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A second later, the door slid shut again

Stygian, the darkness hissed with ghosts of terror, and she thought she ht filled the space, the ball of war she’d have expected froht, but she was beyond grateful Thank you, she said, able to breathe again now that she could see the tiny box held no serpents

His arm came around her Stairs into the tunnels will open beneath your feet Soon as they do, head down He pressed soave away Fast as possible, princess

Mahiya didn’t need hiret it later if she caused theht consider it a stain on her honor, but they’d be just as dead Using the light that hovered in front of her as a beacon, wings scraping the edges of the narrow staircase, she pushed forward to enter a tunnel as narrow

It was maybe two minutes later that she finally stumbled into a much wider tunnel

Turn left Jason swept around to walk beside her with that instruction, both of thele set of footprints preceded theirs in the dust

Venom?

He says he knows these tunnels like a snake knows its den

As if he’d called them up, two snakes slid sinuously into their path Mahiya halted, exah They’re not poisonous Neha didn’t tamper with nature except when she had a specific reason

Jason gave her a searching look You’re not afraid

Not in the light, she answered honestly

Those weren’t the only slithery creatures they saw, but for the most part, the snakes just wanted to be left alone or were curious Only one acted aggressive, and it died a quick death under the obsidian blade of Jason’s sword, its body turned to ash between one breath and the next

“Is it the sword?” she asked aloud, sensing they were deep enough that sound wouldn’t carry “The black fire?”

“No However, it’s a useful conduit”

His ansas no surprise, not when she’d felt the ht flame of hie just before we left”

“Good” She didn’t want to handicap her mother, but as Jason had known about the tunnels’ possible tactical use before the blood voas dee silent would’ve bleer

“Faster, Mahiya”

Calf an to slope steadily upward, she saved her breath and her strength until they exited at lastfrom a trapdoor in the floor of the broken-down temple where she’d found the teddy bear “Why didn’t Venoly concealed in a dark alcove

“Chance the door would be stiff with disuse, give hi” He went into another alcove, ca she assumed Veno at the fine grit on her face, cobwebs no doubt dusted over her hair, she dropped her bag in the corner and entered the open space in the center of the unbroken part of the temple “I can’t leave” The unvarnished words si a choice