Chapter 437


    Chapter 437


    Zane


    Discovering that the High Council had lied to us all for decades about the existence of other


    supernaturals had been shocking. Learning that the world was also full of monsters just aboutid


    me out t. I still couldn’t believe it, not even after riding on the back of a giant freaking worm miles


    underground.


    The Slitherkin weren’t really worms. Not snakes, either. They were something totally unique, a hive


    mind race that grew as big as blue whales but that somehow had managed to escape the eyes of


    the world. There weren’t even any rumors about them. No sightings.


    “They’re not Bigfoot, Papa,” Ste said in a low voice as I leaned against the wall of the tunnel in


    which we’d be spending the night. She must have read my thoughts. Sheughed and leaned


    against me. “The Slitherkin are real.”


    “So long as they’ve decided we aren’t the enemy,” I told her. “Those things have massive teeth.”


    “Sure, to bore through rock and dirt. Not to eat wolves.” Sheughed again.


    She sounded tired.


    “We should get some rest. You hardly slept at allst night, and I know how hard it must have been


    to wrangle those things all day.” I nodded toward the empty end of the tunnel. The Slitherkin that


    had helped us were gone, at least for now.


    Ste yawned, hiding her mouth behind her hand. “They have so many voices, speaking all at once.


    They’re easily distracted. And, they don’t like being so close to the surface, so we’re lucky they


    consented to taking us anywhere.”


    “It was fast, I’ll give them that.” Xander handed her thest half of a peanut butter sandwich.


    “And safe from the High Council seeing us,” Lanie added.


    The High Council had no idea the Slitherkin even existed. It seemed like a sweet irony. The


    creatures that helped us were hidden from the council by its own ignorance. If only they hadn’t been


    so determined to hide away and keep the real knowledge of the world hidden from us, they might


    have learned so much. Instead, they’d chosen to stagnate.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Unfortunately for us, the wriggly monsters weren’t able to take us all around the world. Their habit


    was rtively small, especially since they’d been avoiding the enve for years. They’d been able


    to get us closer to the ocean, though. We had a few miles’ walk tomorrow on the surface, and then


    we’d be at the water.


    From there, Ste had promised us a boat ride.


    We weren’t going to build a fire in the tunnel. The smoke could easily collect against the stone walls


    and ceiling and end up suffocating us. Instead, we huddled into a group.


    “At least it’s warm,” Lanie murmured, resting her head on my shoulder. “Okay, warm is an


    overstatement. It’s not freezing.”


    I moved so I could put my arm around her, letting her rest on my chest. Xander and Mason were


    side by side with Xander next to me. They were discussing Alpha tactics in low tones. Ste leaned


    against her mother.


    “Tell us what to expect, Ste.” Lanie’s voice sounded thick and syrupy with sleepiness. She


    yawned, which triggered one from me, and one by one, from everyone else.


    Ste’s was thest to finish, and she let out a small yip at the end of it that made me chuckle.


    Xander had just yawned in exactly the same way. So had Mason. It must be an inherited family trait.


    “I’ve booked us passage on a small private yacht,” Ste began.


    Lanie’sugh interrupted her. “Why, out of all the things I’ve seen you do, is this the one I can hardly


    believe?”


    “It was one of the hardest to manage,” Ste admitted. “I had to manipte actual data and deal


    with human money. The only thing supernatural about it was the fact I used troll talents to hack into


    the banking system and make the reservations.”


    “I should lecture you about breaking rules, but I’m too tired. And frankly, too proud,” Lanie told her.


    Xander leaned around me to look at his daughter. “Who’s going to be sailing this yacht? I’ve never


    even been on a boat.”


    “The rentales with a captain.” She hesitated. “He’s human.”


    We all fell silent at that.


    “He won’t survive,” Mason said quietly.


    Ste twisted to look at him. “I’ll do my best to make sure he does.”


    “He won’t be able to get within a few miles of the ind,” Mason continued.


    Xander and I shared a look. So did Lanie. It was clear the three of us didn’t know as much about


    Fallen Crest as Mason did. That was no surprise, since before Ste told us where we were going,


    I’d never even heard of the ce.


    “Wait,” Lanie said hesitantly. “Fallen Crest is on an ind?”


    Ste shook her head. “Fallen Crest is the ind.”