They all blundered around in the dark without speaking for twenty minutes before Una called to the group.
“Here!” she said. “I think this is definitely something.” They gathered around a raised patch on the ground. It was about five feet wide and five feet long, forming a perfect square. “Not a lot of right angles in nature,” she said.
“Everyone take a side and start digging,” Rowan said excitedly.
They worked feverishly and had the frozen sod up in half an hour. A large metal plate, flaky with rust, was embedded in the ground.
“Light a fire,” Rowan ordered. “Lily? We’ll need your strength to lift this,” he said. She nodded quickly, giving her assent.
They got a fire going and Lily fed her mechanics enough energy to pull the huge metal plate up from its bed. Beneath the plate was an iron grate that was welded over the top of a duct. Rowan bent back some of the bars of the grate, leaving enough space for them to climb through. He put his head down the hole, his willstone brightly shining with magelight.
“There’s no ladder,” he said, frowning. He brushed some dirt from his hands. “This duct has been out of use for a while. It may not even meet up with the main line.”
“I don’t think we have much of a choice but to follow it,” Tristan said. He stuck his head down next to Rowan’s and let his magelight add more brightness. “At least there are plenty of handholds,” he said.
Rowan nodded in agreement. “Una, you go first, then Breakfast, me and Lily, then Tristan. Tristan, close up the hole behind us, and I’ll carry Lily,” he said. “Everyone take as much energy as you can from Lily now.”
Lily stood close to the fire and rose up into the air on her witch wind. She fed their willstones until Rowan told her the fire was nearly out. She let go of the power loop, dropping out of the air and into his outstretched arms. He gathered her close, stamped out the last of the embers, and swung down the hole after Breakfast.
Rowan. I hate being underground. It’s like being back in the oubliette.
No it isn’t, because I’m here. You’re safe, Lily. No one’s going to hurt you while I’m around.
Rowan held her shaking body tightly to his as Tristan heaved the large metal plate back over the hole, blotting out the moon and the stars.
CHAPTER
10
Lily turned her face into Rowan’s chest and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. The smell of earth and rust wrapped around her and sank so deeply into her skin she could taste it on the back of her tongue.
She tried to focus on the sway of Rowan’s body as he climbed down. She listened to the beat of his heart. Steady and strong. The enchanting hue of his magelight lit the other side of her eyelids reassuringly. She tried to imagine his magelight as a candle burning in front of her, although she could feel no heat and could gather no power from it. Magelight could not fuel her. Lily touched her willstones with the tips of her fingers, feeling their soft, solid shapes. She told herself that no one was going to take them away from her this time, or ever again.
“What’s wrong with Lily?” Tristan asked anxiously. He could feel her fear. They all could.
“Witches don’t like to be underground,” Rowan answered. “They’re cut off from the light of the sun and moon. It drains them.”
“Witches can get energy from the moon?” Breakfast asked, surprised.
“Of course,” Rowan replied. Lily could hear the smile in his voice. “Didn’t you ever hear of witches dancing naked in the light of the full moon? Why else do you think they’d do that?”
“’Cause it’s wicked fun?” Una offered.
“Well, okay. So there are two reasons,” Rowan admitted.
“Hey, Lily. Just imagine you’re buck naked and shakin’ it on a cloudy night,” Breakfast said cheerfully.
“I’ll try, Breakfast,” Lily said, her voice only wavering a little. “Are we there yet?”
“Almost,” Una answered. “I can see the bottom.”
“What’s down there?” Tristan asked.