I ended the call, then placed the phone on the countertop. Grasping the letter, I held it close. Through the curtains, sunlight streamed over the carpet and furniture. I crossed the room and opened the drapes, letting the light inside, feeling its warmth on my skin.
As I stared outside the window, I looked past the parking lot with the fractured asphalt, beyond the crowded seawall littered with refuse, to the ocean. Sapphire blue water spanned toward the horizon.
“Tomorrow,” I repeated to myself, keeping the letter held tightly to my chest. “I’ll see you then.”
COMING SOON IN FALL/WINTER 2017- GRAYGHOST, FAIRY WORLD MD, BOOK SEVEN!
Underworld
“Heidel, hide here,” Maveryck said. Grabbing my arm, he pulled me close to him. We hid in the shadow of a doorway. I scanned the street, looking for what he might’ve seen that had him so spooked, but an empty lane spanned in either direction.
Blocky shapes of soot-covered buildings stood in a line against the horizon, and thick, ash-scented smoke billowed from their chimneys. Maveryck stood motionless beside me, only the quiet sound of his breathing giving away his presence.
Was he really standing here beside me? With the warmth of his body against mine, I gripped his hand.
Yes. He was here. He was alive, and I wouldn’t let him go.
I’d always known, deep in my heart, that he wasn’t dead. But that hadn’t been confirmed until yesterday, when we’d traveled to a wizard’s mountain, and Maveryck had appeared. I still didn’t understand how he’d been brought back. Something to do with magic and the wizard. I didn’t really care how it had happened. He was back with me again, and that was all that mattered.
“They’re coming,” Maveryck said, keeping his hand on my arm.
I grabbed my knife from the sheath at my belt, holding it in a firm grip. A group of soldiers marched toward us, wearing armor and helmets, carrying pikes with sharpened tips. Their armor clanked as they walked, echoing through the canyon of buildings. I held my breath as they filed past. The necklace I wore warmed my skin, its magic reacting to a spell that was meant to keep me disguised.
I didn’t trust any magic, to be honest, which made me wonder how it was I was so attracted to Maveryck. He was a magic user, one of the best. He was also a person of mystery and intrigue, someone I had yet to understand. Maybe now, I would finally get my chance.
When the guards passed, we waited a few tense moments before stepping out onto the street.
“Let’s hurry,” he said, clutching my hand.
I kept my knife gripped in my other hand, itching to use it. Chills prickled the back of my neck. I hadn’t been able to shake them since I’d entered through the city gates. The soulless gazes of the people, their eyes tinted red, wasn’t helping with the unease.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“We need to find a way underground. The unicorn’s stone will be powering the machine somewhere below the city.”
We walked at a brisk pace, passing empty homes with broken doors and busted windows. The colors of black and gray were putting me in a somber mood. The sky was also gray and filled with smoke, stale air carrying its scent. At least there weren’t any people in this part of the city.
A stairway leading underground loomed ahead of us.
“There,” Maveryck said. “That should take us where we need to go.”
I followed him down the steps, our footfalls echoing, mingling with the sound of dripping water. The only light came from fixtures in the walls that buzzed with an electric glow. The air was dank and uncomfortable. Dampness made the area smell of mold.
We headed down a path that weaved through brick-lined passageways. A few people passed us, though none glanced our way. Most wore tattered robes and held the same empty, hollow expressions as the others in the city.
A doorway loomed ahead of us. Maveryck stood in front, pausing to glance in either direction before opening the knob and ducking inside. I followed him in.
Mechanical clanking came from up ahead. After walking through a passageway, we stepped into a large room. A behemoth of a machine rose over us. Gears, tubes, and metal plates comprised the engine.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“One of the many machines supplying power to the city. This is only one of twelve. If we want to find the unicorn’s stone, we’ll have to follow the power conduits to the source of where this machine is being supplied its energy. It’ll most likely be guarded. Be on the lookout.”
“Fine. But I’ll have you know, I want to get this quest over with as soon as possible. This wasn’t the way I’d planned to spend our reunion.”
He gave me a small smile. “You’d already made plans?”
“Yes. I never believed you were really dead. Everyone else thought so. But not me.”
“Pray tell, what were these plans?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I kissed his cheek. Why did nervousness make my heart flutter? Perhaps I realized our time apart had made us grow distant. Perhaps I realized I didn’t know him anymore, that he was a different man now.
For one thing, he didn’t look the way I remembered. He wore plain beige robes tied with a common rope belt. Gone was the haughtiness in his eyes, the fancy elven robes, the aloofness. I wasn’t complaining; I’d never been fond of his greater-than-thou attitude. But who was he now?
“What are you thinking of?” he asked.
“I’m just not sure who you are anymore.”
“What do you mean by that?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. We’ve been apart for too long.”
Worry crossed his face, but it only lasted a moment. “Then you’re right.” He kissed my forehead. “We’d better hurry and retrieve that stone.”
Maybe we’d get to know one another by then. Or maybe we’d grow apart. I prayed that didn’t happen. I’d been apart from him too long, that was all.
We circled the machine, the sound of our
