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Ada’s stern mouth tightened further.
It would be easy, so easy, to let them lead me out of this maze, to go away from here. But I wouldn’t leave him alone.
“We can’t waste time,” Ada was hissing to Maria, moving her hands in a frantic gesture around the darkened hallways. “You don’t have time to babysit her, and even though Gloria is rounding up the rest of the wolves she can find, we can’t have any distractions. We need to locate Titus.”
The unspoken meaning behind her statement hung heavy in the air: I was a burden.
A wave of dizziness crashed into me, and I staggered sideways, leaning against the wall for support.
Maria and Ada continued speaking as I pressed my cheek against the stone. Why was I feeling sick now? I thought after my little nap, things would be better.
Get it together.
My thoughts didn’t even sound like my own, and a familiar lullaby began to hum in the back of my head. The song had been a constant any time I’d gotten too overwhelmed, and when I needed to focus.
Something tingled against my cheek, and I opened my eyes, pressing my face from the wall, focusing the feeling over my fingertips instead.
You’re almost there.
What was this feeling welling in my chest? Why did I feel so sure this was the right thing to do, and the right way? I’d never been to this place before.
“Bianca?” Maria touched my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
The sense of urgency exploded through me, spurring me from my stupor. And I ducked away from the group and raced down the path. I couldn’t hear anything, but the prickle at the back of my spine grew stronger as I weaved through the hallways with Ada and Maria—now shifted—hot on my heels.
Then, we stepped into the light.
Gloria was already growling pacing around the circular room with her nose to the floor as she tried to work out where to go next. She barely acknowledged my presence. I stepped around her, tracing my fingers along the wall.
There were five doorways, including the one we’d just walked through, and none gave any indication of direction. The shifters were gathering closer, moving in greater urgency, to a door on the left, most likely able to sense things that my human-self couldn’t, but, as I stepped closer, the short hair on my arms straightened.
That wasn’t the right way.
I paused, pressing my palm against the wall, as a warmth began to radiate from the stone, down my arm. A gentle breeze brushed past me, through the doorway I’d just passed.
There.
Maria jumped in front of me, nudging me with her head, as I moved to leave the room. She was followed shortly by Gloria and Ada, both of whom moved between me and the exit.
And, even though I knew they were trying to help—obviously they didn’t believe I was right—my frustration began to thicken as a sense of urgency spurred me forward.
I opened my mouth to speak—to ask them to trust me—but, still, I had no words.
My irritation choked at me as my breathing began to grow deep, and I tried to push past the meddling shifters.
There was no time for us to waste with this.
But Maria barely let me pass her before she was in front of me again, ears back as her head lowered cautiously. Her unblinking golden eyes seemed to say, ‘What are you doing? This isn’t the way.’
“M-m-m-move,” I stammered, pushing at her nose. My voice was barely there, but audible enough.
All three shifters froze at my statement, and the dank space grew mustier. The three glanced at each other, sharing a secret message between them, before Maria stepped back, allowing me the room to pass.
I didn’t think about it anymore. Without their resistance, I was already moving forward. The taste of the air grew bitter, and it became harder to breathe as I led the way down the passageway. The walls grew slick and slimy, but I didn’t move away—there was a sense of comfort keeping me tethered to the earth, keeping my rising panic at bay.
One of the shifters made a whining sound behind me—not really a comforting thing, considering that I couldn’t see in the dark anymore, and they could. Knowing my luck, I was surrounded by skeletons, or bloodsucking leeches.
Dark, creepy tunnels were the worst, and if it was for any other reason other than the well-being of someone close to me, I wouldn’t be down here at all.
