The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) by Garrett Robinson (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕

“Dark take it,” growled Yue. “This cannot last forever.”

But things seemed to be going well so far. Who knew but that Mag might wipe out the Shades’ leadership in one fell swoop, and Kaita along with them. The only foe she would not be able to dispatch so quietly would be the brute woman. But Mag was smart enough to know that. She would not even try.

She was smart enough to know that, was she not? I certainly hoped so.

As Mag neared the third tent, I settled back on my haunches to wait. It was growing uncomfortable sitting on the cold, hard stone of the cave. But my whole body jerked with fright as a cry went up from the opposite end of the Shade camp.

“Awake! Awake! Foes! Awake!”

My gaze flew to the source of the noise. I could not see who was shouting. Mag, sky bless her, did not hesitate. She turned and began fleeing back towards Yue and I, keeping low.

The Shade camp erupted into frenzied activity, like an anthill kicked by a restless child. Blue-cloaked warriors poured from the lines of tents, drawing their weapons and looking wildly around.

There. Finally, I could see who was shouting. At the other end of the camp, the brute woman came into view. She towered over those around her, and her shaggy mane of hair swung back and forth as she scanned the darkness.

“Enemies!” she roared. “Enemies in our midst! They are murdering your officers. Find them!”

“What in the dark below?” hissed Yue. “How did she see Mag from the other side of the cave?”

“I do not know,” I growled. “But we have to get out of here.”

Mag reached us just at that moment. “I do not know how they saw me,” she said. I could hear the frustration in her voice.

“And I gather you did not find Kaita,” I said.

“No.” She almost spat the word.

“Well, we will have another chance. But not now. Run!”

We fled through the shadows, sprinting for the cave entrance. I was terrified we might find it guarded. Mayhap the Shades had discovered the slain guard, and that was how they knew we were here. But there was no one there. The corpse lay right where we had left it. And with all the Shades rushing to the officers’ tents, no one was looking in our direction. I scooped up the fallen guard’s torch as we ran by.

“I do not understand,” said Mag.

“Mayhap it was the weremage,” said Yue. “She could have been … oh, sky, I do not know, a bat or something. Mayhap she saw you and told the large one.”

“She would have come after us,” I said. “Or raised the alarm herself.”

“Well then, you know more about it than I do,” snapped Yue.

“We have to get back to camp,” said Mag. “If we tell Kun, and he summons his troops quickly enough, we can still wipe them out before they have a chance to run.”

“Oh, now she wants to tell the captain,” I said.

All three of us could not help a bark of laughter as we sprinted through the blackness.

Kaita heard screams. Her head snapped up. She whirled in the darkness and sprinted back down the tunnel towards the Shade camp.

All day she had been exploring the passages tirelessly, but she had nothing to show for it. One of them had gone on for what felt like a league before abruptly reaching a dead end. She had not gone far down the third, the one she was still in now, but it had not seemed promising. She could not smell any fresh air, and it had seemed to plunge ever deeper and deeper into the earth.

But all these thoughts fled her as she pelted down the tunnel towards her allies. Soon enough, she came leaping into the grand cavern, where she found the Shades in chaos. Tagata was there, standing near the officers’ tents near one end of the camp. In her arms, she cradled the corpse of one of her captains, one whose name Kaita could never remember.

Magelight flared, and Kaita resumed her human form. “What happened?” she cried. “Tagata, are you hurt?”

“I am not,” growled Tagata. “But they killed Harnel and Selnir.”

Harnel, that was it, thought Kaita. “Who killed them?”

But even as she asked the question, the answer came to her in a flash. She knew she was right when she saw the mounting fury in Tagata’s gaze.

“Mag and Albern,” growled Tagata. “As I was resting, I received a message from the Lord. He told me they were here, now, slaying our kindred. Thank goodness I received word from him before they took more.”

A chill ran up Kaita’s spine. If she had stayed and rested, as Tagata had urged … they might have found her. It could be her corpse in Tagata’s arms right now. She wondered bitterly whether the Lord would have foreseen that, and whether he would have warned Tagata in time.

But then again … if Mag and Albern had come, then they were alone. They were isolated from their allies. Kaita had the magestones, and she could—

“Tagata,” she said quickly. “When did they leave? I could still catch them while they are alone.”

“No, dear one,” said Tagata softly. “Too much time has passed. They will have returned to their allies now. I am sorry.”

“Dark take them,” growled Kaita. “Will I never get my chance?”

“You will. Have faith. But for now, there are more pressing matters.” Tagata’s expression grew grim. “They are going to bring the Mystics down upon us. Everyone is preparing to march, but we do not know where. We cannot leave the way we came. That is where the Mystics will come. Have you found another exit?”

“No,” snarled Kaita. “Only paths farther down into the earth, and the southern passage that leads right to—”

She stopped short as an idea struck her. And she could see the same thought reflected in Tagata’s savage smile.

“Ready the march,” said Kaita.