Page 8 of Lunar Desires (Celestial Magic #2)

RILEY

L ight flickered to life at the bottom of the staircase, beckoning like a beacon.

Cautiously, I followed Drake down, just about making out his shape before me.

“Do you know which direction we need to take?” I asked, the guilt at leaving Molly behind thickening.

I couldn’t hear anything behind me now.

“There’s a guide we can use. Be careful.”

Dad…

The figure was my dad. Showing me the past but telling me nothing new.

What the hell was going on?

Not now...

“How badly are you hurt?” I asked Drake.

“Don’t worry about me. Let’s get out of here first.”

We were almost at the bottom of the stairs now. “But I am worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I’m alright. And I’ll feel a lot better once you’re back home.”

I took a sniff of his sweat-laced minty scent. So thankful for him, so torn up by this damn mess.

Because of him.

We stepped into a circle of orange light at the bottom of the stairs. A tunnel stretched before me, more orange lights flickering to life and lining the route. Five clusters of Hecate Crystals grew in the curved ceiling and on the ground, shimmering white, constantly generating magic.

After a short walk, we reached a junction of three tunnels, one of them leading to a dead end with one solitary Hecate Crystal sticking out of the wall.

There were black signs at each tunnel entry point.

“Here.” He pointed to a sign on the left tunnel.

A hand of joy

A ringing song.

It is three.

Uh-huh. Not confusing at all. “What does that mean?”

He touched the wound on his forehead, wincing.

“Is it a deep cut?” I asked.

“No.” He walked too wobbly and the gouge looked nasty.

“Want to rest for a bit?”

“It’s a code for the convenience store,” he replied, changing the subject.

I cocked a brow. “Okay. I really think you should take a moment.”

He pulled off his black jacket, his black muscle tee following.

A magnificent plane of copper skin revealed itself, wrapped around his tight, muscular upper body. The weak light caught the details of the phoenix tattoo on his back, making the orange flames dance.

Wow.

I tugged on my collar, licking my lips. God, what a feast for the eyes.

“Can you hold this please?” He held out his jacket.

“Sure.” I took it, my hand brushing his, delicious sparks kissing my skin.

He turned his back on me. There were cuts all over his skin, and hints of bruising blooming around his spine. I wanted to reach out and touch them, to kiss each one better, wishing I possessed my brother’s healing power.

Drake tore his tee, spinning it into a sausage shape. He then wrapped it around his head, making sure to cover the wound. After tying it off at the back of his head, he took his jacket back, slipped it on, and zipped it up.

“Until we get some proper help,” he said, swaying a little.

He was such a mess, his handsome face tainted by blood. He overcompensated every movement, his strides too deliberate and wonky, his breathing practically speaking his hurt.

The sooner we got out of these tunnels, the better.

“Basically, the hand of joy refers to snacks,” he said. “The ringing song a cash register, and the three bit means it’s three miles away.” He chuckled. “There’s not many who can decipher Molly Speak.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, every inch of me tense as hell. “Will she be okay?”

“I hope so. She can hold her own but…” He sighed. “I’ll definitely owe her one. Come on, let’s move.”

According to Drake, these tunnels spread across the city to various exit points, built by Molly’s ancestors out of fear and a need for safety during the Bane of Goblins.

A horrible period of time over two hundred years ago where a mysterious killer murdered too many goblins on the streets of London.

No one ever found the killer, the whole period of slaughter still a mystery to this day.

The tunnels were carved by goblin magic, along with their skills in engineering and building.

Pulled off in complete secrecy, the knowledge was passed around goblin circles to provide safe passage around the city.

“I’m the only non-goblin who knows about them,” Drake said. “And now you.”

I stayed close to him, ready to catch him if he fell. “I’m honored.”

The temperature was cool down here. Not cold, but a pleasant kind of chilliness.

Every few feet, we encountered clusters of Hecate Crystals, often on the ground or between the orange lights fixed to the ceiling.

You found Hecate Crystals everywhere in this world. In a dark place like this, in a field, or even on a roof. Buckingham Palace was home to ten thousand crystals nestled together on its roof, which did look pretty fabulous at night.

Who needed expensive lights when you had a natural light show to please the tourists?

Drake floundered, veering closer to the wall.

Okay. Enough of this. “Let’s rest for a bit.” I spoke with steely insistence.

“Not until we’re out of here.”

Did he not hear the steel part?

He kept going, his steps labored, every breath an effort. His body was clearly aching to the highest heavens, and I wouldn’t be standing for this crap anymore.

I ran ahead, then spun around to block him. “Stop. Right now.”

He did, his shoulders slumping with exhaustion. “Riley, what?—”

I held up a hand. “Take a break, Drake.”

Ha! I’m a poet and I didn’t know it!

He shook his head, wincing as he did. His complexion paler and sickly. He stumbled to the side, reaching out to support himself on the curved wall.

I grabbed him, holding him up. “This isn’t good. You need to rest.”

“If I…” He groaned. “If I sit down, I won’t get back up.”

He wouldn’t get much further, though.

“Are there any markers to say how far we’ve come?”

“On the…on the left wall there should be something to countdown every quarter of a mile. I haven’t…” He leaned forward, pressing his weight into me. “Shit…”

“It’s okay.”

His head dipped. “I haven’t been paying attention. Not sure…not sure if there’s one close by or not.”

“I—”

His knees buckled. I caught him before he hit the ground, lowering with him.

He sat with his legs outstretched, shoulders hunched. “I’m so sorry,” he moaned.

“Is something broken?” I asked again. He kept telling me not to worry, but how the hell was that possible? Look at him, for God’s sake!

“Ribs, I think. Back’s in bad shape. The head…” He grimaced. “Think I might have a concussion or something.”

“You poor thing. How did you even get this far?”

He winced again. “For you.” He closed his eyes. “Go on without me.”

In one moment, his words were touching. In the next, they pissed me off massively. “Shut up.”

His eyes shot open. “Sorry?”

“Shut up and let me think. Anyway, the soul bond won’t let me leave you behind.”

“I—”

“Let me think!” I snapped.

He didn’t get to say anything like that to me. No giving up on my watch, thank you. Yeah, I may have wobbled back there with Dad, but ninety-nine percent of the time I didn’t suffer quitting.

Never give up hope.

Never let anyone dull your sparkle.

Dad…

Was the figure really my dad?

Anguish plus extra shots of determination were a weird combination. But I soldiered on, set to get us both out of here while carrying the weight of the Dad stuff.

Ping went an idea.

If I did go on ahead, maybe I could bring him with me using the bond. It could go the other way, of course, the rules of who popped up where were not exactly clear. But it was worth a try.

“Wait there,” I told him.

“Riley…”

“Don’t argue. Wait.”

He kept his gorgeous lips obediently zipped.

“I keep going straight, right?” I asked.

He nodded.

Ugh. I hated leaving him, but I wasn’t about to hang around in this tunnel and pray for a miracle.

I broke into a jog, my heart pounding in my ears.

Everything will be okay.

The tunnel curved right slightly before becoming a long, straight stretch again. I kept checking for these quarter mile indicators. I spotted nothing and picked up speed, running on spike after spike of adrenaline.

But the echoing voice of the blue figure spoke louder in my head.

“Moon mine.”

“Moon is path.”

“Stop it,” I told myself aloud. “Just stop it.”

The voice dimmed, and I picked up the pace.

After ten minutes without a pop , I paused at another curved section with a second tunnel on my left. No Hecate Crystals or lights shone down there.

I shivered watching the darkness, trying not to let it bother me too much. I mean, my scalp prickled, and I needed a pee, but I couldn’t allow a natural, human reaction to creepy darkness trip me up.

Nibbling on my bottom lip, I shook anxiety from my hands.

“Okay,” I told myself out loud. “Carry on.” I hopped from foot to foot, getting ready to break into a run.

Movement stirred in the other tunnel.

I froze, spinning to face the darkness again, chilly fingers tracing my spine.

My witch bangle light turned green again. It’d been red the whole time I’d been down here.

Uh-oh. Danger lurked in those shadows.

Prowling footsteps approached, two red eyes burning to life in the dark.

“Death is here,” the shade hissed.