Nine

Galvin

“That’s it,” Galvin panted, before stopping himself from going any further. “Mostyn, we have to rest!” He closed his heavy eyelids as he let himself slide to the floor in drowsiness. “I’m dead on my feet,” he added wearily.

Mostyn patted his back. “Okay then, little guy,” he said. “We can’t stay here very long, though.”

Galvin could feel himself falling asleep, and he shook himself in order to stay awake. A few minutes went by, and then Becca asked, “Do you guys hear that?”

Galvin sat up straight and listened. Somewhere off in the distance, he could hear voices. Grown-up voices. All his exhaustion dripped away as he rose to his feet.

The idea of going to see what was happening was tossed around while Mostyn thought about their safety. If they stayed where they were, obviously they wouldn’t get anywhere. If they went, the people would help them or hurt them. Mostyn gave the ultimatum momentarily: they would go check things out.

Noiselessly they crept down the tunnel in the direction of the voices. Galvin almost cried out when he saw yellow lights up ahead. Mostyn didn’t seem even a bit surprised at the luminescent glow, however, so Galvin kept his mouth shut. By now, the voices had stopped, and the sound of someone drawing near could be heard. A shape emerged from behind the corner before them, and Galvin saw that it was a woman. Her gray eyes narrowed when she saw them, and a black lady came out after her.

“Are you alone?” questioned the one with bright red hair and light gray eyes.

“It’s just the three of us,” explained Mostyn nervously.

The black woman rubbed her temples. “Beth,” she said, turning to her friend, “Go and see if you can find Cabella and Liv. I’ll take care of this.”

Beth nodded. She brushed past them, casting the children a suspicious glance as she went. Galvin wondered who Cabella and Liv were, and how he, Mostyn, and Becca were supposed to be “taken care of.”

“Come with me.” The black woman spoke sharply. She gestured with one hand for them to follow her, then spun around and swam down the passageway.

Becca put her arm around Galvin’s shoulders and gave him an encouraging squeeze, and this time Galvin did not push her away.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Mostyn remarked icily, but paddled after Brownie (that was what Galvin had decided to call her) with cold remorse.