Five minutes later I was racing down the icy remains of Interstate 93 with Ali tight in my arms, the horde of draugr hot on my heels. Ali clung to me, her arms wrapped around my neck.
We crossed the Zakim Bridge, my feet slamming against the frozen pavement, and I careened down toward the Central Artery. This was a massive tunnel the humans had constructed before Ragnarok, and it now lay empty, icy ruins of another time.
I sprinted inside, starting to catch up to the other elves. Darkness enveloped me until the shadows were completely impenetrable.
“Ali. I’m going to need your help. I can’t see a thing.”
Her silver eyes shone in the darkness. “Just keep going straight. I’ll tell you if anything gets in your way. I see people moving up ahead. I think we’re catching up to the slowest elves.”
Icy air filled my lungs, and I clutched Ali close. But the draugr were moving fast, too. Behind us, their voices began to echo off the walls as they entered the tunnel.
Worst of all, I thought I heard them in front of us, too.
“This isn’t good,” I said between breaths.
“There are more up ahead.”
Suddenly, the tunnel echoed with the screams and shouts of elves in front of us. I was starting to understand the plan. The Night Elves could see down here just fine, but everyone else was practically blind.
In front of me, I spotted the exit ramp leading out to Government Center, the shortest route to the Old State House. At its base, a second pack of draugr had descended on the approaching elves.
I slowed as I tried to devise a plan. “This is really the plan you came up with, Ali?”
She shot me a sharp look. “I know it’s not pretty, but the point was to win, so that the Night Elves can live.”
Fair enough.
I stopped looking around the tunnel. I needed a bigger weapon, or something I could light on fire. Fear condensed in my veins, as I heard the draugr closing in. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“Trying to save us. I didn’t have time to grab a torch. You don’t have anything flammable, do you?”
“No. The plan was for Night Elves to avoid them with our night vision.”
“Well, I can’t exactly use a fire spell with the no magic rule.” I spun, trying to scan the shadowy tunnel interior. It wasn’t much to look at. Rusty husks of ancient cars, chunks of concrete, ancient signage. Nothing I could use to start a fire. “What we need is another way out.”
Behind us, I could hear the raspy calls of the draugr, closing in on us.
“There,” said Ali suddenly.
She pointed to a dark alcove in the tunnel wall. Squinting, I could see the dim outline of a door. Painted above it, in faded letters, were the words EMERGENCY EXIT.
“I’d say this qualifies as an emergency.”
The draugr were only a few yards away as I raced towards the exit. If it was locked, I wouldn’t have time to break it down.
I ran with all the strength I had. In only moments, the draugr would be upon us, ripping into our bodies with their wizened, leathery hands.
Chapter 29
Ali
Galin slammed through the door, then kicked it closed, pushing his enormous body against it. I clung to his neck as my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the side tunnel. Somehow, when I was close to him, I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin, smelled the scents of flowers. In the hollows of my mind, I even knew their names: lilac, honeysuckle, wild rose. It was like the world came alive again when I was close to him.
I felt his muscles shifting under me as he tensed, powerful arms encircling me. Draugr banged on the door, but Galin leaned against it, holding it shut.
“Ali.” He was still catching his breath. “Do you think you can find something to jam the door? An old pipe, a piece of wood….”
I scanned the interior of the side tunnel, finding it unfortunately empty. “Nothing.”
“Shit.”
Behind him, the door shook with the pounding fists of draugr. My pulse raced out of control.
I looked up and down the escape tunnel, double checking that I hadn’t missed anything. A few motes of dust hung in the air above the ancient subway tile. This place had probably been empty since Ragnarok.
“Wait,” I said, excitement rising in my voice. “Why don’t you just create a portal? No one can see us use magic here.”