Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands #2) - T.A. White Page 0,170

as the presence in the air strengthened.

The screams ended, the silence left behind scarier than anything that had gone before. Shea’s pulse thundered in her ears and the sound of her breathing overwhelmed her.

Very good, daughter of my enemy’s enemy.

“Are you going to kill me now?” Shea asked.

The presence hesitated, filling the air with—was that surprise?

Would you like us to?

Shea shifted and frowned. She hadn’t thought she had a choice in the matter.

Ah, we see. You thought a blood sacrifice would be necessary.

She had. Otherwise, why had they waited to act? If they had attacked sooner, Fiona wouldn’t have been injured.

The sacrifice has already been paid, and you and the other four hold no weapons and no ill intentions. Besides, that would have defeated the purpose of saving you now and before.

Before? Shea couldn’t help it. She opened her eyes, a bluish haze spread across the ground, thick in some places, sparse in others.

“You’re the one who left the jacket on the post,” Shea said in realization. She sensed rather than saw the beings nod of agreement. “Why did you help us?” Shea asked so she wouldn’t be tempted to argue with the presence. She sensed if she pushed, they might decide she and her friends were fair game as well.

Curiosity. Necessity. We have a vested interest in your continued well-being.

“What do you mean?”

The air swirling around her stilled, a sense of weight coming from it—as if it was sentient and the matter at hand required much contemplation.

Even as removed as we are, trapped here away from the sun and the world, we can feel it. Feel as the heart awakens bringing with it the old ones. Right now, they are testing this new world, but soon, soon they will rise and seek to finish what they once started. It will be a new order, one based on their warped vision of perfection.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Did you think you could walk into the heart of where it all began and come out unchanged? No, my dear, you stared it in the face, listened to its voice. It’s not a question of if you’ve changed, but how much you’ve changed.

“I don’t understand.”

There was a great sigh, one sound coming from a thousand voices. No, I suppose you don’t. You will soon. Take your people and leave this place. You have until the sun hits the doors above the fault. After that, we consume all that has remained.

The wind brushing against Shea died down, leaving nothing but emptiness behind. The blue haze faded. Shea thought she saw the faintest outline of forms.

Fallon and her group were the only living beings that remained.

He crossed the space between them at a run, grabbing her in a hug that threatened to crush her.

“Fallon, we need to get out of here.”

“I know. I heard.”

Shea drew back. “How did you even find us?”

“I took that tunnel you had pointed out and found Clark and his friend wandering down there. We’ve been traveling together over the past few hours. Your chase through the city caught our attention. When we saw what was happening, we waited until the right moment.” He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and cupped the back of her neck. “That was close.”

She nodded. “Yeah.” Even closer than he knew. The denizens of this place could very well have decided to take them along with Charles and his men. The fact they hadn’t was a curious blessing.

“If you two are done, perhaps we can leave. You heard what that thing said. Anyone down here come sunrise is a walking meal.” Braden looked at the cavern ceiling. It was still black, no evidence of light filtering down from the cracks and holes, so there was no way to tell how close to sunrise they were.

Fallon looked at his general. “I’m looking forward to the story of how you two came to be wandering around out here without any protection.”

Shea grimaced. He was not going to be happy when he heard that story.

His expression softened when he looked back at her. “Until then, let’s get Fiona patched up and then get moving.”

She nodded her agreement.

Fallon gave her neck one last squeeze before he stepped back. Braden gave Shea a considering expression before moving to help Fallon with Fiona. Shea took one last look around, paying attention to the buildings’ roofs before turning her attention back to the matter at hand.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

SHEA WATCHED the last of Fallon’s men pass through the small set of