The Abyss (Fae's Captive #7) - Lily Archer Page 0,34
by the masters that lowers the caravans down to the only road through the Abyss.”
“You sure there’s a road in there?” She leans out of the wagon and peers at the deep, black pit.
“There are many, but only one way out.” He leans back and peers past her at the bright sky. “Dry enough for fighting.”
“So, with all that said, the plan is a direct assault.” Chastain straightens and checks his sword. “Everyone ready?” He turns and surveys the fighters he brought with them. Each of them has a story, and some of them have shared them over the campfire at night.
The bravery alone in these former slaves is enough to earn my respect.
“Ready.” Baralja draws his sword and the others follow suit.
Flexing his fists, Parnon points to the gate. “I will take this down. Then I will kill any guard that gets in my way. Follow me. Do the same.”
Direct. I like it.
“So, what do I do?” Beth looks around at the former slaves, all of them armed and itching to spill slaver blood.
“Guard the unicorns.” Parnon slides out of the back of the wagon, the wheels groaning under his shifting weight.
“Guard the unicorns?” She frowns.
“You’ll be great at it.” I cup her cheek and kiss her with a fierceness that burns deep inside, a flame she lit the moment we met.
When I release her, she has that heavy-lidded look that makes my heart skip a beat. “Mmm.”
I want more of her mouth, but it’s time to go. Time for blood.
I stride away and join the force headed to the gate.
She sighs behind me, and I can barely make out her words. “This male. What am I going to do with this male?”
I smile all the way into battle.
“No, the other way.” Parnon points to a huge wooden cog coiled with some sort of wire.
Two of the fighters, blood still on their hands, use a wide lever to turn the cog. Two more stand on the other side, turning the second. Both are attached to similar cogs on the sides of the platform in some ingenious pulley system.
“This seems deeply unsafe.” Beth peers over the edge of the platform as it creaks to life.
“Don’t look down.” I keep her caged between my arms as the floor begins to move.
“That’s it.” Parnon grunts his approval. “Keep turning until the rope is out. Then pull it back up and send the rest down.”
“How long?” Chastain eyes the huge coil of wire.
“It’ll be a while.” Parnon motions for the fighters to speed up with the uncoiling. “Settle in.”
We have half our number. A few more former slaves are staying behind to loot the slavers’ quarters for any goods that could help us through the Abyss. Not to mention the platform already seems crowded. One wrong step, and the plummet down would not end well. I pull Beth even closer to the very center of the now-moving platform.
“There’s no other way in?” Her voice is almost a squeak as the upper level disappears and all we can see is a rough-hewn rock wall surrounding us on all sides with several feet of dead air between the platform and the stone.
“This is it.” Parnon sits heavily, which causes the platform to sway a little.
Beth grabs onto my arms with a death grip. “Ancestors, save me.”
I pull her to the floor with me, more stability that way, and keep her in my lap. “We’ll make it.”
“How do you know?” She pulls my arms around her like a blanket.
“Parnon said so.”
“Thousands of slave caravans pass through here each year,” Chastain offers. “The mechanism transports them all.”
“No one ever falls?” She’s like a spring all wound up and ready to pop.
“I didn’t say that.” Chastain doesn’t meet her gaze. “But we are going to be just fine.”
“Oh.” She scoots back even more until her ass is wedged against me.
My cock, apparently oblivious to the danger, answers.
She doesn’t seem to mind, because she presses her back to my front, her head on my shoulder. With a deep breath, she says, “At least if we fall, it’ll be a quick death.”
Chastain shrugs. “You could survive, possibly, but then the creatures of the Abyss would come for you. If they get a whiff of blood—”
“He’s never been to the Abyss,” I almost coo it to her, because she tenses with every word from Chastain’s too-chatty mouth. “He doesn’t know.” I shoot him a hard glare.
He glances at her, then back to me. “Oh, right. Right. Never been. Don’t know what