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“This is a cluster fuck,” I say. “But we can deal with that later. Right now, our people are missing. We’re heading there now to find them.”
Sharpe’s lips tighten into a thin line, his gaze flickering between Flint and me. “I was planning to go with a team in the morning, but Mayn can finish organizing shifts while we go now.”
Flint shifts restlessly from foot to foot. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”
“We wouldn’t have wasted this much if either of you had answered your phones,” I point out, earning irritated glares from both men.
“Where did you park?” Sharpe asks as he turns to wave Mayn over.
“The parking lot on the street,” I say.
He nods. “I’ll meet you in my patrol car. Just give me five minutes.”
We leave him to sort things out and head to the sidewalk outside the Woo Woo Squad, where a lull in the rain allows us to make a break for my car without getting soaked.
The rain kicks up again as I back out and pull onto the street, then park at the curb, leaving the engine idling as we wait for Sharpe to join us.
Within minutes, his squad car drives out of the underground garage, and I pull onto the street, leading the way back into town.
As we leave New Clearhelm behind and enter the tree-lined road, that sense of awareness fills me again, this time more urgent, like sparks pricking at my skin and drawing my magic to the left, into the trees.
Then a rush of fire streaks over me, demanding attention.
I slam on my brakes, and we fishtail on the wet street. Sharpe's car shoots past in a squeal of tires, narrowly missing a collision.
Flint flings a hand out against the dashboard while wrapping his other arm around Anny. “What the hell, Marc?”
“Darius.” My heart pounds as realization dawns on me. “I feel him. He’s close.”
Flint’s gaze sharpens, his eyes locking onto mine. “Are you sure?”
I nod and look toward the woods. “Run a check, Flint. See if you can locate them.”
“But we’re nowhere near the Bone Yard,” he protests.
“They’re here.” I fling open my door and step out into the rain, the blaze in my skin demanding I follow. “I don’t know what’s going on, but they’re not in the Bone Yard. They’rehere, and we need to find themnow.”
inevitable
- Pen -
Darius letsout a shout of frustration as the fire he sends toward the roots snuffs out, and the singed pieces of wood tuck back in on themselves to form a solid barrier once more.
I wipe sweat from my face, the air in the cavern warming with each attempt Darius makes to burn our way out of our prison.
As the last of his flames flicker out, the shadows creep in once more, the only illumination coming from the golden light emanating from my skin. The glow has dimmed over the last hour, obscuring the cave's outer edges, and an ominous rustle of bones emerges from the darkness.
Our initial investigation of the space revealed smooth stone walls, with no roots or vines low enough for us to use as rope even if Darius blasts a hole through the roof. We attempted to dig through the bones but abandoned the effort when we couldn't find a bottom to the pile.
While the disturbingly white bones on top are still fresh, the ones underneath show signs of age, the bones yellowed with time. Whatever monster uses this place as a dumping ground has been at it for a long time.
Far longer than the Bone Yard has existed.
Darius paces back to my side, his fiery eyes clouded with frustration. Dirt and ash dull his bronze skin, and his burgundy hair lies in tangles around his shoulders.
“It’s no use.” His growl reverberates through the cave. “I can’t get close enough to burn the roots without setting the entire room on fire.”
I settle uncomfortably on the skull of an akuzal and prop my elbows on my knees. “Even if you did, there’s no way we can reach it.” My voice sounds tired even to my own ears. “There’s no escape.”
