Page 152 of The Girl Who Inherits the Dead

“They take shifts,” Maison says, and he’s tracing his fingertips along the short platform, as if searching for something by touch. “They generally work a week, then have two weeks off, so they only have to cross it then.”

“And they know the spells, they know the changes of the runes, and they know who to call when it backfires,” Chloe says, then cracks her knuckles.

For once, instead of the remote fear that’s been across her for the entire time, an almost content expression filters over her face.

“Maison, you mask any leakage, cover for any traps at our back,” she orders. “Delina, you keep your hand on the bugs in case something comes at us, and sense anyone who might be near us. Keep yourself aware.” Chloe throws a look to Gurlien, who nods back at her. “Gurlien, stop me from falling over.”

There’s a breath, where everyone absorbs that information, before Maison turns back towards the door.

A strip of magic twists into his hands and, between one roll of his fingers and the next, he shreds it, and a warping golden wall forms behind them, not unlike the demon bubble.

He keeps his hands against it, his back to the cavernous maw, like his hands hold it up and away from them all.

Delina pops open the bug pill container, and with barely a thought, compels the tiny golden string into the palm of her hand.

After so long in the airless coffin, it's almost joyous against her skin.

Maison inhales, then throws her a grim grin. “Still weird when you do that.”

Chloe watches Maison’s shield for a split second then slings off her backpack, unzipping it and grabbing a handful of…gravel?

Playing with it in her hands, Chloe crouches at the edge of the platform, peering over. As if ready for it, Gurlien crouches next to her, grabbing her by her shirt collar, bracing himself.

“So the guards get over this by targeted runes and precisely placed keys on four separate points,” Gurlien recites, as if it’s not something that they all have memorized by that point. “All she’s going to do is mimic the keys, and we should get across this.”

“Can’t do that coming back,” Chloe replies, almost mechanically, “not without someone waiting on the other side. So we have to hit the stasis floor.”

“Yep,” Gurlien says, and it’s so practiced that Delina would’ve believed that they’ve had the information for far longer than they should’ve. “Ready on a go.”

Delina nods, crouching as well, and Maison braces himself with the golden shield.

“And…go.”

Chloe’s hands light up again, the gravel floating around them an inch away, and the entire platform lurches.

Biting back a gasp, Delina sits her butt on the floor, and the platform slides along the wall as if on an invisible track in a theme park.

Unable to stop herself, she glances off the edge.

The floor of the cavern, much closer than it looks, whirs into activity. Machinery, grotesque and monstrous, churns on the ground, knives glinting in the light of the runes. Blades, cogs, and teeth all gnash together, in one long continuous machine.

“You broke into the wall here?” Delina breathes, and Chloe doesn’t pause to nod.

“There,” Gurlien points, keeping one hand wrapped up in Chloe’s collar.

Chloe inhales, sharp, then squints, letting one of the pieces of gravel spin off to the floor.

It changes midair, twisting and engorging, before it sockets into place with a clunk.

The platform hitches, then continues to slide along, and for a split second Delina sees the tracks along the wall, before they fade as well.

Maison’s back twitches, and he lifts his hands up higher, as if counteracting something that only he can see.

“There,” Gurlien whispers, barely audible over the din of machinery.

Another pebble, growing into a metal rod, sliding into place on a lock. It turns, smoothly, and the platform drops a few feet before the track illuminates once more and they slide on.

Delina cranes her neck to look back at the lock. The metal rod fits perfectly, but by the time the next piece of gravel gets socketed in, it disintegrates, the machine crunching to life once more.

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