19. Don’t Forget Your Mage

Imiss Soleil's magelights almost as much as I miss Soleil herself. Our light charms are nearly worthless in the oppressive darkness of the upper mine system. I sense the monsters nearby. They're wary of us, but that's not all. They're hungry…and they're angry.

We didn't endear ourselves to them when we freed the dragon.

We've almost made it to the lift when I realize our misstep. Patches swears under his breath, realizing it at nearly the same time.

I grip my hand into a fist. "We have no mage."

And no way to work the lift.

"What do we do?" Patches asks, adjusting the large battle axe on his back.

"I don't suppose you know any magic?"

"I'm afraid not."

I look at Dax, but he shakes his head.

"We'll have to go back for Soleil," I say, praying Davyn and Felicity can hold out until she's made the concoction for Wilder and Gregory.

"What about the male dragon?" Dax asks. "Would he fly us? Can we rappel into the pit?"

"Possibly, but it will take another few days to get to their island."

Patches jerks his head behind me, sensing something. We turn, weapons drawn, and spot light—magelights.

"Soleil," I breathe, hurrying ahead.

But it's not Soleil. It's a man. Tiago comes into view, magelights dancing around him. He holds up his hand in greeting. "I heard you could use a mage."

"How…"

"Soleil sent me. I returned in the dinghy with your ship boys, wanting to check on the state of my men."

There are four of us now—a proper rescue team.

"Know any destruction spells?" I ask, aware that they're just as illegal in his kingdom as mine.

He chuckles, looking sure of himself. "A few."

"Can you manipulate a lever?" I nod toward the lift.

He studies it, frowning. "We're about to find out."

"Why hasn't anything attacked us?"Dax murmurs once we're nearing the door that leads into the bluewood.

I think we all expected to run into trouble by now. In fact, the young mercenary is eager for it.

"They're still licking their wounds from the skirmish up top," I say. "But don't let your guard down. Their emotions are chaotic."

Patches pauses. "I thought you couldn't speak to the monsters."

"I can't." I glance at my companions, realizing they're expecting an explanation. "I just sense things."

"Things like what?" Patches asks.

"Just things. Let's keep moving."

"My second cousins twice removed are twins," Tiago says. "They have a gift, too."

Eager to dispel the tension, I ask, "Oh? What is it?"

"They can make those…what do you call them?" He twirls his finger around.

"A cyclone?" I ask, impressed.

"No." He frowns. "The little ones that pick up dust. Like a whirlwind."

"Oh…" I'm not sure if I should laugh. "I know what you're talking about."

He nods and continues forward, gesturing toward the red door ahead. "Is that the entrance to the bluewood?"

"That's it," Patches says.

Sword drawn, I push through the doorway first, taking a sharp turn, and then pause to scan what I can see of the glowing bluewood past the tunnel.

Tiago exhales as he comes up beside me, awed by the view.

"It's something, isn't it?" I say.

Patches adjusts his battle-axe in his grip and makes an unimpressed noise. "I've had my fill of it. Let's find Davyn and Felicity and get out of here."

"Sounds like a good plan to me." I step into the bluewood, only making it a few steps before I sense several monsters from entirely too close. Trying to figure out which direction they're approaching from, I warn, "Brace yourselves."

"What is it?" Dax asks.

"Mole trolls." I turn, surveying the dimly lit glowing wood. "A small group."

"How many?" Tiago asks.

"I'm not certain."

It's impossible to pinpoint how many sets of emotions I'm feeling, especially when the creatures are so foreign, but it's not the overwhelming cacophony that assaulted me when the monsters gathered outside the dragon's pit. They're close enough, however, that we should see them by now.

"Behind us!" Tiago yells.

Three mole trolls crouch on a shelf in the rock above the tunnel that leads back to the mine door. When they realize they've been spotted, they let out a series of shrill screeches…and leap.

Tiago shoots his pistol at one moments before it crashes into Dax. Another leaps on him, taking him to the ground. I run forward, stabbing my sword between the creature's shoulder blades and then pulling him off the mage.

Dax swiftly takes out the last with his twin blades.

And then it's silent.

Tiago huffs out a breath, pushing himself off the ground. "I owe you, Lukas."

I nod, acknowledging his thanks but still feeling the residual effects of the creatures' final emotions. My stomach rolls, but I focus on my companion's relief, and the nausea eventually passes.

"I didn't even have a chance to lift my axe," Patches complains.

"From the feel of the woods, I'm confident there will be more," I say.

I'm accosted with emotions from all directions, primarily fear and wariness. These creatures are scared of us and our sophisticated weapons.

Thankfully, they haven't realized that if they swarm, we'll be no match for them. So far, only the brave ones have tested us. But it's at least two hours to the hidden entrance—plenty of time for the rest of them to work up their courage and give us a go.

With a sigh, wishing I'd gotten some sleep last night, I lead the group into the wood.