Epilogue

Epilogue 1.12

---Comma---

     "Lucky guess? You almost blew our only chance at this!"

     I feel my inner eyes roll. If there's one thing I've learned in the half a millennium I've been alive, it's that sometimes you've got to take risks in order to accomplish anything. Of course, I can't expect Tahj to be as wise as a woman of my years—ugh, did I really just think that? Is it wrong of me to be attracted to him despite our age difference? I mean, technically, from his point of view, he's the older one. Hang on... what were we talking about? Oh... right.

     "Chance at what?" I play it off like I was paying attention. "Doing his stupid trials? I'm taking the zillbane, whether his gods like it or not." I really should've brought Em along. He would never question me. Speaking of which... "We should open a rip for Em and the others."

     Tahj tenses up. Jealous much? I stifle a grin. "Be my guest," he mutters.

     "Not in here." Do I need to explain everything? Why are the pretty ones always so stupid? "That'll let the glowdarks in. I'll have to step outside."

     "I'll wait here."

     "Think you can manage not to get yourself killed?" I flirt, batting my eyelashes.

     "I make no promises," he flirts back.

     I start to make for the exit when I hear the stone door grumble as it recedes into the ceiling. The were-tiger ascends into the main chamber, clapping the dirt off of his hands. "The gods have granted me permission to begin the second trial." He glances at me, a little wide of eye level. Pervy old man. "Please follow me."

     "Tell your gods to wait."

     He frowns, accentuating his chiselled jaw-line. God, I'm older than he is too, aren't I? The thought makes me want to burrow into my toque like a rabbit into a magician's hat.

     "Do you really think that's wise?" he asks, and I can hear the threat in his voice. Cocky bastard. If he thinks he can tell me what to... I glance at Tahj. He flashes me a look back.

     "Go ahead," says Tahj. "I'll open the rip."

     "You sure?"

     "I trust you."

     I wish I could say the same, I think to myself. But it's better not to trust anyone. I learned that lesson the hard way. Relenting, for the moment at least, I follow the old man through the opened door. We descend a spiralled stone staircase in total darkness, the echoes of our footsteps bouncing back and forth along the walls. There's a wet sort of sound to them I think, but it's hard to tell for certain with my ears crammed underneath this toque.

     I plug my nose as something rank wafts our way. The soles of my shoes make squishing noises as I tread over goo-slicked steps, carefully making my way to the bottom. "What gives? Something die down here or what?"

     "You might say that."

     Something crunches beneath my heels. Bones, brittle like, well... brittle. I bend over and pick one up. Scratch at a thin piece of dried flesh still clinging to it. It doesn't smell like human meat, that's for sure. Kind of like duck, actually.

     "You want to hit the lights, old man?"

     "What's the matter?" somebody whispers into my ear. "Afraid of the dark?"