King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(9)

His arm loosened around me. “Right pocket?”

“Yeah.” It would be a little awkward with the way we were positioned, but it was easier for him to do than for me since I couldn’t disengage my right hand from Jack. Plus, I was still gripping my gun tight with my left. It made me feel better holding it.

As we continued in our trek, Ezra’s warm fingers dipped inside my pocket. The water was currently ankle-deep around the dome, and even louder murmurs sounded from the throng behind us. He bypassed the tube of lipstick and pulled out the compass, holding it over Jack’s shoulder. “For direction.”

Jack grabbed it. “North we go. Unless we hit coral. Or a large hole.”

“Christ,” Pearl muttered, rubbing her face with her free hand. “Will we be able to see down there?” Outside the dome, we were now waist-deep in the Sound.

“We may not at some point.” Jack shook his head. “It depends on how murky the water is.”

Listening in from behind us, Aros mumbled quietly, “I hope the spout’s tall enough.”

“So do I,” Ezra muttered under his breath, wrapping his crushing arm around my waist.

The spout was really tall, just as Antonio had previously instructed us. I had trust in the man who had raised me, but it was nerve-racking to see the water rise above eye level. We had made the pond-dome thin, but it was still tinged brown, not only from the water but also from how brightly Jack’s eyes were glowing with power.

“It’s a bright day. The sun will help.” I think I said it just so I would believe it more.

As we marched deeper, the sand and what felt like gravel under our feet turned colder, and the water grew darker. Kids began crying behind us. The chatter became more dramatic, the disquiet in the crowd brasher. I even moved closer to Ezra as my eyes began glowing more fiercely; the sun had seemed to disappear altogether, as if it had gone behind a cloud, leaving us walking blind beyond the dome under the depths of the water.

Ezra’s green eyes were glowing brutally, and he glanced over his shoulder, whispering to the elite guard, “Make sure to keep the horde back.” There were sure to be a few who tried to interrupt our progress, thinking us cracked.

A peek backward showed that the eyes of everyone who had gone through their Awakening were glowing. My breath seized momentarily at the view, which was striking in the darkness — a beautiful multi-hued radiance shining toward us. Shaking my head at the sight, I turned my attention forward and peered around Jack’s arm. My blue eyes spotlighted the compass in his hand as he followed the direction of north perfectly.

He smirked, even if it was tight. “I’ve got this.”

I nodded once, squeezing his shoulder gently. He really did seem all right, if only a little edgy. Resting my head against Ezra’s chest again, I sighed and continued to focus, ignoring the colorful comments I heard from the crowd about our sanity. “When we get there, they’ll thank us.”

Ezra snorted, bending a smidge to rest his cheek on top of my head. “No, they won’t. They’ll still be scared. Maybe in a few days they’ll understand.”

“I’ll probably need your help then, corralling them to the cars Antonio said were there.”

He nodded, his cheek rubbing against the top of my head. “I think I can manage that.”

“You think my mom’s alright?” Pearl asked, her voice vacant.

Sounding impressed, Jack murmured, “She killed everyone she looked at. She’s fine.”

“I’m sure your parents are alright, too,” Pearl whispered hearteningly.

Jack actually chuckled. “I know they’re fine.” Another snicker. “My dad’s crazy enough to sneak away without anyone seeing him or my mom.”

Pearl blinked, then groused, “We know Elder Zeller’s fine.” Thrilled, she was not.

“I can hear you,” Vivian called loudly, positioned directly behind our elite guard. A glimpse back showed she was still carrying the air Elemental. She was glaring at Pearl. “He is my mate.”

“Mom, be quiet or the guards will knock you out,” Ezra murmured, his tone amused.

“Oops,” Pearl whispered, not at all repentant…because Elder Zeller was that bad.

Vivian’s Vampire growled a little, but she intelligently kept mute because the guards really would make her unconscious if she said another word or threatened us.

Ezra chuckled quietly, pulling me closer when it became almost pitch-black around us. The only light was that which was filtering in through the spout, and it didn’t help our visibility of outside the dome at all.

Mind churning after what felt like forever, I peered behind me. “How long’s it been?”

Instant from Felix. “An hour.” He didn’t sound anxious, only factual.

“Anyone know how many miles it is across the Sound to Connecticut, going directly north from where we entered?”

Ross, one of Pearl’s two elite, stated, “I believe it’s somewhere around fifteen miles.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly, keeping my voice low and my focus steady.

“At this speed, it’s going to take us four more hours,” Ezra whispered. “Jack, can we move faster and not risk the dome?”

Gradually, Jack nodded. “Yes, but not much.”

“The elderly and children won’t be able to go much faster,” Pearl murmured. “And most of the Shifters already have their hands full with the injured.”