“Better the look than the real thing,” I commented.
He merely grunted at me. Anna led us along the grate to the embankment, and we hugged the deep shadows as we approached the tunnel.
My pupils expanded as we entered the darkness beyond.
“Can you see?” Anna had stopped just inside the entrance. Her hands were out in front of her, fingers wiggling.
“Some,” I answered. The tunnel was over ten feet in diameter. There were walkways along each side where the diverted river flowed. Up close to the arched ceiling were holes about four feet wide—Haki had told us they were overflows, used when the river got too high.
I vaulted up onto a walkway, then leaned down to grab Anna’s flailing hand and haul her up.
Jacques could obviously see well enough to find the walkway, but he needed a helping hand to crawl up onto it.
“Need to lift some weights, mate,” I stated.
“My emphasis is on endurance,” the Satyr replied.
I hoped he could detect my eye roll in the near-perfect darkness.
“Might be best if you shifted,” Anna said. “We can use your night vision, and your nose. I can take your clothes. We’ll need them once we’re in.”
Jacques pulled his trench coat on. “Your Dire senses would be abonne idée,” he agreed. “Not to mention your claws and teeth.”
I hesitated. They were both right. But I was worried about my energy reserves, and just how many shifts I could manage. Only I didn’t want Anna to know that. So I simply started to strip, handing her my clothes.
Jacques took them from her. “Je les porterai. You two focus on keeping us alive.”
I embraced my beast, grimacing as it hurt way more than it should. Not a good sign.
The moment I had my Dire nose, I smelled Dragon. Dragons, actually. The scent was strong, and it was everywhere.
“What can you smell?” Anna asked.
I told her.
“They use these walkways a lot for a creature that prefers to fly,” she commented.
The tunnel dripped moisture, and I shook droplets off my fur. “Hoold oonto my tail, Angel. The walkway is pretty stoonking narroow.”
“Can you see okay, Jacques?” Anna asked as she took hold. “Did you want to take my hand?”
I shot the Satyr a look.
“Non, it’s okay,” he said.
“Can yoou see?” I asked.
“Je vais bien,”he assured me.
I assumed that meant he did. I was bloody well appreciating Mari’s frustration with my slang.
I settled for a growl and a “Doon’t fall in.” It was debatable which was worse—him holding hands with Anna, or me having to fish him out of the drink.
No, I knew which was worse.
Strewth.I needed to focus here. With the Dragon scent so strong, it was impossible to say when or if there was one just ahead of us. They could see quite well in the dark, even in their human form.
I needed to be fully alert to the possibility—not worrying about Jacques hauling Anna off into a dark corner.
