back to carry—a young child and his grandmother.
They were far along the Bridge. They must be—the wraiths were thicker here. Like a murder of crows. Shunlei kept the group strictly next to him so he could scorch any wraiths coming.
Her muscles ached with fatigue, a tremble starting in her calves from slogging through this dense fog. It was like wading through an ocean tide for hours upon hours. Mei Li was glad Shunlei had insisted on coming in with her. She’d initially agreed because she was afraid her magic might not be up to the task of protecting groups of people in here. Turned out she was right. Now she was glad to have him not only for his protection, but his solid, staying presence. It was so unnerving in this land of grey that she felt better having a friend at her side.
Shunlei turned his head, giving her a pointed look, and she nodded back in agreement. It was getting dangerous. If night hadn’t fallen outside yet, it was getting close to sunset. She could tell from the number of wraiths they were collecting in their wake. After seeing what Shunlei had done to the first batch, none of them had dared to come in close, but still. They hovered.
The wraiths were a definite problem. Even if those chose not to attack, they might try to follow them outside, and Mei Li truly did not want them loose in the world. But how to keep them here? There was no possibility of losing them, that was for sure. Would she be forced to call for help, have a pitched battle in front of the gate to destroy them before they could escape?
Right now it seemed the only option.
The mother—who looked barely older than Mei Li—turned her head to speak to Mei Li directly. “What do we do if they attack?”
“They’re not looking eager to do that right now.” Mei Li wanted to reassure her but didn’t want to lie, either. It was an interesting verbal fence to straddle. “Dragon fire is deadly to wraiths. It’s a purely elemental fire, you see, so it unmakes anything unliving.”
The woman followed, looking only partially reassured. “So they won’t attack?”
“They’ll be strongly hesitant to do so. Especially against an Elder dragon.” Mei Li gestured to Shunlei in all his elderliness. “I don’t think we’ll have a problem until we reach the gate. The wraiths sense the magic in me, they can tell I know the way out. They’ll try to follow, if they can. Shunlei, I think we should call for help when we get a little closer. If we have someone helping you burn the area clean, we should be able to make a quick escape.”
He bobbed his head in agreement. “It’s the only option I see. Your fire is formidable, but not hot enough to permanently deal with a wraith.”
“You’re sweet to coddle my ego, but I’m well aware I’m not at dragon-breath level.”
Shunlei chuckled low, the sound catchy and rough, like the purr of a predator cat. “I don’t wish to wait until we’re crowded up against the gate, however. The bottleneck won’t do us any favors. We should call—” He cut off abruptly, head lifting and turning toward the right.
Mei Li turned as well, not sure what had caught his attention. Then she heard it, the sibilant whisper that hissed and spoke from the grey shadow. It was an old language, a dead language, and Mei Li and Shunlei were the only ones who could understand it.
“—fresh blood,” it wheezed, the syllables warped on a tongue no longer in the right shape to form them. “Magic, so pretty, so clear. Sweet on the tongue, hot blood, flesh!”
Instinctively, Mei Li closed in, her hand brushing against Shunlei’s hind leg as she sought comfort. Terror beat through her chest, a rattle that promised death at the hands of the creature hiding just out of sight. It took two tries to get her mouth to form words. “Shunlei. Is that…?”
“Yes, I believe so,” he answered grimly. “Mei Li, call for help.”
She didn’t hesitate. The rope was always in her hand, and she gave it four hard tugs, paused for the count of ten beats, then tugged four more times. If they interpreted that as I need two dragons, stat, all the better.
The young husband spoke quietly, unease dripping from his tone. “What? What’s that strange whisper?”
“Fallen deity,” Mei Li answered grimly. The touch she had on Shunlei grounded her. The warm scales reminded her this sea of grey wasn’t reality, that he had survived far worse. She took heart from the contact. “Stay very, very close to Shunlei. He’s the only reason why she hasn’t attacked already.”
“Few things, you’ll learn, are a threat to an elder dragon,” Shunlei explained factually. He wasn’t bragging in any sense, this was just how things were. “It’s not that we’re invincible, we’re just hardy. And it’s hard to trick us, as we’ve seen it all before. Dozens of times, if not hundreds. That fallen deity over there has lost not only her divinity but her sanity. She’s now madness and hunger and little else. She’ll eat human flesh—mage flesh especially—in a blink, thinking it will sustain her existence. It’ll only turn her mo
re mad. But for now, she won’t come closer. She doesn’t know how to get you away from my protection, and that is a deterrent.”
For now. Those were the key words. If the deity felt desperate enough, she’d try for it.
“We never saw these things while we were waiting to be rescued,” the young mother said uneasily. “Why are we seeing them now?”
“Sorry, that’s mostly our fault,” Mei Li answered absently. Her eyes were firmly fixed on their enemies. Was she mistaken, or were they surrounded? “They scented our magic. It’s what draws them to us. The earth magic talisman around my wrist especially caught their attention. It promises a way out of here.”
“There’s no way to throw the talisman off?” the grandmother asked in a reedy voice.
“Like a bone to a pack of dogs? Distract them as we run for it?” Mei Li shook her head. “No. Because then they’ll have a way out as well. You want these things turned loose on the world?”
Abashed, the grandmother subsided. “I didn’t realize they could use it.”
“Oh yes. Anyone can. That’s the beauty of the design. Also the flaw in it.” Mei Li checked their position and realized they were closer to the torii gates than she’d realized. Where was their help?
Shunlei swore and ordered sharply, “DOWN!”
Mei Li didn’t question it. She immediately dropped to her knees, pulling the two with her down as well. Black wings shot over her head, covering her prone body with a sharp snap of displaced wind. A hot wave of fire streamed nearby—she could smell the heat of it, feel the warmth as it gusted in front of her.
A scream rose and fell, high and wailing, unearthly. It didn’t echo, the fog dampening the sound so that it cut itself off in a too-short manner that was conversely unnerving instead of reassuring.
“Stay down,” Shunlei commanded, rage rumbling like an angry purr. “I singed her, but she’s not down yet. She’s quick to retreat, that one.”
“What about Grandmother and Tei?” The young mother raised her head, crawling a little forward. “Tei—”
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