all so close together, the tunnel not quite wide enough for two people to walk side by side. I feel the rough dirt and stone wall whenever the guard holding my arm jostles me. I pull my wings closer against my back, trying not to touch the walls and make my sudden claustrophobia even worse.
Every once in a while, when the bodies in front of me align correctly, I can see a torch anchored in the wall up ahead, giving off a hint of light. I use that as a spot to focus on, counting my steps as we walk and trying to ignore the thought of this whole damn tunnel collapsing on us. Although, that would solve the Morax problem…but being buried alive isn’t the blaze of glory I was mentally preparing for.
Everyone is quiet as we make our way through the endless tunnel. My mind wanders to my sisters, and I hope Delta and Medley are doing okay and not freaking like I’m trying not to do. I tell myself that if they were in trouble behind me, I’d feel it, and that thought has me exploring our connections.
Tentatively, I examine the bonds I feel in my chest. I’m tempted to pluck each one like they’re fragile harp strings in hopes that the resonance might be used to reach out to Medley and Delta, but I’m not sure if that will work. I don’t even know if I can communicate with them this way, but what can it hurt?
If a strange demon can pop into my head and invade my thoughts and dreams, can’t I figure out how to use this connection to make sure my sisters are okay?
We’re tethered together, and although I might not be able to explain it, I can feel it, and my instincts are saying there’s something to this. It takes a few moments of concentration, but I follow my instincts as I mentally reach out and latch onto the links between us. I’m comforted when I don’t feel any fear or panic. Trepidation, yes, but the strongest underlying emotion that I sense between the three of us is determination.
I feed hope into the tethers, and in less than a blink, I feel shock and then eager excitement being fed back to me.
Holy crap, it worked!
I embrace the emotions of Medley and Delta and then feed my own determination and steadying calm into our bonds. Strength and love hardens each of us in that moment, and I release the connections slowly, feeling renewed and as ready as I can be for what’s coming next.
I’m not alone. My sisters are with me, and we’ll figure this out together.
On and on we walk in the dark. One hundred and seven torches. That’s how many I count as our group makes their way quietly through the tunnels. My legs ache. My lungs burn with stagnant air. After so long in the cage, this exercise is making me winded, but my adrenaline is pumping enough that I keep going, and the guard’s hold on my arm makes sure of it too.
Scuffed steps, eerie whispers, and the sound of wings brushing up against the walls is the only thing that I have to listen to for who knows how long. Even though I know we’re basically walking the plank into shark-infested waters, I’m begging for the end of the tunnel to come.
Voices up ahead wrench me to alertness, and then an unmistakable glow of power flares to life at the front of the line. My brows draw together, but before I can even wonder what’s going on, the ground begins to shake, and a loud noise consumes the tunnel.
Vudu.
We’ve reached the end. We’re about to pass into Hell’s core, Nihil.
Shit. I guess it’s almost showtime.
Unable to see much, and with the ground and walls shaking, I bump into the person in front of me when they abruptly come to a stop. The guard holding my arm is unsteady too, but he wrenches me back while barking at the other guards behind us to stop.
Clouds of dust fill the cramped air as Vudu uses his power to open up the last part of the earth. Only the light of his softly glowing power allows me to see his shadowed silhouette, his arms outstretched once again as he melds and moves the earth, manipulating it into the end of the tunnel.
It would be beautiful if it weren’t leading us to possible doom.