Chapter 434


    Chapter 434


    Zane


    The four of us moved as silently and quickly as we could along the quiet corridors of Brightsky. At


    this time of night, not many residents were around. Every time a new light cast its glow ahead of us,


    showing us the way, my heart felt like it was being stabbed.


    We hadn’t even kissed the twins goodbye. They were sleeping when we left, and Lanie had thought


    it would be better not to wake them. She said we’d see them again before we knew it, and I wanted


    to believe her.


    The spiders were still alive, and although their tiny lives were not the only ones we hoped to save,


    knowing they were still here reminded me over and over again of that one reason why we were


    leaving.


    Ste was waiting for us. Not in the Temple of the Moon, but deep down in the caverns that housed


    the steam baths and pearl farms. We all took the stairs to avoid running into anyone in the elevators


    who might question what was feeling more and more like an escape…like we were running from.


    Not running to.


    I hated all of this, but I’d been shoving my emotions down so I could focus on making sure my


    Alphas and our Luna were taken care of. Mason and Xander were shifting into soldier mode, and


    that triggered me into full-on Beta. Watching their backs. Anticipating their needs, their every move.


    Over all of us, Lanie spread her Luna love and light.


    Down and down we went. By the time we got to the bottom, even the spiders’ light had gone more


    dim as fewer of them guided our way. I drew in a long, deep breath of dank air as we came out into


    the stone alcove Ste had sent us directions for using our mind link.


    She waited quietly on the other side of the alcove. Her hands were linked neatly in front of her, and


    she stood perfectly still. I’d been carrying the backpack Lanie had packed for her, and she took it


    from me with a soft smile.


    “Thank you, Papa.” She slung it over her shoulders and hitched it into ce. “Are we ready? We’ll


    have to move quickly. You told Grammy we were leaving through the tunnels in Standard?”


    “Yes,” Xander said.


    “Then they’ll be gathering there to stop us. We won’t have much time after they realize we’ve


    actually bypassed them. But they know we’re heading for Fallen Crest, so I expect them to be on


    our trail within the day. Let’s go.” Ste turned toward a small opening in the stone wall.


    We followed her, walking in single file. Ste, then Lanie, then Xander. The corridor was so narrow


    that my shoulders brushed it on each side and Xander, with his massively broad frame, almost had


    to walk sideways. Mason brought up the rear. We weren’t expecting any trouble yet, but I was ready


    for it, just in case.


    We came out into arge cavern with a soaring ceiling. It reminded me a lot of the one Greyson had


    taken me flying in. That felt like a lifetime ago. This one had a set of stone steps carved into it that


    led upward, curving around a series of columns carved with oversized designs. Huge faces. Wings,


    tails. I saw wolves, too.


    Just as we got to the bottom of the stairway, Ste paused and turned to face us. “I don’t want you


    to worry about going up the stairs. I won’t let any of you fall. I’ll tether us, using the powers of the


    Oreads. Mountain nymphs.”


    I looked up and up. “Ugh. Wolves aren’t meant for heights.”


    Steughed gently. Iughed with her, surprised that there could be any humor around us right


    now. She took the first step. Lanie followed. When they made it up the first five or six steps, Xander


    went after them. That left me.


    It wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, even though there was no railing and the sheer drop was


    high enough that, if the tether Ste talked about failed, we’d all fall to a painful, broken death.


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    “One step at a time, love.” Lanie’s voice slipped into my mind through our group mind link. “Keep


    moving upward and onward. We’ll make it.”


    “I’ll keep us safe,” Ste thought, her voice smooth and steady.


    When we finally got to the stop, all of us except Ste were breathing heavily. I paused to look over


    the side, feeling the pull of gravity tempting me to tumble head over heels. An answering pull kept


    me in ce, safely beyond the edge. Ste’s tether.


    She was already moving on, our Luna following. It was my turn to go, but I took onest look down


    into the depths of the cavern below. Then I turned back and took those steps, one at a time. We’d


    made it this far…But we had a lot farther to go.


    As we approached a dimly lit doorway a few feet away, Ste paused. She pitched her voice low.


    “We need to move faster. They’ve decided not to wait for us at the tunnel exit in Standard. They’re


    coming for us now.”