Page 38 of Raven's Dawn

His words came out just as fast as his pat down.

“We’re fine,” Ezra said, managing a smile. “It’s okay.”

Letting out a deep breath of relief, he grabbed the back of my head and pulled me into him. As anxious as I was to inform the others what we had discovered, an all-encompassing sense of relief wash over me at his touch. With my head against his chest, Ezra’s on his shoulder, all of our arms wrapped around one another’s waist, a sense of tranquility trickled into my shoulders and neck.

The funny part was, I hadn’t realized I was tense until I felt the release.

I tilted my head back to look at him. “You and Graham flew separate?” They had to have, because Graham would’ve cushioned his fall if they had flown together.

Slowly, the relief in Warren’s eyes faded. He opened his mouth to speak, but an arm circled my waist from behind and hauled me backwards. The smell of Graham’s cologne filled my nostrils.

Spinning in a circle, he squeezed me tight. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, mo stoirín.”

With a smile came that feeling again. All my muscles loosening at his touch. I had known I was anxious, that I needed them, that I missed them, but here they were.

Cautious contentment. That’s what I had felt a moment prior when it was only Ezra and me. Now that we were all together, everything was okay. Everything would be.

I twirled to face him, dizzy from the spin, and tossed my arms around his neck. “You had nothing to worry about.”

He smiled. A proud, accomplished smile. “‘Atta lass.” But he glanced behind me and tightened his jaw.

“Alright, we got them,” Laila said. “We have people to resurrect. Let’s get back to camp.”

“Who’s down?” I asked, looking around. Laila must have teleported Graham down here, because she was the only other person around. “How many?”

“Just one,” Laila said. “Connor and Naomi are looking for sacrifices. Her wounds aren’t too bad. As soon as they find people, we’ll have her back in an hour.”

“Good.” I paused. “Not good that she’s dead, but good that we’re going to take care of it, and that we have a minute here.”

Green eyes brightening to glows, she cocked her head to the side. “We… need a minute here?”

“Yes,” Ezra said. “Something we need to brief everyone on.”

15

GRAHAM

Rain’s warm fingertips in mine were the only heat I felt in this place. Our footsteps were the only sound echoing off the cave walls.

What lurked beneath the soil was such an odd thing to me. Up there, on top of the grass and clover, there was so much life. Foliage, and animals, and light, and heat, and home. Safety.

We weren’t meant to be in places like this. It was the bedrock of our world–– its foundation––but like the rocks that held up a home, we didn’t need to interfere with it. It was our root, not our flower. Nothing that breathed could thrive in this environment.

Supposed that was why they chose it.

They may have breathed, but they didn’t live. Life required foliage, animals, light, and heat.

No matter how uneasy it made me, though, there was something beautiful about it. To see the underbelly of the Earth, the core and plates and rock beds that allowed the life to bloom, was fascinating. But only in the same way that the stars were. As fascinating as it may have been, we weren’t meant to be here.

When I’d asked what we were walking toward, Rain’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Ezra had said, “It’s something you’ll need to see for yourself.”

I accepted that answer as enough. Then I walked behind Laila and Jeremy, holding Rain’s hand, with Warren, Ezra, Jake, and Amara at my flank.

I was grateful for the silence. Partly because I didn’t want to talk to Warren, and partly because of the shame.

How hadn’t I realized they were gone? On the flight, Laila had said it was a good thing I hadn’t. I did what I had to do back there. I protected my people. I fought, and because I had, we had no true casualties. Those we lost would be resurrected by Ramona and Luci back at camp within the hour.

But the person I cared most about stood beside me, unaware that I had momentarily forgotten her existence. She should have been my priority. Rain, Ezra, and Warren should have been my priorities. Rain may have been the only one I was in love with, but we were all soulmates. Two of them were in danger, and I had paid it no mind.

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