cascade | kotlc

31. Entering the Triad

"Any reason why we're not letting the roots pull us to Ravagog?" Keefe asked as they fought through the cramped tunnel. "It would be way faster than walking."

June flicked his forehead. "Excuse me, mister? Remember when my boyfriend here almost died?"

"No, to be honest. What happened that day again?"

She snorted. "I will murder you in your bed, and you will not like it when it happens, because I'll bring Sophie."

He turned nuclear red. "Well, I didn't deserve that."

Calla belted out another verse to widen the tunnel again. Biana couldn't understand the lyrics, but just the tone of the song made her want to cry against someone's shoulder. She glanced at Tam, who was walking in front of her.

The last night was a disaster. Someone had rigged the bed -- definitely Dex, instructed by June and Keefe -- so it would collapse in the middle at midnight, when everyone was asleep. Tam and Biana, who were sleeping on the now slanted sides... gravity existed.

It was exceedingly embarassing, to say the least. She resisted the strong urge to gut all three of them with the knife she had in her pocket.

June hadn't trained her in weaponary combat. Biana didn't think she'd need it, hoping that relying on hand-to-hand would be enough. She was an idiot.

"Let me go out first," Alvar whispered when Calla announced the surface was right above them. "I need to figure out where we are. As soon as it's safe, I'll come back and get you."

Sophie removed the silver pendant hanging from her neck and handed it to Alvar. Calla sang a deep, low verse, which sounded more ominous than Biana would've liked as the earth nudged open, letting in streams of greenish light.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Alvar said, turning invisible.

June had scooted next to her as Fitz peered out the hole worriedly. The poor girl was hyperventilating in the tunnel, which was more cramped than anyone would've liked. Fitz came over and took her in his arms, and she leaned against him, her chest heaving as she groaned.

"I'm sorry I'm claustrophobic," she muttered.

"Nonsense," Fitz reassured her. "It's perfectly normal for a Guster. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"It feels like there is."

Biana gripped her hand. "There won't be, trust me."

Her magnetic cuffs glinted in the green light as the holographic touchscreens came up again. She nervously fiddled with them, setting them off and on as the wind blew outside, accompanied by surging water.

Fitz offered everyone water from a magsidian flask Mr. Forkle had given him, and Keefe guzzled the whole thing.

"That's disgusting," Tam told him. "You just got your saliva everywhere, dude. Leave some space for the rest of us."

He managed a smile. "Sorry."

The magsidian drew moisture out of the air, refilling itself as he handed the flask to Sophie.

"I wouldn't drink that," Linh warned. "There's something wrong with the water. It's... green."

"Sorry," Keefe said sheepishly. "I would've saved some if I'd known."

"It's not your fault," Sophie said, glancing around.

"That's disgusting," Biana mumbled as she messed with her cuffs. "I hate this. Why are we doing this?"

She knew the answer. For the good of the world.

"We'll be fine," June murmured, swaying in Fitz's arms as she rubbed her scalp. "I'm getting dizzy. Is Alvar back yet?"