and slipped through another rift before we could see how they summoned it.”
“And you thought we would do the same?”
“Are you not with the others?”
This circle jerk wasn’t satisfying anyone. “Who the hell are these others you keep yapping about?”
“The ones who came through the sky.”
Karra put her free hand on her hip and glared at the woman on her knees. “Look, I’m losing my patience. This roundabout effort to tell us as little as possible is going to get you gutted. Now start giving us something that makes sense.”
Mia met Karra’s stare for a moment, but there was no way she could hold out against the twin furies that seared her soul. I know because it usually takes me about fifteen seconds to cave. Mia was an inspiration, though. It took her all of a minute.
She sighed. “We felt the aperture open, its energies alerting all of Tenebrae, but the guardians appeared and chased you away before we could see how you operated the passageway.”
“Are you talking about the dragons?” I asked, since it was clear we weren’t getting anywhere with the portal business.
The green woman looked at me, confusion plastered across her face.
“The big winged things with teeth?” Karra corrected, getting a nod from Mia.
“Yes. They are the guardians of Tenebrae.”
Rahim glanced about the swarm of pink trees, gesturing to the desolate surroundings with his remaining hand. “What exactly do they guard?”
“Us.”
“Uh, and why is that?” I asked.
“To keep us here.”
“In a place where no one knows how to leave?” I tried to shake the stupid off. “Am the only one who’s confused?”
“We are so not getting anywhere,” Karra groused, grabbing the woman by the scruff of her neck and pulling her to her feet. “You said the others are gone, right? Which way did they go? Tell me when we’re facing the right direction.”
Karra spun the woman around slowly until Mia called out. We all glanced off that way, pretty much realizing at the same time that she was pointing us in the exact same direction we had already been going: straight toward the mountain.
“That was helpful,” I muttered while Karra suggested pointedly that Mia lead the way after she tied a line of material to the woman’s hands, effectively putting her on a leash.
The green woman started off, and we were on our way…again…exactly like we had been before we captured our illustrious guide.
Good thing we weren’t paying her.
Seven
They say life is about the journey, and not the destination.
Well, fuck those guys! After about two long-assed hours of walking through the maze of trees, the sun mostly blocked from view by weird, purple leaves, I was getting damn sick of the journey. And screw all that believing stuff, Steve Perry. I’ll stop believing if I damn well please.
“Seriously, how in the hell do you have any idea where you’re going in this Godforsaken forest of pink doom?”
Mia grinned, pointing at the nearest tree. “All of the trunks lean in the same direction.”
I followed her finger and sure enough, they did. While it wasn’t overtly obvious, the moment Mia mentioned it I could see exactly what she was talking about. All of the trees had a slight slope to their trunks that seemed to angle the same way.
“Where do they lead?”
“Toward the Sanctuarium Custodes , of course.”
“Of course.” My Latin was pretty rusty, but so was hers, apparently, not that I had any clue as to why she would speak Latin in the first place. Had to be a trick of whatever power allowed her to speak English. “The Sanctuary of the Guardians. How…creative.”
She shrugged. “It is what our ancestors called it, so who are we to question?”
“Your ancestors?” Rahim asked, showing signs of life for the first time in a while as he drew closer. “Were you not trapped here by God?”
She spit. “We have no gods but the beasts,” Mia said, pointing toward the mountain, the conviction in her
“And you thought we would do the same?”
“Are you not with the others?”
This circle jerk wasn’t satisfying anyone. “Who the hell are these others you keep yapping about?”
“The ones who came through the sky.”
Karra put her free hand on her hip and glared at the woman on her knees. “Look, I’m losing my patience. This roundabout effort to tell us as little as possible is going to get you gutted. Now start giving us something that makes sense.”
Mia met Karra’s stare for a moment, but there was no way she could hold out against the twin furies that seared her soul. I know because it usually takes me about fifteen seconds to cave. Mia was an inspiration, though. It took her all of a minute.
She sighed. “We felt the aperture open, its energies alerting all of Tenebrae, but the guardians appeared and chased you away before we could see how you operated the passageway.”
“Are you talking about the dragons?” I asked, since it was clear we weren’t getting anywhere with the portal business.
The green woman looked at me, confusion plastered across her face.
“The big winged things with teeth?” Karra corrected, getting a nod from Mia.
“Yes. They are the guardians of Tenebrae.”
Rahim glanced about the swarm of pink trees, gesturing to the desolate surroundings with his remaining hand. “What exactly do they guard?”
“Us.”
“Uh, and why is that?” I asked.
“To keep us here.”
“In a place where no one knows how to leave?” I tried to shake the stupid off. “Am the only one who’s confused?”
“We are so not getting anywhere,” Karra groused, grabbing the woman by the scruff of her neck and pulling her to her feet. “You said the others are gone, right? Which way did they go? Tell me when we’re facing the right direction.”
Karra spun the woman around slowly until Mia called out. We all glanced off that way, pretty much realizing at the same time that she was pointing us in the exact same direction we had already been going: straight toward the mountain.
“That was helpful,” I muttered while Karra suggested pointedly that Mia lead the way after she tied a line of material to the woman’s hands, effectively putting her on a leash.
The green woman started off, and we were on our way…again…exactly like we had been before we captured our illustrious guide.
Good thing we weren’t paying her.
Seven
They say life is about the journey, and not the destination.
Well, fuck those guys! After about two long-assed hours of walking through the maze of trees, the sun mostly blocked from view by weird, purple leaves, I was getting damn sick of the journey. And screw all that believing stuff, Steve Perry. I’ll stop believing if I damn well please.
“Seriously, how in the hell do you have any idea where you’re going in this Godforsaken forest of pink doom?”
Mia grinned, pointing at the nearest tree. “All of the trunks lean in the same direction.”
I followed her finger and sure enough, they did. While it wasn’t overtly obvious, the moment Mia mentioned it I could see exactly what she was talking about. All of the trees had a slight slope to their trunks that seemed to angle the same way.
“Where do they lead?”
“Toward the Sanctuarium Custodes , of course.”
“Of course.” My Latin was pretty rusty, but so was hers, apparently, not that I had any clue as to why she would speak Latin in the first place. Had to be a trick of whatever power allowed her to speak English. “The Sanctuary of the Guardians. How…creative.”
She shrugged. “It is what our ancestors called it, so who are we to question?”
“Your ancestors?” Rahim asked, showing signs of life for the first time in a while as he drew closer. “Were you not trapped here by God?”
She spit. “We have no gods but the beasts,” Mia said, pointing toward the mountain, the conviction in her
Similar Books
