by J. F. Penn
“Are you coming?” Sienna asked softly, as she stood at the edge of the way ahead.
Zoe nodded. “I’ll follow you.”
The Mapwalker team crept in single file along the trail, Sienna in the lead, then Zoe, with Perry and Mila behind. Zoe hugged the rock face, edging almost sideways to keep as much of her body weight away from the precipice as possible. They walked on in silence, their breath frosting in the air.
Suddenly, Sienna tripped on a rock.
She clutched at the wall and righted herself, but tiny stones skittered off the path, disappearing into the writhing serpents beneath.
Zoe held her breath as the giant snake paused in its movement at the sound. Its head was still buried under the sea of squirming creatures and she really didn’t want to see what happened if it emerged.
She had read of Apep’s battle with the sun god, Ra, his magical gaze freezing the deity, his undulating body creating earthquakes in the world above. His terrifying roar was said to cause the underworld to shake as he devoured those who trespassed in his realm. To banish chaos and evil, the priests of ancient Egypt would build an effigy of the serpent every year and burn it for protection against the darkness — but the snake would rise again once more.
After a beat of silence, they inched along the track, each halting footstep placed carefully to stay quiet, hands reaching for holes in the rock wall to help steady the way. Sienna turned a corner where the path narrowed even more, disappearing out of sight. Zoe reached a hand around the edge to balance herself—
Her fingers brushed against something hairy, something with thick legs. She gasped as a sharp pain pierced the back of her hand. She jerked her arm back from the rock, glimpsing the orbed body of a spider squatting in the hole as she took a step back — into nothing, falling, tumbling away from the path.
Perry reached for her, his fingers brushing hers, but he couldn’t get a grip.
Zoe screamed, her cry echoing around the chamber.
Time slowed, her vision narrowing as she fell, the eyes of the Mapwalkers upon her, helpless to stop her descent.
In that moment of terror, Zoe shifted her vision, and the cave was at once patterned with strings of light and cords of shadow, both making up the weave of the underworld.
Zoe reached for the strands, spinning them into a net of star and shade with the liquidity of water and the strength of rock. It cushioned her fall and held her above the sea of serpents on a web of gold. She lay there, stunned, hardly able to believe what she had just done.
The hiss of the creatures below intensified at the disruption.
“Move!” Mila shouted down.
Perry and Sienna pointed in desperation at something behind her. “Get up here!”
Zoe turned on the web, leaning on its bonds, comfortable in its embrace, sure of her safety — to see the giant serpent rearing up from below.
Its head was flint grey with sharp angular scales, its mouth open as it lunged with bared fangs. Zoe rolled sideways across the weft of strands, the snake’s head passing by her so closely that she could feel the rush of air and smell the sulfur stink of its breath.
A drop of its venom fell onto the web, dissolving the cords. The lattice collapsed beneath her.
Zoe clambered away, pulling herself up even as the snake turned to attack once more. Her breath came fast, her arms aching as she tried to haul her body weight up. The golden strings glimmered, flickering in and out as her vision narrowed, her magic fading as fear rose within. She scrambled faster, looking up to the Mapwalkers above. She had to get to them.
Mila stood on the edge of the path, her arms outstretched. She drew drops of water to her from the dripping rocks, spinning them into what looked like a whip.
As the snake lunged for Zoe, Mila lashed out, smashing the creature’s head with a spear of icy water. It stopped and turned at the sting, giving Zoe a little more time to pull herself closer to the rock. She climbed, only meters from safety now.
“Come on!” Sienna called down.
Perry lay on the path and reached for her. “Just a few more meters. You can do it!”
Zoe could see the desperation in his eyes, the hope of safety in his outstretched hand.
The snake hissed and lunged again. Mila cracked the whip once more, but the serpent ignored the barb this time, charging at Zoe’s dangling legs as she hung from the rock, exhausted and panting with fear. As she looked back, it was as if the Shadow came to life in the creature, knitted together from darkness and magic, its only purpose to protect the way between the worlds.
It opened its mouth wider, closer now. Zoe felt pinned by its stare, hypnotized by the black gleam of obsidian—
A crack of pain on her arm, a sting of water. Mila’s lasso.
“Grab it!” Zoe snapped out of her reverie and wrapped the water noose around her, using the last of her magic to wrap golden strands around it, turning the liquid into golden threads strong enough to hold.
The Mapwalker team yanked her up and away as the serpent smashed into the wall where Zoe had been just seconds before. Its frustrated hiss filled the cavern, its writhing brethren joining the chorus in a cacophony of reptilian rage.
They lay panting on the narrow ledge. Zoe sat up, her body shaking with the aftermath of the encounter, her clothes wet from the lasso. She looked at Mila.
“Thank you.”
Mila shook her head. “You did most of it. What happened down there anyway? We saw you suspended in thin air, and you did something to my water lasso to make it hold your weight.”
Zoe frowned. “You mean you couldn’t see the web?”
They all shook their heads. Sienna looked at Zoe with interest. “Your weaver magic seems to be far more than just mending maps.”
Perry touched Zoe’s arm. “Are you okay?” She looked up into his blue eyes and noted the genuine concern.
“I’m just a little shaky. I’ll be okay.”
Perry helped her up, his strong arms a welcome sanctuary. “We should get moving—”
A screech cut through the cavern, an inhuman sound like nails scratching on flint, like ice shearing off the face of a berg. Then the flap of giant wings in the dark.
11
A giant bat flew across the cavern toward the Mapwalker team. Its leathery wings were several meters across with ragged claws halfway along. Thick black fur covered its body but its face was hairless, pale skin, an abomination of ridges and scars, an upturned snout above a mouth of razor-sharp teeth. As it dived for the team, it raised its hind legs, each toe topped with a sharp blade to slash its prey to pieces.
The Mapwalkers pressed themselves against the rock, making as small a target as possible. The bat’s claws scraped against the stone above, sending a shower of sparks down upon them.
As it flew past and wheeled up into the air, Sienna pushed off from the wall. “Run!”
A ripping sound echoed through the chamber, like flesh torn by a ravenous predator. The cocoons split apart and more giant bats emerged from their sleep, dropping into the black, screeching as they flocked together in a dark mass.
The sound of their cries thrummed through Zoe’s body, the pulse of the underworld creating a rhythm along with their running feet. They darted along the path, each footstep on the edge of the precipice, but Zoe was no longer afraid of falling. Something had shifted when she fell, her confidence rising as she learned more about her magic.
The bats dived for them in waves, swiping with sharp claws as the Mapwalker team crouched and ducked and hid in crevices as they ran on. One creature caught Perry’s pack, lifting him from the ground. He reached back and shot a ball of flame into the bat. It dropped him quickly, its cry of pain sending the others into a frenzy.
But Zoe could see the toll even this little bit of magic took on Perry. He was still exhausted from the battle with the ibis and they all needed to rest — but there was no respite from the attack.
Sienna ran on, shouting and waving her arms to attract the creatures. “Over he
re!”
They dive-bombed her, leaving the others alone for a moment, enough time for Perry to catch his breath. Zoe turned back to see Sienna crouching under an overhang, several of the bats scraping at it, trying to pull her out with long talons.
“How much further?” Mila asked in frustration. “This cave is never ending. It’s like we’re running in circles.”
Her words echoed in Zoe’s mind, reminding her of something she had seen in the three-dimensional map back in the Ministry, a cavern spiraling into darkness.
“You’re right.” She pointed down into the mass of snakes below. “It’s a circle. The way out is through the bottom of the chamber.”
Mila shook her head. “Might have been useful information a little earlier.”
Zoe flushed. “I’m sorry, I—”
“A little help over here, guys!” Sienna shouted from beneath the overhang.
Mila spun her water whip, pulling down droplets from the stalactites. She lashed out at the bats, harder now, with a vortex of spinning liquid interspersed with particles of rock. She ripped into the wings of the bats, dark blood spurting from them as they screamed and wheeled away. But above them, the next wave of creatures prepared to dive.
Sienna ran back to where the others stood, her face red with effort, panting for breath. “What are you waiting for? We have to go on.”
Mila pointed down. “Apparently it’s that way.”
Zoe nodded. “I’m so sorry. I only just remembered that the map had a chamber like the circles of hell. The way out is through the bottom.”
Perry pointed ahead in the gloom. “She’s right. Look, that’s where we came in. We’ve almost run a circle of this damned place.”
They gazed down into the mass of serpents, the giant one undulating at the center like an angry god.
“But how do we get down there?” Sienna wondered aloud.
“We jump,” Zoe said, a plan forming in her mind even as she shifted her gaze in the cavern. Strings of light and shadow emerged from the darkness, forming a pattern that overlaid the creatures of nightmare. A well of power rose within and she reached out, fingers entwining strands in the air, creating a funnel down into the depths.
“You know we can’t see anything, right?” Perry said, his voice doubtful. “You expect us to jump into nothing. Toward them.” He pointed down at the pit of snakes.
“You have your magic, I have mine,” Zoe said.
Sienna nodded. “We’re a team. We trust each other.”
Her words gave Zoe a flush of pride, a recognition that she was truly a Mapwalker. But there was no time to enjoy the feeling now. They still had to get out of here alive.
She wove the threads together and then opened them up, creating a space between the serpents below, a funnel of light patterned with shadow. Both needed to make up the underworld.
As she manipulated the strings, Zoe felt eyes upon her. Not the eyes of the team, but something behind the creatures that surrounded them. Something gazed through the deformed snakes and bats, a knowing presence. Zoe shuddered as she felt its icy chill and worked faster. They had to get out of here.
“It’s done.”
Mila looked into the darkness. “I still don’t see anything.”
“You won’t, but it’s there. A funnel of strings that will take us down to the exit below.”
“Will it hold if those creatures attack?” Sienna asked.
Zoe shrugged. “I hope so.” A screech from above. “But let’s not wait around to find out.” She looked at the team. “You trust Sienna to walk you through the map. Trust me now.”
She stepped out into blackness, shimmering strands of the weave world around her. A sense of power thrummed in the cords as she slid down the funnel toward the rock wall below. The net shifted with the weight of the others as they followed Zoe down. She rested her hands on the strings, sending energy back up to them, cushioning her friends, surrounding them with light. The gleam reflected off the scales of the serpents as they pushed against the lattice, but Zoe knew they could not penetrate her magic — as long as she could hold it together.
She reached the bottom of the cave floor and stood, arms raised, as the others landed around her. Behind them, a round boulder blocked the way ahead.
Mila rolled up to stand. “That was pretty crazy.”
“I can’t hold the lattice for much longer.” Zoe felt the push of the serpents increase behind the light, the weight of their bodies, their slithering presence and hissing sound permeating her net.
One tiny snake dropped through. Perry stamped on its head, crushing it to a pulp. “Then let’s get out of here. Help me with this.”
Together they pushed the boulder away from the tunnel mouth and eased inside. It was big enough for two abreast if they crouched away from the low ceiling. Mila and Sienna went in first, and Perry helped Zoe inside. She backed away, pulling her net closer and closer, until finally, she used it to pull the boulder back in front of them.
In the darkness beyond, thick bodies thudded against stone as the snakes tried to reach them. But the barrier held.
Perry opened his palm, holding a flicker of light aloft as the four of them cowered in the tunnel. Zoe saw her own exhaustion reflected in the faces of the others. They were physically drained and almost spent of magic. They couldn’t fight another battle today.
Mila pulled Kendal Mint Cake from her pack, broke off some pieces and they ate in silence, letting the sugar sweetness return some energy.
“Where next?” Perry asked. “What’s at the end of this tunnel? Please, not another creature cavern.”
“From what I can remember, it’s not much further,” Zoe said softly. “We’ve almost made it through.” Her words sounded convincing, but she still felt a presence in the caves, something watching them, something aware of their trespass.
Sienna nodded. “We need to get out of this cave system before we rest. Come on.” She got up and walked on, half-crouched, along the tunnel. Mila slowly followed, stretching her limbs as if frozen from the chill of the cave.
Perry helped Zoe up. “That was impressive,” he whispered. “Nicely done.”
Zoe flushed, appreciating his words as she walked ahead of him in the tunnel, his tiny light a welcome warmth at her back.
Sienna kept her face toward the tunnel ahead, even as Perry’s flame lit the way from behind. She didn’t want the others to see her expression because she was terrible at hiding her thoughts and right now, they were dark indeed.
A Shadow presence watched them, she was sure of it, and she thought Zoe felt it, too. The Weaver was a wildcard and something in her magic called to Sienna’s own, like the young woman was always meant to be part of the Mapwalker team. And yet, she seemed to know so little about her gift. Sienna smiled to herself in the darkness. She had been in that position herself not so long ago. Perhaps she was still testing the bounds of her own magic.
Their footsteps echoed in the passage as it looped around, each turn making it harder to sense where they were under the earth. Sienna shivered as the chill air touched her skin, turning her breath to frosted mist as she walked. She could smell minerals in the surrounding rock, metallic with a hint of moss and lichen. It was strange to feel so untethered, to have no place of physical reference. This place negated her own magic, because she needed to know where she was and where she was going in the world. Neither was clear right now.
“What’s that?”
Mila’s voice brought Sienna back to the rocky tunnel. There was a light ahead, brighter than the reach of Perry’s flame. It glowed a warm orange, a welcoming glimmer in the dark and cold of this never-ending cave system. But the biting cold snaked into Sienna’s blood as she sensed the Shadow strengthening with every step. This place was no sanctuary, but there was no choice. They had to keep moving onward.
Finally, she clambered out of the end of the tunnel, emerging into a hollowed cavern that stretched high above into darkness. Stone walls with arched doorways created a circula
r space and above them, hundreds, maybe thousands, of niches cut into the rock, like a mausoleum waiting for the remains of the dead.
The light came from an altar, an enormous slab of rock surrounded by thick beeswax candles. Clearly someone tended the place, but Sienna didn’t want to find out who would venture down so far.
Mila walked over to a niche and picked up a sharp-edged rock.
Perry came closer to examine it with her. “Obsidian. Volcanic glass.” He looked around at the other niches. “There are many different kinds of rock here. What is this place?”
“The map indicated a temple at the heart of the border,” Zoe said. “A place between the worlds.”
Sienna sensed a shift in the air, like a breeze from above or the last sigh of a dying soul. Perhaps there had been balance here once upon a time, but now it reeked of decay, withering every second their worlds were held apart.
Mila dropped the obsidian, her hold weakened by the toll of the journey. A crash of rock splintering.
“Sorry! I’m so tired.” She shook her head and Perry bent to help as she tried to sweep up the fragments from the ground.
“Ow!” Mila jerked upright as a shard bit into her skin. She held up a finger, a drop of blood rolling down … dripping …
Sienna watched it fall toward the slivers of broken obsidian as it reflected the light like glass. A moment of dread rippled through her as blood touched stone.
A smoky haze rose up.
Mila and Perry stepped back as shadow billowed from the rock, a bloom of darkness that coalesced into the faint shape of a woman. With soft curves draped in folds of silk, her lips a perfect bow, her cheekbones high and aristocratic, she looked like an angel trapped in smoke. She spun around in the mausoleum; her face twisted in grief and madness. Her eyes darted around the cave — a trapped, tormented soul, desperate for escape.
Her gaze alighted on Sienna, and her expression changed. She bared her teeth, growling like a wild animal, her delicate features dissolving into decaying flesh hanging off a skeletal frame. Her visage shifted to that of a demon as she opened a vast mouth with bloody chunks of flesh inside.
