Chapter 27

The light above my head shattered, and fragmented glass rained down over me. Silent and deafening all at once, I felt a million things hit me. The tiny shards that tore my skin. The smell of the cold, damp cellar and the stench of his hatred. The hiss of air as it rushed from my lungs. The trembling of my limbs as I realized I was about to die. And the cold, hard realization that this time, there was no one to bring me back.

Callum took aim once more. He took a step forward—then dropped at my feet.

I stared, wide-eyed and breathless, as Luc appeared behind him, a dart gun dangling at his side. He fired two more darts into Callum’s neck before stepping over his motionless body and extending his hand to me.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

I didn’t wait for him to ask again. I placed my hand in his, and together we raced down the corridor toward freedom.

Suddenly, I pulled back. “Wait,” I insisted in a hushed voice. “The little girl. We have to find her.”

He frowned at me, visibly torn on what to do. He was already breaking all the rules by helping me. Freeing another prisoner at the risk of getting caught was asking too much.

“Look, I don’t expect you to help me. Save yourself. Go back and tell them you found Callum that way. I can do this on my own.”

“You always think that, but those tunnels are ancient and a labyrinth. You’ll need a guide if you’re going to get out of here.”

Alive. That was the word he almost added to the end of his sentence but didn’t. But we both knew that if they caught me again, I’d be returned to the Nevermore in a coffin, if I returned at all.

“Then help me,” I insisted. “I won’t sleep at night knowing I left her here.”

He raked a frustrated hand through his hair. “Fine, but we need to hurry.”

We doubled back, heading for the room I’d overheard whimpers from. I skidded to a halt. “This is it.” I could sense it. Only the feeling I had was similar to the feeling I had when Peterson showed me the other bodies. The ones that were all dead.

Luc moved me aside, preparing to use his key to open the door, but when he peered in the window, his hand lowered slowly.

I stared at him. What he wasn’t saying said so much. I shoved him aside to look for myself. A small frail child was lying on a table, just like the one in my room. At first, I feared she was dead. That we were too late. But her skin lacked that ashy tone. Sleeping maybe. Hopefully. When her tiny fingers twitched, I nearly squealed out loud. “She’s alive.” I exhaled. “We have to get her.”

It took only moments for Luc to unlock the door, scoop up the limp little girl, and continue back the way we’d come. She was like a ragdoll, her limbs dangling as Luc raced with her in his arms.

Despite the confusing map, the tunnels were relatively easy to navigate. Even littered with debris, broken floors, splintered boards, and crumbling cement, they were in remarkably good shape for something built when the town was first founded, over two hundred years ago.

At the next turn, we hit a roadblock. “Detour,” Luc muttered, setting the little girl down. She was unsteady on her feet but determined. The path split in two, and the route we needed was cut off with chunks of cement and timber.

“We need to go this way.” Luc pointed, then led the way.

The child managed to stay on her tiny feet most of the time, stumbling only a few times. I tugged her back onto her feet and threatened to leave her behind if she fell again. She didn’t after that.

Finally, we rounded a corner and saw the most glorious sign I’d ever laid eyes on. Glowing red letters that read EXIT on a rusted metal box hanging precariously from a wire.

I darted for the door, towing her along, but she suddenly pulled back. I turned to glower at her. “What did I tell you?” I warned.

She shook her head and pointed at the wall. I followed with angry eyes to see what she could possibly be interested in in this purgatory. Luc did the same. That’s when we saw the thin wire threading from a small box mounted on the wall to the door. Luc swore under his breath then apologized. “An alarm. Probably a camera, too.” We hadn’t expected them to monitor this part of the tunnels.

I pushed the little girl back against the wall to keep her out of view, and Luc backed up too.

Well, this is great. Now how would we get out? Luc couldn’t carry the girl the whole way, and with her small legs, we’d never make it two feet from the door before being shot down by one of their men. Okay. Okay. Think. “Maybe we should double back, try to get through the other path.”

Luc shook his head. “There’s no time for that.” He was already collecting broken timber, stacking it so we could reach the wire.

I scanned the rotted top of the doorframe. Maybe there was a way to cut it. “Help me find something sharp,” I snapped impatiently at the child.

She nodded. But as I was busy searching, I turned back to find her standing directly in front of the door. If there were cameras she was giving them a full view.

“Are you crazy?” I half-whispered and half-shouted. “Are you trying to get us all killed? Maybe you’re okay with staying here, but—”

A bright flash of light was followed by a popping sound. Seconds later, smoke curled from the little box, and the light above the door went dark.

With a deep frown, I pulled my gaze from the device back to the little girl. Luc stopped hauling timber and gawked, unsure what to make of any of it.

I crouched down to her level. “That’s why they’re keeping you here, isn’t it?” I nodded, searching her wide dark eyes. “You’re a powerful little witch.” I half smiled. Like me.

She gave a small nod then motioned for us to follow. We dashed toward the door just as the crunch of footsteps sounded from the far end of the tunnel.

“Hurry.” I heaved my weight against the door. Luc joined me, slamming his full weight against it. It didn’t budge. I shoved again, then looked at the little girl. “Can you do something about this?”

I watched as she lowered her little head, closed her enormous eyes, and made the door fly off its hinges with nothing more than her mind.

“Impressive. No wonder they want to control you.” I took her hand again and we ran for the forest. As we reached the tree line, I stole a glance over my shoulder. Two men stood at the threshold, guns aimed in our direction. The little girl stopped, turned, and sealed the door back in place a second before their bullets flew.

I scanned both directions and behind for any threat before pulling the girl out onto the dirt path with me. We emerged at the edge of a small clearing surrounded by towering evergreens.

“Is it possible? We’ve made it.” I searched frantically around us, then my focus landed on our tiny savior. “You’re going to be okay now,” I assured her. “Can you tell me your name?”

Her only response was to stare at me with her large round eyes.

Luc touched my shoulder. “We shouldn’t linger here to find out. Come on.” He pointed. “This way.”

We trudged in silence, the small girl on Luc’s back, me at his side. When I tripped over a fallen branch, he caught me. His hand lingered on mine until I pulled away.

“What you did for this girl…” Luc spoke softly. “I don't think you're as evil as others think you are,” he said without looking at me.

I shrugged off his comment and walked away. He didn’t get to compliment me. Not now. “No,” I said without emotion, “I'm far worse.”

He held my arm to pull me back. “If that were true, I wouldn’t be doing this.” He fished a key from his pocket. A key to my Shaqua band. He unlocked it, and we both watched it fall silently to the forest floor.

My eyes lifted to his. “Thank you.” It was all I could manage since he was still the enemy and all.

We walked a little further before his gaze slid to me. “They have a way of forcing you into seeing things their way. Of doing things their way.”

I don’t think I’d ever heard such regret and sorrow in a voice before. And after my time there, I’d experienced first-hand their manipulative ways. I blew out a weighted sigh, nodding my head. “Yes, Luc. I know.”

The little girl let herself slide down from Luc’s back. Then she froze, refusing to take another step.

“What’s wrong?”

My words hung in the air, suspended in a timeless void as a twig snapped in the woods across from us.