Page 74 of Trapped By Claws
Corvin sat at the bottom of the staircase, shaking his head. He opened his mouth to speak when a heavy thud battered the doors.
They were here.
No!
My gaze locked with Corvin's, sadness and resignation filling his now-dull eyes. But the slightest of smiles tugged at his mouth. "I'll hold them off, clever girl. They're coming for me anyway. Let them have my blood and let me know you have survived. Just take Tagger and go."
Tagger squeaked with alarm. He raced down the stairs to Corvin. Putting his paws on Corvin's chest, he chuffed and nipped at him.
I agreed wholeheartedly. "No! I have given up so much that I have wanted, and I won't give up you."
Mama's voice came from the portal, shaky not just from magic but emotion. "Sweetheart, he can open another portal and get through that."
Except he couldn't. He was barely holding himself up on the stairs. His breaths came in ragged pants, his left hand wrapped around his right wrist as if he could somehow hold off that last injection of poison. Should I send him through this one and figure out another way? No. Even if he got onto the island, it would still be close enough to the King of the North Sea that his power would remain, and the island staircase portal wouldn't be strong enough to allow us to escape elsewhere for who knew how long?
We needed a portal staircase somewhere farther away. Somewhere we could both go.
The doors shook again. The attackers on the other side cursed and swore, their voices muffled but irate. The stones grated on the floor, the heavy rubble holding it shut. But it wouldn't last. They'd be through in minutes.
"Philomena!" Mama's voice cut through the air. "Be reasonable, sweetheart. You cannot delay any further. Get yourself through this portal right now. I've already lost Erryn. I won't lose you too. Let him have the pages in the book and he can find his own way through another."
"No." I swallowed hard as I turned back to Mama. "No, I will not leave him. Can you tell me another portal staircase we can reach from here?"
Mama's lips pressed into a tight line. She gave me that look. That look that told me she expected me to listen.
I didn't care.
I'd backed down on so much to make her happy. I'd given up everything to find Erryn and to take care of Mama. But no more.Maybe dreams were only going to lead to disappointment, but I was finally going to ask for what I wanted for me.
"Mena," Corvin whispered, laying down on the stone. "Just go."
No.
No!
"If you hurry up and come through, he'll have the time to make it to another portal," Mama said in her most soothing and persuasive voice. "Please. Please hurry, sweetheart."
My face hot, I turned to face Mama. "Mama, I love you, but I won't leave him. I have given up everything else I cared about. I haven't even tried to have a life. I don't even know how much of a life I'm going to have left, but I won't give him up."
Everything faded as we stared into each other's eyes. I wanted to say so much. So many words. And all that came out next was a strangled "please."
It wasn't much. Just a single, shaking syllable.
Tears brimmed in her eyes as she looked right at me. Then she nodded at the book in my hand. "You have my book? Turn to page eighty-one."
Hands trembling, I flipped through. The descriptions and coordinates on this page detailed those of another grounded portal and staircase.
"Draw those symbols on the arch and in the basin as you did for this one. That one should be strong enough." Mama placed her hand at the base of her throat, her voice shaking. "It's at Gryphon's Crossing. We can reach you there, or you can start on the west road and we’ll find a place between."
I nodded, choking. "Thank you. I love you, Mama. Your research—it's impressive." There was so much more I wanted to say.
The doors shuddered.
"That portal is one of the strongest ones," Mama said. She covered her mouth. "I love you, sweetheart. I love you, and I'm proud of you." Her hand shaking, she then pressed it over the portal's center, and it faded.
Part of me couldn't believe she'd agreed. That she had given me the answer. And part of me knew why she had.
More heavy thumps and cracks struck the door. We didn't have much time, but I didn't need long.
