Page 140 of A Silence So Divine

For the first time in twenty one years, our fate belongs to Creed.

My body sinks into the chair, my injured hand dropping onto my thigh. Sylvie is quick to rip the hem of her shirt and wrap the torn strip around my wrist.

“How many have you taken out?” I ask.

Sylvie’s sigh is laced with frustration. “Not many—hardly anyone’s down here. Probably too afraid of Eden.” Her golden eyes flick up to mine, and she presses her lips together into a tight line. Whatever she sees, it knits her brow and makes her look away quickly. “Feels like another trap. They knew we would come for her. And once we have her…”

She doesn’t finish the sentence, but she doesn’t have to. As soon as we go to her, they’ll swarm us. The catacombs are a massive spider web; they’re waiting for their moment to strike.

I try to speak, but exhaustion has me restarting my sentence three times before I can form the words coherently. “There’s an exit,” I slur. “On the southern end of the catacombs. It empties into a field. There’s not much for coverage, but it’s better than backtracking. That’s where Creed can take her and we’ll meet them there.”

Sylvie looks unsure, but she relays the information to Creed. He nods as she explains, and then gives a firm,“Okay.”

He approaches the doorway and my heart withers.

Pausing, Creed looks over his shoulder. Something flickers in his eyes, a crack in his facade, and I see through him. The valor is born out of desperation. It’s a bitter reminder of how sheltered he’s been. And to think I did it to protect him.

Hindsight is a funny thing.

“Me and you,”he signs.

“Me and you.” My words are no more than a choke.

It isn’t until he vanishes into the darkness that I hang my head and cry.

Fifty Nine

Creed

Leaving the flashlight behind was a mistake.

The further my feet carry me through neverending passages, the less I can see. The soles of my shoes drag wearily, ensuring that I don’t step into a hole and fall to my death. The only sense of safety I have comes from the gun aimed ahead of me and the blade that I whiteknuckle.

Without direction, I march forward. My only true plan is to blindly search until I find Eden. But, I cansensethat she’s near. The ground beneath me pulses with energy.

Like a bat in the night, I follow where the static carries me. The back of my left hand drags along the wall, feeling for doors or turns. So far, it’s been a straight shot.

Keeping Eden at the forefront of my mind, I force out the images of my brother. Beaten, bloodied,broken. Missing was the strong man that I know. It was then that I knew no matter what, I couldn’t back down, or flee in the name of fear.

If he could endure that, then I can find our girl.

There’s no other option.

The smooth concrete beneath my feet has turned soft and uneven. What feels like soil and crumbled rock forces me to slow my pace. The air has grown staler, too, smelling of decay and rotted leaves.

For a fleeting moment, I feel like I’m being buried alive. When the greedy hands of claustrophobia reach for me, I smack them away and carry on.

For Eden.

For Eden.

For Eden.

Movement in the air startles me and I scramble for my gun. Aiming into the nothingness, I crane my neck in either direction as if a light will suddenly illuminate whatever is in here with me. Bracing myself, I wait for a hit or the heat of a bullet, but nothing comes.

Air whooshes again, small but incessant, and I flinch. A few quick poofs, a flutter, and I back myself against the wall. It’s not particularly threatening, but it’s wildly misplaced down here, where everything is stagnant.

The sensation reminds me of… flapping wings.