Page 126 of Wraithwound

Lena huffed a laugh.

“You mean from the segmented nightmare you basically summoned to abduct you?” she asked, letting her smile come through in her tone.

“No,” he said horrified.

“Yes! And remind me to tell you when we get out of this place what happens when you combine the black and white bottles.”

Cross looked toward his gauntlet, no doubt sensing it felt lighter than before, and smiled, but then the expression withered.

“We should get mov—” he started before a small tremor shook the ground beneath them.

No. Not again.

Lena scrambled to pack the rest of her things. As she did, she explained the location of the cave and how Runa had reached the ground above when she tried to leave him behind.

“You’re telling me that you can fly?” Cross asked, bracing himself at the entrance to the cave mouth.

A surge from Runa had Lena gritting her teeth as she worked to reinforce her mental walls.

“Fly?” Runa laughed coldly. “Wraiths spend an age learning how to channel energy and shadow simultaneously to ‘fly.’”

“Flying is not an option,” Lena corrected.

“Is she speaking to you?” Cross asked, his voice low.

“Yes, I can only shut her out when I’m focused,” she said, digging her nails into the stone to keep her feet under her as another violent shudder shook the ground. Lena released the cave wall and looked to her nails. “I have another idea.”

The moment the ground stopped trembling, Lena climbed onto Cross’s shoulders, and with the support from the rest of the creeping vine that still hung above her, she dug her nails into the slab, creating small holds for Cross to use.

She had to pause several times as the shaking resumed, her heart pounding in her chest as she clawed deeper into the stone to avoid falling off. Runa hissed in the back of her mind; her entity diminished inside of Lena.

When Lena finished, she guided Cross up, ensuring he also had a grip on the vine to steady him. Face pained, he still managed to move gracefully, albeit slowly, as he found the holds she’d carved into the rock face and used them to climb up. He took her direction beautifully, and soon she was pulling him up and over the ledge.

During one particularly violent tremor, Lena pulled Cross into her as she braced alongside one of the stone structures. He tucked her head under his chin and held her, the heat of him seeping into her skin more noticeably without his armor on.

A feeling of disgust, laced with something like longing, echoed deep within her. Lena shuddered as she pulled on Cross’s hand gently to lead him onward.

“I—I can feel what she feels,” she told Cross as they walked toward the slope of the mountain north of their position. Lena remained vigilant as they walked, hoping they wouldn’t see any more of the enormous stinging creatures.

Cross squeezed her hand. “I think it has something to do with this place. I believe it’s a realm between worlds. It’s possible the veil between all that exists is thinner here.”

Lena considered, thinking back to how her wraithwound failed to alert her to danger and Runa felt closer.

“I feel more wraith in here than I do human,” she admitted. “What if I⁠—”

“You won’t,” he said, squeezing her hand again. “Wraiths are usually more animal-like, less human.”

Runa seemed to scoff at that.

“What?” Lena asked out loud, not expecting answer.

“He speaks of lesser wraiths,” Runa answered with a flit of annoyance.

Cross had begun to repeat himself, but she squeezed his hand. He fell silent guessing she was speaking to Runa.

“And you are not a lesser wraith?” she asked, but when a violent calm emanated from the wraith inside her, Lena fortified her barrier before squeezing Cross’s hand once more.

“Apparently, those with more animal-like presentations have been attacked by lesser wraiths. She is something else,” Lena said, feeling both unsettled and curious.