Page 18 of Hex
I bring Cirrus to sudden halt as we arrive at a cave that seems to go deep,deepinto the mountain.
“I can feel her. She’s here. Or…” I’m assaulted by a deep sense of longing inside my chest, making me scream loud enough to echo through the mountains, hills, and countrysides. Birds and spirits spring out from beneath the canopy of the trees, escaping the agonized sound of my cries.
We all advance as a unit, finding smaller caves carved inside the mountain. Some look natural, others are too deliberate to be nature’s work, especially with the steel bars welded into the rock. Slay walks far ahead of us as the valkyrie check out every last mini cave, searching for clues. Pierce and Slash are guarding the main entrance in case we have unwanted guests.
“Fuck.” Slay’s curse gets my undivided attention.
“What?” I push my way inside, afraid I’m too fucking late, but as I check my bond, I realize she’s still there, strong in my heart. She’s not dead. There’s still time.
Slay picks up the quartz stone I’d given Sage all those weeks ago.
“Was this hers?” I’d given her that crystal just before she died. He has no way of knowing so I nod, gritting my teeth.
Instead of feeling sadness and despair, my blood boils with rage. No fucking way Sage would have left this behind. Not a chance. Which means it was either ripped away from her or she was taken so suddenly by her kidnapper that she dropped it. Either way, that asshole will be the first to pay.
I take the offered crystal and place it in the pocket closest to my heart, ready to give it back to my chosen as soon as I see her.
And it will be fucking soon.
The emotional rollercoaster I’ve been on these last few weeks—hell, these last few centuries if I’m honest—is taking everything I have to give. My mental space is filled with only Sage, our bond, and my need to find her and keep her safe for eternity. It’s a tall order but it needs to happen and it needs to happen sooner rather than later.
That undeniable pull I felt earlier in Narythia is back again, this time forcing my body to turn toward the northeast and feeling like the distance is greater than before.
“Where to?” To my right, the valkyrie who spends half her time on the phone, no doubt falling in love, understands that I’ve felt the pull again.
“Kohrye, but I don’t know where exactly. Just follow me.” I don’t wait for them to call upon their dark horses. I summon Cirrus and head over to the portal we just used. Travelling between Kohrye and Ryetoh is impossible, we have no choice but to make our way back to The Shade. I don’t wait for anyone else to catch up before landing at the door in the library portaland jumping back so I go straight to Heyl; demon land. I don’t have to wait more than a few minutes before my brothers come charging in and stand beside me. At record speeds, we follow the bond’s GPS north until we reach the territory of the monsters in the center east of the dark lands.
Earlier, I wasn’t thrilled about Sage being in the land of the spirits, but here? With the monsters? The dread of what could happen to her with the amount of unscrupulous souls that reside here makes my skin crawl.
I slow down as the bond feels confused, taking me one way then the other. Fuck.
We’re somewhere on the western side of Mita, the DrakeThorne mountain range that surrounds the Fireborne land standing tall above the deep-green, watery valleys of the monster territory. The land is somber, feeling like it’s night time all through the hours, giving off a sense of dread and mystery with every step we take.
I follow my guiding light and we all head to the east where the forests are like enticing omens promising tales of danger and death. ThinkHansel and Gretelwritten by Stephen King and directed by Tim Burton. Yeah, great fiction, but do not recommend in real life.
“I fucking hate the Knell Forest. Nothing good ever happens in the Knell.” Slash makes a big show of a full body shiver, then slides his sword out of his scabbard to hold it firm in his grip by his side.
We all follow suit, ready to defend ourselves if the need should arise. In monster land, it usually does.
By the time we reach the forest, we’re on high alert from the constant noises of slithering animals and the tiny scratchings of insects alerting their kyn of our presence. It’s not surprising. After all, demons do the same when visitors step foot on Heyl.
A faint gasp followed by a whimper has us all turning at once, like an army that has trained together for years instead of never. We’re acting on instincts, not training.
“What was that? It doesn’t sound menacing.” Pierce, ever the optimist, speaks just over my shoulder.
“I don’t know but it’s close.” I take a tentative step toward the sound, hoping to get a visual, but the forest is thick and the flooring is high with its almost black straw-like grass.
The sound comes again, but this time it’s almost child-like, the higher pitch and the hiccupping that follows piques my curiosity.
“Who’s there? We mean you no harm.”Unless you took my chosen, in which case, you’ll suffer greatly in a matter of minutes.
Slash snorts and I kick him in the shin. Fucker.
Narrowing my eyes and concentrating on where I pinpoint the noises, I see a small foot protruding from behind one of the trees. I signal everyone to put their weapons down because I have a feeling we are not in any danger.
“Look, we’re not here to hurt you.” I put my bow down as I kneel, knowing that if needs be, it’ll be in my hand and firing an arrow before the threat can register my first movement.
I wait a few beats and to my surprise, movement comes from where the small foot was showing.
