Feel the Burn (24 page)

Occasional deep recesses pitted the walls of this cave and blue goop clung in clumps everywhere, glowing the same blue as the water. I spied some of the flitting insects that the fae usually gobbled up quick. I got distracted when I tried to follow one. It moved sporadically through the air as though on strings, jerking up then back down, causing tiny showers of light. Kassie had the same idea and caught one in an air bubble, bringing it down between her hands. I moved next to her.

‘Oooo.’

The pale, nearly transparent body, hunched around like a prawn, looked like a type of fae. Long thin white hairs bristled out all around it, the hairs each tipped with a glowing dot. The strange fae jerked in the air bubble and a few of those glowing dots fell off the hairs and stuck to Kassie’s palms, glowing still.

‘What is it?’ Sian asked beside me. Her breath jostled the air bubble and a couple more lights fell to Kassie’s hands.

‘Not sure,’ I murmured while peering closer at the fae. It didn’t seem disturbed and I only then noticed the wings, transparent like the rest of it, when one of the glowing dots stuck to the edge of a wing and gave it away. It fluttered at hummingbird speed and while I watched, a sheen appeared over the creature’s skin for an instant, then a glowing dot developed at the base of one of the hairs and started moving along it.

‘It’s some sort of secretion.’

The little dot of luminescence kept moving along the hair until it reached the end, where it gathered, a tiny glowing orb.

‘Can I eat it?’

The tiny voice spoke from my shoulder and I glanced to see Leynorah perched there, her enormous eyes fixed on the glowing fae. Beyond Leynorah I spotted Ignatius walking our way with a serious expression. Sian saw him too and we exchanged a glance.

‘Please?’ Leynorah’s wistful tone made me look at her in amusement.

‘Didn’t you eat enough with the griffons?’

‘But eshries are yum! All sweet’n’sticky.’ Leynorah flicked her tongue over her teeth, making the tiny fangs wink in the light that Kassie’s energy put out.

‘Please?’

At the same time Ignatius cleared his throat in a purposeful manner and Kassie sighed.

‘Fine,’ she muttered, releasing the bubble and we turned to Ignatius while Leynorah gave an excited squeal that sounded just like a high whistle before she lunged at the fae.

‘Just to let you know, when the Nyjens return don’t speak a word of their loss, okay?’ Ignatius stared at us, waiting for our nods before continuing. ‘It’s against their customs to mourn until they set foot on their realm. Not a word or sympathetic look.’

After that cheery conversation, Sian decided to go exploring. It felt peculiar to pretend something awful hadn’t happened but she understood it too and the cave proved a good distraction. The blue stuff that clung everywhere felt like gungy moss, slimy with an underlying coarseness. Sian prodded it again then pulled back, staring at her fingers now covered in the glowing blue substance.

‘Weird,’ she muttered and looked around for the others. Kassie helped Rumal with setting up and Daron spoke with a group of goblins. Cat and Loi helped Leseach with something.

Sian resisted the urge to go help set up camp. We have plenty of time for that, she thought. Her internal clock suggested at least two hours before time to bunk down. When she turned her attention back to the cave a faint breeze caught her attention and the wall beneath her fingers vanished into a small alcove. Sian crouched in front of the low entrance then made a quick glance to see if anyone watched. No one did and she crawled into the small opening. It widened quickly and she knelt, sitting on her heels and created an energy ball for light. The cavity was large enough for her to stand, the ceiling still another meter or so above and Sian looked up when the light from her energy reflected off something—a brief slash of diagonal light. Reaching, she touched what felt like a sticky piece of taut string. It pinged when she pulled back then began glowing, a beautiful gold shimmer swelling out from her touch, lighting the length of string. On the ceiling of the small cave lights started to appear, egg-shapes about the size of Daron’s hand in a variety of colors; blue, green, violet, and pink.

Sian sucked a breath in when more and more lights lit up, creating a stunning display and revealing the mass of strings just above her head.

Good thing I’m short, she thought, staring up at the lattice of them, looking like an elaborate laser light display. That lovely gold color continued up the strings toward the egg shapes. While she watched it move, a sound caught her attention. An unusual noise with a crisp edge, it reminded her of crickets in summer. One of the golden lights reached the ceiling and stayed there while the light trail along the string it had followed faded. One of the egg shapes started to move. It shifted steadily past the others until it reached the now invisible string and latched on, then started to slide down the string which angled across the room and drew near Sian’s face. She squinted as it got closer, trying to make out the queer shape. The large central oval had long finger-like portions tucked around it. The crisp vibrating noise grew louder and Sian’s skin prickled while she stared at the shape with apprehension, wondering why it looked familiar. Her heart thudded and ears got hot when the glowing oval shape started to unravel, the finger-like portions pulling back, revealing a segmented abdomen.

The cool clinical part of her mind counted eight legs and observed the fangs when the arachnid of some kind reared up with a hiss, its color flicking to pulsing red. The spider leaped off the string and latched onto her arm.

Daron heard the strange choked scream and moved without thinking. Snatching an axe from the ground he bolted toward the sound while the other three girls flared bright. Sian shoved out through a tiny entrance in the wall, screaming and shaking. Daron stopped short, gaping, his brain not making sense of the angry red creatures swarming over her. She wheeled and leaped about, trying to dislodge the things and one leaped off her, landing on his arm. The spider bit into the chainmail, unable to reach him and stuck to his arm. Using the back of the axe he scraped it off, flicking it to the ground and slammed his boot down, crushing it. A sharp whistle pierced the air and a flurry of small red and black bodies flashed past Daron.

‘Get them off! Get them off!’ Sian shrieked, dancing all over the place while the Halenine fae plucked the spiders off one by one, biting or stinging them, then dropped the corpses in a growing pile.

A muffled gasp made Daron twist and he saw Kassie, Cat, and Loi, staring at Sian and the pile. A spider dropped off Sian and scuttled toward the girls who reacted in an instant. Loi darted behind Sabyn and Rumal, who’d just arrived. Kassie froze and Cat glared at it. With a bright flash the spider combusted on the spot and Cat gave a satisfied nod, meeting Daron’s eye with a cheeky smirk. The absurdity of it all struck, even more so when he turned and saw all the armed and ready soldiers and allies staring in confusion at the dead spiders. Daron started to laugh.

‘Well, Pix. Looks like you found a good dinner for the fae.’

Sian scowled while vigorously rubbing her arachnid free limbs.

‘Funny. Oh god, I can still feel them! I want a bath,’ she wailed.

Those watching laughed and moved back to what they’d been doing before the sudden performance and Daron reached for Sian, pulling her in for a hug while she twisted and squirmed.

‘They’re all gone, Pix. Every last one.’ He pointed to the fae zipping out of the hole, carrying the rest of the spiders. Sian shuddered and pressed her face to his chest.

‘Don’t show me! I’ve seen enough. Let’s go set up our area.’

*~*~*

Chapter Seventeen

I left Sian and Daron and walked to the water’s edge where Gredel stood, both hands busy as he jabbed a spear into the water and yanked something out. He turned and tossed a fish onto the rocks.

‘Whoa!’

Flaring a hand brighter, I leaned to look at the fish then turned to Gredel.

‘Look at the size of those teeth! Are there many in there? What do they eat?’

Still flopping and gasping, the trout sized fish revealed the most unbelievable set of teeth; sharp canines the size of my pinkie finger. Gredel, in the midst of drawing the spear in with another fish writhing on the end of it, glanced my way.

‘Eels, Cat. The fish need big teeth to pull them out from under the rocks. They’re quite strong, eels.’

Eels as well as those horrid fish? I shuddered while looking at the glowing water. Steam wafted gently off the top and I could feel the lovely heat beneath the rocks, it sang to my energy.

‘Will it be safe to swim in?’

Gredel laughed his faint wisp of a laugh and set to gutting the fish.

‘They won’t bother you, Cat.’

I eyed the water wistfully and hoped he was right and sat, watching him work. The smell of fish made my nose wrinkle. Gredel spotted it and sat back on his heels.

‘What?’

‘Nothing. Just don’t like the smell.’

‘Fresh fish don’t smell.’

‘Pfftt. Says you. I smell them just fine.’

Gredel shook his head and continued working at the fish. While watching I asked, ‘Do Citaan and Rirae like fish?’

It felt comforting in his presence. Gredel, no matter the situation, always managed to stay calm and it made me miss Citaan; the woman’s joyful light company the perfect accompaniment to Gredel. Phroma silently joined us making me start when she bent to clean up the pieces he’d removed and he murmured to her, reaching out a large rough hand to stroke over her beak. The simple, peaceful moment was broken by a shout and I twisted in time to see a bunch of butt naked soldiers and allies dash past into the water; a bemused looking Kassie standing a few feet back. Hearing Gredel laugh again I turned back and he pointed at a long narrow rock that nearly divided the pool.

‘You’ll want to swim over there, I’ve checked it already.’

Thanking him, I stood and made my way to where Leseach had set the tent up. It felt a little odd to sleep in a tent when no one else did, but I appreciated the privacy and familiar walls each evening. Leseach rummaged through the small carry bags when I reached her and dragged a couple of drying towels out.

‘Wanting to go for a swim?’

I nodded and she motioned for me to turn, unfastening the seam in my chainmail. I felt naked without the light weight and pressure even though I stood in the undergarments.

‘Leave those on until we reach the water. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to strip off fully.’

I snorted and crossed my arms over my chest.

‘Not to worry, Leseach. I wasn’t intending to.’

The Northerner flicked a glance at me, lips curving in a teasing smile.

‘You humans.’

Loi waved from across the way and I walked over, joining her and Sian, also in their undergarments. Kassie already stood at the waters edge, teasing and laughing with the men.

‘God she’s such a little voyeur,’ Sian muttered and we chuckled, walking to the other side of the water while snagging Kassie on the way.

Loi cut her a sideways glance.

‘Enjoying yourself?’

Kassie giggled.

‘Gotta have some fun before I die.’

At the water’s edge we stripped off and slipped into the water, well hidden from the others by that long narrow rock. The water felt gorgeous, just warm enough to relax and heat the body through.

‘Oooo wow,’ breathed Loi.

‘Perfect,’ agreed Sian, Kassie, and I.

The water felt different to water above ground, a little thicker and silky. I moved slowly to the deeper end near the back wall until my shoulders slipped underneath too and sighed in pleasure.

Wish Al was here. Not that there would have been the opportunity for a romantic dip together, I thought wryly, listening to the noise of them on the other side. I noticed Sito and the other griffons enter the cave, Phroma already lay sprawled on the rocks in front of the lake watching everyone swim and the Halenine fae with their inexhaustible appetites scoured the water’s surface for bugs.

‘I thought Sianny’s spider stash would have kept them fed for a while.’

Kassie sagely agreed.

‘Me too.’

‘How many spiders did you find?’ Loi teased.

Sian’s face wasn’t distinguishable in the light but her tone was.

‘You know, I didn’t think to count.’

The glowing water gave off enough light to see around the pool but the others looked like shadows to me.

‘Where’s Leseach?’ I twisted about looking. ‘She was right behind me.’

‘There, over by the guys area,’ said Sian.

In the light from the torches by the men’s area I could make out Leseach’s form, standing conversing with someone.

Kassie moved closer to me, sloshing water on my face while she squinted.

‘Who’s she talking to?’

‘Rashid,’ said Loi, closer than the three of us.

Leseach pulled away and walked briskly to our side and the four of us all found reason to look elsewhere when she entered the water and dived, emerging on the far side of where we stood.

‘Pleasant,’ she asserted in her brisk tone, ignoring us and started to swim laps of the small pool.

Someone seems grouchy,
Sian thought.

You guys should have seen them in the tunnel,
I thought and showed them the argument.

Loi’s laugh echoed in my mind,
I wonder if they’ll ever hook up?

If by hook up you mean Leseach’s fist connecting with his jaw,
thought Kassie.
Then I’m in agreement.

Shouts echoed from the guys’ side and the occasional splashes too so we decided to finish up before they caught us out.

‘Bonus of no sand,’ said Kassie and she sat on a rock to get her pants on. While technically true, the small shards of rock that clung determinedly to my damp skin were nearly as bad and I shuffled on my seat, squeezing a hand up a pant leg to loosen and shake out another little stone. We finished dressing just in time, the men all starting to climb out in good spirits. Leaving them to it I went to join Loushka who rested with Kerak near the entrance to the cave.

‘How was the freaky squid?’

‘Dynahck, Cat. It’s called a dynahck. And very tasty,’
she purred the last words, rolling toward Kerak who made a happy trill.

‘Glad it didn’t go to waste. How’s the armor, any sore spots?’

‘An itchy spot on my flank, do you mind?’
she stretched her leg out.
‘Ooo, that’s it, just a bit further over.’

Kerak seemed to ignore us, resting his massive head over Loushka’s back, his eyes dreamy and I laughed, reaching out to pat his beak when I’d scratched the itchy spot to Loushka’s contentment.

‘Nice and full, Kerak?’

He hummed a purr, making me smile. I picked out a spot to sit, tucked against the side of Loushka’s neck and amused myself by trying to get the tufts of mane back under her armor. Soldiers and allies went through their usual evening routines of checking weapons, arguing about techniques, investigating the nooks and crannies, and generally giving one another a hard time, raucous laughter ringing throughout the cave. The fish Gredel caught made a nice addition to dinner with our head chef creating another interesting stew. While we finished up Larvaste took center stage in front of the fire I’d created, calling all attention to him and he outlined the plan.

‘We have six days, possibly seven, and as you’ve seen the closer we get to the surface the more creatures we’ll come across. Watch your step and report anything unusual.’

I stared around the cave looking at all the faces and cautiously glanced at the Nyjens. The dark skinned elves nodded along with everyone else and I couldn’t decide if they looked different, affected, at all. Sterner perhaps? I bit the inside of my cheek and looked away before I accidentally conveyed sympathy in my face. It felt so wrong to pretend it hadn’t happened but I could, on a certain level, understand it.

With nothing else to do, everyone, other than those on first watch, went to bed and for the first night in a while I had difficulty getting to sleep. The awful crack of the neck breaking sounded loud in my mind with the cave so quiet.

Rumal woke her in the morning and Kassie groaned when she sat up.

‘Those bedrolls really aren’t thick enough,’ she grumbled.

‘There isn’t thick enough when you sleep on rocks,’ Rumal said, already dressed. He offered a mug of nellor and even better, a kiss. Kassie ignored the nellor, leaving Rumal to hold it while she ran her hands over the rough stubble on his jaw and savored his lips. ‘Mmmmmm.’

He smiled and offered her the mug again when they separated.

‘Here, take this and go sit with Cat. I’ll finish packing.’

She accepted the mug but reached for his face again and smiled when those gold eyes whirled, the darkness of the caves making them more prominent than ever. Rumal dropped a quick kiss to her forehead.

‘Go on, love. We’re leaving shortly.’

Picking her way across the rocky floor Kassie joined Cat who sat watching the soldiers packing gear onto the griffons and Sito.

‘Morning.’

Cat twisted and smiled with warm eyes.

‘Morning, Kass.’

Having a seat beside her on the rolled bedroll, Kassie slung an arm around her friend’s lower back and leaned her head on Cat’s shoulder.

How you doing?

Her head lifted with Cat’s sigh.

Fine.

The tinge of sadness in that thought made Kassie hug her. Cat leaned her head on Kassie’s while they watched Gredel instruct some of the allies on how to strap the packs to Phroma’s armor.