赤裸裸的滑稽故事

"What are you over there analyzing?" Alice asked.

Ashleigh wondered if she would sound paranoid, but in the end, she voiced her concerns.

"Doesn\'t it seem like there should have been more defenses? Before we arrived in Spring and while we have been here. Even if the Queen doesn\'t know we are here, it still seems fairly light on security."

"It has been a nice break," Alice sighed. "But you\'re right. Even when it was just Spring territory and not home to an ancient evil hell-bent on destroying all that we know and love, there were far more patrols and traps throughout the forest and along the border."

"If it comforts you in a sick and twisted way," Myka interjected. "I can feel a lot of those creatures up there."

Ashleigh and Alice both looked at him and then followed his gaze. He stared at a long dirt path, overgrown with roots and brush. It looked abandoned.

"That\'s the way up to the mound," Alice replied.

"Yep, the hum of the ley lines is getting intense…." Myka said, clenching his jaw as he felt another throb in his head.

"Are you doing all right?" Ashleigh asked.

"Peachy," he replied. "But if we could hurry this along, I would prefer to head back and check in with my physician."

"You and Peter will play doctor again. We just need to keep our focus and get it done," Alice replied with a grin.

But both Myka and Ashleigh couldn\'t help but notice how her smile faltered as she looked up at the road ahead.

As they journeyed up the long, winding path, Alice and Ashleigh were on high alert. But the trail was empty, and the entrance to the cave offered no violent surprises.

"Look," Ashleigh whispered.

She motioned toward the mouth of the cave; lilies of the valley practically infested the area.

"Guess we\'re in the right place," Alice smiled.

Myka let out a groan and clenched his jaw.

"Definitely," he said between his gritted teeth.

Alice looked at Ashleigh, and Ashleigh shrugged her shoulders in response to the unasked question between them.

"Don\'t bother," Myka grumbled, moving past them. "I won\'t stay behind."

Alice sighed but said nothing.

The three entered the cave together. Just as Cain had described, a small opening in the back of the cave led to a very long and steep path deep into the mountain.

"Wow," Myka whispered. "This place is like a cattle chute… I wonder if a welcome party is waiting at the end of the line for us….just like the cattle chute."

"Just focus on setting the charges," Ashleigh whispered. "Alice and I will handle any trouble."

"Wait…" Myka whispered, stopping in his tracks and grabbing his head.

"What\'s wrong?" Alice asked.

"The ley line… it\'s pulsing… like it did at the gate," Myka whispered, clenching his jaw and closing his eyes tight. "And the others… the creatures… something is changing."

"What does that mean?" Ashleigh asked. Moving back to Myka.

"Arrghh!" Myka groans, falling to his knees.

"Myka!" Alice shouts, quickly moving to his side.

"I\'m ok," Myka gasps out. "It just hurts."

He squeezed his head, trying to catch his breath and push past the pain.

"You said the creatures were changing," Ashleigh began. "What does that mean? The hybrids?"

Myka shook his head.

"Then what!?" she shouted.

Alice looked back at her with anger.

"Calm down," she hissed. "He is in agony. You are only making it worse."

Ashleigh took a deep breath and took a step back.

"I\'m sorry," she whispered.

Alice turned her attention back to Myka.

"Sweetheart," she whispered. "Tell me, what do you hear? I know it hurts, but focus on the sounds, on what they mean. Remember, Talis said her gift was about listening to and hearing nature. Which means that whatever you are hearing must be telling you something."

Myka took a deep breath. He thought of Peter whispering for him to breathe, to focus. And slowly, Myka was able to separate the sound from the pain. He listened.

After taking a few deep breaths, he was able to calm himself enough to speak.

"The mountain… is screaming. It hurts.. like a wound being torn open," he whispered. "The creatures… they are fading… but there is one that is growing louder."

Ashleigh sighed.

"Sounds like the Dark Queen is absorbing the monsters."

"On the one hand, fewer monsters to fight…." Alice said.

"On the other," Ashleigh continued for her, "one supercharged evil Fae Queen."

Alice shrugged and took a breath.

"We need to hurry," Myka said as he slowly got to his feet. "The wound… the mound or whatever, it\'s getting bigger, soon it\'s going to be too late."

Ashleigh let out a growl and turned, taking off in a sprint down the long pathway.

"Ashleigh!" Alice called after her to no avail.

"Go," Myka said weakly, leaning against the stone and dirt of the wall to hold himself up. "You can\'t let her rush in alone. I\'ll catch up."

Alice looked at him and then back down the path, where Ashleigh was quickly fading from view. She clenched her jaw, not liking either option.

"Go, Alice!" Myka insisted.

She let out a growl and looked back at Myka with a serious look in her eyes.

"You better not let anything happen to you!" she hissed as she turned and took off after Ashleigh.

Myka took a deep breath and smiled, shaking his head.

"Always so worried about me," he chuckled, looking down the dark hallway. "Worry more about yourself."

He let out a gentle sigh as he gathered his will and pushed off the wall to follow the two women.

\'Hello, Myka,\' a soft voice whispered in his ear.

Myka turned and looked around but saw no one.

\'I know you can hear me,\' she whispered again.

"Whose there?" Myka called out, peering into the darkness that surrounded him.

\'I\'m up ahead, waiting for you and your friends,\' she whispered. \'But I am most excited to see and talk to you, little brother.\'

Myka\'s eyes widened, and his throat went dry.

\'Please,\' the voice whispered again. \'Allow my friends to escort you safely to my side, so we can finally meet and have a chat.\'

Myka turned around again, shocked to find two of the bat creatures walking down the hall toward him.