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“Okay.” I ran my hand down his forearm, dusting off the grit from his skin. Movement caught my eye. His wings, though bound in place as usual, shuddered and jerked like they had a life of their own. My hand slowed. “Um…”

“Ahh, sorry.” Lu’s face turned as though trying to hide. “They do that sometimes. Could I—” He reached for me. I watched his hand hover in the space between us, trembling, before I brought mine to meet it, offering my permission.

He didn’t hesitate, pulling me close and burying his face in my hair.

“I’m filthy,” I protested, but didn’t push him away.

His free hand came around to cradle the back of my head.

Soft breaths warmed the crook of my neck.

At one point, I could have sworn I felt his lips.

A slight shiver shook my frame, but I wrapped my arms around him, encouraging the contact. We sat like that for several minutes.

When gentle tugs at my scalp signaled that he’d begun to play with my hair, I pulled away. Was the cave warmer than it had been a minute ago? And so quiet. Instead of dwelling on that thought, I set myself to untangling our limbs while avoiding eye contact.

“We have to get moving,” I said as I got to my feet. “They’ll be concerned about us.”

Luthri leapt into action, the light in his hand bobbing emphatically. He nodded toward the way we’d come. “Let’s circle back and check out that other opening we passed. If there’s solid ground underneath, we can use it as an exit and walk along the outside.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed. As he turned to go, I slipped my hand into his. His eyebrows rose, but he tightened his hold and gave me a decisive nod. Without further ado, we marched down the cavern back in the direction of the entrance.

The lack of Hohem and Vyrain’s commentary made every sound in the tunnel that much more significant.

Along with our footsteps and the faint rush of the sea was a dull scraping I couldn’t place.

Other animals living out their lives in the shelter of this labyrinth?

The fae realm had an eclectic mix of creatures not dissimilar to those found on Earth.

One could reasonably expect there to be all kinds of insects, rodents, and other vermin lurking in the shadows.

Perhaps even things like sand scorpions and spiders the size of dinner plates.

Why is my brain choosing now of all times to focus on the worst-case scenario?

One of Luthri’s long, tufted ears twitched. He glanced back and did a double take. With no warning, his spine went rigid, and his grip tightened to the point of borderline pain.

“What’s got you—” I began, starting to turn.

“Don’t look!” Lu dropped my hand. Clawed fingers took a hold of my chin and directed my head forward. In the corner of my eye, Lu also centered his gaze on the terrain before us. Sweat beaded along his hairline and rolled downward, tracking faint lines in his dusty skin.

What in the world could have him so nervous? Could it be that I’d been on the right track with my unsettling line of thinking? Lowering my voice, I hissed, “What? What is it now?”

“Nightmares. Look forward or at me. Don’t look back, and don’t stop moving.”

His uncharacteristically serious tone made my blood run cold, but the pieces hadn’t yet fallen into place. I must have misheard him. “Nightmares? As in, bad dreams?”

“Not dreams—monsters that feed on fear. They have a paralyzing stare and produce chemical signals that multiply the terror in their prey. If you acknowledge them, they’ll put you under and help themselves until you’re nothing but an empty husk.

” Under his breath, he added, “Aeil’s laudable tits. Could we be any more unlucky?”

The back of my neck prickled as a low click-click-click echoed along the walls.

To make matters worse, another series of clicks responded to the first. We picked up the pace.

The scraping and shuffling were impossible to ignore now.

It was heavy. I couldn’t hope for something as innocent as a cute little mouse, then.

My imagination conjured an image of two massive praying mantises, their mandibles clacking excitedly at the prospect of lunch.

By some miracle, I kept my voice steady. “How many of them are there?”

“I don’t know. Trust me, it doesn’t matter.”

“What if it does?”

“What?”

“Maybe it matters to me.”

“What are you going to do, sass them to death?”

“Gosh, I didn’t think of that. Do you think I could?”

Luthri rewarded my cheek with a spectacular grimace, somehow managed with only one side of his face. “If it were anyone else, I’d say no. But you might have a chance.”

A gradual smile tugged at my lips. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

“Why can’t it be both?”

The alcove wasn’t far now. What would we do if that wasn’t a serviceable way out?

We could risk the ocean, so long as the drop wouldn’t kill us.

That assumed Luthri could swim—I’d learned my limits as far as carrying a full-grown man.

The alternatives were running or fighting.

As disadvantaged as I was not knowing anything about nightmares or the threat they posed, I had claws and teeth. At the least, I’d go down kicking.

We reached the gap in the rock. The way it jutted from the rest of the cave to overlook the sea was almost like a natural balcony. In any other situation, I would have marveled.

Luthri slipped into the space and crouched by the opening.

Steadying himself with one raised arm, he poked his head out.

“We’re good,” he announced, having to raise his voice to be heard over the crashing of the waves below.

“It’s not a short way down, but there’s sand.

Here, you go first.” Sitting back on his haunches to make room, he reached for me.

I shuffled to the opening beside him, putting a hand on either side of the rock window for support.

The distance to the ground—several meters of air—mocked me.

I couldn’t hear the creatures anymore, but I didn’t dare glance behind.

Time was of the essence, yet… I hesitated.

It had been a long time since I was in a position like this. Ten years, in fact.

“All right.” Lu interrupted my trip down memory lane. He’d noticed my uncertainty. “I’ll go first, then I’ll catch you.”

He waited for my nod before throwing himself off the ledge, taking my breath with him.

I craned my neck to see. Faster than I could track, he slid down the cliff face to the beach below, sending fragments of slate scattering.

When he reached the bottom, he leapt off the wall with fluid proficiency to land on his feet.

He makes it look so effortless . I teetered in the gap, trying to shake off the fear that threatened to lock my limbs in place. Since when did heights make me nervous? This was nothing. Not at all like the drop into The Rift, and that, I managed fine. This should be easy.

A whisper of a breath behind me had my muscles tensing. Did I imagine it? Sheer willpower kept me from looking back, the effort making my neck hurt.

“Mar, come on!” Luthri encouraged, arms outstretched and ready.

Fuck . My heart thrashed inside my rib cage as I forced my feet forward. The clicks started up again, much closer than they were before. Maybe even within arm’s reach.

Lu’s voice carried on the wind. “Mar, it’s them!” he called, cupping his hands over his mouth. “What you’re feeling is their miasma—what they use to trap prey. They’re amplifying your fear and turning it against you. Please, trust me. I swear to you, I will catch you.”

What other option did I have?

Heartbeat screaming in my ears, I closed my eyes and jumped.