Biting my lower lip, I watched as he kept his pack in front of him and maneuvered into the opening. It was tight, and for a moment, it seemed like he wouldn’t fit. His cloak got stuck on a rock, and he grunted, trying to squeeze through.
Then he disappeared.
My heart raced in my chest, and I squeezed my fists as I waited. Scuffles and scrapes and grunts filled the air, followed by muffled curses. Daegal stood beside me, his hand on the hilt of his sword as he stared at the space where Xander had gone.
A heavy silence enveloped us as we stood in the cave. There was not a cough, not a whisper, not a rustle of clothing. Only the pounding of my heart. The quiet was so palpable that even the slightest of sounds would have shattered it.
This silence stretched for far too long. My stomach twisted, and I crouched at the entrance. The tunnel was pitch-black, and the rocks seemed to absorb all traces of light. A sense of wrongness came from them, and I shivered.
“Should it be taking this long?” Ryllae asked, worry in her voice.
“I don’t think so,” I replied, gnawing on my lip.
“Xander?” I called out.
There was no reply, and when I went to tug on our bond, silence and emptiness filled me. I tried our mental connection, but nothing was there. Why was it silent? Something at the back of my mind niggled, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Frowning, I yelled for Xander again.
No response. Even the early morning birds had ceased their songs, seeming to comprehend the severity of the moment.
This was wrong.
I glanced at Daegal. “Can you See the future?”
“Of course,” he replied.
His eyes turned silver a heartbeat later. I couldn’t sit still, though. Standing, I pulled one of my daggers, pacing back and forth in front of the opening where my mate had gone. My stomach twinged, and my palms grew slick around the handle.
Finally, Daegal’s eyes returned to normal. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, a shout came from the tunnel.
“Come on down!” Xander yelled. “You’ll all want to see this!”
The sound of his voice was like the first ray of sun after a storm. I breathed a sigh of relief, tugging on the bond between us. It was alive once more, humming strongly.
I was so worried, I said, a trace of ire lacing my words.Why didn’t you answer me?
I’m sorry, Sunshine, Xander replied.
For a moment, I was stunned speechless by the apology. Taking advantage of that fact, Xander told me what happened. He’d cut his arm, he explained, snagging it on a rock, but it was healing already. It was safe, according to him, and there was something he wanted us to see. Curiosity flooded through me, but despite my questions, Xander refused to answer anything else about what was waiting on the other side.
Kysha went next, pushing her bow and her bag in front of her. After Xander gave us the all-clear, Maiela and Ryllae quickly followed. Each time one of them disappeared, Daegal and I stared at each other, the silence stretching between us until our friends’ safe arrival was confirmed.
Finally, it was my turn. I crouched before the hole, staring into the darkness.
“Gods, I really hate tight spaces,” I muttered under my breath. They reminded me far too much of my time spent in captivity.
Sunlight. Trees. The damp, earthy smell of being outside. Fresh air. Flowers. Xander. Those were things I loved.
Darkness was nowhere on that list. I hated darkness almost as much as I hated the color red.
Staring into the hole, I tried to muster up the courage to crawl inside. Daegal didn’t say anything as he stood sentinel behind me, waiting patiently.
It’ll be over before you know it, Sunshine. Xander’s voice was calm and controlled, and a sense of safety and security came through our bond.You can do it.
I pulled up a ribbon of green magic and wound it around my arm before taking a deep breath.
“See you on the other side,” I said to Daegal.