The platform disappeared behind them as they walked single file down the narrow bridge, holding the thin rail for support.

  The grain had long vanished, revealing a wooden floor inscribed with sigils to keep the non-existent stored goods fresh.

  There were no bugs down here. The air was dry and cool, a welcome reprieve.

  Everyn felt bad for Valan, leaving him to be eaten by pests above.

  As they continued, it became obvious, this space extended beyond the borders of this simple milling town.

  As the simple wooden bridge transitioned to one of polished white stone, the floor below following suit, it became equally clear that this place was more than the home for grain built by an overexcited miller. The earthy smell of grain and dirt was replaced with something else, something clean, something sterile.

  “Valan,” Sterling spoke softly into his stone. “The girls were right. This place definitely isn’t for grain. It’s even too sophisticated for smugglers.”

  “Mages?” Valan questioned.

  Sterling took in a deep breath of the harshly cold air, “Maybe. Ev might have been right, it might be a growth shelter.”

  Sterling’s postulation was quickly forgotten as Valan’s voice came through low and frantic, “I’m not alone up here.”

  “What is it? An animal?”

  “I only saw it for a second out of the corner of my eye. Definitely a human shape,” His words were rushed, barely audible.

  “Okay,” Sterling replied calmly. “We’ll come back. Stay hidden and silent for now.”

  Sterling wrapped his palm around his stone to silence his own voice to Valan. “We’ll come back,” he told the other two firmly, there was a deep curiosity in his eyes, but it was overshadowed by his concern for Valan.

  “There is only one way to go,” Ryala whispered as she snuffed out Sterling’s wisp, blanketing herself in invisibility.

  A tiny shaft of moonlight became their beacon back as they sprinted through the darkness toward the hatch.

  Their footsteps grew louder as the bridge transitioned back to wood, echoing through the cavernous space.

  The shaft of moonlight was briefly eclipsed by a large shape that Everyn silently prayed had been Valan as they neared the exit to find him gone.

  An invisible hand gripped Everyn’s shoulder, “Send me up first,” Ryala’s voice brushed past her ear like a breeze.

  “Ry--” Her protest was interrupted as the hand clenched tighter.

  “We will keep the element of surprise.”

  Everyn’s expression tightened. She didn’t want to send Ryala up alone to confront whatever this was. Valan was physically strong but next to useless against magic users.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  If Ryala gave away her position to protect him, she’d have no one to protect her.

  Nails dug into her collarbone.

  “Fine,” Everyn reluctantly conceded. “But stay hidden until you have backup.”

  The hand released as Everyn laid flat on her back just below the hatch opening.

  She felt the sap of her Runebind as Ryala’s weight pressed into the tip of her boots, Everyn’s legs curled over her stomach. Ryala’s invisible hand gripped hers for balance.

  What if she hits the wood? The splitters… the Nails…

  Everyn’s mind swam with how incredibly stupid this was.

  This wasn’t the first time she’d provided a boost up using her Bind but it was different now. A splinter wasn’t just a splinter, a scratch wasn’t just a scratch.

  What if Ryala misses the ledge entirely?

  She pushed off hard, launching Ryala toward the gap above before her nerves entirely frayed her resolve.

  Dirt tumbled down from above, showering Everyn’s face in dried grass and debris. The edge wood that held the hatch creaked and groaned lightly as Ryala pulled herself up through the space.

  As the final blade of grass fell and everything became silent, Sterling approached.

  He’d have to be faster than Ryala. The second he reached that ledge, they’d be exposed and vulnerable.

  He weighed a good deal more than Ryala’s slender frame. More strain was placed on her Runebind. Exhaustion began to tug at her Spark, seeping into her joints.

  Carrying her own body was easy, hardly took any effort, but this was an unnatural strain, the pressure making her knees ache, her power wane quickly as she kicked off hard.

  She didn’t wait to see Sterling pull himself up. He would. He was the last person she needed to worry about.

  She scrambled quickly to her feet, taking a second to stretch her limbs and wipe the graindust from her hands before it would be her turn.

  The shadow of Sterling’s form vanished and Everyn took a step back.

  She reached for her Runebind with her mind.

  You just need to get me up there with them. Then we can rest.

  Her thoughts were a lie. The more likely scenario is that they would end up fleeing again, her Spark wouldn’t have time to recuperate.

  She took in a breath and sprinted, her feet kicking off from the dusty floor with all the force she could up behind it.

  Everyn could feel the pop of tendons as she overstrained her legs. The vertical leap was far more difficult than navigation across rooftops.

  She was barely able to grab the wooden frame of the hatch, old dry wood digging painfully into the flesh of her fingers.

  Her knees ached as she kicked, trying to boost herself off the broken pieces of ladder with no avail, the pieces crumbling with every touch.

  She couldn’t hear anything from above her as she stayed as silent as she could, trying to pull herself up by the tips of her fingers.

  The fight hadn’t started yet, but that could change at any moment. She needed to get up there.

  Something shifted above, out of view. The light coming through the hatchway brightened.

  Everyn no longer stayed silent as she pulled with all her might, a frustrated grunt escaping her lips.

  Have to get to them!

  The light grew as bright as daylight, nearly entirely blinding her. She could hear a voice but not one of her compatriots.

  Come on!

  She was digging her nails into the wood, swinging her legs frantically up, trying to hook her ankle over the edge when hand suddenly grasped her wrists.

  Everyn was yanked through the gap swiftly before her eyes could focus on the figure shrouded in blinding light.