Daydreams And Nightshade (DaN #1)

Chapter 60: Catching up

Even Lucius seemed to think so, looking around for what Luna guessed were other options as well but coming up short.

"Come on, both of you being worried is just overdoing it," Derek said, attempting a smug grin as he fired an arrow with rope tied to it into one of the trees nearby. "I would've thought you'd be the last person on earth to be concerned about me, Cromwell."

"Oh I'm concerned about you," Lucius admitted. "Just not your safety. More like concerned about your existence in general."

Luna rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Father..."

"What I'm actually frowning about is that despite everything, you were our best bet at getting through this unharmed, yet you're the first to go."

"Well..." Derek fought to maintain his grin. "... Sorry to disappoint you."

"We'll come back for you as soon as we find the source," Luna promised him before sucking in a breath and turning to gaze down the corridor. "But first we need to find the others."

She said it, but she still hesitated as Lucius began walking and she threw a last glance at Derek who gave her a nonchalant wave.

She didn't buy it.

"Don't worry," Lucius whispered without turning around to look at her. "We'll get him out of there."

Luna swallowed, trying her best to smile.

"Right."

They cautiously peered out through the door into the entrance hall, trying to spot any sign of life whether it was an undead boar or the rest of their group, but no one was in there.

Luna bit her lip. They couldn't have been chased even further, could they? There would be signs of it, but they couldn't see any new damage to the surroundings, and no door had been opened.

"They..." She stepped out of the corridor to get a better look. "They must've gone through here, right? There were no other exits."

"As far as we know," Lucius agreed and Luna hated the choice of words. "I think it's best not to call out for them though. Let's try a door instead."

Doing her absolute best to not expect something gruesome behind the door on the other side of the room, Luna shifted her weight from one foot to the other as Lucius opened it just a little.

"It's a bedroom," he said. "But there's another door in there. Think we should have a look or do you want to try another one of these?" He gestured around the hall.

Luna wished she didn't have to choose.

"Let's... Let's check that door in there," she suggested. "It might not be where the others are but it's probably a closed off room so maybe the source could be hiding there."

Lucius nodded slowly and unhooked a candle from the wall, lighting it before heading inside.

"Hello?" Luna couldn't help but whisper as she closed the door behind them. There was a chance someone could be hiding under the large, dust covered bed or in one of the white painted cupboards after all, but she certainly didn't want to check either of them. "We're... We're not nightmares."

Lucius' face scrunched up as he laughed through his nose.

"Convincing."

"Shut up."

No time was wasted on preparing for eventual horrors behind the other door, and Lucius pressed down the handle without hesitation.

Then he frowned.