Bex glanced back from the window. “Whatever we’re doing, let’s do it fast.”
The cloud from the grenade had cleared, revealing dozens of mutilated corpses on the ground. More shells were crowding the Sepulchre, and were now climbing its walls and beating on the doors.
Jared lifted Kim off the floor. “You have the book?”
She nodded, breathing hard.
“You ready to do what you came here to do?”
“Yes, and it’s about damn time, Ryel,” she said, tightening her grip on the pack.
We retreated into the church, passing extravagant garnishing of gold, marble and artwork. Candles lined altars, and pictures of the crucifixion of Christ. We passed a set of stairs that made Claire pause before advancing into the Sepulchre of Jesus.
“Where do they lead?” I asked.
Jared glanced at the stairs only briefly. “That would be the stairway to Calvary. Christ climbed those steps on his way to be crucified.”
We continued through a large room to another room that held a smaller room within it. You could walk around this room, but Claire advanced inside.
“Is this it?” I asked.
Jared squeezed my hand. “The Holy Sepulchre.”
We filed in, and everyone dropped their packs. I was confused. The adornments around the room signaled a holy place, but all this time, my mind pictured an underground cavern.
“This can’t be it. How can we protect ourselves in here?”
Claire sighed. “Not in here.” She pushed the altar to the side, revealing an ancient steep staircase. “The true tomb is hidden below. It’s hidden from the public.”
“I’m having my baby in a hole,” I said, more of a statement than a question.
Bex laughed once. “Uh...is there room in the inn?”
My stomach lurched, and I grabbed Jared’s arm.
“Nina?” he said, immediately worried.
I grabbed my belly with both hands and groaned. “Give me a minute,” I said, panting.
Claire took a few steps down. “We don’t have a minute.”
“Let’s get her downstairs,” Bex said, checking outside the room. “They’re coming.”
Claire clicked a flashlight onto her rifle and ducked down the staircase. Ryan followed, and then Jared, me and Kim went down next, with Bex closing the opening behind us. The stairway opened up into a stone hallway that led to a massive cavern. Damp, dark, and drippy. Just as I had imagined.
“Feeling better?” Jared asked, touching my protruding stomach.
I nodded, still looking around the room. The flashlights illuminated giant stone arches lining the vast space, accessing lateral halls.
“Where do they lead?” I asked.
“Tunnels. Two hundred yards either way isn’t protected. They won’t come down here, but don’t wander.”
“I won’t.”
Kim pulled the Naissance de Demoniac from her satchel, and pointed her flashlight around the room, settling on what looked like a formerly adorned altar. She walked over to it slowly. Even in the dim light, I could see her body shaking uncontrollably. Ryan and I walked behind, watching her hold the book in front of her.
“I did it,” she said, staring at the book in awe. “We’re free.”
Ryan put his hand on Kim’s shoulder as she placed the book on the altar. She fell to her knees, and we fell with her. In the next moment, the ground began to shake, and small bits of rock fell to the floor. A piercing roar echoed through the tomb, causing us all to cover our ears. It was one voice, but also many, wailing, yelling, cursing utter foulness...and then it was over. Silence.
Kim looked back at Jared, and he offered a knowing smile. She had completed her mission, and freed her family of the duty of protecting the Naissance de Demoniac from a constant, powerful enemy.
“I guess I can go home now?” she said.
“You can,” Bex said. “But you’re on your own, and this place is crawling with shells.”
“We could use you here,” Jared said, “to help with the birth.”
Kim smiled at him. It was a relief to finally see the two come to terms. The air was immediately lighter between them.
“I wonder if you still have your superpower?” Ryan said.
Kim punched him in the gut, and he doubled over. “It would appear so.”
“That wasn’t what I meant,” he coughed.
Chapter Nineteen
Trapped
It’s hard to keep one’s days and nights straight when underground. If it weren’t for the family full of Hybrids, I would have been alone while keeping my strange hours. Whether it was the baby, or the less-than-comfortable blow up mattress we slept on, or the constant dripping in the background, it was impossible to sleep. Regardless, I took naps at one to three hours at a time, around the clock.