Page 68 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

Good.He paused.Remember, you are in control of your body.

Thank you.I took another deep breath.Are you still okay out there?

Yeah, we got a little bit of the tremor, but not much. But I hope it doesn’t wake anything.

I hadn’t thought of that. I looked around for Kara and Luce, the dust was still thick around us, I coughed as I stood, my eyes burned against the dust. I summoned a ball of flames to my palm, the previous one was extinguished in the tremor, I assumed Luce and Kara’s had been too.

“Kara? Luce?” Dust invaded my lungs as I spoke.

“Yeah. I’m here.” Kara’s voice rang through the tunnel.

“Me too,” Luce responded. The pressure on my chest loosened as they came into view.

“What the fuck was that?” Luce asked.

“I don’t know I?—”

The ground shook again, but it was different this time. Smaller. It came from the part of the cave we had come from, not above. The sound shifted, it was no longer a rumbling. It sounded like—footsteps.

There were footsteps shuffling on the hard floor.

Luka?

Yeah.

Are you guys still at the mouth of the cave?

Yeah, why?

We have company.

“Kara, Luce. We’re not alone.” They turned and looked down the path where the sound was coming from.

The whine of my sword reverberated in the empty cavern as I drew it to my side, my magic wrapping around the blade.

“Do we wait or do we run?” Luce removed her staff from where it rested across her back.

A chorus of roars sounded, rumbling throughout the cave—they were getting closer.

“Run,” I answered without hesitation.

We ran, taking off in the opposite direction of the creatures, trying to get as much distance between us and them as possible. We kept running, the flame in my palm lighting the way a few feet at a time through the dusty tunnel.

“Fuck.” I screeched to a halt as the path before us ended, leaving us panting in front of a cement wall.

Luce slammed her fist against the wall. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” She screamed.

What’s going on?Luka’s concerned voice pierced through my mind once again.

We were running from the creatures that appeared, but now we’ve come to a dead end.I looked toward the dark path we had come from.They will catch up to us any moment.

What kind of creatures?

Something that growls.

Astria’s tits. Let me know if you want us to come and help. I don’t doubt you all can handle them, but?—

Luka?Silence rang through my mind.

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