The Way We Fall

Chapter 142 (Tigris)

"Roche!" Tigris screamed, pounding her fist against the piled debris, "ROCHE!"

Nothing but silence greeted her. Emptiness opened within her, a chasm that sucked in all her emotions. Aodh tugged her back, and she was surprised to see genuine hurt twisting his features.

"There's nothing we can do for her now," he murmured, "We need to find Father."

"I'm not leaving her there!" Tigris snapped, "She might still be alive!"

"Tigris," Kai murmured numbly, his eyes welling with tears, "I don't think anyone could survive a collapse like that."

Tigris couldn't believe the words. She wasn't going to leave Roche in there, alive or not. Suddenly, Ivie was grabbing her shoulder, her eyes lit with an idea.

"The tunnels!" she exclaimed, "Roche said the other tunnel led to the other side of solitary. We can enter from the other side. If she's alive, we can find her that way!"

Hope filled Tigris' chest like a balloon. She nodded curtly at the woman. "Quickly, then! We have no time to lose."

Ivie jogged down the hall. She skidded to a stop around the first bend. Several zombies milled there.

Aodh hefted his sword. "This should be a cinch." he muttered, leaping forward, swiping through three of the zombies easily.

They fell to the floor.

And then began to pick themselves back up.

Aodh cursed, smacking them again with the flat of his sword like it was a fluke. Again, the zombies pieced together their arms and legs, scrambling towards the increasingly horrified prince. Tigris grabbed her brother by the shoulder shoving him down the hall.

"Get to the tunnel!" she ordered, pushing Ivie as well. They broke into a sprint, the hot, fetid breath of the zombies bearing down their necks. More zombies joined the chase as they sprinted down the halls, chattering to each other eerily. Hopelessness began to yawn within Tigris, dragging her mind into darkness. Ivie stopped quickly, and Aodh nearly slammed into her back. She turned on her heel, pointing to the wall.

"Here!"

Sure enough, a tunnel gaped back at them. Tigris scrambled inside, running her hands down the wall. "How the hell did Roche close this?"

"No time to figure it out!" Aodh gasped, hooking his arm around her elbow to yank her down the tunnel, "We need to go!"

The tunnel spat them out on the other side of solitary. The ground trembled. Tigris didn't want to think what that meant for Roche. She spurred herself faster, her legs burning. She was running so far, her mind so focused, that she nearly didn't notice when one of the cells she passed was occupied.

All thoughts eddied from her head as she halted in front of the thick bars. Her jaw dropped, shock blooming in her head.

"Father?" she gasped.. She barely recognised the king. He looked haggard, his eyes red and puffy. Stubble stuck on on his chin, and his regal robes were torn to tatters around him. He lifted his ice blue eyes. They were empty, not a thought behind them.

Aodh cursed, fumbling with his keys. He jammed them into the lock, shoving the door open. The king didn't move. He barely blinked.

Tigris' heart shrivelled up in her chest. "What the hell happened to him?" she asked, rushing forward to hoist him up.

Aodh shrugged, moving to support the king's other side. "I don't know. We need to get him to Leinos, quickly."

Ivie poked her head into the cell, her usually calm face twisted with uncharacteristic worry. "Um, my lady? If you have another exit, we might need it. Roche's part of solitary is blocked in from this side too!"