Chapter 26

26

Sections of ground rose straight up like sentries. Other parts of the water’s edge were as high as small hills. Farther behind were the walls separating the Lotus River from other parts of the underground. Dain swept his gaze from side to side as he walked along the jagged shoreline, looking for any signs of Reva .

He had serious doubts that she was still alive. Despite Yasmin’s assurance that the human was, Dain hadn’t seen any trace of her. Not that he expected a human to last long in the Below . They had worse eyesight than elves, making them all but blind in the Dark’s domain.

Every once in a while, a plop from the river caught his attention, but he wasn’t fast enough to catch sight of what it was yet. There were other things to see. Skeletal remains mixed with animal bones. Those didn’t bother him. The skittering noises and falling rocks telling him he was being stalked did. He had spotted several different creatures before they ducked into hiding. It could be any number of them.

Dain was about to return to the others when he spotted the outline of a small shoeprint along the shore. It was only a partial, but someone’s foot had slipped on the rock and landed in the soft sand. He squatted to get a better look and then gazed ahead, searching for more. He found two.

He paused to listen before rising. Whatever was hunting him seemed to be getting closer. Dain straightened and started walking. He didn’t get far before he saw the first signs of the web. He hated fucking spidorbs.

The sound of small rocks tumbling behind him told him that his time was running out. He cautiously took a few steps forward, magic at the ready. On his third step, something moved in front of him. To his shock, it was Reva , holding a sizable rock in each hand. She raised one, ready to throw it. That’s when Dain saw movement from something rising behind her. Alarm shot through him. He glanced to the side to see others descending from above.

“ It seems humans are hardier than I thought,” Dain said.

Reva’s gaze searched the darkness, looking for him. Her frown vanished. “ I’d recognize that voice anywhere.”

“ Reva . I want you to listen to me carefully. Come toward my voice. Right now. And move quickly.”

She did exactly as he said. As Reva walked closer, Dain was already gathering the shadows, but the spidorbs kept stalking them.

“ Run !” he shouted.

Reva sprinted forward at the same time he hurried to her. The moment he had her in his arms, the shadows closed around them, just as the spidorbs behind her reached out a leg for Reva . The human’s hold was tight, her face buried in his chest. Dain considered returning to the others but decided to take her back to her flat instead.

She didn’t let go of him, even when the shadows fell away. He was shocked to find that he had wrapped an arm around her. Dain released her and waited for her to do the same.

“ Open your eyes,” he bade when she didn’t move.

Reva leaned her head back and lifted her lids. Surprise colored her face when she realized where she was. “ How did you know where I live?”

“ Sidiq . I went looking for you when he mentioned you were missing for the same amount of time as Arya .”

She nodded, dropped her arms, and stepped back, putting some space between them. “ I didn’t think anyone would ever find me. I expected to die in the river. That was preferable to what would have happened if I was handed over to…” She shrugged, the words falling away as if she couldn’t find the strength to say them.

“ It took guts to jump into the water.” He studied her, noticing how her gaze darted around as if waiting for something to jump out at her. She fidgeted with her fingers and then finally crossed her arms to hug her waist.

“ It’s over, then?”

He wished he could tell her it was, but she wouldn’t appreciate the lie. “ Not yet. I’m going back to help my friends.”

“ And Jai ?”

Dain lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “ I’m hoping to find out.”

“ Thank you. For finding me,” she added in a soft voice.

“ You’re welcome.”

Her gaze locked with his. “ Good luck.”