Chapter 10
Jessiah
Rummy hadn’t been able to mount her own horse, but since Xavier helped her into the saddle an hour ago, she’d managed to bite back any complaints.
Matthias hadn’t said much this morning, either. After last night’s rude awakening—and the reminder of what we really had lying ahead of us—we were all subdued. We weren’t on an entertaining adventure. It was a risky, dangerous trip. The stakes were high, and it was important we remember that.
I let my guard down last night. I could feel that something wasn’t right, and I pushed aside those feelings. Those instincts.
The fear in Rummy’s eyes when she was laid out and bleeding?
For a moment, it almost made me care.
More than that, it angered me. I was the commander of Scarlata’s army, yet I couldn’t even protect Rummy from a damn animal attack?
I should have seen it coming. I should have been more prepared. I should have been more—
A pained groan pulled me from my thoughts. I instinctively whipped my head back to survey Rummy.
She already plastered a bullshit smirk onto her face, but she held her left hand over the fresh bandages.
The fresh bandages that were already bleeding through.
“This isn’t going to work.” I pulled my horse to a halt. “You can’t ride like this.”
“I’m fine,” she snapped. “Just peachy. Can we keep going?”
Goddess above. The I’m fine was hard to believe when her entire body was tense and pain practically radiated from her.
“You should be riding with me,” Xavier called out from behind her. “You need more rest, Rum. You shouldn’t be riding your own horse.”
Rather than immediately deny this suggestion like I expected, she lowered her head.
“He’s right.” Matthias, of course, chose this moment to speak for the first time since we’d left camp. “You need all the strength you can get before we pass the Whispering Caves. That wound needs to be as healed as possible before then.”
Rummy closed her eyes and tilted her head up, actually considering this decision.
I couldn’t object. Did I want her riding with Xavier? No. But did I want her riding with me?
Absolutely not.
“Tie her horse to mine,” I insisted. “Make it fast.”
Xavier dismounted, and Rummy attempted to as well, though with far less grace. Once her horse was tied to mine, Xavier hoisted her onto his own horse and settled into the seat behind her.
This was the right decision. I knew that. Rummy wouldn’t have to engage her body as much as she rode. She could focus on resting while Xavier supported her from behind.
Even so, I couldn’t help the frustration swirling inside me as I took off down the path once more.
Fuck, this was going to be a long journey.
It had been a long time since I’d ridden, but it came back to me pretty quickly. My body ached for a while, but I was starting to settle into the calmness.
The first night may have been a bit shocking, but nothing even remotely dangerous appeared in our path since then. The weather cooperated and we hadn’t seen another soul out here. Even Rummy’s wound was beginning to heal.
“It’s been two days,” she said. “Shouldn’t we be at those creepy caves by now?”
“The Whispering Caves,” Matthias corrected. “We’ll be there soon. You really shouldn’t sound so eager.”
I’d heard about the Whispering Caves, but because of my wings, I’d never actually traveled through them myself. I’d always had the privilege of flying above.
“What’s so scary about these caves?” Xavier asked. “Did something happen to you the last time you passed through?”
Matthias, who was now guiding the group, glanced over his shoulder with an eerie look on his face. “All the rumors you’ve heard about them? They should be believed.”
Xavier laughed quietly. “I don’t know, man. I’ve heard some pretty twisted shit. Like it’s full of spirits who can read minds and others that can see into one’s soul.”
Matthias returned his gaze to the front. “Just prepare yourself,” he answered. “Many people lose their minds after walking through these caves. Whatever happens, I can’t afford to lose any of you.”
Rummy remained unusually quiet. Her eyes were locked on Matthias’s back, but she didn’t give the slightest indication that she had even been listening to the conversation.
“Whatever it is, it won’t be a problem,” I said to the group. “We’ll get through the caves quickly, and from there, the journey should be smooth.”
Nobody responded.
The sky grew dark over the next couple of hours. Clouds moved in, blocking out most of the sky, and the forest thinned out as we approached the edge.
Eerie wasn’t a strong enough word. The sun should have been blazing above us, but it was nowhere in sight. Shadow cast over the horizon, and just off in the distance…
“The caves,” Xavier sighed from behind me. “We’re here.”
“Stay quiet,” Matthias said. “Keep your heads down. With any luck, we’ll pass through without issues.”
Right. Because it was always that easy. Matthias’s experience on the way here clearly spooked him, but if it were truly terrible, he wouldn’t be risking the journey once more, right?
“You ready for this?” Xavier asked Rummy.
I kept my attention fixed ahead, even as I listened for her response.
The horses’ hoofbeats went from muted to sharp as we moved from the soft forest floor to the solid rocks that graced the surface of the caverns.
“Please,” Rummy replied, her tone full of forced bravado. “You don’t actually believe in spooky, cursed caves, do you?” Her laughter filled the air, but the sound was hollow.
She was scared.
We approached the massive, cavernous structures with ease, the horses plodding along without concern.
Hell, maybe Rummy was right. Maybe the rumors that cursed the cavern walls were all a load of shit.
A chill ripped down my spine, changing my opinion instantly, and wind howled through our newly exposed surroundings.
The hair on my arms stood on end. “A forest full of hungry ones would make me feel better than this,” I said.
Matthias glanced back, his expression half smile, half grimace. “Careful what you wish for, mate. You don’t want the caves to hear you saying things like that.”
Right.
The shadows of the caves engulfed us as we approached the narrow valley that passed directly through.
It was just wide enough for us to fit between the stone mountains on either side, with nothing but gray rock for a mile, at least.
And the last vestiges of sunlight were completely cut off by the towering structure.
Matthias brought his horse to a stop.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He craned his neck as he looked up at the looming rock, his horse backing up a step.
All four of our horses now seemed restless. They snorted and pawed at the dirt beneath us, as if they, too, could feel the eeriness as we approached.
“Nothing,” he answered after a moment. His voice was adrift, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. “Just remembering what happened last time. We’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
Without another word, he moved forward.
I didn’t glance back at Rummy or Xavier. I was afraid my emotions would be written all over my face.
So, one horse after another, we entered the Whispering Caves.
For the first few minutes, the only sounds were that of dripping water in the distance and our horses’ hooves on the massive slabs of rock.
I slowed a bit, letting Matthias get about four horse lengths ahead so he could test the waters.
His gaze remained fixed on the path as he pushed onward.
And onward.
And onward.
After several minutes, I was willing to bet that the stories about these caves that circulated had been made up. There was nothing strange going on here, no curses, no whispers.
But just as that thought hit me, a soft voice spoke. Its words were like a faint breeze in the back of my mind.
I twisted in the saddle, making eye contact with Rummy a few feet behind. “What?” I asked.
Her eyes were wide, but the rest of her face remained rigid. “I didn’t say anything,” she replied.
“You okay, man?” Xavier asked.
Shaking the whispered words free, I turned around again. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just thought I heard something.”
“Stay focused,” Matthias ordered. “We’re almost halfway there. Don’t let them distract you.”
“Don’t let who distract us?” Rummy asked.
As if on cue, the whispers returned.
In the shadows of the night,
A force both dark and light.
I shook my head again. They’re in your mind, Jessiah. The damn curse of the Whispering Caves isn’t real.
But the voices only grew louder. With each step, they further infiltrated my mind until they were impossible to ignore. They were the only damn thing I could hear now, louder than my breath, louder than the clamoring of the horses’ feet.
In the shadows of the night,
A force both dark and light.
Where chaos reigns and hearts beat,
Through the veil of love and deceit.
“Stop it.” The whispered words slipped out of their own accord.
If anyone noticed, they didn’t say anything. Or maybe they did. There was no way I could have heard a damn thing over the voices that chanted in my ears.
Destinies entangled in a sinister snare,
Overcome these pleas of passion and despair.
The chant grew louder, consuming my very thought, consuming every inch of space in my mind.
In the shadows of the night,
A force both dark and light.
Light. The literal light at the end of the path appeared. I tried hard to focus on it, to urge my horse to pick up its pace. But the wind picked up, getting stronger with every passing second. With it, came the voices.
Someone was yelling now. Xavier, maybe? I couldn’t think straight, and I couldn’t look away from the end of the tunnel.
Darkness becomes the chain that binds,
Love discovers the thread that unwinds.
“GO!” I dug my heels into my horse’s flanks, and it took off. Matthias’s horse was running now too.
Fates entwined in a web so thick,
A story of magic, folly, and trick.
“STOP! THAT’S ENOUGH!” I yelled.
Matthias broke though the other side, finally out of the caves. I was only a few feet behind him, three feet, two feet.