Stephen wiped the back of his hand against his brow. “Who are you digging for?”
“My girl.” The answer came easily to Nikhail, and his lips twitched upwards despite the exertion of his task. “You?”
“My wife, Lynette. She’s been asking me to retire for years, and I’ve been putting it off. But now…” Stephen laughed dryly. “Well, fuck. If we get out of here, I think I’m done.”
“I don’t blame you.” Nikhail hauled another load away from the wall, dumping it along the growing pile.
At one point in Nikhail’s life, being in the military had been everything for him. He loved his job and the way that it had opened so many doors for him. He’d gotten to explore the Republic of Balance, meet new people, and learn new skills.
He’d become a stronger air fae because of the military, far more in tune with his magic than he’d been in his youth. Because of the military, Nikhail had been able to provide for his mother and sisters. Laney had gotten the medical help she’d desperately needed, and their mother hadn’t had to scrimp and save as much once Nikhail had been able to send them money.
Nikhail had done many things, and he was extremely proud of all the time he’d spent in the military. He was accomplished, and he’d achieved far more than he would’ve ever dreamed of when he was a young man entering boot camp.
And yet, none of that seemed important right now. If anything, travelling, working all the time, and being at the whim of others was starting to grate on him.
It wasn’t that he’d slowly been falling out of love with his job. Nikhail still enjoyed what he did—current mission notwithstanding. But his position in the military had become just that: ajob.
Nothing more.
He felt very little attachment to his position, other than the fact that it was paying his bills. He could give up his job, Nikhail realized with a start as he dug his shovel back into the dirt. Doing so wouldn’t hurt him, not like it might’ve a year ago.
He could let go of the military rather easily, but River was a different story.
Gods help him, but Nikhail didn’t ever want to give her up. Not now that he knew how perfect they were together and that she truly was the missing piece to his soul.
He pictured her lovely gold-speckled brown eyes as he kept working. Stephen was a quiet, steady force beside him.
Another half hour passed before Nikhail’s magic stirred in his veins. Something was different.
Nikhail looked over his shoulder towards the bunker, but nothing seemed amiss. Still, he sent a thread of magic towards the others, asking the wind to check on things. A moment later, the breeze caressed his cheek.
Everything is as it was,the wind whispered in Nikhail’s ear.
Then what had he heard?
Nikhail would’ve thought it was nothing but a trick of his mind, but then the sound came again.
Stephen paused, mid-scoop. “Did you hear something?”
“I think so.” Nikhail flexed his fingers at his side. “But I’m not sure.”
Could it be a trick of their minds? Maybe they were so desperate to get free that they were jointly hallucinating sounds? What if the entire tunnel had collapsed, not just a section of it, and no amount of digging could ever free them? What if?—
“We’re here to help,” a faint voice called out from behind the collapsed tunnel.
Hope sparked deep in Nikhail’s soul. The voice was far too quiet for him to identify the speaker, but right now, it didn’t matter. Someone was on the other side, which meant they weren’t going to die down there.
CHAPTER 32
The Best Kind of Distraction
Dirt coated every exposed part of River’s body. She hadn’t known it was possible to feel so grubby. It felt like soil had infiltrated her every crevice and crack—there wasn’t a single part of her that didn’t feel caked in dirt.
And yet, River didn’t care.
She didn’t care that her fingernails were chipped and broken.
She didn’t care that if Tertia saw her now, she’d surely faint or have a screaming fit.