Extraordinary (The Extraordinary Saga #4)

Chapter 10

Within minutes, Caeden and Rowan had picked a trail and set off to look for the not-shadow - and hopefully, the source.

They were waiting to feel it more than see it, really. Their conversation died down into silence as they walked down the paths, focusing.

Caeden was about to open his mouth to say, I don't think it's here, when he felt someone tap his shoulder.

Except Rowan was in front of him.

He jumped, turning around with his hands on fire, only to see absolutely nothing.

Rowan turned. "Not cool, Luna," she called. "Know that I can sense your energy, by the way."

Caeden extinguished his flame and rubbed his hands on his pants as two familiar faces suddenly appeared in front of him. His own face felt warmer than his hands had seconds ago, but he tried to hide that embarrassment.

"I thought you were the not-shadow," he protested.

Luna grinned but didn't say anything. Onyx, though, picked up on some of the situation.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Caeden and I are looking for the not-shadow," Rowan explained. "It went this way. Any ideas on how to find it?"

"Oh, that's easy," Onyx said, drawing suspicious looks from her sister, Caeden and Rowan. "You're standing on it."

"What?!" They all yelled in unison. Rowan jumped back a little, trying to get away from it if it was indeed under her feet.

"Not under your feet, idiot," Onyx said, rolling her eyes. "It's underground."

"H-how do you know that?" Rowan asked warily.

"There's a small system of caves in this mountain," Onyx explained as if it was no big deal. "I can feel the real shadows beneath us. The not-shadow's hiding down there with them."

Nobody spoke, taking in Onyx's words. Then Luna spoke up.

"That's great and all, but I don't suppose you know where the entrance to the cave is."

"Nope."

Luna sighed. "Wonderful."

"You said it's right under our feet?" Rowan asked.

Onyx nodded, noting a strange gleam in Rowan's heterochromic eyes. "Why? What are you gonna do?"

Rowan grinned. "You might want to back up," she warned.

She rubbed her hands together, letting the natural friction build into something more. When the energy had built up enough, she forced her hands downward, striking lightning down deep into the earth.

If there's a cave down here, she thought, this will get us inside.

Rowan jumped back as the rocks at her feet crumbled. Looking back at Caeden and the twins, she raised her eyebrows.

"Who wants to go first?"

They stared back at her. Luna's mouth was hinged open. When not one of them moved, Rowan figured she had her answer.

"Guess I will, then."

She stepped up to the pit, sat at the edge, and dangled her legs to judge how deep the drop was. With the sun right overhead, she could see the bottom - Onyx was right; there was an underground cave - but knowing how far down was a whole other ball game.

Caeden put a hand on her shoulder, his eyebrows creased with worry. "Maybe we should reconsider this before..."

He trailed off, but only because Rowan slid off the side of the hole and down into the cave.