River could’ve used her phone’s flashlight, but she didn’t want to risk draining the battery. Who knew how long they’d be down there? The tunnel seemed never-ending, and if they couldn’t find another way out, they’d have to walk back out the same way they came.
Ryker was going to be so fucking pissed.
Not because she’d hung up on him, although she was certain that he wouldn’t be happy about that. No, Ryker would be angry because River had taken a risk and endangered herself.
She was starting to wonder if maybe they’d missed something.
River was certain the destruction in the gas station had been caused by Nikhail’s magic. Only someone with magic like his would be able to create such controlled chaos. But what if he never stepped foot inside the tunnel? What if this was all a ruse, and they were following someone else’s trail?
What if we’re chasing rebels?
River stumbled, her breath catching in her throat and her blood chilling. She threw out a hand and caught herself on the wall, steadying herself.
Oh, gods. She hadn’t even considered that option. Could that be possible? Could they be chasing the Black Night?
Arlo turned around, shining the light in her face. “River? What’s wrong?”
She hadn’t even realized she’d stopped moving. She tried to inhale, but her lungs were refusing to cooperate.
“I just… I had a thought….”
River’s voice trailed off as she peered over Arlo’s shoulder, and her heart raced for a different reason. She staggered away from the wall, brushing past the water fae.
Arlo turned around, shining their only source of light down the tunnel. “What is it? What do you see?”
She shook her head, extending a hand as she waded through the deepening darkness. “I don’t know,” she said. “But something is… different.”
Something had caught her eye. It was less of what she saw, and more of what she didn’t see. A change in the darkness. A permanence to it that didn’t quite make sense.
River moved forward even though all the cells in her body screamed for her to be careful.
“It might be best to wait until the others arrive,” Arlo cautioned.
River paused, glancing over her shoulder. “You think we should?”
“Probably,” Arlo offered. “It would be the wise thing to do.”
River rolled her lip between her teeth, considering.
On one hand, she was certain Ryker had followed through on his word and called for backup. On the other hand, the military hadn’t exactly been inspiring confidence as of late. Then there was the added fact that they would be far behind them, even if they’d been dispatched the moment Ryker stopped trying to call River. At least an hour had passed since they entered this tunnel, maybe more.
Waiting would be wise. It was definitely the smart thing to do.
But River wasn’t feeling very wise right now. She wasn’t feeling much at all, except for a desperation to find out what happened to her air fae.
Nikhail had promised that he would always be there for River, that he would wade through the darkness and the clouds for her.
She would do the same for him.
“No,” she said after a minute. “I can’t wait. I won’t.”
Arlo’s gaze swept over River’s. Whatever they saw on her face had them dipping their chin. “Okay. Let’s keep going.”
And so, they did.
Or at least, they would’ve continued down the tunnel. Except, River hadn’t even taken twenty paces before she stubbed her toe against something hard. She cursed, pain reverberating through her foot and leg, and wobbled. Throwing her arms in front of her, she expected to collide with the ground.
Except that never happened.