What does he think we’re going to do, pitch us both into the demon lava, or whatever that stuff is? my dragon asked.
Seems like it. Are the other dragons here so desperate that they try to end their suffering in any way possible?
The thought filled me with sadness, but I pushed the emotion away. If they were desperate, I’d use that to help get us all out of here.
I nodded at Govam, then waited as he studied me for a moment. When he was apparently satisfied I was telling the truth, he matched my nod.
“How would you like to be carried?” he asked me.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Comfortably?”
His brow furrowed.
“Govam, what is the hold-up?” a female demon said at his back.
Ressfu stepped off the bridge on the other side of the chasm and looked back.
Still Govam waited, looking at me.
“Piggyback, then,” I said.
Without a word, he turned and bent, flaring his arms behind him so that I could climb on. Denski stepped up to help me, and Govam curled his arms around my knees and straightened.
“I’m right behind you,” Denski said, and I felt his hands grip my shirt at the center of my back.
“How many people have tried to pitch over the edge to their death—”
I barely finished getting those words out before a wave of vicious anxiety swept over me. Raw terror gripped my heart as he stepped out onto the bridge. A cold sweat ran over me, and suddenly I was desperate to escape. To run. To fling myself off the bridge and end it all.
THREE
FINLEY
Shit has gone sideways, folks, I said to the invisible audience, clutching Govam with all my strength. Something is amiss with this chasm.
It’s magic, my dragon thought.
No shit, huh? You don’t think I just suddenly went batshit crazy?
Suddenly? No. You’ve always been batshit crazy, or you wouldn’t speak to an imaginary audience…
I squeezed my eyes shut, battered with more terror. Horrible thoughts swelled and tried to take over my motor skills. Then I peeled my eyes open and forced myself to loosen the fists clutching his shirt. I had to get used to this. I had to push on in spite of the feelings battering me. To escape, I might have to cross this bridge again, which meant I had to withstand its magic.
“What’s happening?” Govam asked, slowing. I thought I heard a tinge of panic in his tone. “She’s loosening her hold.”
“I don’t see any change from back here,” Denski replied.
“Does this not affect you guys?” I asked, forcing myself to look over his shoulder. A wave of vertigo made my head spin. The urge to fling myself toward that glowing, shifting orange nearly undid me.
“No. Demons are not affected, or how would we make the trip?” Denski answered.
“With iron will, perseverance, and practice?” I gritted my teeth. The world spun around me, Govam’s body the only thing that felt solid. The good news was that I no longer registered any of my pain. That was a blessing, such as it was.
Denski huffed. “What do you take us for?”
“She’s a dragon,” Govam said. “They aren’t right in the head. They think danger is a challenge. They like facing it.”
Not entirely accurate, but it made me sound like a badass, so sure, why not.
Screaming sounded behind us, loud and high. I turned to look, my vision wavering. Fear liquifying my courage and making it drain away little by little.
Jedrek shoved and thrashed between the demons preventing him from climbing over the chain railing at the side. Another demon tried to crowd in, grabbing him and yanking him back.
“Just knock the idiot out and carry him,” Denski grumbled, facing front again.
“They should,” Govam agreed softly, nearly at the end now.
A moment later, the screaming cut off. They’d done exactly what Denski said.
I blinked my watery eyes and looked away, hating all of this. Hating my fear and the stink and the magically induced desperation to fall to my death and end it all. I breathed deeply, filling my lungs with oxygen.
The second Govam crossed the threshold onto solid ground, the clenching fear dried up. The swimming, wobbling vision straightened out. Courage surged within me, and I had a mad desire to fight. To cradle Govam’s head like a lover and crack his neck. It would be so easy. Effortless, really. They hadn’t cared about killing Luru; would they care about losing another demon? Ressfu might even thank me. He’d been waiting for us with what was clearly annoyance.
“Get her off,” Govam shouted suddenly, jerking backward. “Quick, get her off, get her off!”
Denski ripped me backward, throwing me to the ground. My butt hit stone, and I just barely kept from rolling onto the Bridge of Doom. The heel of my bad leg hit the ground and pain vibrated up, not quite so bad as before. I did benefit from faster healing, even if it didn’t produce miracles.
Govam turned and looked down at me, thunder clouding his expression. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. He’d somehow known what I was thinking.
“I wasn’t going to do it,” I said quickly. Defensively.
My dragon snickered.
It might be true! I told her. I honestly wasn’t sure.
I struggled to get up. “I realize there’d be no point, even if no one cared.”
He leaned down, wrapped his fingers around my upper arm, and hoisted me to my feet. Denski resumed his place by my side, and they walked me away from the mouth of the bridge. The others followed us, bringing Jedrek across.
“Come on. Time’s wasting.” Ressfu scanned the demons before turning and continuing down another hall.
“How’d you know?” I asked Govam softly. I took notice of a few pockmarks in the wall before we turned right.
He didn’t comment.
We left the tunnels, and the chamber opened up around us. The smell intensified, if that were possible. I felt the breath leave me as I took in my surroundings.
Stone lined the floor like it had in the halls, but the ceiling was much higher, spanning the height of two or so levels. A main walkway led down the center of the space, and steps on either side led up to raised platforms. The steps broke around large, bulky stone columns that were amazing to look at and reached up to the smooth stone ceiling. Multiple arches were embedded in the walls in the raised areas, closed off with bars. Cells. But I didn’t see any faces pressed against the bars, looking out. No hands gripping metal.
“It looks like dwarfs built this,” I said in a hush.
Ressfu looked around as though expecting someone. He raised an irritated hand to keep us put before walking briskly down the center path.
I glanced at Govam, stoic at my side. “Not much of a talker, huh?”
He pretended not to hear me. Wondering if he’d crack, I decided to harass him a little. “Are you a screamer? You pop a nut and sing out your praise of the mighty orgasm?”
Almost as one, Govam and Denski turned their heads toward me slowly, wearing identical expressions of confused bewilderment.
“No one’s ever asked you that before?” I gingerly touched the ground with my bad foot, testing it. Better, but still not good enough to walk on. “Probably because they’ve already heard you screaming. I bet you really get into it, huh? You act all calm and stoic now, but when you get your hump on, you’re singing soprano. I’ve seen your type before.”