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CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

Ryker

“We can scent the blood,” the third replied. “It permeates the ground and flows throughout the land. The trees and earth tell us of their sorrow.”

“Oh yeah, that’s normal,” Callan muttered sarcastically.

“So much blood has spilled, and we would have helped prevent it all until we were betrayed,” the third continued. “We were the protectors of this land.”

“Then why would they imprison you?” Ellery asked.

“They didn’t think they needed us anymore. They were wrong .”

I could almost hear their maniacal laughter ringing in my head. Being right was something they thoroughly enjoyed.

I didn’t blame them. I’d gloat too if the bastards who’d imprisoned me suffered greatly because of it.

“And the power of the Heart is enough to bring all of you back to life?” Ellery asked as she waved her hand around the cavern.

“Yes,” they said together.

“You can free us,” the third pressed.

We all exchanged looks while the weight of that word hung heavily in the air. While I didn’t like what our ancestors did to them, we’d only heard one side of the story.

“For all we know, our ancestors stole the Heart because you turned on them,” I said.

“That’s not what happened,” the third replied.

“But we don’t know that for sure.”

Their fury changed the beat of the wind. The hollow whomping took on a stronger cadence. The gargoyles couldn’t move, but I pulled Ellery closer.

“We can’t leave them here like this,” Ellery said.

“We’ll discuss that outside of this tunnel,” Tucker said. “It’s not a decision we can make today.”

“You can free us,” the third said.

The desperation in its voice was so palpable I half expected it to leap out of the alcove, grab Tucker by his shirt, and beg to be freed. But, of course, it didn’t move.

I didn’t want to leave them trapped here, but we couldn’t know what these things would do once freed. I knew what it was like to be imprisoned and at the mercy of others; if I were them, the lightning bearers who could trap me here again would be the first ones I killed.

That was not a chance I was willing to take with Ellery. However, according to them, they were also living creatures who had been double-crossed by our ancestors and trapped here unfairly.

If that was true, they didn’t deserve this, but Tucker was right. This wasn’t the place to resolve this.

“Ianto, what time is it?” I asked.

Ianto hesitated before pulling his pocket watch free and clicking it open. “Almost midnight.”

I glanced at the top of the cavern. It wouldn’t take long to get to the top. We’d agreed that 2:00 a.m. would be the best time to leave here, but we’d all had enough of this place.

“It’s time to go,” I said.

“We can’t leave them,” Ellery protested.

“Tucker is right; this isn’t the place to discuss this.”

“But—”

“Ellery, we have to return. We can’t spend another night down here; the others will start worrying about us, which could cause problems.”

“They’re also vulnerable without us being there,” Tucker said.

When I shot him a grateful look, he bowed his head. The encampment would do fine without us; they were well-trained and had adjusted to the creatures in the woods, but I needed his help to get Ellery out of here.

“We’ll figure out what to do once we’re above,” I promised her.

Ellery bit her bottom lip as she stared at me and then the statues. “We can’t leave them.”

I hated the heartbreak in her eyes, but there was no way I was helping these things. “I’m sorry, but we have to go.”

“Free us.”

The two imploring words the gargoyles issued were full of misery. Unwilling to hear anymore and knowing they’d only make Ellery feel worse, I waved away the wind and rain.

The hollow thumping sound abruptly ended with the patter of the rain and the howling wind. Lightning crackled at the end of my fingertips as water dripped off the third and fourth gargoyles; it plopped into the puddles beneath them.

“We should go,” Tucker said.

He started onto the pathway first, and Ellery followed. When we passed the third and fourth statues, she placed a hand on each of their heads; it was an unspoken promise she would return for them.

I had to figure out how to keep that from happening.