“You think that if we go down there again, we could use wind and rain to see if the gargoyles in the cavern have something to reveal to us?”
“It couldn’t hurt.”
“That’s so weird,” Luna muttered.
“Everything about this is weird,” Callan said.
“We can give it a try. I’d like to know where else the tunnel leads,” Ellery said. “We only got to explore in one direction. Something else could be hidden down there.”
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
Ryker
My eyes narrowed on her.“You’re not going to let those trees take you down there again.”
“No, not anytime soon. I’m not in a rush for that to happen again, but eventually, we’ll have to find out where else the tunnel leads. And we can use it to our advantage. It’s cold and creepy down there, butno onewould ever find us, and depending on where the other end goes, it could help us move into a better position against the nobles.”
As much as I hated the idea of her going down there again, she was right. However, that didn’t mean she had to endure being sucked beneath the earth once more.
The trees had taken me too. She could stay behind while I went; getting her to agree would be a battle, but I might be able to talk her into it.
I probably had a better chance of talking unicorns into shooting out my ass, but it was worth a shot.
“Speaking of the trees,” Tucker said. “Other than knocking us away, they didn’t try to attack us either, and they didn’t take us. There’s something about the three ofyouthey want.”
“I think we know what they want from you,” Ianto said. “But why the boy? Can he control lightning too?”
All eyes shifted to Mouse as a murmur of excitement ran through the crowd. Mouse recoiled when he realized he’d become the center of attention.
“Can you control lightning?” I asked him.
The boy blinked rapidly at me before shaking his head. He lifted his hands to the side of his head and wiggled them up and down. He lowered them and lifted them again. He repeated the action a couple of times.
“You can control the rain,” Ellery said.
The boy nodded.
“Can you control anything else?” I asked.
The boy shook his head.
“He’s still young,” Tucker said. “Maybe his lightning ability hasn’t manifested yet, but the trees somehow sensed it.”
“No,” Ellery said. “While thatisa possibility, I doubt it. I was on top of Mouse and trying to protect him from the black dogs when the trees took us. When they dragged me down, they had no choice but to take Mouse too.” She rested her hand on the boy’s shoulder again. “I’m sorry.”
The boy stared at her before throwing his arms around her waist and leaning against her side. He snuggled close as he rested his head on her shoulder. Tears filled Ellery’s eyes before she closed them and placed her cheek on his head.
“I see.” Tucker rubbed his chin as he pondered this information. “For some reason, those trees only want lightning bearers.”
“But why?” I asked.
Tucker shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“We really should find out where the other end of the tunnel goes,” Ellery said. “We should do it tomorrow.”
“We’re giving out more money tomorrow,” I reminded her.
“We can push it off,” Tucker said.
