28. Twenty-Nine Maeve

" S omeone pinched my arse," Flynn squealed.

"Meeorrw!"

"Shut up, Flynn." Corbin shot back.

"But it's such a bloody nice arse," Blake said. "And Arthur won't move up and give me more room."

"My shoulders are stuck," Arthur groaned, grinding his enormous arms into the rough walls in an attempt to dislodge himself. I winced as my arm scraped against the sharp stone. The passage was too narrow for me to walk straight ahead. I had to shuffle sideways. I couldn't imagine how uncomfortable it was for Arthur.

"Everyone, quit your bickering," Corbin said, his voice stern. "I'm shutting the door now. Arthur, we need light. Flynn, we need absolute fucking silence."

"Aye, Aye, Mussolini," Flynn shot back.

Corbin pulled the cellar door shut behind him, plunging the tunnel into darkness. "I'm on it," Arthur said from in front of me. A moment later, a small flame flared to life, casting a flickering glow over the rough walls and Arthur's strangely calm expression.

"Hold out your hand," Arthur told me. I complied, and he rolled the tiny fireball onto my fingers. Heat flared in my skin, but the fire hovered an inch above my palm as I moved it back and forth. Cool.

"Pass that back," he said. "I'll make you another one."

I rolled the ball onto Flynn's palm. The firelight caught Flynn's features. His usually bright eyes were wide and terrified. His red hair flopped over one side of his face – a complete mess. He turned and passed the fireball to Blake, while Arthur rolled another on to my fingers, and cast a third for himself.

"Three will do," he stage-whispered.

Arthur started to move along the tunnel, sliding his bulk along the rough walls. I followed him, carefully planting my feet on the uneven ground. Above our heads, the castle groaned and banged. What are they doing to Briarwood?

Tears stung my eyes. I blinked them away. I couldn't think about it now. We were alive. We were getting out of here. We'd live to fight another day. That was the important thing. Even if they tore down every single stone, Briarwood would live on inside us.

The bangs and bumps above us faded as inch by inch we made our way further from Briarwood and deeper into the dark tunnel. I wondered how far we'd have to run on the other side to make it to Raynard Hall. I bet Flynn will love hiding out in his artistic idol's house ? —

Ahead of me, Arthur groaned – a deep, inhuman sound that made my blood run cold. He stopped dead in his tracks and I crashed into him. My hand slammed into the wall, snuffing out the flame and plunging my section of the tunnel into darkness. Behind me, Flynn's body slammed into me, his elbow digging between my shoulder blades.

Rowan grunted. Blake yelped. Corbin yelled something, but I couldn't make it out. Blood pounded in my ears. I settled my hand on Arthur's shoulder. He trembled – was that rage, or fear? "Arthur, what happened? What's going on?"

"The tunnel is bricked up," Arthur growled. "There's no way out."