He hadn’t said he’d abandon this mission at his first opportunity, but I wasn’t counting on him to stay. This would be the true test of Seneser’s character. And his devotion to our cause, the nature of which still eluded me.
You stood then and walked over to me. “I have to pee.”
I gestured to any one of the walls surrounding us. “Take your pick, your majesty.”
You offered me a shy grin. “How about some privacy?” You glanced behind you. “I prefer to do my business without people listening.”
“I heard that,” Lucian said.
“Even me?” How had I not known about this little quirk of yours before?
You shrugged. “I could give it a try.”
“Good, because I’m not taking off that harness.”
I led you along the shallow stream to where it fed into another side chamber. There was a narrow ledge with a wide enough berth for one person. I instructed you to duck behind it.
I heard the sound of your zipper, and then your humming. And then… nothing.
“Are you listening?” you asked with exasperation.
“I’m not trying to.” Our hearing was exceptional, no fault of my own.
“I’m listening,” Lucian called. I shot him a glare and he only grinned back at me. Just then I caught a flash of movement in one of the antechambers.
“What was that?” I asked. Whatever it was, it wasn’t small.
“What?” Lucian lifted his nose to sniff the air. Our sense of smell was far sharper than our sight in this dungeon-like maze.
“Something just ran by. There.” I aimed my beam of light down the rocky corridor, and Lucian rose to investigate.
“I don’t see anything,” he called back.
“Are you sure?”
And then I smelled it—more potent than the wolverine’s skunky scent—a fecund mix of mud, human blood, and animal fur. Beastborn.
“Vincent, are you finished? Vincent?” I gathered up the rope, but there was no tension. The end of it had been cut off.
Not cut, bitten.
I tore down the passageway, splashing through the shallow water and aiming my light down every corridor, no matter how large or small. I screamed your name until Lucian and Seneser caught up with me. My shouts resounded in a hysterical chorus throughout the tunnels. I howled for you until I was breathless and hoarse, but you were gone.
We searched the mine for hours. Until we’d crossed our own blazes, and it seemed we were only turning in circles. We’d been in this labyrinth for a lifetime. Seneser barely had the strength to keep moving and Lucian’s stamina was flagging as well.
Where had that beastborn taken you? What was he doing to you at that very moment?
“Henri,” Lucian said. His face sagged with fatigue and his irises were indigo with hunger. “Let’s rest for a few hours and pick this up in the morning.”
Morning was only a concept. There was no time of day in this damnable mine. And I’d not rest until I found you.
“Do what you will, but I’m going to keep searching.” Until my eyelids dropped, and my limbs collapsed from exhaustion.
“No, you have to rest too. Vincent is clever. And I have an idea how to find him.”
“How’s that?” I asked impatiently.
Lucian pointed to your spoiled cat, currently sprawled on her side and sleeping like the dead. She’d given up hours ago. However misplaced, I was angry at her, too.
“The cat has seemed familiar with this place since we got here,” Lucian said. “And she’s very connected with Vincent, isn’t she? Yet she doesn’t seem rattled in the least.”
“She’s a stupid cat,” I barked. I wanted to hit something. Cut my knuckles on the sharp rock and relieve some of this frustration.
“After we’ve rested and had a bit of blood, I say we rouse her to see if she can lead us to him.”
“We’ll rouse her now,” I roared.
Lucian grabbed my arm and held it. “I was worried you’d make me resort to this.” I felt the hot prick of a needle in the meat of my shoulder. I spun around and made a grab for him, but he ducked easily out of my clumsy grasp.
“Lucian,” I slurred, overcome by betrayal.
“You need this more than I do.” He lowered me to my knees while his form turned wavy like a mirage in the hot desert sun.
“Gods damn you,” I protested weakly, already slipping into unconsciousness.
“We can continue this argument in a few hours when we’re both fresh. For now, rest easy, big brother.”
I lunged at him from on my knees, trying to grapple with a phantom, then succumbed to