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Chapter 18
Ann
I’min the massive cave the shadow beasts all stay in, walking through the dark halls until I come to the place I knew I was heading towards. Inside, I spot Adrik, the sleeping warrior. Only, he’s no longer asleep. He’s half-sitting, half-lying against the wall. He turns his head and looks at me, eyes bright with awareness, a slow smile on his face. It’s familiar, but I can’t think about that because something is wrong.
The earth above us shakes.
“There’s trouble coming.” The man’s voice is deep, but familiar. “You need to wake up, Ann,” Adrik says my name like he’s said it a thousand times before.
“You’re here?” My words come out breathless. “Awake?”
“I never left your side,” he tells me. “But we’ll have time for that later. For now, you’re in trouble.”
The earth shakes above us again, and dirt and dust fall around us.What the hell is that? It can’t be thunder or a storm making that rumbling. And why is this warrior telling me to wake up?
I’m not asleep.Am I?
“Darling, please!”
Darling?Rayne was the only one who called me darling.
When I jerk awake, my strange dream fades away in the light of the afternoon. It takes a moment for the fog of sleep to clear as I blink and try to clear my head. I’m not a “morning” person. And I was up late talking with Phantom and Onyx and Dusk. I’m still wrapped in Dusk’s arms, my back against his chest while Onyx sits against the wall, eyes closed, a peaceful smile on his face, and Phantom lies facing me.
With a clarity so vivid I can almost taste each one, I remember the kisses. The way Phantom twisted my hair around his hand when I kissed him. The way Dusk cupped the side of my face. The way Onyx stroked my cheekbone.
Thunder rumbles through the roof of the cave and bits of earth fall onto my face as the light of day filters in through the door. But it can’t be a storm? I can see sunlight. So, what is it?
The chaos of the moment finally comes through. I look around us and see about a dozen warriors asleep all over the floor. As thunder roars above us, and the light of day grows duller.Clouds? A storm? How strange?The next time the thunder comes it shakes the entire cave, the shadow beasts inside the cave awaken in a rush. Metal clanks. Armor buckles. Knives are unsheathed in preparation for a battle, and the men beside me tense, awake, aware of something I’m not.
My stomach churns. I don’t have to know exactly what is happening to know it’s bad.
“What’s happening?” I ask, grasping Dusk’s shirt.
He freezes. “A storm.”
I frown. “Why does that require all of this…?” I ask, pointing to all the warriors rushing to prepare.
His eyes narrow. “Because a storm creates an unnatural night, which allows the creatures from the shadow realm to come. And because we’ve only experienced a storm like this once before, and that was a magical storm, and a planned attack.”
Oh, shit. This isn’t good! Ithought at least we were safe during the day. I guess I was wrong.
Phantom is on his feet while everyone is still preparing. “It’s a fucking army. Get her out of here!”
Dusk who hauls me to my feet and takes me by the arm, pulling me along to the back of the cave.
I frown, but he rolls a boulder in the corner away, and shows me a dark tunnel underneath it. A creepy, dark tunnel that I absolutely don’t want to climb down into.
Dusk stops and looks down at me, worry etching lines in his face. “Here.” He hands me a compass. It’s old and heavy, plated with gold, the needle pointing northeast. “Take the tunnel. It will lead to the main cave, and then beyond. Stay to the north until you get to the river. Then follow it west. Use the trees for cover and hurry. You have to get to safety until we handle this.” There’s a note of desperation as he takes my hands in his and squeezes.
“I want to stay and fight with you.” My skill could be of use. And right now, by the weight of the footfalls, it sounds like there is an army of a thousand men coming for the forty or so shadow beasts getting ready to fight.
To survive, the shadow beasts will need every available hand, every available weapon. I’m both.
“No!” His voice is sharp and loud. “If the king finds you, hewilltake you, and we might not get you back this time. Listen to me. Say what I say. North to the river.”
I can’t fight him. He’s right. I’ll be a better weapon when we have a plan of how to best make use of my talents. “North to the river.”
“West to the two towers.”
