They pulled me up quickly and I landed on the ground when I reached the top. I had just cleared the hole when the entire thing collapsed in on itself.
Xander pulled me into his arms and held on to me so tightly that I worried he would break my ribs.
“I can’t breathe,” I told him.
He only slightly lessened his grip and then spoke his words against my cheek. “Is this how you plan on killing me? Scaring me to death?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I said. His heart beat so rapidly against my chest—thumping as hard and fast as my own.
“Are you hurt?” he demanded.
“Some aches and bruises but I’m fine.”
I felt my sisters’ hands on me, as if wanting to be reassured that I was still alive and whole.
Xander wouldn’t release me for a long time, and I finally had to push against him because I could feel everyone watching us.
When he let go, Io was there with a potion. “Drink this. You need to be restored. You have to be at full strength when we enter the cave.”
I saw the expression on my husband’s face. He was going to propose that we turn around and leave. I shook my head at him and he pressed his mouth into a thin line, but he nodded.
We had to go on.
I drank all of Io’s potion and then Suri tapped on my arm. Her eyes were wide and panicked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She held her palms out in front of her and then looked down at them and back at me, shaking her head. Then she put her hands flat against the earth, again shaking her head.
“You tried to use your magic to help Lia and it didn’t work?” Io asked.
Yes.
“Why wouldn’t it work?” Ahyana asked.
My first thought was that Suri might have done something to break her vow, but I immediately dismissed it. As far as I knew, she didn’t have feelings for anyone.
“Because it was the trial of earth,” Io said miserably, and her words made my blood flash cold. “That’s why Suri couldn’t interfere with her magic.”
“It’s a coincidence,” Xander insisted.
I was afraid Io was right. First the trial of fire, and now this. The second trial.
Which meant I had three more until I died.
My husband insisted on holding my hand the rest of the way. It felt like it was partly to reassure himself that I was safe, physically next to him, and because if something else happened to me, he would be right there to share in my fate.
And while I was glad to have him close, I didn’t want something to happen to him.
Luna still hadn’t reappeared and it worried me. Where had she gone?
We came to a large chasm with a rickety wooden bridge spanning the distance. Suri pointed, and on the other side we saw a cave entrance.
This was it. We had made it.
Now we just had to cross the Bridge of Death to reach our goal.
Stephanos stepped forward and held on to the rope railing and used one foot to put some of his weight on the bridge. When it held, he put on his other foot and stood. “I think it can support us,” he said.
