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I roll my eyes, pushing up to a sitting position. “It’snota mating ritual. How many times must I say that? It’s called sex. Spell it with me…” Bouncing my hands with the syllables, I continue, “S… E… X”
“I can’t read. What makes you think I can write or spell?”She stares at me for a long moment, her body as still as a statue.
“Good point.”
“Now, what did the oaf have to say? Hmm?”Luri spins in circles, kneading the dirt before lowering and wrapping her body with her bushy tail.
“Not much, but he agreed to stop trying to break the watch…” My mind whirls back to the curved blade in his hand. Even at the microscopic size out here, in the real world, that thing stung. “He stabbed me with a knife. I’m not sure what could be strong enough to cut through the spellwork of a prison world, but it looked ancient.”
“Well, it looks like it healed, so maybe we should just be grateful for that.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She huffs, snuggling her head into her tail as if she’salwaysright and that shouldn’t come as a shock anymore.
Twisting on my side, I watch the flames flicker in the rock circle, admiring the way something so dangerous–so ruthless–can be so beautiful. Kai’s words swim in my head, replaying on loop, and for the love of all that’s holy, I hope I’m doing the right thing.
***
The light streams into the tunnel at the mouth of the cave, casting the stone in a yellow glow. Luri is already sneaking out of the opening and peering into the forest to make sure we’re alone and that nothing is waiting to rip us to shreds on the outside. Honestly, that has to be the best part about having a monster cat. She’s one of the biggest and baddest in these woods, and on the way here, everything scurried away at the sight of her.
Slugging my bag on, I follow her out, feeling the warmth of the hell flame beat down against my skin. There’s nothing more heavenly than the heat after sleeping inside a chilly cavern. I squint at the light, trying to shield my eye, and ease my pounding head. One thing the couch didn’t aid is, was me getting my beauty rest. Instead, it almost put a kink in my neck, and has my body aching. The muscles in my shoulders are bound tight, even as the palm of my hand kneads into them, hoping to release it.
I roll my neck from side to side, buckling my sword around my waist.
“We’ve got a lot of ground to cover,”Luri says, already four steps ahead of me. I suppose when you grow up in a forest like this, it prepares you for the strains of traveling by foot. She’s accustomed to this kind of abuse, but I’m clearly not.“Why do you smell sickly?”
“I’m notsickly,just tired and sore.” I jog, catching up with her and falling into step on her left.
“Want me to carry you?”
“I’ll be fine.” Shaking my head, I cringe as the world tilts on its axis, my vision rolling like water bouncing around in a half-filled glass. “Just need food.”
Her eyes light up at the thought as she hunkers down. It’s a predatory gesture, and I know what means better than most. She’ll pounce on the next thing that moves and the very thought of ingesting something her large teeth have sunk into makes my stomach turn.“Say no more.”
“No. No, thank you! I think I’d rather starve than eat your top of the morning kill.”
Luri tosses her head, shrugging in cat.“Suit yourself.”
The trunks of trees twist up from the ground, forming gnarled tangles as they reach the canopy of leaves. There’s no dense underbrush here, like there is where the boundary to the prison world once stood, but the ground is rockier, and uneven beneath my feet. It doesn’t take long for us to hear the sound of water rushing over the edge of the cliff, pounding into the still surface below. The Falls of Bones and Teeth, as Luri calls it. Apparently, the bottom of the river houses a boneyard for various creatures, enough for it to earn its title.
Nothing moves in the woods as we approach the water and the obsidian smooth stones lining its edge come into view. Luri’s powerful strides vibrate the ground as we venture closer, curving to travel along the bank.
“The stream ends into the bay near Solaria. As long as we travel by it, it should be a straight shot,” I say, resting my hand on the hilt of my sword as we navigate over the uneven terrain.
“Someone has been studying,”her voice echoes inside my head.
“Well, when you’re stuck inside a castle with nothing else to do, suddenly, looking at historical maps of Hell becomes fun.” I hop down a small ledge, hearing the crunch of stone beneath my boots. “My only worry is that the city is built on top of Mount. Olympus. I’m not a climber. I’m barely a runner. Not to mention that they’ll probably have scouts that can see us from a mile away.”
“Not us.You,” she corrects.“I told you I can’t get near the city without the king’s men trying to hunt me down. They do have eyes above, and the moment they catch a glimpse of me, they’ll come armed. It’s why most of my kind are gone.”
I stop moving, slightly falling behind as I process what she’s just admitted. “You told me you don’t have a family…”
“I don’t. We’re seldom creatures.”
“You left out the part that they’re mostly dead.” Her gait slows, confirming that I’m right.
“You didn’t ask.”
“Well, that would be my fault, then. I should’ve asked. And you’re wrong, you know…”
