After several minutes of shuffling blindly forward, heat surrounded her, indicating they were getting close to the hot pools. The passage narrowed even further. She turned and flattened her body against the damp wall, scooting until the path edged around a curve. Rell couldn’t help but wonder how Jade and Luc had managed to escape carrying her human body. There was barely enough room for one person.
A pinprick of light glowed at the end of the tunnel. Her heartbeat quickened. Icarus knew of the caverns. Would he be waiting for them? The faintest prickle of the Bane’s presence skittered across her arms, but there was no indication that any demons lurked nearby. Once inside the chamber the gnawing was sure to increase. Enduring the irritation was something she didn’t relish. The closer to the Bane hive they got, it would become even worse.
Jade scooted to the end of the tunnel and held up her hand. The line of followers stopped. Their shallow breathing was all that could be heard in the darkness. Rell inhaled and released the breath slowly. It took all her willpower to remain still, the need to get free of the dark confines pushing her anxiety higher.
Blue light from the glowing algae in the hot pools fell on her sister’s features. She swallowed hard and her eyes were wide, searching beyond Rell’s sight. If the tunnel had been wider, Rell would have pushed past and taken the lead. Putting Jade at risk, yet again, was the last thing she wanted. Instead she quelled the urge and waited, having learned her lesson this morning about barging forward.
The narrow width of the passage made her feel like she was in a tomb. No noise penetrated to where they waited. After what seemed like an eternity, Jade waved the group forward. Not having to be told twice, Rell scooted out into the chamber.
A cloud of moist air blanketed her as if welcoming her home. The hot pools gurgled a greeting she recognized all too well. The whoosh of warm air rising through natural vents in the floor hissed and the memory of being warmed by them flittered through Rell’s mind.
Gregory motioned everyone forward. Without a word the twins jogged across the chamber to take up guard at the only other entrance into the Shadow World.
Siban slid from the opening and came to where she stood. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” She let her gaze travel upward to the dark ledge that jutted twenty feet above the ground. “I used to sit there.” Next she pointed to a large, flat-topped rock. “And Jade used to sleep there.” She lowered her arm and looked at him. “It’s all still so familiar, but completely different.”
“You are completely different.” He took her hand. “We both are.”
“It’s strange being here.” Jade joined them. “Now that I see the caverns again, they’re not that bad, eh?”
Rell cocked a brow.
“All right.” Her sister shrugged. “Maybe a little bad.”
“This is where your expertise comes in.” Gregory stopped in front of them. “What is the best course to the chamber where you found the Bringers?”
“Through that entrance.” Rell unsheathed her sword. “It’s a bit of a rocky trek, so watch your footing.” She stiffened her spine. “I’ll lead the way.”
She could feel Siban’s stare burning into the side of her head, but she ignored him. This was the one way she could help the Bringers. This was her realm.
Gregory nodded. “I will be right behind you.” He turned and motioned the members of their party to gather around him. “Rell will lead us to the chamber. Okee and Odette, you take the rear guard. Juna you’ll be up front with me. The rest of you fall in where you can.” He held up his sword. “Stay alert and ready for battle. No telling what we might encounter the farther in we travel.”
“I have a pretty good idea of what we’ll encounter,” Luc said.
“Exactly.” Gregory looked around the group. “For what it’s worth, I would happily go into battle with all of you at my side” He exhaled.
“That may be exactly what we’re doing,” Rhys said.
“Let’s hope not.” Gregory pointed to the entrance. “All right, fall out.”
Rell made to move for the door, but Siban grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. His mouth covered hers and his other arm wrapped around her waist, holding her to him. The kiss was hard, his grip crushing. She twined her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with everything she had.
When they finally broke, he didn’t let go, staring into her eyes. “Don’t die.”
She smiled. “You either.”
With that he released her. She stepped back, holding his gaze, and then turned and jogged to the head of the line, taking her place in front of Gregory and Juna. Siban fell into line and withdrew his weapon.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Gregory said.
Rell took a deep breath, stepped through the doorway and into the tunnel that led to her darkest fears. Nothing of the terrain had changed since the last time she’d prowled these corridors. Moisture coated the walls. Trickles of water slithered to the base and disappeared into grooves that had been cut by the constant flow over millennia. Lit only by the tiny rivulets and glowing algae, her shadow barely registered against the wall.
She jammed her foot against a large rock in the middle of her path and stumbled. Gregory caught her arm, holding her upright. She righted herself and looked at him, giving the king a grateful smile. When he didn’t release her arm, she turned back to him in question. In his palm he held a ball of some kind, its outline perfectly circular.
Unsure what to do, she leaned toward him and whispered, “What is it?”
“A glowb.” He gently blew on the orb. She felt his warm breath against her cheek and to her surprise a tiny white light sparked at the center of the circle. He breathed on the ball again. The glow grew, lighting the passage enough so she could see the path ahead.
Taking the light, she held it in front of her with one hand, while still clutching her sword in the other. With careful steps she crept forward. The illumination was enough to keep her from stumbling again but not so bright as to impair her vision beyond the light.
They wound their way through the tunnels. The bite of the Bane grew noticeably stronger but not enough to herald a demon in the near vicinity. The corridor shifted downward, the moisture on the stones making the trek tricky to maneuver. She heard the slipping feet of the Bringers behind her, but continued on without stopping.
At the bottom of the slope, the ground evened out. Rell stopped and held her hand up, signaling the party to do the same. She pointed to a black doorway a few yards ahead of where they had halted. Gregory nodded and took the orb from her hand, slipping it back into his pocket. The tunnel dimmed. Only the drip of the water trickling down the wall and the light shuffle of feet could be heard.
Again Gregory gripped Rell’s arm, holding her in place as he slid past her. Juna did the same, putting Rell third in line. Unsure what to do, she followed them, her sword at the ready. Once at the doorway, Gregory retrieved the globe again, hesitated a second, and then bent and rolled the light into the room.
Rell’s breath caught in her throat. Her body tensed, expecting the Bane to attack. When nothing happened, Gregory poked his head around the corner. He raised his hand and signaled them all forward. Juna quickly followed and disappeared into the room. It took all of Rell’s willpower to peel herself away from the wall and continue forward.
The glow from the orb revealed that the room was empty of demons. Rusty chains lay in a heap near a far corner, the same chains she had used to bind Luc and Jade. Rell turned away, not wanting to see the reminder of her betrayal. The large chunks of stones that had once been the torture table lay scattered across the floor. Angry at Icarus, Vile had smashed the slab with a single blow.