When he felt Esha trembling against him, he shifted his focus to her. Her breathing came in quick, harsh breaths. It hadn’t entered his mind that she might be afraid of being underground, but she’d probably never had any reason to enter the Darks’ domain before now.
“Where are we?” she demanded in a hoarse voice.
Dain went to the arched entryway and peered out. “I’d advise you both to keep your voices lowered. There are things in the deep you don’t want to awaken.”
“The deep?” Esha asked in a shaky voice.
Kendrick held her tighter, offering what comfort he could. She remained next to him as she struggled with the fear that clearly had her firmly in its grip.
Dain looked one way and then the other. He faced Kendrick. “No one knows about this place but me. It’s a short walk to where we need to go.”
“And where is that?” Kendrick asked.
Dain chuckled. “Don’t worry, Dragon King. I’m not going to kill you.”
“It’s better if you doona try.”
Dain’s smile grew. “Then again, there is always tomorrow.”
“I’m game whenever you are.”
“I do think you are,” the elf said, his yellow eyes twinkling.
The fact that Esha hadn’t joined the banter reminded Kendrick that he needed to get her back into the sunlight. Despite the circumstances, he liked having her against him. Ever since she had looked at him with such hunger in her eyes that morning, he’d been hard-pressed not to think about what it would feel like to hold her. He’d worried that sex was off-limits for the Rangers, and he had been delighted to learn that the opposite was true.
Dain jerked his chin to Esha. “It might be better if she were unconscious.”
“She’ll be fine,” Kendrick replied.
Dain shrugged. “Suit yourself. We need to move fast and quietly.”
“How far down are we?”
“I don’t think you really want to know.”
Kendrick looked at the ceiling of rock above him. There wouldn’t be enough room for him to shift here, but he wouldn’t hesitate to do it if the need arose.
“I can tell what you’re thinking. And as much as I’d like to see your true form, please don’t. At least, not here.”
Kendrick lowered his gaze to Dain and nodded. “Doona give me a reason.”
“I’m helping, aren’t I?”
“It appears that way.”
Dain chuckled and turned, motioning for him to follow. Kendrick guided Esha. Her gaze darted about, and the rapidness of her breathing had him worried that she was about to hyperventilate. He ducked his head close to hers and said, “We’ll be out quickly. Focus on your breathing. Slow it down.”
She nodded, telling him she’d been listening all along.
They emerged from the cavern and walked along a wide tunnel that opened to an even larger area with ceilings that soared overhead. The blue glow was quite beautiful as it shone around them. Thick, towering columns dotted the area. As they passed one, Kendrick saw that some type of hieroglyphics covered the pillars.
Dain’s strides were long and quick. He never slowed, and he never spoke. They kept pace with him while both Kendrick and Esha took in as much as they could. Everywhere he looked, that same blue glow came from the rocks. Was it from the Dark Elves’ magic, or did it have something to do with the formation of the rocks themselves? It was something Kendrick hoped to learn.
Dain slowed his steps when they came to a long, narrow bridge. The elf paused and looked at Kendrick before briefly moving his gaze to Esha. Kendrick glanced over the edge of the bridge to see nothing but the soft glow that faded to black the deeper it went.
“Stay in the middle,” Dain whispered.
Kendrick was about to comment that it was the only option since the walkway was so tight but nodded instead. Dain went first. He easily walked across the constricted passage. Kendrick urged Esha to follow. She faltered for only a moment before putting a foot on the bridge and starting across. Kendrick was close behind her. She was sure-footed, but they were still belowground, and he could tell she still battled her fear. But they all made it across without incident.
“This way,” Dain whispered as he turned left.
He led them into a slender tunnel. Kendrick gave Esha credit. She didn’t balk or turn away. She faced her fear, and he knew how much that likely took for her to do.
“It’s not far now,” the Dark explained.
Kendrick glanced behind him. “How deep was that back there?”
“Miles and miles,” Dain answered.
“Did your people build all of this?”
Dain exited the passageway and waited for them. “Yes. There are tunnels that lead everywhere.”
Kendrick didn’t get a chance to ask more as shadows enveloped them. A second later, they were aboveground once more. Esha drew in a deep breath and bent at the waist, her hands on her knees. Kendrick fisted the hand that had held her, fighting against the need to reach for her so their fingers could intertwine.
Instead, he looked skyward and saw that it was twilight. A thick undergrowth of plants carpeted the forest floor as huge boulders dotted the area around them. In the distance, he heard the roar of water.
“What was after us?” Kendrick asked.
Dain shrugged, sweat covering his face. He weaved slightly as if he had overexerted himself. “I don’t know.”
“But you knew something was coming. How?”
“I have my ways.”
Kendrick wasn’t giving up that easily. “Earlier, you hinted that whatever was coming wasn’t after me but Esha. Why?”
“I was hoping she’d know.”
“I don’t know anything,” Esha said. She remained a few steps away, her back to them.
Kendrick glanced at her before returning his attention to Dain. “Why did you help us?”
“I overheard your tale earlier—at least, the ending. I’m sorry for what happened.”
Kendrick bowed his head in acknowledgement. “That’s why you intervened?”
“No.”
“How long were you eavesdropping?”
“Not as long as you think.”
“But you were following us?”
Dain shrugged. “I learned that you two were looking for the concealed creature that’s been killing elves. I plan to join you.”
Esha snorted. “No, thank you.”
Kendrick didn’t look away from Dain. For just a moment, the Dark Elf lowered the indifferent mask he showed to the world. “Who did the entity take from you?”
Dain was silent for so long that Kendrick didn’t think he would answer. Then the Dark said, “A young elf I had taken under my wing.”
Kendrick suspected that Dain didn’t allow anyone close, but he clearly had with the child. And their death had struck the elf particularly hard.
“I’m going to find it,” Dain declared.
The Dark allowed Kendrick to see the full extent of his pain and anguish. It went deep, marking Dain’s soul in ways that he might never recover from. Kendrick knew that kind of agony. He and the other Kings had lived with it for too many years after losing the dragons and their freedom on Earth.
Just like that, Dain slid his mask back into place.