Delagio and I headed out of the Sanctuary and onto a new path that headed to the far right of the house. The weather outside of the little paradise was miserable. Dark clouds threatened to spill more rain at a moment’s notice. Delagio draped his arm over my shoulder as we walked, his boots making an irritating clomping sound on the gravel. “What happened there?” He asked, pointing to my shredded jumper. “Unicorn.” Ahhhh. “So you like her a lot huh?” he said. His change of track took me by complete surprise. “I’m sorry?”
“You know what I’m talkin’ about.” He flicked his head in the direction we’d come from. “Lil miss sunshine of your life back there. I’ve seen the way you look at her.”
Oh god, is it that obvious? I cringed internally. Externally, I shrugged. “Sorry Del, you’ve got it wrong. We’re just friends.”
“Agghh!” he threw up his hands in mock frustration. “You Brits drive me crazy! Where I come from, we like a girl, we tell them how it is — day or night. Y'all will deny it to your graves. Unless you absorb enough beer to do the drunken shuffle over and attempt to attach y'allself to their faces.”
I snickered and then let out a defeated sigh. “Okay, maybe you’re right. But it makes no difference; she doesn’t see me that way.”
Delagio made a noise like he was pondering. “I’m not so sure buddy. If there’s one thing I know, its women.” He paused to flash a salesman grin. “And I’ve noticed the way she acts around you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well look, you wouldn’t be the first guy to have passed through and wanted to get to know her a little better if you catch my drift.”
“Hey, it’s not like that!” I bit.
“No, I know, I know,” he appeased. “What I’m tryin’ to say is that she never even gave them a second glance. But with you… look — she freaked out after you escaped. She watched over you the entire time you were resting after your mind merge. She tore through a dozen Hiveminds like they was pups when she realised you’d been taken. And that’s not even mentioning the rom-com scene I just walked in on.”
I felt my mouth gape open. “That was a moment?”
“Looked like it to me.” He shrugged. “But hell, what do I know right? I’m just a stupid hick!” We both laughed. It was hard not to like Delagio, even if he was a bit over the top. He’d get on like a house on fire with Tim, I thought.
I could tell that he looked set to ask me more questions about Gabriella. I racked my brain to think of something to deflect the conversation away from me. “So, uh…what’s the deal with Midnight and Sophia? They seem to get on pretty well.” Delagio clicked his tongue. “She reminds him of his daughter.” “Oh right. So he doesn’t get to see his daughter much then?” He paused. “Not any more. No.” His voice sounded sad. Plus his cryptic answer had an air of finality to it. I decided not to press any further.
We walked in silence for a minute or so. Delagio was once again spinning the marble around his hand and through his fingers. He stared at it for a while then looked up, his eyes gleaming. “I almost forgot to ask! What ability did you get?” “Um, none actually.” His eyebrows arched upwards. “No powers — really?” I shrugged. “Well that sucks.” “Yep,” I said sucking in some air and kicking a stone along the path. “Don’t sweat it man. If Rahuman is anythin’ to go by, your still gonna be an absolute badass.” I smiled. “Thanks Del.”
A menacing cloud swallowed the pale sun completely and rain began to pour in thick rods. The addictive scent of damp soil rose from the ground. “Ah damn it!” cursed Delagio. “I bet it’s gonna ruin my hat.” “Shall we go back inside?” He waved a finger in the air. “Sorry bud. I have more hats.”
The path ended. Just beyond, a deep trench had been cut into the ground. We came to the ridge and Delagio jumped down into it. I followed, landing in a large puddle and soaking my trainers and my jean bottoms in dirty water.
“Perfect,” I muttered.
The trench was about three times my height, with about fifteen feet between each wall. It was like a huge scar in the land, snaking into the distance. The beginning of it stood right behind me. A metallic circle about the size of a dinner plate had been set into the compacted mud wall. A black line ran down the middle, suggesting it could open in some way. Next to it was a LED Panel protected by a thin plastic cover.
Delagio stripped the cover off and rolled it into his pocket. Then he tapped his fingers on the screen.
The circle beeped and the sides parted, revealing a pitch black tunnel. I tried to peer in, but Delagio grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“Probably not such a good idea.”
I cast him a confused look. He breathed in deep. “In about thirty seconds, this hatch is going to release a whole bunch of Venenum.
I thought for a second. No, haven’t read about those.
“Insect Fera,” he continued when I didn’t answer. “They look a bit like giant wasps. Y’all gonna want to run like you owe money. They ain’t strong enough to kill you, but trust me; their stings will make y’all wish you was dead. When you get to the end, there’ll be something you can use to take them out, but not before.”
Without another word, he ran up the side of one of the walls and vaulted backwards off of it, landing safely outside the trench. He pulled a Biomote out of his pocket and tapped a button. Instantly, thick glass walls shot out of the ground, covering the sides all the way down the pathway. They kept growing higher and then curved together and joined at the top, trapping me inside a giant snow globe.
“I’d start running now if I were you,” Delagio warned. His voice sounded muffled behind the thick glass. He’d barely finished his words before the first of the Venenum flew out of the hole. My breathing snagged in my chest. It was the size of a crow. Six spindly appendages hung from its black and red striped body. The back four looked like an insects, but the front two were miniature black hands complete with spindly fingers. A sharp stinger curled out from its arched abdomen, the tip pointing straight towards me. The bit that really freaked me out was the face. It looked almost…human. Bulbous white eyes, with pulsing black pupils and a large awkward mouth which stretched open to reveal sharp fangs. The Venenum noticed me and let out a high pitched squeal and raced forward. Behind it dozens more flew out, the combined drone of their wings loud and eerie.
“You have got to be kidding me!”
I was racing at an incredible speed before I was even aware I was moving. The rain shower had turned the ground into a mud bath. Hidden roots and rocks snagged on my feet. It took all of my improved balance to keep upright. I surged forward, checking behind me. The swarm were still gaining, their high pitched screams mixing with the steady beat of the rain.
Without warning, a wall shot up straight in front of me. It was too wide to go around. I didn’t have time to stop, so I vaulted as high as I could, using my momentum to run up the side. For a second I thought I’d made it. But in a stomach lurching moment, one trainer clipped the top. I tumbled to the ground on the other side, grunting as I splashed into the mud and slid along the trench. The impact barely hurt at all. What did hurt was the dagger that sunk into the flesh between my shoulder blades. Pain exploded in my back, sweeping up my spine and smashing into my brain. A scream ripped from my throat. I turned to see that the leading Venenum had stung me. Each stab of pain felt like a sharp fingernail raking against an exposed nerve. I jerked out my foot and crushed the insect against the metal wall. There was a sickening pop and then a mess of black and green.
I darted back onto my feet as the others buzzed around the obstacle. I pushed myself harder — the pain still searing in my back — determined not to have a repeat experience. The path became a blur, as I jumped and twisted my way over the various obstacles that shot out along the way. I glanced up through the glass, to see Delagio running alongside the trench, pressing the Biomote in his hand at certain points. With each tap of the pad, a wall or moving barrier appeared. He’s making the obstacles appear! I gritted my teeth.