Page 118 of In Between Darkness
“Please show yourself,” I ask, now only a metre away from the source of the pain.
I hear a shuffle in the corner of the room and see the outline of a creature morphing into itself slowly, a gradient shifting from invisible into a purple snake-like creature. Its eyes shimmer in the light of my orb as it slithers its head from left to right, examining us, still timid of our presence. He must be just a baby because he is half the size of Versivius.
Ryder looks at me bewildered.
“A sky serpent,” he whispers into the shadows, meeting me by my side.
“He’s in pain,” I state, noticing the green blood oozing from its sides. I shine my orb around the room and notice blood splattered on every wall. The poor thing has been thrashing about, trying to get out.
“I can help.” I smile gently in its direction and walk closer towards its huge frame; it cowers away and grumbles again, making me halt.
“Asha,” Ryder warns me with concern.
“It’s okay,” I reassure him and continue my way closer to it. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. I promise,” I say to the creature, its body slowly relaxing with every step I take.
When I am close enough, I stretch my arm out slowly and place my hand on the hard scales on its side. They are dull and shattered in places. The pain is overwhelming. I can feel it when I close my eyes, haunting me, like we are connected. My fingers tingle against its skin as it ripples beneath my touch. Its muscle does not resist me, instead, it sinks into me like I am its haven. The painful whimpers become trills as the blood dries and the wounds close. I watch in relief as the mosaic of scales vibrate and shake with life, like it is shedding an old skin.
“That’s better,” I say into its side, still resting my palm against its fresh layer of moist scales.
I hear Ryder’s footsteps move to join us.
“What the fuck are they doing with a sky serpent?” he asks under his breath, placing his hand against the smooth mosaic.
“I don’t know.”
I look at him with worry. I think we both know there is something bigger going on here. “How are we going to get it out of here?” I ask, gesturing to the cuff and chains clasped tightly around its neck and legs. Ryder edges his way around the serpent, investigating the chains. He notices small keyholes on each of the cuffs.
“This shouldn’t take long,” Ryder remarks as he uses his shadows to fashion a key into the lock on his neck. It clicks, and the cuff clanks open effortlessly. Wow, he really is a master of shadow work.
“Do you think you can make a portal big enough to get him out of here?” Ryder looks at me and then at the sheer size of the Sky Serpent. Although he is just a baby, he is still bigger than an elion.
“I have to try,” I answer. There is no way I am leaving him here.
“Everything all right in here?” River’s voice bounces off the walls as he pokes his head around the door. “Wow! Is that?” His eyes turn from frightful to astonished.
“Yes…” I answer as I pace to his side. “We are figuring out how to get him out of here.” River nods his head and turns to Ryder, who is standing with his arms crossed.
“What’s the progress on the missing Moons?” Ryder asks, a soldier once again.
“They are all free and unchained,” River replies, and Ryder nods relieved. “And Tommy…” Ryder asks, a grain of vulnerability peeping through his stoicism.
“No sign,” River’s eyes drop to the marble in regret.
My eyes catch Ryder’s and offer them condolences, but he blinks away my invitation and squeezes his knuckles into fists.
“Asha, go with him. Portal them out of here,” he says through gritted teeth.
I nod in his direction, knowing he needs time to process this information. I walk towards the door with River and look back at Ryder, who is working on removing the rest of the chains. Sky serpents have six legs, so that’s six more chains to release. I can tell he is hurt, but I know the way he thinks. Mission first, then feelings.
River stands beside me as we congregate in the hall. The elevator is making clanking sounds, and I know it’s only a matter of time before the people up there unjam it. We move quickly. I conjure my portal and plaster it on the side of the wall before usheringthe Moons through it. The portal opens out onto our base camp, where we started. I know we cannot go back to the school, not until we know it is safe.
Once the Moons are all through, our group flees through one by one until it is just me and River standing shoulder to shoulder. Our heads turn in unison as the elevator starts whirring again, jolting and clicking.
“Shit,” River says. “There’s an Influencer up there…a strong one.”
The numbers on the elevator start to go down as it plummets lower and lower towards us. Miss Worthington.
“River, you have to go through.” My words are laced with panic as the elevator continues down.
