“Yeah,” I say, nodding. “I found her way further down than that. It was like the lower I got, the less air there was. She flaked out and I was carrying her back up. I was almost at the top and my foot slipped. I regained my balance, but then the gate slammed shut and it was pitch-black. I lost my footing again and down we went.”
“The gate slammed shut?” Sunday asked.
I nodded.
“Probably best to keep that from Sailor. She’ll only end up saying it was Ms. Price and she’s trying to kill her.”
“You think it could have been that? Not necessarily Ms. Price, but a member of Boundless?”
“Who knows. Maybe the power didn’t want you to leave.” Sunday shrugs.
“The power? What do you mean?” I ask.
“It’s what Sailor said made her go down there. She was on her way here, and she said the pull from the area was so strong and the gem in her chest started glowing and it was burning her. She didn’t really understand it herself, but she said she knew instinctively that the only way to stop the burning was to follow the pull she could feel. That’s when she texted you. She said she hoped we’d be there by the time she got to the alley, but when we weren’t, she leaned back against the wall to wait for us. As soon as she touched the wall, she felt it shifting and jumped back. When she turned around, the gate had appeared.
“Once the gate appeared, she said she could hear a ringing in her ears, so loud she couldn’t hear anything else. She felt dizzy, and she reached out her hand to steady herself. It touched the gate, and the burning in her chest got worse. She said she tried to pull her hand back, but as she moved it, the gate swung open. She said it felt like she was in a trance and she stepped past the gate and saw the staircase. She wanted to wait for us, but she said the burning in her chest and the ringing in her ears was agony and stepping forward seemed to ease it.
“She started down the stairs, and the lower she got, the less pain she felt. By the time it had eased off enough for her to become really aware of what was happening around her, she realized she couldn’t breathe. She knew she went too far to make it back, so she pressed on, hoping to find a way out. She tripped and fell and that’s the last thing she remembers before we pulled you both out.”
“Shit,” I say, surprised. “So she was actually going to wait for us?”
Sunday nods.
“Yeah. She said she was, and I’m inclined to believe her. She’s never lied to us about anything like that. She’d have just shrugged and said she thought she’d be okay alone.”
I nod. That’s definitely what she would have done. She’s definitely headstrong, but she’s never tried to keep it a secret. If she thinks she can handle it, she lets you know.
“What the hell is down there?” I muse.
“I don’t know. But if I had to hazard a guess, from what Sailor said about the gem lighting up, I’d guess it was the second Soul Gem. And if it’s reaching out to Sailor like that, she doesn’t have much choice but to try again.”
***
I take a deep breath, nervous suddenly. I shift from foot to foot and run one hand through my hair. I tell myself to get a grip. I’m a god, not some scared teenage boy. I have faced demons that would scare the average human to death just looking at them. I have fought creatures that could kill me without even trying. And here I am, a fucking wreck at the thought of facing Adam, Sailor’s dad.
I smile to myself. Maybe when it comes to matters of the heart I am just a normal teenage boy. I for sure don’t seem to be able to get my shit together with Sailor. I reach out and knock on the door before I can change my mind.
I wait, suddenly feeling stupid for buying a gigantic bunch of flowers. What if Adam turns me away? What if Sailor doesn’t want to see me because I wasn’t there when she needed me?
My thoughts are still buzzing around in my head when the door opens and Adam stands there. He beams when he sees me. It doesn’t mean Sailor has forgiven me for not being there for her, but it means she at least calmed down enough that she hasn’t told her dad she hates me.
“Rye. What a nice surprise,” Adam says. He looks at the flowers and his smile widens. “Purple calla lilies and lilacs. Sailor’s favorites.”
“Yes sir,” I reply, not really knowing what else to say.
“You even managed to find the sensation lilacs and the two-tone lilies,” Adam says with approval and a raised eyebrow. “Where did you find those around here at this time of the year?”
I can hardly tell him I convinced Nexus to enchant them to look this way. Instead I smile again.
“I know a guy,” I say.
“That’s usually a bad thing,” Adam says, eyeing me carefully.
I think I said the wrong thing, but then he laughs softly.
“But I guess seeing as your guy is a florist I probably have nothing to worry about.”
“No sir, you don’t,” I say.
He holds his hands out for the flowers. I hand them over, not really knowing what else to do with them.
“Thank you for dropping by. And thank you for these. I’ll let Sailor know you stopped by. I’m sure she’ll be pleased.”
“No, please. I need to see her,” I say before I can stop
