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He turned his back on me and began looking at the roots that protruded from the raw wet earth. He was obviously trying to find out a way to climb up, but as the ground started to tremble beneath my feet again, I wasn't sure if it was an aftershock or Ebba lining up his shot for a second try.
I had to get away from my brother.
Then I saw a glint of metal protruding from the earth. As much as I wanted to get away from Jaik as soon as I could, to lead Ebba away, for now, I called, “Over here!”
Jaik scrambled to me, and the two of us began working to trace the exposed metal to an opening. But it was just a part of one of the reinforced walls of one of the tunnels.
“I'll get us in there.” Jaik said, before breathing out fire.
The fire heat bounced off the metal and warmed my face. “Show off.”
Jaik threw me a cutting look before he seemed to realize I was joking. The thin line of fire that he breathed out soon had formed a new door and then Jaik reared back and kicked it, bending the metal inward, revealing a tunnel that faded away to pitch black on either side.
“You go,” I told him. “I'll climb my way up. You know that if that was Ebba--”
“Maybe it was just an earthquake.”
“Maybe. In which case, I'll be safe down here while you go hang out with the spiders. But if it is Ebba, then at least one of us will make it back to Honor. I'll have a fighting chance to get out of here.”
Jaik gave me thatyou're an idiotlook again. “There is no way in hell you want me to get to Honor while you don't. We'll face Ebba's tricks together.”
“I really can't get rid of you, can I? Youdolove me.”
Jaik did not dignify that with an answer. Instead, he climbed into the tunnel, because my brother would far rather meet a menagerie of venomous spiders then talk about his feelings.
The two of us made our way through the tunnel. Jaik raised his hand and fire blazed across his palm. I would have hated to face that tunnel without the flickering light cast by his fire as we walked.
“It feels like we're heading upward,” I said, having noticed how we were subtly climbing with each step.
“I think that it's getting lighter ahead too,” Jaik said. “Maybe we're almost out.”
Indeed, the tunnel’s darkness seemed to fade ahead of us. Jaik shook his hand, letting his fire go out. For a second, it glowed from each fingertip, and then it faded, and we were in the twilight gloom of the tunnel.
The two of us walked forward and emerged into the light. We were in an ancient chamber. Old magic torches hung from the walls, casting thin light. Jaik’s eyes widened.
“What is it?”
“I've been here before, and this was one of the tunnels I ordered destroyed. This is where they were creating hybrids…”
“Who?”
“I don't know if it was Zehr or our father.”
As I cast another look around, the scent of blood and death seemed to rise above the smell of the earth. But maybe it was my imagination. “Well, there are no hybrids here now. And honestly, with Ebba at work, I'd rather face the monsters... or the possibility that Honor is facing a monster.”
“Why don't we save our jealousy until we're safe?”
I moved toward the other end of the antechamber, passing old stone altars. My leg locked, and I stumbled. Jaik threw me a look. I pretended to be fine as I limped along. I needed my brother to believe I was fine so he would leave me.
Then all of a sudden, the shadows moved on the wall. I called a warning to Jaik as they rushed toward us.
Dozens of hard-backed creatures the size of cats raced with supernatural speed across the floor.
Both of us danced back instinctively. The creatures made eerie, high pitched chittering sounds. Worse, wickedly pointed tail barbs curved above their backs.
“You had to talk about how you’d rather face monsters,” Jaik sounded cross, as if I’d really summoned them.
“Don’t these look like chaos cockroaches?” I asked. “With the poison barbs?”
