He was somewhere around here. I glanced over the ropes. The street was nearly three stories below. I searched the buildings up a ways from me where he’d climbed out of the flood. There wasn’t any sign of him.
The rope bridge stretched across the passageway from one tunnel to another leading into the buildings. I wasn’t sure which way to go. The one in front of me led in the direction Nick had gone. The one behind me would take me to Bastien and Demos, hopefully.
I turned and headed for the second tunnel. The bridge shook, and I grasped the rope, catching a glimpse at how far it was down to the bottom. My stomach lurched. But I straightened, carefully putting one foot in front of the other.
You’re not going to fall. Just don’t look down.
“Gia.” Nick’s voice stopped me.
I held up my palm and ignited a battle globe. A purple ball appeared. Stun.
Shaking from the cold, or from the fact that my best friend was behind me and most likely possessed, I faced him.
His eyes were soft brown again, and his face pained. “I’m sorry.”
I dropped the globe and teetered to him, my arms flying around his shoulders. I hugged him tight. “Oh, Nick.” I buried my face in his shirt and cried. “I’m so sorry. I tried to stop him from taking you.”
“I know,” he whispered against my ear. “I saw you.”
“What has he done to you?” I sobbed into his shirt. “You mean so much to me. I love you, Nick. I won’t let anything happen to you again. We’ve never been without each other. I’d die if something happened to you.”
“I love you, too. And it wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself, okay?” He pulled my arms from him, held my wrists between us, and stared into my eyes. “I don’t have much time. The flood must have broken the connection between my compeller and me. You have to get far away from here. I won’t be able to stop him. He’ll make me kill you.”
“I can’t leave you.” Panic swelled in my chest. “Don’t ask me to.”
“I mean it, Gia. I’m not Nick.”
“Yes, you are.” I reached for him, and he shrugged me off. Tears slid down my cheeks. “You’re scaring me. Please, come with us. Uncle Philip can help you. We can break the compulsion.”
He took my face in his hands. “You mean the world to me. Promise you’ll fight me and not give in if it comes to that.”
I shook my head against his hands. “I can’t.”
His eyes pleaded with me. There was so much pain behind them. I lowered my head, and he lifted it back up. “Promise me, Gia.”
My heart was crushing, but the look in his eyes told me he needed this.
“I promise.”
He smiled, one full of longing and hope. “I wish we were in the North End right now. You drinking a latte and me my Vitaminwater.”
I smiled back at him, mine weak and full of defeat. “Me, too.”
He kissed my temple, released my face, and bounced over the rope bridge back the way he’d come.
“Wait.” My voice sounded as broken as I felt.
He stopped and turned.
“Where are you going?”
“As far as I can get from you before—” He couldn’t say it this time. And I didn’t want to hear it, either.
But I couldn’t help but think it. Before he’s no longer in control. Before he can kill me.
He continued across the bridge and ran toward whatever horror awaited him. Back to Conemar.
And I just let him.
Without a fight, just rocking on the rope bridge, staring at his retreating back.
Alone.
He’s alone. I crumpled, my knees smacking against the planks. I covered my face with shaky hands and sobbed.
Demos and Bastien rushed out of the tunnel, the bridge swaying under the force of their boots. Bastien dropped down in front of me and pulled me into his arms. I buried my face in his chest.
“Are you hurt?” Bastien asked.
I shook my head. “It’s Nick… He was… He was here. You were right. He was compelled. He’s supposed to kill me.”
“I’m here. You’re okay.” Bastien’s arms were warm around me.
“I just let him go.” I swallowed down a sob. “I should have done something.”
Bastien brushed my wet hair from my face. “There’s nothing you could have done.”
“It’s Nick. I should be with him.” I wanted to stop shaking. Why couldn’t I stop? “All my life he’s been there. It’s always been just us.”
“I’m here. I’ll never leave you.” Bastien took his jacket off and put it over my shoulders. “We’ll get him back.”
“That boy’s messed up,” Shyna’s voice came from above us, and I looked up. She was on the roof. The clouds had parted, and the sun shone over her. Her hand shaded her eyes as she watched something in the distance. “You should get out of here before he comes back. He did tell you to run.”
Demos grabbed the ropes with both hands, staring off in the direction she was looking. “We should do as she says.”
Bastien touched my cheek. “Can you get up?”
I nodded, and he helped me to my feet.
“Where are we going?” Demos asked.
My legs felt wobbly, and I leaned into Bastien’s hold. “There’s a Talpar’s tunnel,” I said, my teeth still clattering. “It’s in the basement of a building around here. The address is Three Barley Flower Passage.”
“A Talpar.” Shyna exaggerated a shudder, her wings flapping around her. “They’re Undergrounders. Their long noses with those feelers attached to them, wiggling all over the place like that, creep me out.”
“Why do you sound so much like a teenager from my world?”
“Human television. I’m obsessed.” She flew off the roof and landed on the bridge, shaking it. Her wings retracted into her back. The feathers ruffled into place, covering the holes in her shoulder blades. “Follow me. I’ll take you there.”
Demos leaned in toward me. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s kind of odd,” he said, “but I find Bird Girl a little attractive.”
A small laugh escaped me, and then a pain twisted my heart. Demos’s humor was like Nick’s, and it reminded me of how my friend must be suffering.
I won’t let you down, Nick. I’ll get you back.
Shyna led us through tunnels and over rope bridges until she stopped at a door. “Here it is. Take the stairs down. It’ll lead you to the tunnel.”
“You’ve been a great help,” Bastien said and opened the door.
“Anything to help the presage.” Her eyes went to mine.
“Thank you.” I squeezed her hand. The feathers covering it were soft under my touch.
The corners of her mouth went up slightly. “I’m sorry about saying you weren’t much. I think you’re everything. All the Mystiks have hope you’ll be like Gian and fight for us.”
“I’ll never give up.” I smiled at her and ducked inside after Demos. Bastien followed me and closed the door behind him.
…
The tunnel led us into the Abbey Library of Saint Gall in Switzerland.
After I was through, I turned. The door to the tunnel was still open. “How does it close?”
Bastien searched the walls. “I don’t see anything.”
Demos fiddled with a golden filigree attached to the bookcase. It moved a little, and he turned it. The wall closed, and the bookcase settled into place. “You two would be horrible in an escape room.”
“Wait,” I said. “When did you go to an escape room?”