Page 89 of Sharpen Your Claws

“Evera, I would,” she bit her cheek. Copper fell on her tongue.

Evera smirked. “Were you about to thank me?”

“I appreciated your help,” she corrected. “Had you not followed, which you were under no obligation to do, I would have been unlikely to survive.”

“Unlikely?” Evera laughed. “You mean certainly.”

“You could have died too.”

“Now that would have been unlikely.”

“Nevertheless, there was a possibility, so…”

“So?” Evera urged.

“Why did you help? Here, and with the sirens, and all of this. Surely you are not tagging along and risking your life out of boredom.” She didn’t know what answer she sought, if any. She hadn’t expected Evera to be so helpful, especially after hearing about her from Nicholas. Of course, the two had a rough history, but fae were troublesome and Evera, well, she was a little of both.

Evera’s hands fell behind her head and she walked forward, speaking with her back to Charmaine, “Why indeed?”

29

Nicholas

SkyLakewasnota lake in the sky, as the name might entail. Evera stood in front of what she claimed was an entrance to the mountain. Nicholas saw a hole in the wall, tall and thin enough for a person to squeeze through. The mountain envied the sky, unfurling to greet it alone at the center of a wheat field. The tip blended in with the clouds. Grass and soil crept along the rocky crevices, making once barren rocks green with life.

“There is another opening on the opposite side, but my mother’s notes said the shadowed disciples use that entrance. They were unaware of this path last she checked, so I suggest we surprise them.” Evera leaned against the rock face, prepared to go in first.

He heaved a breath through his nostrils that didn’t aid in relieving the tightness in his chest. William laid a hand on his back, the gesture as reassuring as it could be, all things considered.

“Then let us first decide on somewhat of a plan,” said Henry. He faced the group, hands clasped at his waist. “We do not know if the patients are in there. We are assuming they are, so William and Evera should make the patients their priority.”

“I am not getting between the shade and his pet,” Evera quipped, earning a sharp elbow to the side from the shade in question.

Henry raised a hand to silence Nicholas so he could explain, “Nicholas is our best defense against Fearworn should he have awakened by now and he can do the most damage to the shadowed disciples. However, one fae should be by my brother’s side in case any of the disciples escape our clutches. Our best bet to stop them is with those who fought against them, such as Arden, Nicholas, and Charmaine.”

“But you haven’t,” William countered. “You do not know what they are like, Henry. They’re vicious.”

“And I will stick close to Arden because of that. If we are overpowered, we flee. It is better to fight another day than die now.”

There would be no chance to flee. The others understood that based on their solemn frowns, but all agreed, if only to lessen the worry festering within.

“Alright, let’s go.” Evera ducked in first, followed by Charmaine and Arden.

William took his hand. “Keep hold of me.” Then William entered with him and finally Henry.

Darkness enveloped him. The walls encapsulated him like a bug caught in a web. He held William fiercely, thinking of how close they were, listening to William’s breaths and the shuffling of feet. His breath quickened faster and faster, but there, in the back of his mind, he recalled the fight with Laurent, how he won. If Laurent ever buried him again, he could break free. He could…

“There,” said William, holding both his hands now. The medic smiled in the dim firelight cast from Charmaine’s fingertips. “We’re out.”

“Out,” he repeated. Over his shoulder, Henry squeezed through the path. His pack had more trouble getting through than him. They were safe. They weren’t buried, not yet.

The path led into a chamber taller than it was wide. Water dripped down the rocky facade. Charmaine’s flames flickered from the drops dampening their shoulders.

“This way. My mother chose a brilliant place to bring the bastard. One would have to seek this place out, which my mother would know of, and could easily defend from unwanted visitors. The shadowed disciples had no reason to move after she left, or perhaps, Fearworn can’t be moved,” said Evera at the head of the group. The path opened further, although Nicholas never relinquished the hold on William’s hand. He needed someone to keep him steady.

“If he is tethered to Faerie, it may be this exact location,” Henry agreed. “If we could get close to him, it could be as simple as moving him from the source he’s feeding from at this moment. We won’t let him put down more roots.”

“I doubt it will be that simple,” Nicholas grumbled. Fearworn had been a thorn in all their sides for decades. He should have known the bastard would cause trouble from beyond the grave.

---