Ve'Rah Daa (The Ephemeral: Book 3)

Chapter 34

I peered over the Gorge, fending off memories of Harmon's final moments and Fudge slipping past me on the swinging bridge. Fighting the flashbacks of Demon-Will hopping off a snowy ridge, smiling at me like he'd won a sick game of cat and mouse.

Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of ravines, bluffs, or other precipitous varieties these days.

Of course, this gulley wasn't nearly as deep as last time, and its lazy river appeared shallow and calm—a consequence of staying south by the sagebrush. We could have crossed even closer to the Southern Range where the canyon petered out, but we'd have forfeited our tree cover, and most of our grandfathers had died on that arid Rhean path.

So, a small canyon crossing it was.

Narrow dirt roads zigzagged down either side of the Gorge, carved in such a way that made them almost undetectable from a distance. We never would have found the trailhead if not for Laughlin's map, and it seemed to pacify our more resistant soldiers that we did, indeed, have an ally in Freemont.

"Where's the bridge?" Rover murmured as Siren and Victor descended into yet another unproductive argument. They'd been fighting nonstop since Victor asked Siren to stay in Havenbrooke to deliver their baby. The archer had refused, insisting that she wouldn't lead her men into battle, but no one could stop her from cheering them on from the sidelines either. And the collision of smothering protection and stubborn independence wasn't pretty—especially with tumultuous pregnancy hormones at large.

I scanned the winding river below us, then the map. "Laughlin said the bridge wasn't easy to spot."

"Did he elaborate on that by any chance?"

"...He's not much of a talker."

Frowning, Rover examined the water reflecting the dead sky. Then he nodded to himself. "Alright. Let's take a closer look."

A small team of us hiked down the rock face to inspect the riverbank, while the army above kept an eye out for lurking Pans or demonic wildlife. Luckily, we'd only encountered a few rabid bucks and an angry, white-eyed beaver this past week, which was probably unavoidable considering my demon-magnet properties. But honestly, I wasn't sure if our lack of obstructions boded well for us or not. Because if they weren't here, emerging from their dens after hibernation, then where were they?

"Found something!" Jo bellowed, and she toed a thick, rusty cable that ran along the river rocks and riparian habitat.

I followed the metal cord to the river's edge where it vanished into the depths, and as I bent toward the water, I could just make out the cable amongst the rocks, sediment, and plant life. It hugged the side of a solid, man-made structure that protruded from the gravel and stopped several inches beneath the reflective surface.

My lips twitched. 'Hard to spot' is quite an understatement, Chief.

I stepped into the icy water, my boots making contact with the flat, sturdy block, and I walked a few more feet toward the opposite end of the canyon. But the slab of concrete continued on, and as I made my way across the river, the water level never rose past my shins.

I tutted, amazing once again by Rhean ingenuity, and I glanced back at a dumbfounded Rover.

"The bridge is underwater!"