My heart beat wildly within me. I was having trouble keeping my focus. Edmund should be here by now, something was wrong. My nerves prickled as my heart called out ‘trap’, putting me on high alert.
Sain’s feet stopped in place, our intertwined hands pulling me to a quick stop in front of him. I gasped at the sudden stop, the sharp intake of breath echoing around the open space that surrounded us.
“He is here,” Sain whispered, and my whole body turned to ice. “Do not fight him, or we will not survive.”
We stayed still in the labyrinth of bones as Sain’s words settled into my mind. Edmund had moved beyond the door.
The sound of our breathing mixed with a drip of water that was falling somewhere around us. The sounds bled together as they bounced off the bones and amplified themselves.
I took a hesitant step forward, the heavy thump of my heart against my ribs causing me physical pain.
We took one step after another, my bare feet surging with magic with each contact with the stone of the floor. Sain stayed close, his breathing heavy in my ear. I was his only protection.
We moved through the labyrinth of bones at a snail’s pace, my head peeking around each corner before we moved, my feet dragging through puddles of stagnant water in an attempt to keep my connection to the earth’s magic.
I shivered as we moved into the large space of the catacombs, the ceilings higher, the roof speckled with small windows that let ribbons of light into the ancient hall.
I froze in place as I searched for him. But I felt nothing, saw nothing. I wanted to believe that Edmund was not here – but I felt Sain’s tense body beside mine. I couldn’t doubt Sain’s sight.
“Where is he?”
Sain said nothing in reply, the quiet that surrounded us only interrupted by the occasional echo of a drip of water. I turned to face him, his eyes wide as he focused on the bright white coffin that the mortals had buried Ilyan in when he resigned as their ruler, faking his own death, more than six hundred years ago.
I turned toward it, expecting to see Edmund standing right beside it, but the large hall was still empty. The room was silent except for my ever-increasing breathing.
I took a step into the room, Sain following as he cowered behind me. My bare foot accidentally slapped hard against the smooth stone of the floor, the sound echoing around us. I froze. If Edmund was down here, I had just given away our exact location.
“Ruuuuun,” Sain breathed out, his voice shaking as his whole body began to convulse.
His words were lost as my pulse quickened. I turned toward him, only to see his body shake, his eyes darkening into black and then fading back into green. His body convulsed beside me as his eyes flashed between colors, his mouth opening in a silent scream. Sain’s eyes widening as if his whole face was being stretched.
I forgot to breathe as I stared at him, the panic taking away my ability to process what he had said.
“Ruuuuun,” he repeated again, his voice deep and hollow.
This time the word sank in, it ignited inside of me and sent my feet moving in a panic; Sain’s body dragging behind me as his feet stumbled in a blind attempt to follow.
Our feet hit heavy against the floor, our breathing mixed with the hollowness of our steps. Each sound hit my ear, the urgency of each one increasing as we made our way toward what was now our only chance of escape.
“I’m going to hurt Cail, Wynifred.” I froze at Edmund’s voice, my feet coming to a stop only inches from the tomb that would lead us to safety.
“I’m going to rip his body apart piece by piece. Hundreds of years of disloyalty needs to be punished after all.” His voice was loud, his heavy breathing making the desperation, the madness, heavier in his voice.
I couldn’t move as I listened to him, as the echo of his words hit my ears over and over. I fought for control. I fought to recall the words Sain had said only moments ago.
“I am going to make him pay.”
“If you can get in,” I said simply, unable to control my mouth as I took the last step toward the tomb.
“You think a little fire can stop me? I will be back in there before nightfall, you little slut. Then I will do to Cail what I did to Rosaline. I will remove his soul from his body, as slowly and as painfully as I can.”
“No!” I couldn’t help the sound that came from my mouth. I turned around to face him, my fingers clawing at my thighs with the need to rip his eyes from his face.
Edmund stood at the entrance we had just come through, his smile wide as he watched my panic. His eyes flashed as he watched me, his dark hair loosened from its usual tightly gelled style, his hand dripping blood from where he had ripped the finger from his body.
This had been his plan. He knew I wouldn’t back down from this threat; he knew and so did Sain. Sain wrapped his arms around me as he attempted to keep me back, to stop me from attacking.