In other good news, Nyx and I are officially on speaking terms again. Which is good, because I would have gone stir-crazy in these dark tunnels if I didn’t have his library to keep me occupied. I can’t read most of them, but Nyx has been nice enough to sit and translate them to me in English. It’s been a great way to pass the time, especially because there’s not much else for me to do other than sleep—which I have still been doinga lotof.
As for Dravik… he’s kept himself busy collecting food, tidying the lair, preparing new fur blankets for use, and any other odd chores he can think of so that he doesn’t have to think about the thing that we’re all worried about.
Which is the fact that Rhune should have been back by now.
It’s apparent by the way Nyx paces the floor near the exit tunnel, listening intently for any sign that his brother is nearby. His eyes are creased with an ever-present worry, and it rolls off his shoulders in waves.
“Still no word from Rhune?” I ask. Nyx let me know that they can all communicate telepathically as long as they are within the confines of The Far Place. The farther apart they are, the less efficient it becomes—but if Rhune is anywhere in The Far Place, he should at least be able to share his emotions through their bond.
Nyx stops his pacing and snaps toward me, forcing his mouth into a pained smile. “Not yet. But I’m sure he’s fine. He’s just… taking a little longer than usual to get back.”
My stomach drops at the uncertainty in his voice. “Should we go look for him?”
Nyx shakes his head. “Dravik and I have been taking shifts scouting the surrounding area for the past two sun flips. There’s no sign of him.”
“Maybe we all should go out and look.” I wring my hands together, my heart physically aching at the thought of Rhune out there, alone and lost. “Or maybe we can go to the human realm? What if he’s trapped there, or something?”
Nyx’s mouth creases in sympathy. He steps toward me, cupping my cheek gently in his massive palm. He gazes deep into my eyes as his thumb brushes gentle circles over my cheek, soothing my skin and dampening the anxious thoughts rushing through my mind.
“I know you worry for him, beautiful. I worry, too. But we can do no more than what we’ve been doing. The portals between this world and yours… They work in mysterious ways. It’s difficult to determine where you will end up on the other side, and almost impossible to wind up somewhere you’ve never beenbefore. Dravik and I don’t know exactly whereRhune went. So there’s no way for us to follow him.”
Just then, the wind picks up, causing a piercing howl to echo through the tunnel. Nyx’s eyes snap toward the entrance, his mouth turning down into a rare frown. “There’s also the issue ofthat.Another storm is brewing—this one worse than the one that hit when Rhune first brought you here.”
I wrap my arms around my middle, leaning into Nyx’s touch for comfort. “I hate the thought of him being out there in the storm. If he’s hurt…”
“As soon as I feel his presence, I will rush out there to find him. Storm or no,” Nyx promises, kissing the top of my head. “He will be okay. I promise you, Willow.”
I nod, wrapping my arms around him in a deep hug. Nyx grunts, surprised, then slowly allows his arms to fall over my shoulders, returning the embrace. A deep purr rumbles in his chest, coupled with a low swishing sound as his double-headed tail sweeps back and forth across the floor.
“I like this,” he whispers, brushing his warm lips against my temple. “Your touch has a way of taking away all my worries and heartache. They just… fade away.” He pulls back slightly to look me in the eyes. “I never knew that was possible. For it all to just… leave. It’s nice.Peaceful,” he adds. “To have a moment when my thoughts do not consume me…it’s truly magical.”
“I’m glad…” I blush, turning my eyes down as a lovely warmth builds in my chest. “I should probably go check on Kevin. He hasn’t had his breakfast yet.”
“Of course.” Nyx lowers his arms to his side, but doesn’t step back. “Do you want my help?”
“That’s okay. You just stay here and keep an eye out for Rhune. If you sense anything?—”
“I’ll tell you assoonas I know something. I promise.” He grabs my hand, pulling my palm up to his mouth where he places a small, heated kiss. “Call for me if you need anything.”
“I will,” I promise, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as I turn and make my way down the tunnels toward Rhune’s bedroom.
As expected, Kevin is lying square in the middle of Rhune’s bed, his strange flat face pressed downward into the furs, making him appear headless for a split moment. Over the last few sun flips, Kevin has grown both increasingly anxious and wildly aggressive. When he’s not sleeping or in this defensive posture, he’s restless, running through the tunnels and climbing the walls like a creature out of a horror movie, snapping at anyone that happens to get too close—minus me, of course.
When he’s like this, though… It usually means the ice wyrms are awake and active.
Right on cue, an ice wyrm screeches deep underground, causing the floor and walls to quake with the strength of the call.
Kevin whines as his entire body begins to quiver in fear. Chest aching, I sit next to him, curling my arms around his body for comfort. He leans into me, shoving his flat face into my stomach and wrapping his gangly arms around my torso, almost like a hug.
I rub his head, singing softly to him in the way he likes until it’s over. When the wyrms cease their roaring, I offer Kevin some frost lichen, but he’s not interested in the slightest.
“What’s wrong, buddy? Are you?—”
Before I can finish, Kevin shoves his face deep into my neck, and he lets out a high-pitched, pitiful wail. A moment later, asecondroar sounds deep underground, followed immediately by a third. As I sit there listening to their calls, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. They sound…angry…
Just then, there’s a tugging in my chest, followed by a white-hot flash of pain. The chord of the mate bond has wrapped itself around my heart, and it pulls tight, strangling the organ in its attempt to rip it from my chest. My blood is cold—too cold—and the ice burrows into my bones and leaves me shivering with no way to get warm. I gasp, clutching my heart as I fold in half, my eyes squinted in agony.
“Help… me…”
