Heidi reaches out and pets the phoenix’s head. “Hi, bawk-bawk.” I suppress a laugh and situate her on the phoenix’s back, her legs in front of the wing joints. “How long until I see Mom?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, climbing on behind her. “It could be a while. Hold on tight now.” I give the phoenix a cluck like I heard Stranna do. The bird launches into the sky with rough, powerful flaps. Heidi screams, but I grip her tightly. I’m not about to let her fall.
The nightbeasts howl—robbed of their meal.
“Where . . . where are we going?” Heidi gulps.
“I’m taking you somewhere you’ll be taken care of.” I hope. “Somewhere safe.”
Once we gain enough height, I direct the phoenix away from the mysterious wheat field of light . . . and head back to the catacombs.
I spend half my time in the catacombs hollering for Stranna. Or Everett. I don’t go too far in because the last thing I want is to lead Heidi into an underground tomb maze and get us lost.
Everett is the one who finds us.
“You’re back,” he says matter-of-factly and then notices Heidi.
“I found her in the wheat field.”
He brightens. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a new friend.”
Heidi relaxes at the word friend. Everett beckons for her to follow, and she does. So do I, even though I should turn and head back to the coliseum. Part of me says I should have headed there with Heidi in the first place.
But it didn’t feel right.
The tunnels smell distantly like cinnamon rolls. Do they have some sort of kitchen somewhere? Imaginary food or not, I’d totally go for cinnamon rolls right now.
We reach the part of the catacombs I now recognize. Beds and pillows and squeals clutter the corridor. The bounce of the basketball still echoes. I grin to myself.
“Here, you can sleep next to me.” Everett takes a spare pillow and a pink blanket from a little alcove filled with extras, then stuffs them into a tiny tomb a few inches above ground level.
“Pink is my favorite color,” Heidi declares, reaching out to tug the blanket to her chest and hug it like it’s been hers since birth.
Girls.
Everett wrinkles his nose but doesn’t say anything.
Boys.
Stranna steps into the corridor. “You’re back.” The way she says this is very different from Everett’s greeting. A little bit like someone saying, “The termites are back,” after their house has just been fumigated.
“Are you going to help me find Mom?” Heidi asks Stranna as she presses up against my side once more.
Stranna’s gaze drops, and her face softens so suddenly she becomes a different person. She squats.
“Hi! You’re new! How’d you get here?”
“He said I’d be safe here,” Heidi says in the smallest of voices and now hides fully behind my leg.
Stranna’s eyebrows shoot up. “He did, huh?” She looks at me with a furrowed brow. I don’t blame her for being confused.
“Just find her parents, okay?” I say gruffly. “Sounds like they escaped the Tunnels and are in the coliseum somewhere.” I turn to leave.
“Cain.” She grasps my arm, and I stop. “She will be safe here. Okay?”
“Thanks.” I’m grateful she doesn’t bring up the obvious fact that I chose the Spores over the Emperor. She’s made it clear I’m not welcome with her group.
“You guys were closer,” I say. “She didn’t like flying on the phoenix anyway.” Why am I trying to defend myself?
“The phoenix was really fun!” Heidi says happily, blowing my facade. “Daddy told me I’m brave because I like being in the sky. Sometimes I’m a hot air balloon!” She fills her cheeks with air and rises up on her toes.
Everett laughs. “Hey, do you want to play basketball?”
“Okay.” Heidi heads down the tunnel, leaving me with Stranna.
“How are you feeling?” I ask Stranna immediately, as if I didn’t see her mere hours ago. One hour in the Nightmare is about twelve minutes in real life. Not much can have changed for her in that time.
“Weak. Warm.” She shrugs.
“Did you . . . Did they . . . ?” Is it too soon to ask if she managed to enlist help from her fellow Spores? I already know she won’t explain it to me.
“They’re doing what they can.” Her tone is somber, and I wonder what that sort of request cost her—cost them. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to think about you, Cain. One moment you’re—”
A yip! comes from down the tunnel, and Stranna stops abruptly. The sound is from behind us toward the entrance.
She freezes for one moment, and I freeze too. Another yip! and then a muffled grunt. Human. Male. A clatter of metal.
