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“No, don’t apologize.” I put a hand on Daksh’s bristling arm. “I needed that rebuke. I kind of lost it for a second.”
“Next time she should use words.”
“Understood.” Qynn offered a polite bow to the King, but as she slipped past me, she winked. She didn’t seem unhappy one bit at having been chastised. As for me?
Why was Daksh acting so aggressive around me? I could think of one reason. He liked me. As in the way a man really liked a woman.
I liked him too. But I remained realistic about our future.
Daksh brushed his fingers down my cheek. “When you feel the panic trying to smother you, take deep breaths and think of something pleasant. Something you’re looking forward to.”
“Like sleeping in my bed?”
His lips quirked. “I’m thinking there won’t be any sleeping, and it should be my bed. It’s bigger."
With that brash statement, Daksh rubbed his thumb over my lower lip before he strode to the front of the group. He held up his hand. “We’ve made it to the tunnels. Any questions before we move out?”
“How many entrances are there in the area?” Kya asked. “The tunnel leading directly under the city appears blocked, but I have to assume there are other entry points.”
“All the ones in the mountain were sealed off long ago. Luckily, I found a map showing the location of others. The bar held the only one that could be opened without making the entire city vulnerable,” Daksh replied.
“You took a chance assuming it would still be there,” Qynn pointed out.
“Not really. I sent my men to scout first.”
Aber grinned as he exclaimed, “Didn’t even have to fake a bar fight. The cook thought he could feed me rat instead of the chicken I paid for. I noticed the hollow knocking when I smacked his head off the floor.”
I almost clapped. How utterly brilliant and lucky all at once. “Where do we head from here?”
“South.” Daksh pointed. “If I’m right, following this tunnel will take us to the other cities.”
“Do you think the monsters are in here?” Palla asked, not fearfully like I would have but eager. She hadn’t yet tired of the fight.
“Assume they are. At the same time, I don’t see the point in travelling silent. The tunnel stretches pretty straight. We should see anything well ahead of time.”
Knock.
We glanced at the ceiling, newly blockaded with magic. How long would it hold if attacked?
“We should get moving. Be alert.” Daksh led the way. An oddity, as I would have assumed one of his men would range ahead as a scout. The reason soon became apparent. It was as if the King’s presence acted as a trigger. As soon as he neared a dark section of the tunnel, the walls began to glow. I also noticed a symbol behind Jord, noticeable once he moved. Engraved in the wall, a zigzag within a circle.
Daisy caught me staring and jerked a thumb. “Not sure about the desert, but that symbol means ‘exit’ in Weztroga.”
It meant the same thing here. Interesting. Would all exits be marked even if not readily accessible? I hoped so because I’d hate to think of being stuck in this place, wandering aimlessly forever. At the same time, I wasn’t reassured. The exit symbol didn’t have a door or a ladder to escape, the entrance having been sealed with rock that hadn’t yet faded to the same color as the walls around it.
As we began the interminable walk, I soon began to wonder if we moved at all. The tunnel appeared the same no matter how long we moved. The size of it did help with my claustrophobia. It loomed taller even than the giants with their arms stretched high, and as wide. It was debris-free thus far, the only dirt the puffs of dust caused by our feet. No smell to wrinkle the nose. No scat or bones. Nothing lived down here at all.
Wasn’t sure what that said about our chances.
While the group did chat amongst themselves, most of it was hushed. No sense in drawing attention if we didn’t have to. Daksh remained on point, although I’d seen Aber ranging ahead. The giants guarded our back.
“Do these tunnels really go under the entire desert?” I whispered to Qynn. I’d never even suspected this existed.
It was Jrijori, suddenly by my side, who had an answer. “At one time, these tunnels were the main mode of travel.”
“Why would anyone walk underground if they could ride the roads above?” I asked.
“Because they didn’t walk. They floated. See those lines in the stone.” He pointed to a spot about a third of the way up the wall, as if the rock changed color. “These used to have water in them.”
