I pushed down my fears and ran to the edge before jumping. I was suspended in the air for only a second or two before my boots hit the ground and I rolled over my shoulder.
“Tell me when,” Blue said. She surged forward, her cloak flapping behind her.
“Jump!” Christian shouted.
She sailed over the hole, and when she landed on the other side, she stumbled and fell flat on her face. “Thank the fates,” she breathed.
“Maybe you should shift and fly over the holes,” I suggested.
She rose to her feet, her eyes wide in the darkness. “I don’t shift until I have to. The tunnels are too dangerous, and I could be captured.”
We continued running until Christian shouted out again, signaling the next hole. This time when Christian vaulted over the hole, the baby wailed, his voice raspy. It was a terrible sound—one of fear. Christian clutched him to his chest, cradling his head with one hand.
“Are you sure there isn’t another way?” I asked, looking left and right. The rest of the room appeared passable.
“I can see better in the dark than you can. Trip wires everywhere.” As he spoke, he swayed his body to calm the baby.
I made it safely across, though my nerves were even more rattled than the last time. Blue began her attempt, and when she jumped, it was a foot too soon. I could already see she wasn’t going to make it. She hit the edge of the floor with her chest and clawed desperately as she began slipping into the hole. Though her animal was a bird, Blue’s falcon wouldn’t be able to fly in the dark.
I reached behind her arms and pulled as hard as I could, but the floor had no traction, and my shoes slid across slippery dust. “Christian, I can’t hold her!”
He walked up and bent over, the baby cradled in his left arm. “Take my hand.”
A worried look crossed her face.
“We don’t have time to argue,” he said. “You’re not going to fall.”
As soon as she reached out with her left hand, she slipped. Christian caught her wrist just as I lost my grip, and Blue dangled over the abyss. Her eyes grew wide, legs kicking at the void.
He lifted his arm up and stepped back until she was on solid ground again.
I’d seen Christian display his strength numerous times, but it never ceased to amaze me how effortless it was for him, especially with a baby in his arms. Though I didn’t care for my Vampire nature, a small part of me envied him for those gifts. Why couldn’t I have been given what all Vampires had when it came to strength and perfect sight?
Blue collected the infant and quickly wrapped her cloak around her body to conceal him.
“Hurry! We don’t have much time.” Christian shadow walked out of sight.
I flashed forward and suddenly slammed on the brakes when a door came into sight. While he held it open, I peered into an empty hallway. There were dim lanterns along the rock walls and puddles of water on the floor.
Blue finally caught up and positioned herself between us, Christian in the lead. We had an unspoken plan to protect the person carrying the baby.
A rumble sounded, followed by a loud explosion.
The bomb.
My eyes widened when I looked back. A fireball erupted from the doorway, heading straight for us.
“Run!” I shouted, fire licking at my heels.
We took a sharp right into another hallway, and the flames roared past us and quickly dissipated.
I reached for my phone.
Christian turned on his heel and kept going. “We don’t have time. There’s an elevator up ahead.”
My phone suddenly rang, and I fumbled with it while jogging. “Yeah?”
“It’s Niko. I’ve fallen out of touch with Viktor. Where are you?”
