Waiting.
The boy catches himself against the wall at the same time I manage to regain my balance with a splash and a muttered curse.
For a second no one says anything. Then the boy snorts. His sister giggles.
I clear my throat and straighten. “Right,” I say, like that was completely intentional. “That’s why we walk carefully.”
Behind me Varek lowers his hand again.
He hadn’t been stopping himself from helping the boy. Only from grabbing me.
And somehow, that small distinction twists something low in my chest in a way I’d rather not examine too closely.
We continue through the tunnels in silence.
The corridor twists and bends beneath the district, passing collapsed side passages and sealed drainage arches that lead nowhere now. At one point the tunnel opens briefly into a wide chamber where ancient canal mechanisms rust quietly along the walls.
I pause there, lifting the lantern slightly. “Quick rest,” I say.
Everyone exhales. The girl leans against her mother.
Varek stands beside me, watching the group. “You run this route well,” he says quietly.
I shrug. “Been doing it a while.”
“Yes.” His gaze lingers. “You lead them with confidence.”
“That’s because I know where the walls fall down.”
“Confidence is not only knowledge.”
I snort softly. “Pretty sure it is.”
He studies me another moment. Then nods. “Continue.” Not an order but encouragement. The bond between us warms faintly.
We move again. The tunnel narrows into single file, forcing the group to follow closely behind me. Water drips steadily somewhere ahead, echoing through the stone like distant footsteps. There are no patrols or alarms. Even so, tension fills the air.
Halfway down the passage, it’s the girl’s turn to stumble.
This time I catch her. “Easy,” I murmur.
She looks up at me. “Are we almost there?”
“Getting close.”
Behind us Varek speaks softly to the boy again. Whatever he says earns a quiet laugh.
“What did you tell him?” I ask over my shoulder.
“That he walks like a warrior.”
The boy beams with pride.
I shake my head. “You’re terrible,” I say in Nyxerian. I don’t want to humiliate the kid.
“He needed confidence.”
“Now he’s going to try to fight something.”
