Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 485
themselves in a sitting position. She would not let go of him,
and from experience with darkness he knew why. "Where are
we?"
She laughed; the laugh had an hysterical edge to it.
"Where do you think we are?"
"Sorry. I meant... how big is this place. Did you
explore?"
"I didn’t want to lose you. It might be... who knows how
big."
Jordan shut his eyes so he could look about himself using
his Wind sense. He saw nothing but the speckled black inside
his own eyes. Either there were no mecha here, not even the
smallest speck, or he had lost his second sight.
His heart was in his mouth as he called "Hello?" with his
Wind voice. He sent the call to anyone, anything that might
hear him. "Hello, please!"
"Ka." The little Wind’s voice rang in his head like the
purest bell.
Jordan sagged in relief. "So I’m not..." He stopped, and
forgot to breathe for a moment. Had he really been about to
say crippled?
"Dead?" Tamsin laughed. "No, we’re not dead, but we
might as well be. We’re in the belly of the monster."
He had come all this way to divest himself of the new
senses Armiger and Calandria had given him. Was he really
disappointed now they were gone?
Yes.
Jordan found himself laughing. Every sound he made
drove a spike of pain through his head, so he stopped quickly.
"I fail to see the humor in the situation," said Tamsin.
"Sorry."
"Well." She hugged him. "You came here to talk to this