had definitely been here, and they’d gone out of their way to stop the others from coming after them. With Sidyan’s help, I’d passed through the thick layers of rocks and rubble, reaching the other side, where the massive tunnel was not only clear, but it also seemed to go on forever.
By now, we knew a few things about what had happened here, using both the intel we’d gathered from Aeternae conversations and Sidyan’s own study of the cells and hallways. The Darklings were using death magic, though we had no idea how they’d gotten their hands on it. Technically speaking, they weren’t even supposed to be able to use this stuff. One exception, like Taeral, who’d clearly been fated to become a Reaper upon dying, was one thing. But these were hundreds of Aeternae Darklings who could do more than Taeral could with a scythe.
We also knew the Darklings kept ghouls with them. None of the other Aeternae had seen them, but since Maya had picked up their traces, well, it had become fact. I wasn’t sure what the implications were, but I was ready to assume that the Darklings had also figured out a way to capture and weaponize ghouls. Part of me worried there was more to this story. I’d find out soon enough, though.
A third fact that had arisen from early on in the investigation was that the Darklings had also captured Seeley and Rudolph’s crew. Wondering how they had been able to keep Reapers under control, I continued following Sidyan and Maya through the tunnel.
Two days had passed while we’d spent most of our time looking for and continuously finding more slivers of Reaper energy scattered around. During this time, I’d come to know both Sidyan and Maya a little better. I felt sorry for the young ghoul—she didn’t deserve her situation. Unfortunately, there was no cure for ghoulishness, so she was doomed to exist like this forever, unless Death put her out of her misery when the time came. I knew Sidyan would go out of his way to prevent that from happening. He was deeply fond of Maya. Fiercely protective, like an older brother.
He was also permanently moody and sullen, as if none of this was what he’d asked for. Granted, he’d been dragged into my investigation by way of blackmail, thanks to Taeral knowing a little bit too much about his extracurricular activities—mainly Maya’s existence.
“This keeps going,” I said at one point, staring into the darkness ahead. “This tunnel… it keeps going.”
“And we’ll keep going with it,” Sidyan replied, using his scythe to scan the surroundings. Maya was farther ahead, sniffing the ground and turning over the occasional rock. Whenever she smelled a ghoul’s tracks, she growled slowly. “We have to follow the trail. I’ve said this over and over already.”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist,” I shot back. “I was merely stating the obvious. I wasn’t expecting you to do something about it. I’m well aware that we have to follow the trail.”
“Are you always this spiky?” Sidyan muttered.
“Excuse me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He had a habit of making my blood boil. Unlike many other people I’d come across over the years, Sidyan was one of the few whom I simply couldn’t intimidate with my Word power. I’d assumed it was on account of him already being dead, but the Word transcended life and death. I could work some magic just to piss him off, and yet he didn’t even blink at the thought. To be honest, part of me was enjoying this dynamic. He kept me on my toes.
“Spiky. Abrasive. Recalcitrant. Other synonyms describing the same state you seem to be exhibiting, almost constantly,” Sidyan said, without looking at me.
“Almost constantly?”
He sighed. “Are you going to keep answering my questions with more questions?”
“Are you going to start asking better questions, so I can stop answering with more questions?”
Okay, I definitely enjoyed pushing his buttons. Sidyan cursed under his breath and kept walking. I joined him, and he tried to move away, but I stayed close, every time, until he rolled his galaxy eyes and accepted the fact that I’d be glued to him for the rest of this journey.
Maya sometimes purred and giggled at the sight of us bickering.
“How far do you think this tunnel goes?” I asked, after a long silence.
“Miles and miles. We have to be discreet and check every inch of it, though,” Sidyan replied. “Since the Darklings use ghouls and death magic, for