the intensity of someone fighting to stay awake. “And some way to bar the door. Just in case those soldiers come looking down here.”
Jun frowned. “How?”
Kaie’s eyes drifted, first left, then right. Where were his visions now that there was need of them? “Did your father ever tell you what’s beyond this room?”
His friend’s eyes screwed closed. “No. Gods, please don’t ask that! We can’t go further! The lost souls will rip us to shreds!”
He couldn’t help but to gape. Sojun was strong. He was aleardy one of the strongest in the family at only his fifteenth year. Nothing gave him pause. Not going against a handful of boys, not the bear that wandered into the village last spring. Nothing. But now he was pleading like a babe. He didn’t know how to deal with this. Where did this fear come from? How long was Jun keeping it hidden? Always?
“I’m sorry.” He bit back frustration. How could he berate his friend for this? If it weren’t for Sojun, they wouldn’t be this far. “I’ll go myself. You can stay here and look after the Lemme?”
Kaie drew in several deep breaths, trying to will strength back into his body with the air. Then he shoved himself to his feet. And, once again, damn near fell over. He caught himself on the stone wall as the world tilted horribly out of control. Suddenly he was kneeling on the floor again, gagging on the burning bile spilling from his lips, not entirely sure how he got there.
Sojun was beside him. “Kosa take me,” his friend spat. “I have to go, don’t I? You can’t do this by yourself.”
“No, Jun.” Kaie tried to smile. It didn’t quite work. “I can do this. I just need a minute.”
He wasn’t at all sure he could. Gods, but he didn’t want to go. His friend wasn’t the only one terrified of the spirits lost in the tunnels. But what else was there? So he took his minute. Just one. Sucking in a long, apprehensive breath, he tottered to the right.
“You’ll come back for me?” Sojun called out before he turned the corner.
This time , Kaie added, hating himself all over again. “Fast as I can.”
Another word and he wouldn’t go at all. He could convince Jun to go instead. His friend was so much stronger than him. Talking his heart’s brother into things was never hard. He was sure he could manage, even with something Sojun was so clearly terrified of. And it made so much more sense. Before he could do it, Kaie forced himself around that corner.
He wanted to go back. Right away, he needed to go back. The next light was just a glimmer in the distance; his chances of reaching it just as high as the ones of reaching the moon. He was alone in the dark. There was something wrong with his head, something very wrong. And there were spirits. He could feel them watching him. The chill of their gaze was already draining the heat from his skin. Soon they would see what the Lemme did; they would know he was a seer. They would come for him then. And Sojun wouldn’t be there to drag him to safety.
“Please, Mother Lemme,” he muttered as he dragged his feet forward. “I know you won’t help me. But she is your voice. You have to care about that. Please.”
Kaie closed his eyes, trailing his hand along the wall for a guide. It was stupid and he k new it. There wasn’t much light but there was some. He should be using it to help find what they needed and to make sure there were no unexpected turns. Just one could see him lost in the tunnels forever. But he couldn’t stand to see the darkness spanning out before him, didn’t want to see when the spirits manifested to rip him apart.
Time moved like sludge. He shuffled on slowly, hoping each move would run him up against some great pot filled with just enough water to take care of them. He decided to stop counting his steps at 82. At 124, he did. The next step, slide really, his toe caught on a stone and Kaie tumbled forward. His eyes flew open, but there was nothing to see. Just like he
Jun frowned. “How?”
Kaie’s eyes drifted, first left, then right. Where were his visions now that there was need of them? “Did your father ever tell you what’s beyond this room?”
His friend’s eyes screwed closed. “No. Gods, please don’t ask that! We can’t go further! The lost souls will rip us to shreds!”
He couldn’t help but to gape. Sojun was strong. He was aleardy one of the strongest in the family at only his fifteenth year. Nothing gave him pause. Not going against a handful of boys, not the bear that wandered into the village last spring. Nothing. But now he was pleading like a babe. He didn’t know how to deal with this. Where did this fear come from? How long was Jun keeping it hidden? Always?
“I’m sorry.” He bit back frustration. How could he berate his friend for this? If it weren’t for Sojun, they wouldn’t be this far. “I’ll go myself. You can stay here and look after the Lemme?”
Kaie drew in several deep breaths, trying to will strength back into his body with the air. Then he shoved himself to his feet. And, once again, damn near fell over. He caught himself on the stone wall as the world tilted horribly out of control. Suddenly he was kneeling on the floor again, gagging on the burning bile spilling from his lips, not entirely sure how he got there.
Sojun was beside him. “Kosa take me,” his friend spat. “I have to go, don’t I? You can’t do this by yourself.”
“No, Jun.” Kaie tried to smile. It didn’t quite work. “I can do this. I just need a minute.”
He wasn’t at all sure he could. Gods, but he didn’t want to go. His friend wasn’t the only one terrified of the spirits lost in the tunnels. But what else was there? So he took his minute. Just one. Sucking in a long, apprehensive breath, he tottered to the right.
“You’ll come back for me?” Sojun called out before he turned the corner.
This time , Kaie added, hating himself all over again. “Fast as I can.”
Another word and he wouldn’t go at all. He could convince Jun to go instead. His friend was so much stronger than him. Talking his heart’s brother into things was never hard. He was sure he could manage, even with something Sojun was so clearly terrified of. And it made so much more sense. Before he could do it, Kaie forced himself around that corner.
He wanted to go back. Right away, he needed to go back. The next light was just a glimmer in the distance; his chances of reaching it just as high as the ones of reaching the moon. He was alone in the dark. There was something wrong with his head, something very wrong. And there were spirits. He could feel them watching him. The chill of their gaze was already draining the heat from his skin. Soon they would see what the Lemme did; they would know he was a seer. They would come for him then. And Sojun wouldn’t be there to drag him to safety.
“Please, Mother Lemme,” he muttered as he dragged his feet forward. “I know you won’t help me. But she is your voice. You have to care about that. Please.”
Kaie closed his eyes, trailing his hand along the wall for a guide. It was stupid and he k new it. There wasn’t much light but there was some. He should be using it to help find what they needed and to make sure there were no unexpected turns. Just one could see him lost in the tunnels forever. But he couldn’t stand to see the darkness spanning out before him, didn’t want to see when the spirits manifested to rip him apart.
Time moved like sludge. He shuffled on slowly, hoping each move would run him up against some great pot filled with just enough water to take care of them. He decided to stop counting his steps at 82. At 124, he did. The next step, slide really, his toe caught on a stone and Kaie tumbled forward. His eyes flew open, but there was nothing to see. Just like he
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