by Amy Miles
“Lead the way.” I lower my weapon but my finger remains on the trigger as he cocks the shotgun over his shoulder. Without another word, he turns and dashes across the street, weaving in and out of the abandoned cars.
I try to keep up with his fast pace, reminding myself to breathe as the winds funnel harder down the street. The Sky Ship is nearly on top of us.
“How far?” I glance back over my shoulder to find the tip of a black wing appearing over the edge of a building two blocks away. A hand grasps my forearm and pulls me through a dark opening in the wall. I stumble forward out of Bastien’s grasp, fighting to remain upright as I falter down a steep set of stairs.
Metal clanging overhead alerts me to his location. I wait, gasping for breath as the walls rumble around me. The Sky Ship must be directly above us now. I press back against the wall, clutching my gun to my chest as I lift prayers for safety heavenward.
I jerk my pistol up to eye level as a light flares in the dark. Bastien shields his eyes with his arm and rears back. “Don’t go shooting that thing in here! It’ll kill us both!”
I drop the gun, squinting up into the light. It doesn’t flicker like a fire. Its core is pure white instead of vivid blue or orange. Metal encases the cylindrical object, scratched and worn but showing little sign of rust. “What is that thing?”
“A flashlight.”
I roll the word around on my tongue. “Never heard of it.”
He shoots me a scathing look. “I wouldn’t expect a tree hugger like you would have.”
My brow furrows and I’m sure he’s just insulted me in some way. Bastien slowly steps down the narrow staircase. As the light broadens around me, I begin to notice the dingy cement walls, lined with posters and advertisements. “Where are we?”
“It used to be a subway.” He pauses beside me, waiting for some sign of recognition. This time I nod in understanding.
“My mother told me about these. Long, winding tunnels underground that would shuttle people from one end of the City to the next.”
“That’s the basic idea of it, yeah.” Bastien waits for me before descending the final steps. “This is the safest place to be during a raid. I found this entrance a couple months back and haven’t been bothered once.” His arm brushes against mine as he squeezes past through the narrow doorway. I follow his lead deeper underground, passing silently by aged wooden benches and an empty enclosed booth with the picture of the subway on the side. The further we go, the quieter the hum of the Sky Ship becomes.
I stay close as we leap down onto the track and wind through the deserted tunnel. The air is thick down here, different from the caves. It feels weighty, filthy.
“This way.” He flashes his light onto the track ahead and I see a glint of white and red.
“What is that thing?” I ask, as we approach the large metal object filling the tunnel.
“It’s an old subway car.” Bastien reaches up and cranks the metal handle on the door. I hesitate as he offers me a hand up. His smirk widens. “It’s rude to refuse the aid of a gentleman, you know.”
“Who said you were a gentleman?”
He stares pointedly at his hand, wiggling his fingers. “Don’t leave me hanging here.”
I swallow my trepidation and place my hand in his. The scratchy feel of his wool glove lingers long after he releases my hand.
Coming 2014
Netherworld
Book I of the Hallowed Realms Trilogy
The dead shadow my steps, beckoned by my call. It is my curse, my destiny.
I am a Banshee, a slave to the dying.
Aed, god of the Netherworld, has chosen me as his bride, but my heart belongs to another - a mortal whose eyes pierce the veil between our worlds. Our love is forbidden among the Hallowed Realms.
With Aed, I’d be free of my curse but bound to the Netherworld for all eternity. With Devlin, I’d risk his life if my betrothed discovered my betrayal. Can I accept my fate at Aed’s side or risk everything for love?