Bone Crier's Moon (Bone Grace, #1)(101)

“Souls don’t fly,” she replies absently. “That’s a myth.”

“Still, you—”

Her eyes dart past me, and she’s instantly alert. “Chained!” she cries. “On your left!”

My knife swings, but I strike nothing.

“He’s on the bridge now.” She steadies her feet. “Stay back!”

She starts battling the Chained with a quick and varied series of kicks. I struggle against a fierce instinct to run to her side. She dodges blows I can’t see. She ducks and cartwheels along the side of the bridge. I begin to relax, watching how focused and skillful she is.

Damn, she’s beautiful when she fights.

“Your time here is over,” she tells the Chained. She whirls around and drives her fist into the force of a tangible body. As she continues to attack, she pushes the soul back to the end of the bridge. She delivers a final kick, this one stronger than the rest, and the black dust scatters and re-forms into an arched door.

She turns to me, her brows lifted in shock. “I did it.”

I grin. “Well done.”

She rubs her arm. “It would be easier with a staff. That’s how the Leurress are trained to ferry.”

“You’re doing just fine without one,” I say. Then I notice she’s panting, with beads of sweat on her forehead. She didn’t tire this easily when she fought the Chained man in the quarry. But then again, moonlight and starlight were shining down on her through the aviary dome.

“More are coming!” Her eyes dart around the cavern. “All of them Chained. One from the shaft. Two from the tunnel.”

The tunnel? I turn and quickly examine the wall behind my ledge. Sure enough, a tunnel leads out from a shadowy area next to the opening of the mining shaft. I race over to it, my knife raised, but a sharp blow to my stomach knocks me off my feet. “Bastien!” Ailesse cries. I fly backward and skid several feet across the ledge.

“I’m fine.” I cough and push back up to my feet. But she isn’t. From the way Ailesse twists back and forth—kicking, jabbing, punching—she’s already battling at least two more Chained.

I sprint for the bridge. I’m barely on it when I bump into something. “What are you doing here?” a man’s voice growls. “This isn’t your fight.”

I immediately plant my feet. Just as quickly, I slash my knife forward. My blade hits resistance, and I stab hard. The man hisses, drawing back. I keep striking. I parry, lunge, duck, and spin. I use every skill I’ve practiced, every varied formation, and force him backward. It seems to be working.

I’m halfway across the bridge, and Ailesse has moved near the Gates.

She’s only fighting one Chained now. The other she must have already ferried to the Underworld. I swing my knife again, but the air before me is empty. I hurry forward several steps, but I still can’t figure out where my opponent went.

Ailesse makes a noise of exertion. She’s whirling back and forth, battling in front of and behind herself. Merde. The man who left me is attacking her. I run, but she shouts, “Stay back, Bastien!”

I stop a few yards away, but I can’t make myself leave.

“Please! I can handle these two.” She’s laboring for breath. Her face is flushed. “Get off the bridge!”

My blood pounds faster. Ailesse can’t fight like this much longer. She needs to channel more energy. I look at my packs. “I’ll be back soon! I’m going to blast apart the ceiling!”

She leaps over an invisible something and spares a quick glance at the ceiling. Her eyes widen.

“Hurry!” She jabs an elbow behind her.

I race away, my knife swinging aimlessly in case any Chained attack. I need to ignite the powder casks before more get to Ailesse.

I grab my two packs and my lantern and sprint into the tunnel. Some of the Chained came in this way, so it has to lead outside. At any rate, I can’t jump high enough to catch the shaft rope again.

Limestone bricks line the tunnel and lead to a staircase. My legs burn as I climb each zigzagging flight to the top. There must be twice as many steps here as there are in the three stories of La Chaste Dame.

The stairs end, and I see a hatch. The Chained have already pried it open. I look above—at a clear sky full of stars and the perfectly round moon. I let out a huge breath. “Thank you,” I say to no one in particular.

I climb outside into a meadow surrounded by a thick forest. I’m standing in the middle of a circle of stones that barely rise above the wild grass. Some are engraved with phases of the moon.

My pulse races as I quickly rummage through the grass and search for the wooden planks I saw from the cavern. This is taking too long. Ailesse is probably fighting more Chained.

At last, I find a couple boards with dried clay squeezed between them. More are nearby. Soon I’m able to trace the long edge of the patched-up strip that matches the soul bridge below.

I set down my packs and remove the casks of black powder. I place three of them evenly apart along the strip. I uncork the fourth cask and spread a trail of powder that links each cask together, and from there to the edge of the meadow, several yards away.

I crouch and pull my candle from my lantern. My shaking hand makes the flame quiver. This could be disastrous. The explosion might crush Ailesse or break the bridge. But I have to risk it.