he faded back into the gap between the bookcases, his hand reaching silently for his blade, which lay on the floor by his feet.
But it was only Issa. She ducked inside and quickly closed the door behind her, then stood letting her eyes adjust to the gloom. She stepped forward into a ribbon of light and pulled back her hood, sending the dust motes into a blizzard-like fury around her.
‘Lucas?’ she whispered, her eyes on the bookcases and their piles of forgotten, mould-coated books.
He rose from his silent crouch and stood, then stepped gingerly forward into the light. She smiled as soon as she saw him, the relief palpable on her face.
‘What did you find?’ Lucas asked.
‘I brought some food.’
‘But did you find anything – anyone? Are there any Shifters left?’ he asked, unable to keep the edge out of his voice.
Issa studied him, her disc-like eyes seeming to illuminate the whole room. ‘No,’ she answered finally.
Lucas drew in a breath, pressing back against the bookshelf. They were in the Shifter realm but so far they’d not seen a single Shifter. Only Mixen, Thirsters and Scorpio. And he’d felt a few Shadow Warriors, though not seen them. The realms had all, with the exception of the Sybll realm and the Shadowlands, been overrun. The Elders were no longer in control. The Originals had risen up, and with their army of Mixen and Scorpio had decided to take things into their own hands, starting with controlling the gateways between realms.
‘Were there many out there?’ Lucas asked.
‘Enough to make it difficult to avoid them.’ Issa said, dropping to her knees and opening her bag. She took out some supplies – food that she’d managed to pilfer from somewhere.
‘What are they still doing here?’ Lucas asked. There was no more food source, for the Thirsters at least. That’s why most were heading through to the human realm.
‘Moving in?’ Issa shrugged. ‘Looting – partying by the sounds of it.’
Lucas exhaled loudly, running a hand through his hair. He began pacing. ‘I can’t keep hiding in here like a fugitive. I need to get back.’ The frustration was killing him. ‘We need to find a way through, Issa.’
‘You are a fugitive, Lucas, or had you forgotten?’ Issa asked, standing and thrusting something towards him. It was a hunk of bread. It felt like a lump of volcanic rock in his hand. He was tempted to lob it at the wall.
‘You managed to make it through,’ he grunted.
Issa glared at him. ‘That was before they knew the gateway had opened up again, before they started guarding it. Now there’s no way back. We’re stuck here.’
Lucas grimaced, gesturing at the damp and dusty bookstore. ‘We can’t stay here, Issa, living like rats in the wreckage, waiting for a group of Thirsters to slip through your visions and finish us off.’
‘I’ve already told you,’ Issa answered, her head down, still rummaging through her bag. ‘We should head to the Sybll lands. They’re the only safe place to be right now.’
Lucas took a deep breath in, trying to stay calm. They’d already argued over Issa’s inexact visions. She claimed she couldn’t see all that was going to happen, but she had also been adamant about one thing – that the human realm was done for and that pretty soon it was going to be a desolate wasteland much like the Shifter realm, with a rampant Thirster population running wild.
Lucas twisted away, angry and frustrated. He bent to pick up his bag.
‘Ow!’ he sucked air in sharply and winced, his hand flying to his wounded side, pressing against the bandage that covered his stab wound.
‘Careful.’ Issa was right there, in front of him, her hair falling in front of her face like a shield, her hands moving straight to his side, lifting his shirt.
‘I’m OK. I’m OK,’ Lucas said, backing away from her, holding his hand to the light to see if there was any blood on the palm.
‘If it tears open again,’ Issa said, flicking her hair out of her face, ‘I’m not sure I can fix it.’ She didn’t mention the obvious, that the Thirsters out there would smell it and come running. ‘You need to rest, give it time to heal,’ she said.
Lucas sighed. The stitches had torn twice already, both times when he’d tried to wield a sword before Issa had claimed he was ready to even get back on his feet. But he was back on his feet now, the stitches seemed to be holding,