All We Sought For
an excerpt

“Poor Syline. I hope they put him underground where he’ll be safe forever.”
Trent’s couldn’t blame Thom for squeezing his hand still tighter. The air smelled funny down here and the people spoke like some sort of soulless spirit. He squeezed back and looked at the blanch face of his companion. They were just supposed to be brothers, not dying. As soon as the plan had gone wrong they should have turned back, why hadn’t he learned that much at least? If Thom were to collapse. If Thom were to…
It would all be Trent’s fault.
Again it would be because of his own stupidity. He urged Thom onward, holding his hand tightly.
“Did you ever meet Syline? He was such a nice man. He built this place.”
“Don’t worry. She’ll take us out. We’ll get back to the surface and you’ll feel better, alright?” Thom nodded. Deeply Trent wished Gabiel was with him. He needed Gabiel.
They were climbing steps now, dimly lit as the ones they’d used to come to this place, but there was no way to tell if they were the same. The woman liked to climb, then wait for them, talking softly the whole time, but no longer about her sister or about Syline.
“Do you have children? I have no children. Yours must be beautiful. He’s a beautiful boy. You’re so lucky.”
Every step seemed too large for a leg to step up, but the air cleared little by little as they rose from the depth of the earth. The denseness of the world seemed to lessen after a long while when the lights began to grow farther and farther apart and Trent decided that they must be close to reaching the surface. Twice Thom’s fingers had loosened on his bow, and he’d clutched it back to his side just before it slipped and fell from him.
“Look. The surface is up there,” Gruu had stopped walking and was pointing upward to where roots hung from the ceiling. Trent’s heart skipped with joy. Roots meant that the surface was just above them. A sickness and a joy overcame him so that he didn’t hear Gruu reiterate the fact that her sister had died up there that morning.
“Thank you so much for leading us here. How can we repay you?” Trent asked.
Gruu smiled, “You’re both so beautiful,” she pointed to Thom, “Will you kiss him?”