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“You’d miss me if I didn’t come on these things,” I pointed out, falling in behind him. He didn’t reply and my own chat faded as the darkness pressed in on us again. I’d got pleasantly used to all the firelight and the big open space of the city, and the oppressive darkness hung heavy as we made our way down the hallway. It felt thick and choking, and I didn’t like it one bit. It was more than just the absence of light; there was a palpable presence here, as if the very stones were holding their breath, waiting.
"Does anyone else think this place is creepy as hell?" I asked, trying to make light of it.
"Creepy doesn't begin to cover it," Carlisle replied.
We moved deeper, the silence enveloping us.
"Anyone else getting the feeling we're being watched?" I couldn't help but murmur.
"Theo," Alastor snapped, his irritation confirming that I wasn’t the only one feeling antsy.
"Can't help it," I shot back. "It's part of my irresistible charm."
"Charm won't save you from whatever might lurk in here," he retorted, but this time I heard the smile in his voice.
"Fair point, O Hellish one, but if something does jump out, I'll just turn furry and scare it off. Or better yet, Sariel can smite it with her angelic wrath."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," he said. “Now shut up and stay sharp.”
We’d gone another ten yards, when Ash spoke from behind me, making me practically jump out of my skin.
"I think Theo might have been right,” Ash said. “Does anyone else get the feeling we're being watched?"
Alastor shook his head. "It's the statues," he said. "I felt it before in the city."
"Except there are no statues here," I pointed out, sweeping my light around the barren interior. "That's the odd part. The whole city is crawling with them, but this place? Not a single stony stare."
"That’s weird," Carlisle said.
“Isn’t it?” I agreed, my voice a hint too loud. The oppressive silence swallowed up the echo of my voice, and I felt my nerves prickle uncomfortably. "What if something's wrong with them?"
"What?" Alastor asked.
"The statues, what if they're cursed or something?" I suggested, half joking, half not.
Alastor snorted. "You've been reading too many fairy tales in your free time.”
"Hey, there’s no such thing as too many fairy tales," I defended myself. “Especially when you are living one.”
He shot me another glare over his shoulder but didn't say anything. Instead, he increased the pace.
“What fairytale would that be?” Sariel asked. I turned to smile at her. I could sense that she was feeling the same unease as the rest of us, but she moved confidently, the only sign of her restlessness was her hand resting on the hilt of her knife.
“I would have thought it was obvious,” I said, leaning over and knocking her arm with mine. “Red Riding Hood.”
She turned to look at me, frowning. “Why is that obvious?”
“Well, you know the part… oh wolfie what big eyes you have… all the better to see you with, Oh wolfie, what a long tongue you have… all the better to eat-”
“There’s a door,” cut in Alastor, turning back and giving me a stern look. Spoilsport. Sariel simply shook her head. I’d have to explain that one later, maybe offer to give her a demonstration.
He was right though. The hall ended and tall wooden doors rose up above our heads, in better condition than the last one. Alastor signalled us to stop while he cautiously approached it. He pressed his ear against the door, presumably listening for movement on the other side.
I watched him, bathed in the weak glow of our torches, his face intense. He glanced back at us, his gaze flickering over me before moving on to the others. The unreadable look in his eyes made my heart hammer. Something was definitely going wrong here.
"I don't hear anything," he finally said, stepping back from the door.
"Well, that’s reassuring,” I drawled, sarcasm lacing my voice. "No monsters waiting to pounce on us."
