asked with a glare.
I put my hands up and shook my head. “Lead the way, wise
guard of Nethra.”
Lirig shoved at the door one more time before he crouched
and disappeared into the tunnel. Grabbing Faema’s arm before she could squirm
out of Haji’s grip, I followed after him.
Immediately, I fought the urge to retch as the cloying scent
of mold, decay, and rodent droppings assaulted my nose. Behind me, Faema
gagged. I’d forgotten how pungent the smell had been.
“Lirig?” I called, squinting into the dark.
Several paces away, the torch flared to life and I sighed
with relief at the light. Lirig motioned us toward him.
“There’s a place in this tunnel where the wall can be moved.
We’ll find direct passage to one of the lesser known vaults from there,” he
explained.
I ducked under a large spider web and walked a little
faster, anxious to get through this portion of our quest. The girls were close
on my heels.
It wasn’t long before Lirig paused. “I think it’s right
here,” he said. He ran his hands along the wall until his fingers found a
groove.
“How can you tell?” I asked.
“There’s a small notch in the ceiling above us. It was
placed there when the tunnel was first built so those who knew about the
passageway would know what to look for.”
“Wow,” I muttered. I couldn’t help being impressed. Aylen
and I hadn’t thought about the possibility of the tunnel leading to more than
one vault and having secret walls when we’d explored. But then, we were without
light at the time and our Sea Gems could only help our eyesight so much.
“Don’t get excited yet,” Lirig said. “I need to get this
open first.”
With a grunt he dug his fingers into the grooves and pulled.
It didn’t budge. I stepped closer and grabbed ahold of the jutting rocks near
his hands.
“On the count of three,” he said. “One. . . two. . .three!”
Together, we tugged until we felt the wall shift. It groaned
and resisted every centimeter as we managed to heave it toward us.
When it had budged enough to squeeze a hand through, I
gripped the edge of the opening and wrenched it further. Haji dashed toward me
and added her strength to ours. After several minutes of painful tugging, the
wall was open enough to allow a single person to squeeze past.
“Don’t let go,” Lirig instructed when he finally pulled his
fingers from the grooves.
“It won’t hold?” I asked.
“No. It’s designed to shut people out unless they know
better. It’s a precaution to keep people from taking off with gems. They’d have
to go through the city if they weren’t able to get back to the tunnels which
would make them more likely to get caught.”
“So, I’m staying,” I stated.
“Sorry.” Lirig shrugged. “I need someone who can help carry
everything and act as a lookout. Who wants to come?” He glanced back and forth
between Haji and Faema.
Haji didn’t waste a moment. “I’m going with you, Lirig,” she
said. Before Faema could argue, she’d slipped past the opening and was on the
other side of the wall. I blinked after her, surprised, but figured she didn’t
want to hang out in the tunnel's filth any more than I did.
“Works for me.” Lirig said. He passed the torch to Faema and
was gone a moment later.
Faema stood in silence, several paces away. The hand that
held the torch shook slightly, sending shadows dancing across the narrow walls.
“Come help me,” I grunted.
She shuffled forward and thrust her free hand into the same
grooves where Lirig had placed his hands. Once her grip was sure, she braced
herself so that she was putting pressure on the wall to keep it in place. I
felt some of the resistance ease.
“Thanks, Faema.”
“I guess I can be good for something,” she muttered.
When I didn’t answer she sighed. “Are you sorry I came?”
I didn’t want to hurt her feelings but I wasn’t willing to
lie to her either. I turned my head to look at her and tried to smile.
I put my hands up and shook my head. “Lead the way, wise
guard of Nethra.”
Lirig shoved at the door one more time before he crouched
and disappeared into the tunnel. Grabbing Faema’s arm before she could squirm
out of Haji’s grip, I followed after him.
Immediately, I fought the urge to retch as the cloying scent
of mold, decay, and rodent droppings assaulted my nose. Behind me, Faema
gagged. I’d forgotten how pungent the smell had been.
“Lirig?” I called, squinting into the dark.
Several paces away, the torch flared to life and I sighed
with relief at the light. Lirig motioned us toward him.
“There’s a place in this tunnel where the wall can be moved.
We’ll find direct passage to one of the lesser known vaults from there,” he
explained.
I ducked under a large spider web and walked a little
faster, anxious to get through this portion of our quest. The girls were close
on my heels.
It wasn’t long before Lirig paused. “I think it’s right
here,” he said. He ran his hands along the wall until his fingers found a
groove.
“How can you tell?” I asked.
“There’s a small notch in the ceiling above us. It was
placed there when the tunnel was first built so those who knew about the
passageway would know what to look for.”
“Wow,” I muttered. I couldn’t help being impressed. Aylen
and I hadn’t thought about the possibility of the tunnel leading to more than
one vault and having secret walls when we’d explored. But then, we were without
light at the time and our Sea Gems could only help our eyesight so much.
“Don’t get excited yet,” Lirig said. “I need to get this
open first.”
With a grunt he dug his fingers into the grooves and pulled.
It didn’t budge. I stepped closer and grabbed ahold of the jutting rocks near
his hands.
“On the count of three,” he said. “One. . . two. . .three!”
Together, we tugged until we felt the wall shift. It groaned
and resisted every centimeter as we managed to heave it toward us.
When it had budged enough to squeeze a hand through, I
gripped the edge of the opening and wrenched it further. Haji dashed toward me
and added her strength to ours. After several minutes of painful tugging, the
wall was open enough to allow a single person to squeeze past.
“Don’t let go,” Lirig instructed when he finally pulled his
fingers from the grooves.
“It won’t hold?” I asked.
“No. It’s designed to shut people out unless they know
better. It’s a precaution to keep people from taking off with gems. They’d have
to go through the city if they weren’t able to get back to the tunnels which
would make them more likely to get caught.”
“So, I’m staying,” I stated.
“Sorry.” Lirig shrugged. “I need someone who can help carry
everything and act as a lookout. Who wants to come?” He glanced back and forth
between Haji and Faema.
Haji didn’t waste a moment. “I’m going with you, Lirig,” she
said. Before Faema could argue, she’d slipped past the opening and was on the
other side of the wall. I blinked after her, surprised, but figured she didn’t
want to hang out in the tunnel's filth any more than I did.
“Works for me.” Lirig said. He passed the torch to Faema and
was gone a moment later.
Faema stood in silence, several paces away. The hand that
held the torch shook slightly, sending shadows dancing across the narrow walls.
“Come help me,” I grunted.
She shuffled forward and thrust her free hand into the same
grooves where Lirig had placed his hands. Once her grip was sure, she braced
herself so that she was putting pressure on the wall to keep it in place. I
felt some of the resistance ease.
“Thanks, Faema.”
“I guess I can be good for something,” she muttered.
When I didn’t answer she sighed. “Are you sorry I came?”
I didn’t want to hurt her feelings but I wasn’t willing to
lie to her either. I turned my head to look at her and tried to smile.
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