Page 134 of Earthbound

Mortah saluted as Reena moved off. Lettle had to jab Alder with an elbow to remind him to do the same.

Alder let out a shaky breath. ‘I was sure we were caught.’

‘Don’t lower your hand from your chest. Reena is still watching,’ Mortah said. Alder glanced up and caught the eye of the colonel as she was walking away.

Her eyes were narrowed, but then she glanced away, her mind on other things.

They waited for what felt like for ever. Alder only relaxed when Mortah did.

‘I really thought we were done for,’ Alder said.

Lettle frowned. ‘Did you notice she was wearing a uniform with only the Waning symbol on? And the soldier who came up to her was too.’

Mortah didn’t respond; she kept looking behind her. ‘Something’s wrong here. The air crackles like it did on the Bleeding Field. And did you hear what they said? There are captains refusing orders in Crescent.’

‘This doesn’t feel like a coalition at all,’ Lettle agreed, but truthfully, Alder had no point of reference.

‘What do we do now?’ he said.

‘We continue with the plan,’ Mortah said. ‘If she’s off to Crescent then she won’t be at the border to stop us. All we need to do is get into the tunnel.’

‘And hope that either Furi or Rayan are on the other side to let us in,’ Alder muttered.

‘They will be,’ Lettle said firmly. ‘Don’t forget the Fates told us help will come.’

Alder clenched his fists. He didn’t trust the Fates any more than he trusted human magic.

‘I think we should move quickly now,’ Mortah said, taking the first step. ‘Not too fast, Alder, just a gentle jog, like we’re training. That’s it.’

Alder was already out of breath despite the easy pace.

‘We’re not far now,’ Lettle said by his side. She must have realised his panic.

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

The edge of the tunnel came into view. But so too did the scale of the soldiers guarding it.

‘There’s at least a hundred armed guards here,’ Mortah muttered. The soldiers parted, revealing someone else among their ranks.

Colonel Reena.

‘It occurred to me after I had left, that Rohan retired from the Waxing army twenty years ago,’ Reena said lightly.

‘Shit,’ Mortah said.

Alder’s chest jerked as though he’d been shot. It was over. They’d been caught.

‘It’s all right, help is coming,’ Lettle reminded him again, but it did little to ease his fear.

She is so naïve, even after everything she has learned; she still thinks magic will save her.

But Alder knew no one could save them except themselves. He dropped to the ground and pressed his hands to the earth.

‘What are you doing?’ Reena said. She reached for her drum, but her hand hesitated as she watched Alder with curiosity.

He willed the ground to part beneath him. Shift, move, do something.

But the earth didn’t so much as tremble.