Page 97 of In The Shadows

There are mere inches between us. The air feels heated and charged like a stormy summer’s day.

“Are you ready to go?” my voice is deep and low in our shared space.

“Yes,” her answer is breathy. Her gaze drops to my mouth again as her lips part.

Ask me for anything and I’ll do it.

She looks as if she’s holding her breath as she stiffly walks backward away from me. Her jaw flexes as she stares at me. I step toward her, concerned by her abrupt movement. I lift my hand reaching out, but she becomes rigid and takes another step back. I retract my arm as if she bit me.

“Let’s go,” she says, her voice is wavering as she walks away from me toward a large, black door.

I hurry to catch up and remain silent as she pushes it open, nodding at the bowing guard on duty as we go.

Through the door lies a small stream with oddly spaced rocks. I examine the cavern, which spins in a circle. The large, black door has strange etching carved into the trim. It practically blends in with the black stone walls, almost hiding it from view. The cavern is small, and through the opening, I can see the mist from the waterfalls.

Without a word, the queen walks to the stream and steps from rock to rock. Walking to the edge of the gravel path, I get a better view of the placement. The rocks are a secret path from the door to the opening at the end.

Clever.

I follow the queen, cautiously. She’s light and nimble, hopping over the rocks. Having walked these stones her whole life, she can probably do this with her eyes closed. I walk unsteadily over the path, unsure of the stability of each stone I pick and not wanting to end up in the water.

With her back to the path, she waits for me at the opening. Blinking, I step into the bright sunshine beside her, but she takes off. I sprint after her, trying to keep track of her curly, red ponytail bouncing along the trail. She leads me along a worn path between forests and what I assume is the brink which conceals The Keep.

I continue to chase her as my legs become tired from the prolonged speed. I’m used to running, but this is a faster pace than normal for me. She’s quick in and out of sparring.

After leading me through a grove of trees and along a pool below a massive waterfall, she slows and stops in front of a stone path near the water’s edge. I finally catch up, coming to a halt next to her.

I lean forward, bracing my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath as she stands with her arms laced behind her head.

“Feel better?” I ask, practically gasping for air. I’m familiar with the need to push my body to clear my mind—trying to see how hard I can drive myself before either the thoughts ease or my body collapses.

I look up to find her staring at me with an unexplained sadness in her eyes. Her gaze follows me as I stand straight up, concern drawing my eyebrows together.

“A little,” she answers. She gives me a feeble smile that is less than convincing. “Let’s sit down for a minute before heading in.”

She takes a gravel path down a small, tunneled walkway within the stone of the waterfall. The crunching of our boots and my heavy breaths bounce off the walls. A few feet down the way, there’s an opening that breaks off from the main path we are on, and the queen turns into it.

Stepping through the arch, I realize it’s the bridge that stretches across the pool. I look up at the massive waterfall plunging from the brink above, causing a light mist to form in the air.

Small grunts come from below, and I peek over the stone edge. Peering down into the pool, I’m met with several pairs of glowing pupil-less eyes. I jump away from the wall and the queen looks over her shoulder to check on me.

“There are nobu below us,” I say, pointing over the edge.

The queen raises an eyebrow at me as I stand unmoving.

The day at the river with Lily plays in a loop in my mind. The gray beast charging after us as we frantically try to get away. Lily landing hard in the water as I turn to face my death, prepared to fight to keep her safe.

The queen takes my hand, and sparks ignite along my palm, causing me to jerk away. I stumble backward into the wall.

“It’s ok, Captain. You’re safe. They won’t hurt you,” the queen reassures softly.

The memories fade, and my eyes lock on the freckles speckled along her cheeks. My breathing is ragged, and I fight to take a deep breath.

“As long as you’re with me, no harm will come to you,” she offers me her hand again. I stare at it, trying to fight the instinct to run as far away from this monstrous kingdom as possible.

“Trust me?” the queen questions with a tilt of her head.

With my life.The realization hits me like a bolt of lightning.

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