Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: Life has once again kept me from being able to write as much as I would like, but I finally managed to finish chapter 12, and I hope to get chapter 13 written this weekend! It looks like there will be 14 or 15 chapters total to this story. Thank you to Rain, Mxfan214 (you'll find out soon!), Fiery Feral, Mayra, Redhead 2 (thank you for both reviews!),Saphire Ravven8 (I had to laugh when I read your comments, I never thought about it that way before!). Meg, your review made my week, thank you! Hi, Brennan's "death" will be addressed a little more in chapter 13, but yes, technically speaking he was not dead because he was able to be revived. Stopping his heart and not just his breathing would have been more close to being dead, but what we always see on TV and movies with people being revived from CPR is incorrect. I've been a Certified First Responder for nine years now, and the first thing we learn is that CPR cannot restart a heart, it only keeps the blood circulating until professional help arrives. Being in a cave with no equipment and the electrical guy the victim, I had to stick to stopping Brennan's breathing only, and not his heart, hence Adam doing rescue breathing and not CPR. Long explanation, but hope that helps:) But anyway, here's another long chapter for you, I hope you enjoy it!
Traveling Souls—Chapter Eleven
The air was damp and cold when Brennan awoke. Awareness came in graduating degrees; aching muscles that had stiffened during the night, the damp slate that permeated his clothing, the warmth of Shalimar's hand tucked under his. They had turned during the night, Brennan stretched out on his right side, Shalimar huddling against his broad back, small arms holding him like a giant teddy bear. He blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness of the cave. Jesse and Emma were still asleep, wrapped in each other's arms, Jesse snoring lightly into Emma's ear. He smiled at the sight, freezing slightly when he heard a shuffle. He lifted his eyes, catching Adam's knowing gaze as he walked past his cuddling team. So much for Adam not knowing, Brennan winced. They should have known they couldn't keep such a thing from the older man. He was too smart not to know. A small smile played around Adam's lips as he walked past, and Brennan chuckled appreciatively, smile fading when he noticed Alex was nowhere in sight. He didn't trust the man. Shalimar did, but Brennan knew better than anyone how love could color one blind. He had become a mark one too many times because of love. He frowned, squeezing her cold fingers protectively, gently lifting her arms as he slid out from her grasp. She stirred, parted lips releasing a sigh, arms instinctively wrapping around herself in the cold. He gingerly sat up, feeling every ache and pull from his bruised body as he shrugged off his jacket, placing it around her shoulders and tucking it under her chin. He paused for a half minute, gathering his breath before lunging to his feet with a muffled groan. Once on his feet, he could see Alex down by the water. When he spotted Brennan, he nodded in acknowledgement. Brennan crossed the length of the cave, refusing to limp as the other man watched him approach.
"Hey," Brennan nodded curtly to him as he knelt by the water's edge.
"Morning." Alex returned in greeting. He was sitting on a rocky outcrop, eating a breakfast bar.
Brennan's knees creaked as he leaned forward, taking a deep breath before plunging his entire head under the water. Complete, heavy silence wrapped around him for a moment, and then he came back up gasping for air. He slicked his hair back with both hands, shivering at the water, ice cold from glacial runoff.
"Hungry?" Alex handed him another wrapped bar, gesturing to him to sit down.
Brennan reluctantly sat down next to him, not quite able to hide the grimace as his lower back made contact with the rough wall. He saw Alex glance at him sideways, grateful when he stayed silent. His stomach growled as he unwrapped the small bar, suddenly famished. "It's good," He mumbled begrudgingly around a big bite.
A small smile flitted across Alex's lips, and Brennan suddenly wondered just how far his psionic abilities went. He flushed slightly at the idea of his thoughts being read. He knew he was being irrational and childish in his behavior; he just didn't want to admit it to anyone else.
"I was just thinking how good an omelet would be right now," Alex broke the silence after a moment. "With bacon, cheese, tomatoes..."
Brennan groaned in hunger. "And peppers, red and green both." His mouth watered as he pictured it in his mind.
"And ketchup on top." They glanced at each other in surprise as they both spoke simultaneously.
Alex's mouth quirked. "You too?"
"Yeah," Brennan couldn't help but smile back. He didn't know anyone else who liked ketchup on their eggs. The rest of the team always made faces at his choice of topping.
They fell silent, munching on their bars.
"How're you feeling?" Alex didn't look at Brennan as he finally spoke again.
Brennan shifted slightly, uncomfortable. This was the first time he had actually taken the time to carry on a conversation with him. It had been easier to hate him from afar. "Better." He finally answered
"Good," Alex nodded.
They fell silent again.
Brennan took another bite, his chewing loud in the heavy silence. He crinkled the discarded wrapping between his fingers.
"How's Shal?"
Brennan tensed and stopped chewing, turning his head to search into the other man's eyes. He didn't know what he was looking for exactly, but only saw true affection and concern looking back at him. He relaxed slightly. "She's good."
The dark eyes continued to hold his, and Brennan had the sudden feeling he was being searched as well. He held still, waiting, until Alex dipped his head slightly. "Good."
It was a gesture of acknowledgement, of surrender, and Brennan blew out his breath, feeling he had just passed some sort of test. He glanced at the other man as he suddenly stood back up, grudgingly admiring his strength of character. The gesture could not have been easy. He watched as Alex searched through his pack for a moment, pulling out a canteen. Water. Brennan swallowed tightly. His own canteen had been emptied yesterday.
Alex tipped his head back, about to swallow when he felt Brennan's eyes on him. He paused, looking over at him, recorking the canteen and tossing it over to Brennan.
Brennan caught it in surprise.
"Go ahead," Alex nodded at him.
Brennan uncorked it, practically salivating at the water gleaming inside. He lifted it, hesitated, then sighed, recapping it and tossing it back. "You go ahead."
Alex's hands rose automatically, brows rising in question. "But I know you want it."
Brennan shifted, speaking carefully. "It was yours first."
Alex stared back at him.
They weren't just talking about the canteen anymore.
He slowly lifted it, and Brennan's fingers tightened, wrapper crunching sharply in his fist. He forced his fingers to relax, and the wrapper fell unheeded to the floor. Alex smiled, tossing the canteen back at Brennan.
"It's yours now."
Brennan stared at the canteen in his hands, aware of the implication. "Thanks." His voice was husky when he finally spoke. He glanced up, squinting in the dim light to see the other man more clearly, ashamed of how he had grossly misjudged him.
"BREEEENNNAAAN!"
Shalimar's hysterical cry ripped through the cave, echoing harshly in the cavernous space as her voice cut out abruptly.
Brennan sprang to his feet, pain forgotten as he raced down the tunnel, back where he had left her, heart slamming madly in his chest, panicked. Alex was right behind him, and he stumbled in the darkness, hand scraping against rough rock as he caught himself and raced into the main chamber.
Shalimar was sitting up where he had left her, blanket puddled around her waist, clutching his jacket to her chest. Jesse and Emma were also heading towards her, but Brennan beat them, sliding to his knees in front of her.
"Shalimar!" He gripped her shoulders, pulling her closer to him, eyes scanning her frantically. "What's wrong?"
He was gone. Trapped in the abyss between nightmare and reality, Shalimar tried to focus, but all she could see was the horrific image in her mind's eye. Brennan was gone. She had screamed for him, but he hadn't answered. Her breath kept coming in short pants, and she tried to calm down, but could only see the same thing over and over again. She was too late, he was dead. Fury and terror ignited, and she stumbled to her feet. She slammed headfirst into someone, and furious, she growled, impatiently sidestepping the obstacle. She had to find him. Hands grabbed at her, holding her back, and annoyed, she glared in righteous fury. More hands grabbed her, words shouted at her to wait, and anger roared through her. She flung the body out of her way, barely noticing as it landed on the floor with a painful grunt. Stupid hands. They were wasting precious time. Brennan was gone, and she had to find him. She screamed his name again.
Brennan's chest throbbed from where Shalimar had blindly slammed into him, but he ignored it as he staggered past where Jesse had fallen, reaching out again to grab Shalimar, heart wrenching as her scream ended with a strangled sob. She struggled against him in rage, eyes wild as she yanked free of his hands.
"Shalimar!" He again gripped her shoulders, pulling her around to face him directly. "What is it? What's wrong?"
She said nothing, the fight suddenly leaving her. She was too late. Her knees buckled beneath her.
Brennan caught her as she sagged, shaking her, but she didn't respond. It was then he began to suspect what happened. Damn. The nightmare, the abyss, known only to those that had seen too much "Emma!" He searched desperately over Shalimar's shoulders for the psionic, but Emma already knew, sending a gentle psi-blast toward the struggling feral.
"It's ok, Brennan." Emma softly reassured after a moment. "She can see you now."
Brennan's eyes darted back to Shalimar's. Her eyes were glassy, and she suddenly blinked, mouth trembling as she fearfully, desperately looked him up and down, committing him to memory.
After the past few days, he should have known she was on the edge. He understood all too well. The abyss; the carved out world between haunting nightmare and terrible reality. He had lived it himself and knew better than anyone the terror it provoked. Ignoring the others, and the stab of sorrow in his heart, he brushed his fingers across her shoulders, gently, reassuringly. She trembled, groaning at his touch.
"What the hell is going on here?" Alex strode forward protectively.
"She's ok, she's just not quite awake yet." Emma's voice stopped Alex, and he hesitated, watching uncertainly. Emma bent down, helping Jesse to his feet.
"She just needs time," Jesse whispered to Alex, eyes boring into Emma's as he trailed a finger down her cheek. Her eyes closed in understanding.
Behind them, Adam's hands covered his careworn face, eyes black and hooded, shoulders weighed down with guilt. He had been studying their interaction from afar. His team had all hovered on the edge of the abyss enough times not to recognize it's hold, it's fear. It was one of their accepted dangers. And it was something that they should be too young to know about. Yet one more thing he was responsible for in their lives. He groaned, leaning against the back wall, unnoticed.
Brennan drew his hands around Shalimar's shoulders, cupping them, squeezing gently. She shuddered, eyes dropping, hands reaching up and circling around his wrists, feeling him. He kept still as she smoothed her hands down his arms and across his chest, feeling the muscle and tendon over and over, slowly erasing the injuries of her dream, a measure of reality finally returning.
Brennan drew in a breath at her exploring touch, seeing the dying horrors in her eyes. His heart cried in understanding.
"I was too late." Her whisper was broken.
"I know." His own voice was hoarse. One hand reached out, and he caught it, placing it against his cheek. Her fingers trembled, feeling his warmth, tracing the shape of his brows, his eyes as they shared her pain. It was one of the most sensual things he had ever experienced.
Abruptly, her hand fell, the moment broken as her head dropped forward and she tried to hide her face behind her fallen hair.
"Shal," He pushed his fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ears, but she shook her head, breaking free.
"Sorry." In the dim light, her face was flushed with humiliation. "It's been a rough couple of days."
"Shh, it's ok." His arms wrapped around her then, pulling her against his chest. "You don't have to explain." He tipped her face up to his, laying bare his soul.
She kissed him then, taking him by surprise for a moment. Love, anger, frustration, acceptance; he could taste everything within her. His hand slipped beneath her hair, pulling her closer as he slated his mouth over hers, pouring his feelings into his kiss. Belief. Trust. She whimpered lowly, fingers digging into his hair at the overwhelming emotion. She wasn't too late. He was here. She groaned in the back of her throat, feeling him deepen the kiss. The edge of the abyss slammed shut.
It was Shalimar who finally broke away first, eyes wide. Brennan leaned his forehead against hers, panting to catch his breath, fingers stroking the soft skin at the hollow of her throat, feeling her pulse race beneath his fingers, lost.
Adam finally cleared his throat, reminding them where they were. They straightened in abrupt awareness, Shalimar flushing, pushing gently against his chest, putting a little distance between them. A small smile played around her mouth as she fingered her lips, staring back at him.
Brennan stared back, watching as she dipped her head, walking past him. He turned to follow her, not quite able to stop the swell of pride as her fingers stretched back behind her, reaching for him in full view of the others. He reached back, fingers curling firmly around hers. Alex watched them, but it didn't matter anymore. She was his. They all knew that now.
The mood was quiet, subdued as they finished eating and washing up. Shalimar was grateful for the space the others gave her, taking her time in eating the bar Adam handed her, hugging him as she recognized the weight of responsibility in his eyes.
"I told you before, you don't have to go there with me."
He smiled back, eyes soft, but she knew he still felt it anyway.
Emma found her as she rolled her blankets, holding her pack open for her as she stuffed the bedding inside. "Thanks, Em." Their eyes met, understanding the depth of the words.
Even though she knew he was fine, Shalimar's eyes were still shadowed as they followed Brennan around. He looked up from across the room where he was talking to Alex, and smiled. Her heart jumped in response, answering him. Alex smiled as well, and she was happy to see them actually talking. She hoped it was a good thing. She shook her head, bending and pulling fresh bandages out of her pack before crossing to the stream. Her foot still ached, but was healing well. Adam had been pleased with its latest progress.
"Want some company?"
She looked up at Jesse's quiet inquiry, smiling as he settled beside her. "I suppose you'd stay even if I said no."
"Of course," He grinned back, leaning over and bumping his shoulder against hers.
She laughed, smile fading after a moment.
He watched her, waiting.
Her fingers fiddled with the bandages, shredding the edges. "I really lost it this time, Jess." She stared at her hands.
He didn't try to contradict her, instead reaching over and rescuing the bandages from her destructive fingers.
Wordlessly, she turned, setting her foot in his lap, eyes watching as he began to unwrap the old bandaging.
"It's bad." He finally broke the silence between them, carefully removing the last bit of wrapping as it stuck to the wound.
She hissed at the fresh pain, blood beading up as he dabbed alcohol against it. "Adam said it's getting better."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know," She shrugged, shifting uneasily.
His eyes darted up to hers, shocking her with the old fear in them. "Watching someone you love die, it's bad."
She looked away, nodding, eyes welling as she fought to control her emotions.
Jesse dropped his head back to his work, beginning to wrap fresh bandaging around her foot. "When that—that mutant had Emma, when she was gone, I saw her dead too." His voice broke away, and they fell silent again.
"All done."
She looked back over as Jesse gave her toes a gentle squeeze. She couldn't help but smile, toes curling reflexively in response.
He smiled back. "We'll be ok, Shal." He released her foot as she slid it out of his lap, turning so they again sat side by side.
"Yeah." She laid her head on his shoulder after a moment, watching as tiny ripples moved across the water. Air. Brennan had mentioned earlier about thinking there was an opening somewhere because of air currents. She watched as it seemed to pull the water deeper into the tunnel. "I'm sorry I threw you, Jesse."
"I should have known better than to grab you," Jesse chuckled lowly in his throat as she grunted in embarrassment.
They fell silent once more.
"So who knew, huh?" Jesse broke the silence again. "You and Brennan, me and Emma?"
A slow smile spread over Shalimar's face. "And you thought they liked each other when they first joined the team."
"Nah." Jesse grinned in innocent denial. "I knew all along."
"Uh-huh." Shalimar rolled her eyes. "Now that I think of it, you never did pay up on that bet."
"Hey, you got Brennan, what more do you want?" Jesse laughed as she slapped his chest, sobering as he caught her hand between his fingers. "We're lucky, Shal." He rubbed his finger over the cool metal of her ring.
"Why's that?" She murmured, smiling. Family. She already knew the answer, but wanted to hear it aloud anyway.
Jesse paused, mouth twitching. "Neither one of us has to tell Adam anymore; you solved that dilemma with a certain very obvious, very hot kiss."
"Hey!" Shalimar's head lifted off his shoulder in shocked surprise, face flaming in embarrassment. Jesse laughed, tugging her hand back as she pulled it free and thumped it against his chest again.
"Idiot." She mumbled affectionately.
Their shoulders shook with shared laughter as she lay her head back down on his shoulder. Water rippled softly in the silence, calming, soothing.
"I don't know, Shal." Jesse started up unmercifully after a moment. "Maybe you did lose it. I mean, I was waiting for sparks to start flying, it was so…Ouch!" His voice ended in a strangled laugh as she hit him again.
"Adam, wait up!"
Adam glanced sideways at Emma as she trotted after him, hand pressed to her ribcage as she struggled to catch her breath. "You shouldn't be running," He chided her, hand falling on her shoulder.
"I'm ok." She managed to gasp, straightening up after a moment. "Just winded."
Adam chuckled, turning to walk back down the tunnel. "I thought you were resting."
She shook her head, falling into step with him. "I'm fine, really. I just wanted to see what you were doing."
"At the moment, not much." Adam gestured with one hand as he led them further down a side tunnel. "I was hoping these hidden caves would reveal some of their secrets, but I'm afraid they seem pretty determined to stay silent." He frowned in chagrin as they turned a corner, only to run into an abrupt dead end.
Emma laughed. "I guess so."
Adam ran his hands along the rough walls, feeling in the darkness. Away from the main cavern, it was much darker and harder to see. Emma leaned against the wall, watching as he pulled out a pen light from his pocket, inspecting the walls. The wall was wet, and she made a face as the dampness soaked through her shirt. She turned, pressing her shoulder against the wall instead, hand propped on her hip as she waited. "Anything?" She scratched her nose as it suddenly itched.
"Nothing yet." Adam moved over a few steps, continuing his inspection.
"Achoo!"
He turned as Emma suddenly sneezed loudly in the darkness. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," She rubbed her nose again. "This air must be getting to me."
"Could be dust, mold spores, or any number of things," Adam speculated, turning back to the wall.
"Achoo!" Emma fell forward at the force of her sneeze, hands rising to catch herself against the wall. "Adam?" Her voice raised in panic as her palms started vibrating, head jerking back with a gasp. "Adam!"
Adam whirled around at Emma's scream. "Emma?" He pointed the light, shocked to see her entire body convulsing. "Emma!" He rushed forward, grabbing her shoulders. He tried to pull her back, but her palms seemed glued to the wall.
"Emma?" Adam heard Jesse's voice calling even as he heard their footsteps pounding down the tunnel toward them.
"Over here!" He stepped back as Brennan and Jesse grabbed ahold of Emma. "See if you can pull her back!"
"What happened?" Panicked, Jesse tried to grab her hands, but the force of her shaking knocked him back. "Emma!" He wrapped his hands around her waist as Brennan grabbed her shoulders. Together they pulled, Shalimar and Alex hovering right behind them. With a wrenching gasp, Emma broke free, screaming as she fell to the ground.
"Emma!" Jesse dropped to his knees, catching her face in his hands.
She panted, short painful breaths as she struggled to speak, meeting Jesse's panicked eyes. "I'm ok, I'm ok."
"What happened?" Brennan knelt next to them.
Emma shook her head. "Energy, I felt such strong energy, I can't explain it…"
"Adam."
Shalimar's tense voice caught their attention, and they looked up. She was staring at the wall where Emma's hands had been, eyes glowing eerily in the darkness.
"What is it?" Adam stepped closer, aiming the light where Shalimar's eyes were focused. He froze as the others gasped.
"So I have seen, so shall it be."
The words were etched in a shaky scrawl across the wall, scratched into the face of the rock.
"It's the same as before, the words spoken by that creepy voice from the disk…"
Their voices grew into a distant din in Adam's head as he stared at the words, locked in memories of the past.
"Good luck to you, ma'am." He spoke reassuringly as the woman bounced the fussing baby up and down, shushing him soothingly.
"I still don't know if I made the right choice, giving her up for adoption." Her eyes were red, watering as she stared down into the face of her infant son. His dark head bobbed slightly against her chest as he resisted the pull of sleep.
"Remember, it's for the best." He put a hand on her shoulder, gently directing her to the door. "With your financial situation and the amount of care your daughter will need…" He shrugged hopelessly. "Take comfort in this one, he's a beautiful and healthy baby now, the son you so desperately wanted."
She sniffed, lifting her tear-stained face up to him. "Thank you for everything."
Adam cupped the baby's soft head, feeling the downy hair brush against his fingers as the tiny head turned. Big, dark eyes beholded him solemnly, and Adam knew he would never forget them. "Take care, little one." He whispered as guards came to lead the woman away. He watched her until they turned a corner, disappearing from sight, leaning heavily against the doorframe, kneading his temple.
"We did the right thing, Adam."
He looked up as his partner stepped out of the shadows. "We lied to her."
"Better a lie to separate them than to be podded as Mr. Eckhart originally wanted." Evan clamped his shoulder. "Your plan saved those babies, they have a chance now."
"But how do we really know—"
"Whether the prophecy is true or not, we can't take the risk of another Ashlocke syndrome on our hands…"
Voices returned, loud in his head, and Adam blinked, suddenly realizing the others were looking at him questioningly. He shook his head, looking at Emma as she leaned back against Jesse's chest. "Emma?"
"I'm ok, Adam," She tore her eyes from the wall, looking at him in concern. "But what about you?"
"I'm fine." Adam waved a hand dismissively.
"What happened?" Brennan ran his fingers over the words, but felt nothing.
Emma shivered, and Jesse's arms circled around her. "The precog, the one we heard on the disk, he was here, he carved those words. I could still feel him, so much power…"
Adam turned away from the others, studying the walls around them. In all his time in the facility, he had never known about the existence of these caves. What else went on here that he didn't know about? He bounced the light around the tunnel where it ended abruptly. It looked like there had been a cave-in at some point in time, piled rock closing off whatever was behind it. "Alex, Jesse." He chewed his lip thoughtfully.
"Yeah, Adam?" Jesse took a step closer to him, Alex next to him.
"Do you two think you could try phasing through this wall? I have a feeling it's not a natural one."
"You think there's something back there?" Brennan curled his fingers around Shalimar's as she leaned into him from behind, peering her head over his shoulder, loving the feel of her small frame pressing against his back.
"Possibly." Adam shrugged. "I think it's worth a look."
"Let's do it." Alex stepped up, taking a breath and stepping through the wall. Jesse waited for a moment before following after him.
Brennan shifted his feet in the ensuing silence.
"They're ok," Emma spoke after a moment, "I can't sense Alex, but Jesse is—" She broke off with a gasp.
"Emma? What is it?" Adam reached for her in concern, but she held out a hand, giving him pause.
"It's ok," Emma spoke after a moment. "I was just hit with really strong emotions all of a sudden."
They waited in tense silence until Jesse and Alex suddenly reappeared, faces grim.
"Bones, Adam," Jesse shook his head in grim disbelief, "There's bones…human bones back there."
Alex sighed, kneading his temple, sickened. "There looks to be at least a dozen remains, maybe more."
"What?" Shalimar turned a startled face toward Adam. "What went on here?"
"I don't know, Shalimar," Adam shook his head. "I don't know." He stared blankly at the writing on the wall.
He sighed tiredly, running a hand through his hair. It had been a long day, and it was far from over. While most everyone else was going home, their work was just beginning. He looked around him before pulling up their latest research. Cracking the genetic code. It seemed nearly impossible, and doubly so now that they felt the need to keep their research hidden. There was something about Mason Eckhart, he couldn't bring himself to trust the man anymore. He was glad that Evan agreed.
"You look tired."
"I am." He looked up at Evan as he walked into the room, smile fading when he saw the look on his partner's face. "What is it?"
"I'm afraid I have bad news, Adam."
He pushed back his chair, heart plunging. "What?"
"The twins...I just received word that one of them has died…"
"What the hell happened to those people?" Jesse looked shaken, bracing his hands on Emma's shoulders.
Adam blinked, tearing his eyes from the disturbing words.
"Do you think it has something to do with that prophecy Dr. Shaw spoke about? Is this somehow connected to me?" For the first time since they had met him, Alex looked scared.
Shalimar stepped up to him, laying a comforting hand on his arm. "We should keep looking, maybe we'll find more clues as to what happened here."
Alex nodded, face pinched.
"We'll figure it out, ok?" Brennan put one hand on Shalimar's shoulder, the other on Alex's, surprising the others with his concern for the dark-haired man.
Shalimar shifted as she found herself pressed between them, wondering what exactly they had talked about when she saw them together earlier. Whatever it was, it seemed to have been good. Gone, finally, was Brennan's blinding jealousy. She smiled at the two men, sensing the shared understanding between them. "Let's go."
They searched for hours, pouring over every inch of the cave and its tunnels, but found nothing. By silent consent, they found themselves regrouping back in the main cavern, all except Brennan and Alex.
Shalimar looked around in confusion when she realized they were both missing.
"Brennan?" She called for him, forcing a calming breath when her heart began to pound, remembering her dream. The abyss began to crack back open. "BRENNAN!"
"Look, Shal," Jesse hastily stepped up to her, pointing toward the river. "They're over there."
Her eyes fell shut in relief, immediately feeling foolish. She hadn't sensed them in her panic. "Thanks, Jess."
He smiled, fingers squeezing her shoulders, tightened painfully as he watched with disbelief as Brennan suddenly lunged for Alex, knocking him forcibly against the rock wall with a bolt of electricity. Locked in horrific silence, they watched as the two men struggled for a moment before flying backwards, landing in the river. Water rushed upward in a heaving wave, sloshing loudly before roaring back down, closing over their heads with frightful calmness, dying electricity crackling across the surface.
The abyss howled in hunger.
