by Lenore, Lani
His voice was strange, but she decided not to ask. She didn’t want to encourage thoughts of hatred.
Wren didn’t get the chance to say anything else before she saw that the group ahead of them had stopped. She was about to ask why, but then saw it for herself, releasing Nix’s hand. The way before them had disappeared beneath an endless pool of water that swept away from them and faded into the dark.
The thought of the hideous mermaid resurfaced in her mind, and she shuddered.
“The cavern’s flooded,” said Finn, glowing eyes peering back at them. “We aren’t getting through.”
“We have to go this way,” Nix insisted, stepping forward.
“I hope you’re a good swimmer then.”
Wren moved closer, but made sure to stay behind them. She could not see as far as Finn, but she could tell that the cavern was a lake. The icy water chilled the room. Despite the aid of the Tikilin, she shivered. Nix said they had to go this way? He wasn’t going to back down; she’d learned that. And he was right. There was nothing back in that wasteland for them. She supposed the best thing to do was start looking for a way across.
“Any ideas?” she asked, hoping that someone would speak up. Unfortunately, they all seemed as lost as she did.
“We have a bit of ash,” Nix reminded her. He squeezed the small bag tied to Wren’s wrist. “But I don’t imagine there’s enough for all of us.”
“Hey, wait a minute,” said Finn suddenly, peering out across the water. He adjusted the focus on his goggles a bit. “There’s a raft over there.”
They all tried to look, but of course he was the only one who could see it through the dark.
“It looks kind of old,” he went on. “Maybe something that washed up from the sea.”
What luck! Wren thought happily. It was not the best thing they could have hoped for, but it was something at least.
Nix held out his hand to her and she looked at him, puzzled a moment before realizing that he wanted the bag of fairy ash. She held her arm out and he untied it from her wrist.
“Use it,” he told Finn. “It’s not a lot but it should be enough to make you fly. You can go across to get the raft.”
Nix tossed him the bag. He caught it aptly as Wren wondered if this was truly their best option. Flying was something that had been reserved only for Rifter in the past. Whisper had given them blessings to enhance their performance in battle, but the possession of the ash was forbidden. Those, however, were Rifter’s old rules. They didn’t matter now – had hardly mattered back then.
It is what we have to do, Wren told herself.
“This is more like it, isn’t it?” Finn said with a crooked grin. “What sort of journey would this be without a few blind risks?”
Finn smiled when he said it, but Wren wondered if he was nervous. He didn’t complain, however, dumping the ash into his hand and proceeding to distribute it all over himself. Wren had only ever put it on her shoes. The magic had made her hover, but she had never flown by herself except in dreams.
Finn made haste with the dust. It took him a moment to get going well, since it had been so long, but soon he had gained the confidence to push himself into the air. He kept low, but was maneuvering quite well and disappeared into the dark.
“How’s the water look?” Toss called after him.
“As far as I can tell? Pretty damn deep.”
His voice bounced across the walls, making it hard to discern his position. Wren simply stared out into the nothingness, wondering again if this was the best plan that they could have come up with. Finn was out there alone in the darkness that was only clear through his eyes. She worried about him, but as long as he kept talking, she was content. But if something did go wrong, there would be no way to help him. His voice was getting farther away now as he told them what he saw ahead.
“The raft is empty. It doesn’t look like there’s anything on it, and it doesn’t look like anyone has used it in a long time. But I can see that the dirt on this side is giving way to rock. We should be very close to the mountains now.”
Wren wrapped her arms around her body for warmth and assurance. She promised herself that he was right, but could not think of much more than how chilly it was. She hovered closer to Nix and Toss, attempting to steal a bit of their warmth, hoping for Finn’s safe return.
2
Finn felt his feet touch down against the small rocks of the other shore and breathed a sigh of relief. His legs felt weak, but he was glad to be on solid ground again. It had been a long time since he’d flown – the only time in his life that he could recall – and Wren had been right about it: flying was not at all like falling and it was even less like jumping. Not having a surface to press off of if he needed it had made him nervous, and he was glad that it was over now.
Time to get to work.
He adjusted his goggles and looked around, preparing to give the report. His words fell on their awaiting ears.
“I can feel air from the back but I can’t see anything. It’s only more darkness farther on,” he called. “But the cave doesn’t end here. We can go this way.”
“Are we going to be able to use the raft?” Nix called.
Finn stepped across the shifting rocks and looked down at the raft bobbing at the water’s edge. He was unsure of how it had gotten here, but his guess was that it had been here for a while. It was wedged against the bank in the calm water and nothing was there to disturb its place. The wood was strong, and not completely rotten, but he guessed it was only safe to carry a couple across at a time.
“We can use it,” he said. “But only one at a time with me. I’ll run the trips.”
On the other side, he could hear Nix directing the others.
“I’ll go first,” he ordered them. “Then Wren, Calico, and Toss you’ll hold up the end.”
“Got it, captain,” Toss agreed. The girls said nothing. There was no real need to, only to do what had to be done.
Finn made the raft mobile again with his boot and climbed onto it, creating a disturbance in the still water.
“I’m bringing it over.”
3
Through moments of quiet, they waited. The sound of the water beneath the approaching raft was soothing, yet it came forth eking out their patience. There wasn’t one of them who wasn’t holding his breath for doubts of safety. No sigh would escape until they felt confidence at the distant shore beneath their feet.
“Water still calm?” asked Nix, his voice carrying to the high cavern walls.
Finn’s voice returned without a smidge of doubt. He was getting closer.
“Smooth sailing for now,” he promised. “This must be some sort of mountain cove where the water has rushed in underneath. Maybe the raft just washed in from there.”
“Perhaps,” said Nix agreeably as Finn finally reached land.
Nix did not waste time. He stepped quickly onto the raft and shoved away from the bank, the two of them making the trip back across the water. There was no doubt a need to have this done with quickly.
“You’re next, Wren,” Toss reminded her, though she hardly needed it.
She remembered, though as she stood on the edge of the shore listening to the boat’s disturbance in the calm water, her heart filled with dread. She feared stepping foot on the raft, though Finn would be beside her the whole way, and even if she made it across without trouble, who was to say the others would? She had a bad feeling. Was it because of the water? Or the darkness?
Or am I simply paranoid? Either way, there was nothing but to await her turn.
4
The cavern around them yawned and sighed. It dripped like an enormous, salivating monster, and perhaps that was very much what it was. They had always believed that the world was alive – that it could feel and connect as well as any of them. Perhaps in this corruption, it had become a living nightmare as well, set on devouring them all.
Wren felt uncomfortable on the raft. Every slight movement threw off the balance, sen
ding it rocking to and fro, making her worried that it would overturn. Finn did not seem to mind, but that was not new to Wren. Most of them were more surefooted than she was. She drew her legs up against her and finally he pulled her back toward the center, closer to him.
“Squirm like that and we will go over,” Finn teased. “Just hold it right there. Don’t move.”
The raft was not easy to steer. A second paddle would have been useful, but they had no such thing. Finn had to row forward first on one side and then the other in order to move them, and all the while, Wren tried to ignore the thought of how deep the water was or how she was restricted on such a small piece of board. Glancing up, she decided to focus on the roof of the cavern and the dim crystals there – the island’s life-force going dim.
The rocks and dirt at the shore ground together as the raft pressed against them, signaling their arrival on the mountain shore. Nix was already there, working to set a torch alight. Wren stepped off as Finn set out to retrieve Calico. The way things were going, everyone would be safely to this side in no time, though she was still unsure what would await them down the road. Perhaps her sigh of relief would be worthless.
The torch flared up in Nix’s hand and she was glad for the light, but just as quickly, he was passing away from her, going deeper.
“Where are you going?”
“Ahead a bit,” he said, but didn’t stop. “I want to scout for obstacles.”
“I’m coming with you,” she insisted. Nix glanced at her but did not argue.
They moved into a narrow passage, more of which seemed to appear with each step as if materializing out of nothing. Perhaps it was. They had all warned her about how the world was in chaos, shifting and bending at will. Perhaps in some instances, the landscape created itself as they moved through it.
She focused on Nix’s tall outline as he led her on, parting the shadows for her. She could see her breath in front of her, and suspected the Tikilin kept her believing the air was warmer than it was, but still she shivered.
“Do you want my coat?” Nix asked. He’d cast his eye back to her as he moved forward, noticing her chill.
“No; thank you,” she responded, but continued to hold herself. She had lost her chance, however; Nix turned away.
She wondered briefly how the others would feel about them going ahead. Not that they were leaving them behind, but Calico at least was sure to have a fit about she and Nix being alone together. She still did not seem to trust him.
“There’s light,” he said, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She could see it ahead, worry taking its baggage off her. She was uplifted at the sight of it, and soon afterward the passage opened up into another cavern. A ray of light was pouring in from above, and though she was not back to the surface, she was glad to see that it still existed above them.
Wren stood beneath the light, the brightness of it seeming unnatural against the eternal night below. She hoped to soon be back in it. She’d had quite enough of the underground.
“This is far enough,” said Nix, finding a place along the wall to wedge the torch. “It looks like we’re alone down here. That’s refreshing at least.”
Wren examined her hands in the light, realizing how dirty she was. When they got out of here, she would be in definite need of a bath. They all would be. Nix was also covered in dust, his hair turned from blond to brown with dirt. The coat of fur he wore was encrusted with clumps as well. At the sight of him, she hoped not to see what her own face looked like.
“Perhaps the greater part of our journey is over,” Nix said conversationally. He leaned back against the wall to rest, and there was a distant look on his face, but she could not interpret what that meant.
Could what he said be true? Since the beginning, she had been counting the steps until she would reach the old camp – until she’d reach Rifter. Mountain Caves, Canyon, Plains – and then they would be there. No doubt there would be new dangers along the way, but as long as she was back out in the daylight and open air she was sure she’d make it. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of all this being over.
Finally, I’ll have my answers. We all will.
“What will you do after you see Rifter?” Nix asked, looking her way. She was drawn back to him.
“He’ll explain his plan,” she said easily. “He’ll tell us how we can fix this world.”
“And what will he want from you then? Will he tell you to hide and wait for him to be done?”
“I intend to be there with him as I’m able, if that’s what you mean,” she said defensively, crossing her arms.
“No doubt,” he commented, but there was no emotion in his voice.
Nix stared at her, and she could see that he was back on one of his tangents about Rifter, of which she was growing excruciatingly tired.
“So what do you think about it all? Tell me honestly,” she blurted with a huff. “Stop being so cryptic and confess.”
He continued to look at her, a strange aura radiating from him, a smirk on his mouth.
“I think taking the Pack to Rifter is a bad idea,” he said sternly, “and I don’t think you should go either. My gut is telling me that there’s something wrong – that there will be more than a few surprises waiting.”
He shook his head, sighing as if it were a better use of his breath. “I know I’m not going to change your mind. You’ve come this far without turning back.”
“I guess that means you’ve made your choice. You aren’t planning to meet him with us,” she said, crossing her arms. She didn’t bother hiding her look of sorrow. She was truly disappointed.
Lifting her head, Wren stepped closer to him, hoping that by cutting off his path, she would corner him mentally. She didn’t like the thought of losing him – didn’t want to imagine the moment he walked away from her – but perhaps she couldn’t stop it. They had been through a lot together, a far-cry from the old days.
He watched her carefully, but he did not bend or break. Eventually she saw his gaze drift from her eyes to her mouth. Was there something there? No – he was looking at her the way Finn had once before. It was the same as how Toss must have been looking at her when he’d touched her face in the dark. But there was a difference with Nix. She was looking back at him the same way.
Closer. She stopped there, inches away.
“There’s no changing your mind then?”
He only sighed, but said nothing. The sincerity of his concern had confused her, and while she felt inclined to ask for his reasoning, she wondered if she truly wanted to know. Perhaps it would complicate things that did not need to be complicated.
Things are already complicated enough.
They watched each other, but neither gave in. Wren did not even recognize the kiss that rested there between them, ignored. Instead, she wanted to ask him about his convictions. Why had he changed his mind about her?
She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a disturbance in the distant water caused them both to jerk their heads. The erupting splash was followed by a cry of peril echoing inside the cavern, and they did not need more than that to rush back the way they had come, back toward the larger cavern where they had left the others.
Something terrible has happened, she thought frantically. She knew they were due.
“What happened?” Nix yelled, drawing his gun long before he’d burst out of the tunnel. Behind him, Wren was searching for the others, waiting for them to come into sight.
What she saw instead was the beast.
Nix put his weight on his heels to stop and Wren crashed into him, lifting her eyes toward the enormous nightmare creature that had emerged from the water before them. Its dark silhouette was set off by the red crystals above, but the creature had quickly submerged itself again. The torchlight did little to reveal the beast, but Wren recognized it by the loud snapping of jaws. It twisted in the water, thrashing to fight the tension, and she knew what had to come next.
They will fight it –
just as so many nightmares before.
“There’s a cavern ahead,” Nix told them quickly. “We don’t have to deal with this.”
“Toss is still on the other side,” Finn insisted. “He can’t cross with that thing in the way!”
The three warriors stood there, debating silently within themselves, but Wren did not consider herself a part of their council. She was no fighter but she knew they would not vote to leave Toss behind.
“What’s the rule, Nix?” Finn reminded him. “We help our brothers!”
“Not if it will put the rest of us in danger,” Nix was quick to remind him.
“What is this beast compared to so many others? We can take it down!”
Wren and Calico observed the two of them, taking far too many moments to think it over. Finally, as the creature burst from the surface again, roaring and thrashing, Nix relented.
“Still feeling light on your feet?” he asked Finn, speaking of the enchanted ash he’d used.
“I think I’ve got a bit of pep left.”
“Great. You get to be the distraction then. Draw it out of the water. It’s a chance for a strike.”
“I can do that,” Finn said, nodding his agreement, but Nix had stopped listening. He had already assumed the words were binding and was pulling his bow off his back.
“Can you still use one of these?” Nix asked, handing off the weapon to Calico.
“Of course you know that I can.” She seemed insulted, but took it readily.
Nix looked over at Wren but he didn’t have to say anything. She knew what her role was.
I’ll keep out of the way.
“Stay here,” he ordered. Immediately, they moved toward the water, shouting their plans over at Toss but Wren couldn’t pay attention. All she could think about was the sound of her blood pounding in her ears, pulsing like too many heartbeats. What if they rushed in and all got themselves killed?
Please let them live, she prayed. Let them all be alive when the beast falls.