Page 37 of For the Love of the Quest

Thomasin’s order sounded behind her. “You two keep watch, we’ll be back soon.”

The tunnel was just tall enough for them to crawl on their hands and knees, and although Edith’s knees complained, it was far preferable than inch-worming her way down into the darkness.She shuddered to think how dirty her top must already be after lying in the dirt. The last thing she needed was to rake herself through it.

Too soon in their descent, the light faded completely, and they had no choice but to crawl deeper into the tunnel completely blind.

“Another underground passageway,” Thomasin whispered from behind her. “Why does it always have to be underground?”

“Where else would you keep something hidden for this long?” Edith whispered back. The situation seemed to call for it, and their hushed voices bounced between them in an eerie echo.

Whatever comeback Thomasin no doubt had ready was lost when the tunnel suddenly opened up into a larger chamber. It was still pitch-black. The only way she could tell they were in a larger space was the sudden feeling of airy emptiness, the walls of the tunnel no longer pressing in around her.

They mapped their way around the room with hesitant footsteps and hands tracing along the wall. Unlike the grand decor of the underground chamber under Arthur’s Stone, this room was completely bare. Both the walls and floor were dirt, as if the earth had just been scooped out to create this vaguely rectangular nook of space beneath the surface.

The way forward seemed to be a narrow passageway across the room from where the tunnel had let out. This one was tall enough for them to stand, but only about two feet wide. With nothing to do but press on, Thomasin interlaced her fingers with Edith’s and led her into the passageway.

A sick, trapped feeling rose in Edith’s throat. This was somehow worse than the tunnel. The walls pressed into her sides from shoulder to thigh. It was barely wide enough for her to walk through, and her hip bones jutted into the walls with every step. The ceiling wasn’t much better. Thomasin had her head ducked, shoulders hunched, and Edith could feel the crown of her head skimming the top.

They trudged forward for an interminable amount of time, and just when Edith thought it couldn’t get any worse, she felt something skitter across the bare skin of her forearm. Something huge, and fast, and many-legged.

Edith screamed.

Chapter Sixteen

Thomasin whirled, unable to see what had Edith screaming and thrashing against the walls. She grappled in the dark, hands searching for Edith, who had ripped her own hand from Thomasin’s when she started screaming.

She found Edith’s arm, the muscle rigid beneath her skin, but the woman jumped away from her before Thomasin could grab hold. “Edith!” Thomasin shouted, hoping to break her from the wild panic.

“Run!” Edith’s hands slammed into Thomasin’s side and pushed her forward. She had no choice but to stumble into a run as Edith pressed into her, right on her heels. Thomasin could feel Edith’s frantic breaths puffing against the back of her neck.

“What’s going on?” she demanded as they ran.

“Just keep moving!” Edith punctuated the command with another shove. Thomasin was too confused to do anything but follow her orders. She had only ever seen Edith this scared during the axe-murderer incident, and though Thomasin was fairly certain there wasn’t an axe-wielding lunatic down here, she was still alarmed about whatever had made Edith so scared.

“I think we’re clear,” Edith said eventually, her steps slowing.

“Clear from what?” Thomasin came to a stop.

“Spiders,” Edith said, the single word coming out haunted and breathy.

A disbelieving laugh sounded deep in Thomasin’s chest. “We just broke into a bloody sprint for spiders?”

“Oh, and I suppose you would stay perfectly calm and collected if they were crawling all over you?”

Thomasin could practically see Edith’s hands on her hips, her chin jutting out in challenge. “I would,” Thomasin challenged right back. “Because I am bigger than a spider, and smarter.”

Edith snorted in anoh really now?sort of way.

“You know, if I’m smarter than a spider, then you’re definitely smarter than one, so there’s really nothing to be afraid of.”

“You’re so right,” Edith drawled. “Next time, I’ll just read poetry at them and they’ll wither on the spot with shame.”

Thomasin took Edith’s hand again and gave it a firm squeeze. “Now you’re getting it.”

“Just keep going.” Edith’s eye roll was almost audible.

Trailing her hand against the wall, dirt crumbling off beneath her fingers, Thomasin continued. After about fifty paces, her fingers skipped over something metal. She murmured an apology when Edith’s forehead smacked into her shoulder blade. Thomasin followed the thin curling shape of the metal with her finger. She realized what it was when her hand closed around something wooden and cylindrical.

Lifting the torch from the sconce, she dug the little pack of matches from her pocket. There had been no use in lighting them earlier only for them to burn out in seconds. With the practiced ease of someone who smoked hash far too often, Thomasin lit the match and ignited the torch.