Instead, I waited and studied the forest while Scarlet, Luna, and Ianto emerged from the shadows. They moved cautiously closer as they stared over my shoulder to the woods below.
“Is there anything out there?” Luna asked.
“No. I think we’re safe here,” I assured her.
If the forest wanted us dead, it would have sent its creatures for us already. It had no reason to wait.
“Where are you going?” Ianto asked.
“There’s something I have to do,” I told him.
“You can’t be in the woods now. Even if you’re not concerned about your well-being, what about everyone down there?”
When he waved a hand at the tunnel behind him, I recalled everyone hiding in the darkness, deprived of the sun and freedom. “I’m doing thisforthem. It’s our only hope of survival.”
Scarlet studied me with a wary eye. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to get help.”
The three of them frowned as they studied me, then Scarlet’s eyes widened as understanding dawned. “Youcan’tgo alone.”
“Help from where?” Luna inquired. “I’ll go with you.”
“I have to go alone. I’m the only one who can do this.”
Ianto looked between me and Scarlet before shaking his head as understanding dawned. “Oh, fuck no.”
“Fuck no, what?” Luna demanded before spinning on me. “If you know someone who can help, then get them, and I will go with you. I don’t care what it takes, I’ll help you! They have Callan too. They’rehurtinghim too.”
Tears brimmed in her blue eyes as desperation radiated from her. My heart ached for her and her brother; I knew what she was going through, but she couldn’t come with me to do this.
“I know, and we will get him back,” I assured her, “but you can’t come with me.”
“You can’t go,” Ianto stated. “Leaving here is a really,reallybad idea. What happens if they discover you? We can’t free youandRyker.”
“No one is going to discover me,” I said. “I’m going to open a portal to the trees and let them take over from there.”
“Are you kidding me? Do you hear yourself? You’re going to let the trees take over?” he demanded. “And what if they decide to kill you?”
Luna’s head bounced between all of us as she tried to follow the conversation, but she had no idea there was a way to wake the gargoyles. We’d decided to keep that to ourselves, and Callan had upheld his end of that.
“They won’t,” I said.
Ianto threw up his hands in frustration. “Oh, so because you say it, it’s true.”
“You know it’s true too.”
Ianto glared at me, but I stayed calm. Exasperation and desperation had no place here; besides, we both knew he couldn’t stop me.
“I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t care. If Ellery can get us help, then she should be allowed to do so,” Luna said. “We can’t live down there forever; we’ll die. And we can’t let Callanand the others stay in the duke’s hands. If they’re not dea… dea…” Her voice broke on the word before she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.
“If they’re not dead already, they’re probably wishing they were,” she whispered. “I know what those monsters can do to us, how much they can take and take until you think there’snothingleft, but my brother doesn’t, and heshouldn’t. He’s good. He’s kind. He’s… he’s…”
“Easy,” Ianto said as he rested a hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer to his side. His face scrunched as if he were in pain, and his eyes closed.
“I won’t be gone long,” I said.
“You can’t know that,” Scarlet protested. “You might not come back at all.”
