Page 60 of Bound

Wick made a rumbling noise of confusion. But his fiery eyes drifted shut, and Slate channeled his power into him.

Wick’s wings flexed, his flaming eyes flashing open in shock as Slate used his finger to draw a portal in the cool forest air.

“Oh,” Wick whispered. He stared at the portal in disbelief, examining the flickering white hole in the middle of the forest. “I have never done that before.”

“And you will not again,” Slate said. He dropped Wick’s hand. “Come with me. If I am to encounter another Skullstalker, I may need to fight.”

Wick said nothing. For a moment, Slate thought he might have offended him, which was ridiculous. However Wick felt about his blood frenzy, it was useful sometimes.

Wick’s eyes focused on the distance as if he was remembering something he thought he’d forgotten. His eyes sparked, and Slate extended his claws even further than usual. He’d seen those eyes flicker that hard before; it was the only time he was truly afraid of his brother.

Then Wick blinked, and he was the mild-mannered Skullstalker Slate knew.

“Lead,” Wick said, turning to face the glowing white hole in the middle of Slate’s void. “I will follow.”

They stepped through the portal into a forest so dark that even Slate had to let his eyes adjust.

“Humans don’t venture here often,” Wick explained as Slate sealed the portal behind them. “For obvious reasons.”

Slate grunted. The darkness was so intense it swirled around him, thicker and heavier than the shadows in his own void.

He peered through the forest. He could hardly see the trees ahead of him, which stunk of sulfur. But he could see a tiny light in the distance.

“There,” Wick announced. “That’s the cave.”

Slate was thankful that Wick had placed them so close to it. If someone got distracted while making a portal, they could end up days away from their destination.

Shadows parted around them as they walked, dragging on their skin. Slate could feel his own darkness spasming around his skull mask, batting away the new shadows.

A gruff voice echoed through the dark. “Ho there, brothers. What brings you to this strange place?’

The lights ahead of them multiplied. It wasn’t a torch like Slate had assumed. They were eyes, beaming through the darkness.

Their surroundings came into sharper view with each step. By the time Slate arrived in front of the Skullstalker, he could see the cave behind him, huge and cavernous.

The Skullstalker looked… old. Older than Slate, which was impossible. He knew all his older siblings, and this was not one of them. But he couldn’t find another explanation for the chipped, aged bone over his face, or his cloudy eyes, or the skin sagging off his limbs.

He was dressed in odd human clothes, bones hanging from a chain around his neck. They all looked like jawbones, but the teeth were nothing Slate recognized.

“Brothers,” the Skullstalker said, his voice so quiet Slate had to lean in to hear it. “I welcome you into my void.”

“This is not a void,” Slate pointed out. “You are in the mortal realm.”

“My void-away-from-void, then.” The Skullstalker’s black eyes glittered. “What do you wish of me?”

The words were a surprise. Skullstalkers were not a helpful species. Other than Wick, who was an exception to the rule. This Skullstalker’s voice might be soft, and his skin was sallow with age, but Slate was still fighting the urge to crouch in preparation for a fight.

“I have a mortal,” he said slowly. “I need to… fit inside.”

He expected surprise. Or at the very least, amused laughter. But the Skullstalker only bowed his head, a shocking risk when encountering two unknowns. The back of his neck was completely exposed.

“We can do that,” the Skullstalker said plainly. “Come with me.”

He turned and walked toward the cave. His gait was slow, almost a waddle. Slate exchanged a confused look with Wick, who looked back like he expected Slate to tell him what to do next.

The Skullstalker twisted to beckon him in. “There are no gnashing jaws waiting to devour you. Come.”

Slate took a cautious step toward the cavern, tail swishing suspiciously. “I will stay. Whatever is required, I will do it from here.”

---