Page 74 of Tell No Tales
Martiz huddled on the floor in the crate's corner, his hands tied together and then tied around the corner post to keep him there. His robes looked far worse for wear, and his stench fouler than the head on a warm day until Nola whispered a few words. A dash of cleansing water came and went, and one of the boys blasted Martiz dry with a weave of air.
Vadim stood in the middle of the crate, too nervous to stand near the edge. The box stood four feet high, but a hard knock or jostle, and Vadim could see himself falling out with nothing and no one to catch him.
"Here." Nola handed him a rope. "Tie on."
There was enough play to make a slip knot to loop around his waist and then tie it to the middle slat. By the time he finished, Yvette, Nola, and both boys were already well secured to the crate. Klaus was still staring at his rope.
"What do I do with this?"
"Let me help you." Vadim was still too afraid to move from the center of the box, so he pulled Klaus closer to him and helped him form a slip knot. He squeezed Klaus's hips for good measure once it was in place, and Klaus caressed his cheek. His look of desire would have seemed at home on any pleasure house worker's face, but the naked vulnerability in his gaze scared Vadim even more.
He returned his attention to tying Klaus to the side of the craft opposite Martiz. They were already well off the boat, now as high as the mast as the twins filled their sail with air.
"We've only practiced this once," Nola said. "Last time, we crashed. We'll do better this time, right boys?"
The twins were concentrating too hard on their task to answer. Niall had spoiled Vadim for all other new weavers. Niall had perfected his air weaves fast, so fast that he was now using them daily to manStarlight Specter. These boys would get there in time, but they were young and inexperienced.
Vadim hoped Coryn didn't suspect them in the fog. They would have enough trouble reaching the academy alive without the general's interference.
∞∞∞
Klaus
The air ship passed through the high bank of fog, and Klaus's stomach felt better instantly. No longer was he worried they would fall to their deaths. The ground was still far below, but he could no longer see it, so it was easier to distract himself.
"Hannah's never been to the academy," Vadim said. "The buildings will be buried in fog."
"I can find it," Klaus said. "I remember what it feels like."
"Do I even want to know?" Vadim whispered.
"It's a weird mixture. Old and young weavers, really old weaves, and it's so high up." Klaus pointed. "There."
"I can't see it," Nola said. "How far?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Klaus grabbed Vadim's arm.
"Stay calm," Vadim said. "Share it with me, the way you did when we were linked."
"I didn't do anything!" The link simply existed. Klaus hadn't needed to open himself to Vadim then. He still didn't understand the weird trick Vadim had taught him to keep Coryn out of his thoughts.
"Don't drop your shield completely," Vadim said. "Let me in. Only me."
Klaus wanted to say everything in his heart, that Vadim was the only one for him regardless, but now wasn't the time. They needed to find the academy and the old weaves of its highest tower before they ran into it, or worse, passed through Hannah's fog cloud into open air again.
He felt closest to Vadim when they were skin to skin, but that wasn't possible here and now. Instead, he squirmed his way into Vadim's arms, snuggling against him chest to chest and staring into his eyes. He felt Vadim reaching for him. All he had to do was reach back.
"I consent to be linked to you. Forever."
A spark traveled along the line that had formed, sizzling along his ribcage to his heart. It stung for a moment, and then the soothing tingle of healing replaced it.
"It's five hundred yards ahead and closing." Vadim held his arm out in the same direction Klaus had pointed. "There's a lake just beyond the lawn. Can you feel the water?"
Nola nodded. "I can. I can grab the airship with a wave and set us down outside the tower entrance. The boys can find a safe place to hide the air ship while we scout for a way inside."
"There's a tunnel entrance near the lake," Vadim said. "Lover's tunnel, they used to call it."
Yvette smirked. "Hesse called it that, you mean. He always was a hopeless romantic. Did you let him in your love tunnel down there, perchance?"
