First Earth by Cami Murdock Jensen

Author:Cami Murdock Jensen [Jensen, Cami Murdock]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Value Publishing LLC

14

Infiltrating Ghost-woman’s Castle

Damp and musty air bullied its way into my lungs, making me choke. Temnon put his hands on my shoulders, and his face was right in front of mine, his breath touching my skin. His eyes were fierce with encouragement.

“You have to lead, Agnes. Follow the Stone’s pull and warn me of spells. We can still get through this. Entrance spells can be set off by mice or birds. Nemantia might not know it’s us.”

“Or she might be ordering swarms of freaky monsters to find us so she can steal our power.”

“Just don’t think about them.”

“That doesn’t work.”

“It might if you try it.”

“Why don’t you try it? Don’t think about elephants.” Temnon’s eyes darted around while he tried not to think about elephants. It was so funny I laughed at him. “Not so easy is it?” I teased.

Temnon flashed a cocky smile. “You win, Agnes. I’ll take care of the bad guys. You just concentrate on what I can’t see. And the Stone. Its draw will be the shortest path.”

I reluctantly crouched and scampered across the moldy dungeon to the exit like a cockroach caught in the light. The door opened with a squeal of rusty hinges scraping across my nerves. Fearing guards heard it, I flattened myself against the thick stone wall. I really didn’t like the idea of being out in the open. There had to be a way to move covertly.

“How thick do you think these walls are?” I whispered.

Understanding instantly, Temnon placed a hand on the wall. “Thick enough, but we won’t be able to see more than a few inches in front of us.”

“Seeing doesn’t matter that much. I’m feeling my way to the Aether Stone anyway.”

“Good point. But what if there are spells inside the walls?” But as soon as he said it, he shook his head and contradicted his own statement. “No, that’s stupid. No one wastes magic on a spell inside solid stone. Okay, Agnes. Into the wall. But go slow, just in case.”

I turned to face the wall. The stone compressed as I walked forward, forming an alcove. I stepped into the wall and turned up the stairs. Temnon slipped in behind me so closely I felt his warm breath down the back of my neck. A shudder raced across my shoulders. I couldn’t tell whether it was due to embarrassment or delight. Probably both.

He closed in the wall behind us.

I discovered my very own unique scientific fact at that moment: the deepest cave is not nearly as dark as the inside of solid stone. The inside of a stone is black beyond any black imaginable. It was so dark I lost track of gravity, got dizzy, and tipped a few inches to the side.

“It’s so dark,” I remarked, still leaning off-kilter.

“I compressed the space between the atoms. The stone is uber-dense now. Plus, I’m releasing oxygen so we can breathe in here.”

“Is that hard?”

“Way harder than moving dirt. You want out?”

I felt so disconcerted I almost said “yes,” but I didn’t.

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