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“Stay with me, Emilie. We’re going to get you someplace safe.”
“Safe?”
“Yes, princess. Safe.”
She grunted as I picked her up, one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders. I started to walk toward the door when she began to cry, hand flailing to the side.
“Shh, I know. I know. I’m not going to let them hurt you again.”
Emilie tried to speak, but her lips were so dry; I couldn’t make out any of what she said. The harpy appeared on her other side and held her hand, the one that had been flailing. She pressed a small bottle into Emilie’s hand and, as she brought it to her lips, I could see the clear substance.
I waited patiently while Emilie drank the water. Once she finished, she licked her lips and returned her gaze to me.
“Tunnels,” she whispered. Her voice was still weak.
I nodded, happily giving her anything she asked for. “Of course. We can go to the cavern and use the tunnels. Excellent idea, princess.”
The mountain shook again, and I looked toward the door. I was eager to leave, but Emilie was still struggling in my arms. She swung her arm again, back to the corner of the room she’d been lying in.
Pointing. She was pointing.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Tunnels,” she repeated. “There.”
I slowly stood her on her feet where she wobbled but remained upright. Then I strode for the corner of the room to investigate. It took a few moments before I realized what she wanted me to see.
“My gods,” I said, running a hand along the faint traces of runes. Ancient markings that had faded over centuries. I recognized them as the same ones from the Scholar’s Cavern.
I peered behind me to find her faintly smiling. We were getting out of here.
Digging in my pocket, I wrapped my fingers around the tiny vial of Reyna’s blood. I felt Emilie move closer to watch.
“I just have to cover the runes with it?” I had to double check. We couldn’t get it wrong with so little blood to work with.
Emilie nodded. “Yes. Make sure you fill them all in.”
I carefully wetted my index finger and traced each and every rune, ensuring all of them were sufficiently covered. Once I finished, I sat back, waiting for a sign that it had worked.
The runes turned dark, somehow even darker than the walls of the mountain already were. They crackled as thin lines began to spread in the wall like shattered glass. The cracking continued until the entire wall seemed to rumble and the fissures expanded to outline the shape of an arched doorway. More and more tiny crevices appeared until, finally, the wall fell like rubble to the floor.
The room descended into silence, and I stared into the black depths of the hole in front of us.
Emilie appeared at my side, linking her arm in mine and sighing in relief. “You did it.”
She rubbed her throat, and I had the impulse to check her for injuries. Her back had been nothing but blood and harsh scars when I’d last seen her. I gently touched her back, and she didn’t flinch. “Are you…alright?”
She nodded. “Yes, I’m…I’m feeling much better.” She glanced toward the harpy and I followed her gaze.
“That wasn’t just water, was it?” I asked.
The harpy responded with a soft smile.
We didn’t have time to question how the harpy had access to such magical remedies. Perhaps she worked with the healers and had access to their storerooms. Regardless, I was thankful she had come to our rescue.
“I’ll walk,” Emilie said as I went to carry her again.
“Are you sure?”
