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Jayce closes the laptop, “So, now what?”
Before I start to reply, Pandora flickers next to the sheriff. She is eyeing him, and I watch her movements closely. I want to decide if Leo was telling the truth about them or not, so I don’t interfere.
“Raven? Are you okay?” Lucien asks, stepping into my line of sight.
“Huh?” I blink, looking at him. “Oh, sorry. Pandora is next to Leo. I was watching her.”
Leo jumps up a little, his eyes wide, “What?”
I point near him, “Yes, she’s standing right there. Is there anything you want to say to her?”
He glances from me to the spot where I pointed and back to me.
“Tell her, I’m sorry,” he chokes out.
“She can hear you, talk to her,” I tell him.
“Pandora, I wished that I whisked you away before this happened to you. You are the love of my life and I promise to bring whoever did this to you to justice,” he says.
A smile forms on her lips and she starts to say something but she’s still muffled.
“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you,” I say with a frown.
She tries again, “Love of life.”
“I got it this time,” I tell her with a smile before turning my gaze to Leo. “She said you were the love of her life.”
She places a hand on his shoulder as she fades away.
The image of Leo pouring his heart out to Pandora will forever be burned into my brain. He barely composes himself before leaving and we don’t try to stop him. This isn’t something you process with almost strangers.
“Let’s get some rest,” Lucien suggests gently, breaking the silence. I barely nod and follow him, too tired and mentally exhausted to do much else.
I just hope tomorrow turns out more fruitful.
Raven
Something cold brushing my cheek rouses me from the deep sleep I’m in. My hand moves first, swiping it away, startling when something tangible sticks to my skin.
It’s so dark when I open my eyes that I question if I ever truly did, but as seconds tick by, I adjust to the inky blackness surrounding me.
The cobwebs stick to my skin and I pull them away frantically, but I can’t seem to escape them.
“Guys?” I whisper, too afraid to make noise. Something isn't right. This is not the faintly lit room I fell asleep in and the hard, dirt floor underneath me is not the bed I laid down on.
Something flickers in the darkness and I can finally see the room. Pandora’s form is in and out and her eyes are wide and terrified.
“Where am I?”
“I’m sorry,” is all she can get through the veil. My heart sinks at the apology, meaning that either someone or something got to me. This reminds me of Jayce’s dream, but this is very much real.
Or a combination of both.
That thought alone, sends a shiver down my spine. I can’t just sit here and freak out, if I do, I’ll never see my guys again.
Pushing off of the floor I stand in the small room, my head nearly brushing the ceiling. I recognize it as the tunnels we found… but something is different here. The roots are thicker and more gnarled as if trees are growing overhead.
Could the tunnels really reach as far as the forest around our property?
