Taken by Karice Bolton Page B

themselves whether we’re ready or not.”
    “And are we ever really ready?” she laughed.
    “No. Not really.”
    “Nice work,” Cyril hollered from behind.
    “How’d you guys spot this?” Athen asked.
    “It was Ana,” Arie chimed in.
    “ No surprise there,” Athen teased.
    “Hey,” Arie swatted her brother , and I couldn’t help but feel satisfied from my discovery. I might trip over my own two feet from time to time, but at least I was observant.
    His lips arched into the smile I adored, and I could tell my discovery made him proud.
    “It’s time.” I smiled at Athen , and he gave me a quick kiss on the top of my head.
    “That it is,” he replied. He looked back at Cyril. “Ready?”
    “As I’ll ever be.”
    Athen and Cyril went up to the concrete square and each took a corner , tossing the block to the side with one swing. I walked up to the entrance and saw the gentle glow of lanterns , but there were no demons in sight — at least no yet.
    I turned to look at Athen and nodded. I wanted to go in first. He touched my shoulder as I ducked into the tunnel. The tunnels walls were compacted soil with support beams in place every few feet, which is where the lanterns hung. A well- worn track was dug into the floor from the dark demons footprints. This tunnel was actively used , and I would be surprised if I didn’t run into a dark demon or two. My movements were muffled by the dirt walls that acted as insulation. B ut that also made it more difficult to detect if any others were hiding around any of the corners.
    Cyril and Athen slid the concrete door back over the opening and Arie followed behind me. My heart was beating quickly. Coming up on a fully functioning operation was always the hardest part. Seeing them before they saw us was crucial to success .
    I crept along the tunnel and slowed once I came upon the first T-section. Athen had caugh t up with me and was by my side as I slid my body along the dirt wall. The tunnel wasn’t lit with any lanterns , and I didn’t feel the presence of any demons, but I couldn’t depend on that alone.
    I stepped toward the opening, readying myself for whatever I might find and was relieved to see absolutely nothing but a collapsed tunnel. Mounds of dirt with a few support beams sticking out proved to be an important reminder of what else could go wrong underground.
    “That’s not comforting,” Athen channeled.
    “No it’s not,” I replied back in our silent speech.
    I continued down the main tunnel with Athen next to me and Cyril and Arie behind us. A slight vibration could be felt coming down the tunnel but mostly silence remained. My pulse quickened to a pace that told me we were almost there. I could feel the wickedness in the air like it was something tangible and it was.
    A sour odor began surfacing, not u nlike the one Arie and I stumbled upon. As a white d emon, none of us should encounter the same watery eyes and dry cough that nagged us in our mortal persona.
    I looked over at Athen and he smirked, crinkling his nose in dist aste , and I couldn’t help but chuckle internally as he tried to lighten the mood .
    We walked a few more steps , and chanting could be heard in the distance . The activity was a live and well . We all stopped and Cyril nodded his head at Arie. She was going to lag behind for a few minutes and jump in once needed. I’m sure Cyril was hoping she’d stay put, but neither of us ever waited on the sidelines.
    Athen and I slowly snaked our way th rough the tunnel with Cyril a few steps behind . As we approached the room that had I scouted out earlier , my adrenaline began pumping. This was it — our time to shine.
    I looked over at Athen and he mouthed, “I love you…be safe.”
    I smiled and mouthed, “Love you too,” before I inched along the wall leading into the opening.
    Everyone that I saw had their eyes closed as they were humming along to a song I didn’t recognize . The re were flames in the center of the room