Page 89 of The Last Session

Halfway across the hundred-foot chamber, I paused to look back. Mikki and Jonah were following twenty feet behind, their lights bobbing.Keep going.Now that we knew what was down here, the possibility of being shut in seemed much more realistic. We had to get out of this underworld as quickly as possible.

My hands shook, and I felt the dark edge of a panic attack. I tried to keep it away with deep breaths and mental encouragement.You’re doing great! Awesome! Amazing job!Finally, I reached the tunnel, the blessedly walkable floor, and raced through it. Then I scurried up the stairs. The open doorway at the top shone a warm, buttery yellow.

I think this is blood. It smells like blood.

I was going to call the police. I didn’t care if Mikki and Jonah thought I was crazy, or if it took two hours for them to get here. The second I had service, I was going to call 911 and tell them about Catherine. I couldn’t contain or push away the possibility—it blared like an alarm—that they’d done something horrible to her here.

In the meantime, I’d lock myself in my yurt—The yurts don’t have locks.I’d barricade myself in my yurt, then. Did I need a weapon? Should I stop in the kitchen to grab a knife first?

My thighs quickly started burning. It was harder going up the steep steps. Halfway up, I started coughing and couldn’t stop. I bent over the stairs and vomited up water. Dripping back down the steps, it seemed like a lot. Where had it come from? I hadn’t drunk anything recently, apart from a glass of sparkling yuzu juice at the bonfire.

“Are you okay?” Jonah caught up to me.

“Yeah.” I continued upwards. My right calf spasmed, but I didn’t slow.

Jonah was saying something behind me, but I could barely listen. All I could focus on was that square of light, steadily growing. I was almost out of this place—a place that felt ancient and cold and not of ourworld. A place that could break away from reality like an untethered boat drifting out to sea.

It was only when I reached the last few steps, my momentum launching me up through the hole, out through the door, and back into the studio, that the thought struck me:

We didn’t leave the light on.

37

I stopped short, but Jonah barreled into me and we both stumbled forward.

They were all there, waiting for us.

Moon and Sol stood in the middle of the room in pajama pants and sweatshirts, their hair rumpled with sleep. Moon’s arms were crossed, but she looked open, curious. Sol had an amused half smile on his face, hands clasped behind him, waiting patiently.

Grace and Steven flanked them on either side. Grace’s eyes were wide and round; she looked scared. Steven wore his usual half frown.

Mikki let out an “Oh!” behind us.

“Welcome back!” Sol clapped his hands. “Looks like you guys gave yourselves the self-guided tour tonight.”

I jerked my phone from my pocket. “Stay back. I’m calling 911.”

“Thea.” Sol sounded incredulous. “Please calm down. I don’t know what you think is going on.”

“We saw it.” My voice was shaking as I unlocked the screen.

“Saw what? Listen, I’m sure we can explain everything.”

“The Wi-Fi… it’s still not working.” No bars, but there was that SOS in the upper right.

“It went out. Like it often does.” Sol rubbed his eyes.

I pinched the side buttons and several sliders appeared on the screen, includingSOS Emergency Call.

“You found the cave.” Moon said it calmly, the lilt of her fake accent filling the space. “What did you think?”

“So cool.” Mikki widened her eyes at me. From fear or admonishing me to calm down? My finger hesitated on the slider.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” Moon smiled. “A cathedral. You saw our temple.”

I couldn’t keep the words in anymore: “What did you do to Catherine?”

Moon watched me, still smiling. Her diamond necklace glinted at her throat.

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