Page 28 of The Bone Man

“Yes,” I agree, feeling uneasy. “It hasn’t curved enough to lead back into the Bone Yard.”

Merri pulls her phone out. “I don’t have a signal down here, do you?”

Despite knowing what I’ll find, I check mine. “No signal. Should we turn back?”

Merri’s hand clenches into a fist. “If our wards have been breached, we need to know how far it goes.”

I touch her back. “I will follow wherever you go, my lady.”

We tuck our useless phones away and press on, our fingers brushing against the dry earth.

Smaller tunnels start to branch off from the larger one, and our path becomes twisted as the tunnel turns into a maze that seems designed to confuse.

The turns we take seem promising at first, but they invariably lead us to dead ends, the passageways choked with fallen earth or tangled roots.

We backtrack from yet another dead end, and Merri’s frustration cracks her resolve. “Maybe weshouldturn back. We can try the other tunnel, then return to this one better prepared.”

I gaze back into the shadows of the way we came. “This feels like a job for more than just the two of us. But Nickodemus will not be happy if we return empty-handed.”

She pats her pocket where she tucked away the finger bone. “Not completely empty-handed.”

“True.” Though I don’t think the king of boogeymen will appreciate the distinction.

Merri steps to my side, then moves past, leading the way back.

After a few turns, the tunnel ahead ends in a tangle of roots, bringing us up short.

I touch Merri’s back. “Perhaps we took a wrong turn.”

She nods, but the uncertainty in her eyes holds the same doubt that fills me. We’ve crawled through enough tunnel systems to know how to retrace our steps.

We back up to the last branch in the tunnel and take the open path, crawling through a narrow passage.

Another dozen steps, and we reach a caved-in part of the tunnel.

Merri wipes a bead of sweat from her brow, smudging dirt across her skin. “This is starting to feel purposeful.”

I cup her elbow. “Let’s retrace our steps.”

She nods, and we crawl back through the narrow passageway, only to find the other tunnels now collapsed.

The glow in Merri’s skin brightens with her anger. “We’re being herded.”

I nod in agreement. Something is collapsing the tunnels as we pass, directing us to return to our original path.

But what choice do we have except to allow it and prepare for an ambush?

We move forward, one cautious step at a time, our breaths shallow and quick in the suffocating air.

We reach yet another fork in the tunnels, and Merri stops. This feels like the first fork we came to, but that’s impossible. Even with all the twists and turns, I know we’re now far away from the Bone Yard.

My best guess says we’re beneath the woods along the road that leads toward the New Clearhelm.

Merri turns to me, her expression a mixture of frustration and determination, though I catch a glimmer of vulnerability in her eyes. I want to reach out to her, to offer comfort, but it’s no longer my place.

At least for now.

Frustration tightens Merri’s voice. “Right again?”

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