Page 64 of The Curse Between Us

“Always,” Zephyr replied softly, his words just for Edric’s ears, and he meant it with every fiber of his being.

As they continued on, the landscape around them grew increasingly wild and desolate, with each step taking them further into the shadow of the mountain. The trail grew steeper, and soon, they reached a point where the path came to an abrupt end. Zephyr scrambled up over the rocks with ease, his well-worn boots finding purchase on the uneven surface. He pulled Edric up beside him with little effort, his hand gripping Edric’s arm firmly to ensure he didn’t slip.

Once they were at the top of the rocky outcrop, Zephyr took a moment to survey the scene, the wind whipping around him as he looked back at the others, who were fanning out across the base of the mountain. There was a tension in the air, as if the mountain itself was holding its breath.

“Well?” Zephyr asked, turning to Clara and Hadley, who had kept their distance from the rest of the group. They had been quiet for the duration of the journey, but now they stepped forward to join him.

Clara, always the first to speak her mind, shook her head slowly. Her face was grave, the lines around her eyes etched with concern. “This mountain is old,” she said, her gloved hand brushing against a stone outcrop nearby. “Very old.”

Hadley, her eyes closed as if listening to the earth itself, tilted her head upwards. The wind tugged at her white cloak, but she remained undisturbed. “There is great power here,” she said, her voice almost a whisper, as if she were speaking to the mountain itself. “And great anger.” She turned her gaze toward Zephyr and Edric, her eyes dark with concern. “Can you feel it?”

Zephyr closed his eyes for a moment, letting the wind carry the scents of the mountain. The familiar smell of ash was absent here, but there was something else—something metallic and sharp, like silver woven into the very stone around them. It was a feeling that clawed at his insides, a deep, unsettling presence that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Yes,” he said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of the realization. “I can.”

His eyes flicked open, and he continued climbing further up the slope of the mountain, testing each rock beneath his feet before committing his full weight to it. He was careful now, each step a deliberate choice as he moved farther into the heart of the mountain. Edric, though slower and more cautious, followed him, his expression dark with the same unease.

As Zephyr paused to glance back at the others, he saw Alec and Ollie organizing the rest of the party into smaller groups, keeping them within sight but spreading out as they continued to explore the base of the mountain. The steady rhythm of their actions only served to deepen Zephyr’s apprehension.

A few feet ahead of them, there was a small ledge—a natural outcrop of rock that jutted out over the void below.Zephyr swung himself onto it, his body moving with ease as he found his footing. He reached down and helped Edric up beside him, his grip firm as he pulled him to safety.

Standing there, with the wind whipping through his hair and the vast expanse of the mountain stretching out before them, Zephyr couldn’t help but feel the weight of what lay ahead. His heart clenched painfully as he wondered what other horrors Abyss had in store for them, what new challenges they would face.

Edric, meanwhile, had turned his gaze out toward the distant horizon. Though they couldn’t see Rafria from their current position, the longing in Edric’s eyes was undeniable. Zephyr took a step toward him, his boots crunching the snow beneath his feet. The wind carried with it a metallic tang, a reminder of the power that lay hidden within the mountain.

As Zephyr reached Edric’s side, he was about to speak, but the ground beneath them suddenly gave way with a terrifying rumble. In an instant, the earth cracked open, and both Zephyr and Edric were swallowed by the darkness, falling into the void that had been hidden beneath their feet.

Chapter Sixteen

Dull pain radiated from the center of Edric’s body, spreading outwards through his limbs like a wildfire. His head throbbed with each pulse, and his muscles ached in protest as he tried to push himself upright. His hands scrabbled uselessly against the jagged ground, seeking purchase on the hard rock beneath him. A sharp slice of pain shot through his palm as his hand brushed against a particularly jagged piece of stone, and he hissed in reaction, quickly drawing back. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply to steady himself. The stench of dust and earth filled his nostrils, but it was the silence that made his heart race.

Opening his eyes, Edric managed to rise to his feet, his legs shaky as they struggled to support his weight. His vision was blurry at first, and the surrounding darkness was oppressive. He squinted, trying to make out any shapes in the blackness that enveloped him. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he realized just how deep they had fallen into the heart of the mountain. The vast cavern stretched out before him, a yawning abyss that seemed to go on forever. The air was thick, stagnant with the weight of ages.

"Zephyr?" Edric called, his voice hoarse from the shock of the fall and the heavy air. As the word left his lips, he immediately regretted it. It was foolish to announce his presence so boldly. What if something—someone—was listening?

There was no answer.

The echo of his own voice reverberated around the cavern, swallowed by the oppressive dark. Edric felt a tightness in his chest. He remembered the look of shock on Zephyr’s face as the ledge had crumbled beneath them, the panic in his eyes as they plummeted downward. The last thing Edric had heard before the fall was Zephyr shouting his name, then the sudden jolt that had knocked the wind out of him. They had been so close, both of them, just moments before the ground gave way beneath their feet.

His chest tightened as a new thought gripped him. What if Zephyr had been injured in the fall? What if he couldn’t respond? Panic crawled up his spine, but Edric fought to push it down. He needed to stay focused.

“Zephyr?” he called again, softer this time, trying not to betray the worry in his voice.

Still no response.

Edric cursed under his breath and shook his head, frustration welling inside him. Without wasting any more time, he shrugged off his cloak and let it fall to the ground where he had landed, leaving it in an open spot for Zephyr to find if he came this way. The cloak, though unhelpful in any other way, could serve as a beacon in the vast, featureless darkness.

Somewhere in the distance, Edric could hear the faint, rhythmic sound of water dripping. The steady plink echoed through the cavern, its repetition amplified by the towering stone walls around him. With nothing else to guide him, Edric decided to follow the sound, hoping it might lead him to some source of light, or at the very least, give him some sense of direction.

He moved cautiously, his steps slow and deliberate as he navigated the rough terrain. The ground was uneven and treacherous, jagged rocks protruding from the earth at odd angles. He kept his right hand resting on his belt, reassuringhimself with the presence of his sword, which had thankfully remained secured despite the fall. His fingers brushed the hilt, feeling the cool metal beneath his fingers, and it offered him a small measure of comfort in the otherwise suffocating gloom.

Every few feet, Edric stopped to scan his surroundings, his eyes darting back and forth, searching for any sign of Zephyr. His heart raced in his chest, and he could not shake the growing sense of unease that seemed to seep into the very air. The deeper he went, the stronger the scent of ashes and something far darker—anger, perhaps—grew. It was faint at first, like the distant residue of a fire that had long since burned out, but with every step, the smell became more pronounced, more unsettling.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, Edric finally found the source of the dripping sound. A twisted column of rock jutted from the ground, reaching high into the darkness above. Water ran down its length in a thin but continuous trickle, falling onto the ground below with the same steady rhythm Edric had heard earlier. It was cold to the touch, icy even, and Edric reached out instinctively to catch a drop on his palm. He let it linger there for a moment before pulling his hand back.

It was cold—unnaturally cold—but there was nothing special about it. Nothing extraordinary. Just water.

“Well,” Edric muttered to himself with a wry smile, “if I am trapped down here, at least I’ll have something to drink.”

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