My leg gave way. I hadn't expected it after all the insanity that I'd already gone through, but apparently, being dragged from one reality to another was more than my leg and Sylph's cast could take. It fell apart. I just fell.
Yating moved quickly -- that was part of his training, and as odd as I suddenly felt, I thought his fast action was probably saving my life. I thought the world was going black again, but then I realized it was actually my sight -- but a moment later, I felt magic sealing the wound and something wrapping around it again --
"Thank you."
Yating nodded and sat back on his heels, looking around the cavern.
I had the feeling I knew where we were.
"Lycan --"
"Yes, back in the subway," he said. "We were being tossed out into nothing, my friend. I grabbed at the last place we'd been and brought us here."
"Excellent work. We're in the human realm, Yating."
"I've never been here before. I need to get back and find the Queen. My duty is to her."
"Let's see if we can sense anything back in the fae realm first," I said and tried to stand. My leg wouldn't hold me, though. "This is going to be inconvenient."
Yating nodded, then moved his hand, brushing against the stone wall. He pulled away a slab and quickly formed it into a cane. It was a bit heavy, but I also thought it would make an excellent weapon.
"Thank you. I've never been good with any kind of magic of that sort."
"I don't get to work with it very often, but it does come in handy. I think I should adapt my clothing? I think I might be noticeable in uniform."
Lycan nodded in agreement. He moved a little away from us to the opening that would take us out into the human world. It was not where I wanted to go -- but heading farther into the caves to where all the others hid didn't seem wise if things were still after us.
Oh, this was a mess. I trusted Sylph to have gotten the Queen to safety, at least. I worried about Lady Winter and King Pixie, too, though. And all the others we'd lost back there. Had they gone to the abyss? Lost forever?
Lycan had saved the three of us, but he was looking worried now. I could guess why. Shouts echoed from the outer side of the area where we had arrived. Human cries, and many of them. That many humans upset was never a good sign.
"We don't dare go farther in and join the others," Lycan said. "We could draw people to them. Whatever is going on out there, we need to make sure it doesn't come this way."
"We can't go out there," I said. "You, friend Lycan --"
"Ah. Of course." He bowed his head, and when he looked up, he had fae features, though there was still a hint of Lycan in him. "Time not to be so obvious about what I am."
"Yes, that will help." I moved closer to the opening. The shouts were not right outside, at least. Yating moved up beside me, and Lycan kept at our back, ready to defend us against -- whatever trouble might come from that direction.
"Could we go back to the fae lands?" Yating asked. Going out among the humans was clearly not his idea of a wise decision.
"Not yet," I said. "We'll need to spend some time feeling out the link to there. We don't know how wide that darkness had spread."
"Ah. True." Yating stopped and shook his head. "I need to just settle in with this. You two know more of what to do than I do, so just tell me."
"They're getting louder," Lycan said. He still sounded like himself, at least. "We better get out there so that no one sees this opening."
They slid out of the crevice and into the shadows. I took a moment to seal the fissure behind a slight veil. It would only last a few hours, but I hoped by then this area would be cleared of people, and those hiding in the caverns would be safe.
Thought safe from what?
At first, all I could hear was human shouts, a mixture of anger and fear. Humans will do anything when in that state, and more often than not, they would take the least logical action. I should have warned Yating of that possibility, but I figured he was ready for trouble anyway. Lycan certainly was, with his hand on his knife and a slight snarl on his face.
"You look like you're inviting an attack, my friend," I said as we moved closer to the crowd.
"And they are not?"
"They don't know any better. What has driven the people here? Humans don't often hide underground."
"Are they chasing something?" Yating asked.
"It doesn't have that feel. Stay close."
I led the way, mostly because I'm used to dealing with humans and knew how to get them out of the way without creating more of a problem. We were moving against the rush -- though even while we moved forward, the crowd had begun to slow and stop.
Many cowered back against the stone and brick walls. I heard prayers in a dozen languages, but even those were almost lost in the sounds of fear and anger. Whatever had set them off --
And then I knew. I could feel the resounding, slow thump --
"Oh hell," I whispered. "They're here, too."
And that meant everything had changed in this realm. We may not know what we faced just now, but it wouldn't be long before the word magic began to be heard. Magic, evil, and devils. It would all be caught up in the same cycle. We were never going to recover from this blow.
The crowd thinned as we neared the stairs. None of them wanted to go out.
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