The Dark Between Dreams | ✔️

Chapter 43 🔻 Raise the Dead

"What she says is true," echoed Reynard's voice as he stood tall beside me. Everyone stiffened when the king's right hand spoke up. "Blackburne is not the hero we knew him to be."

"Crow led us to the sun! He is the reason that crystal is floating in the sky right now!" I swallowed. "Blackburne is the reason we lived in the Dark for so long. He is the reason shadows hunt us!"

My hands would not stop shaking. But at the sight of my friends' faces amongst the crowd, my trembling stopped. I held my chin high and told the story of Aḫ-ḫur to the horror-stricken ghosts of After.

The earth above us continued to shake, but the shouts of upheaval belowground were louder. By the end of my tale, people called for an end to Blackburne's reign. The fear and anxiety weighing down the atmosphere alleviated, replaced by fire.

Reynard slunk off to tend to any wounded. Curious hollows timidly gathered around Crow, who snapped at them when they drew too close.

"Sorry!" I assured them. "He's not used to being around people."

Crow held onto his spear tighter, and, for a few moments, I was afraid he would start swinging. But then a tiny hollow toddled past me and approached the Prince of Light and Shadows without fear. Aluki tugged on Crow's gilded wrap and looked up at him with the roundest eyes and said, "Cwow!"

Crow immediately ceased bristling. Bewildered, the loner knelt, so that he was level with the curious child. Aluki giggled and tugged on his jewelry that he'd pilfered from the palace of Aḫ-ḫur—Tamzi's and Nannaru's necklaces. When the little girl's laughter rang out, Crow smiled—Tamzi's smile. Aluki hugged her uncle.

It was like I was watching Tamzi return from the dead. Crow lowered his weapon and joined the ranks of frightened hollows, speaking to them like a king should. He held them and calmed them, just as Tamzi did centuries ago.

People called for war. People called for mercy. And some called out for their kin who were missing or killed. Orville went around, sharpening blades with his tiny apprentice tailing him.

My friends and I kept out of the way.

"We did this," Webb said as he leaned against the wall of the cave with his arms crossed. Another quake rocked the cavern, the strongest one so far. Every hollow ducked and screamed.

"No," I said. "I did this. This is all because of me." All of this terror was happening just because a stupid, anchored hollow had an idea. I watched Crow and Orville. "I hope we don't end up like them."

Vale looked confused. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "Broken. They used to be friends, but now Blackburne's up there, being the hero, and killing half of our souls. And Orville and Crow are down here, either hiding or an enemy of After."

Webb rubbed his neck.

"I...I let a memory come to me," he surprised us by saying. "I was at some party on top of a building, surrounded by lots of people. But I don't think I knew them." His eyes looked far away. "I stepped up on the lip of the roof, and I stared down at the street that was, like, kilometers below, and I remember thinking about..." He couldn't finish that thought. "Nobody cared. Nobody even noticed."

"What happened next?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

He fixed us with a watering gaze. "Can't remember. But it made my realize I never had anyone to care about in life, and I just...I dunno. I care about you dumbasses. Just wanted to let you know."

I hugged my friends close. But it was time for action. Another quake throttled the cavern. This time, hollows were thrown to the ground as the ceiling above us split. Hissing emanated from the spreading crack. More sand spilled down on us all. The shadows were digging their way down to us.

Crow raised his spear. The acolights that never ceased flanking him murmured. The Prince pointed his weapon at one of them and yelled, "You! You know these tunnels?"

The acolight nodded. "Like I know my own heart, my lord."

The Prince snarled. "If the shadows get down here out of the sunlight, they will be faster and harder to fight. Keep your Light maintained at all entrances. Escort these people away from here. Anyone with a blade will keep any shadows from spreading into the rest of the tunnels. Do not attack. Use the light of your blades to repel them." Then his blind eyes searched the cavern. "Fledglings? Where are you?"

My friends and I fought to the forefront of the gathered crowd. "We're here!" I told him.

He turned an ear to us. "You three have a sun to wake."

"An' Crow an' I can keep Blackburne off yew aboveground," Orville said to us.

Crow beamed and clasped Orville—his right hand—on the shoulder.

"I will come with you," spoke a gaunt man. Reynard unsheathed his sword. "It is my job to kill monsters, after all."

Orville whispered a few weepy words of farewell to his adopted daughter in her language and watched weepy-eyed, as she joined the panicking masses that acolights escorted into the sub-tunnels. The hissing grew more deafening, but red luxlight and white Light lit up the chamber. After's craziest ghosts donned their masks and goggles, ready.

My friends and I, too, lowered our masks, ready to head aboveground.

A hand found my shoulder. "One last thing. Small fledgling," Crow said to me. Then he corrected himself. "Skye."

I paused. "Crow?"

"You have that vial, yes?"

"Yes?"

"Good." He jabbed a finger at me. "Do not let Nymandus have it."

"What's in the vial, Crow?"

"It is a memory. But it is not mine. It is a memory so terrible Nymandus does not keep it inside his heart. You must not let him have it."

There was no time to ask him just what the hell was in my pocket. A wave of shadows breached the cavern. Scavengers surged forward to meet them.

My friends and I, joined by Crow, Orville, and Reynard, ran in the opposite direction, hurrying down the tunnel that led aboveground. We peeked through a blown-out window into the battlefield of After. Hollows and shadows alike screamed and fought tooth and claw. And above everything, the red eye of the half-sun watched.

Reynard scanned the streets. "We best go. No one wants to be last in line for the guillotine."

"Ready, guys?" I asked Webb and Vale.

Vale nodded down at me. "After you, intrepid leader.

My friends and I took off running, flanked by crows. Shadows threw themselves at us, but we all kept our blades lowered and focused more on evading them than fighting them. It was impossible to see them as anything but human beings now, anguished and obsessed with rejoining with their empty shells. But we stopped short as we rounded a corner. Flanked by armed hollows, Blackburne glared down at the three of us. He pulled the blade of his halberd from the chest of a motionless shadow, and his black eyes became especially fiery as they saw me.

We are spectral friends
And I want you to know, you know
We're haunting while the others breathe and grow
We are spectral friends tonight
And it's our job to make it right
Beneath the void, with you and I