Chapter 20
Odessa
Dex was right beside me, pushing me into the smoke-filled tunnel. I didn’t look behind me to check if anyone else was following. My feet pounded on the hard ground trying to escape as the large wall of flames grew closer, licking the top of the tunnel.
The Pyro planned to burn us all alive, I realized, and nearly had taken out Reed in the process. The heat from the flames penetrated through my clothes as sweat began to gather on my skin. Running as fast as my tired legs would carry me, I pushed deeper into the dark tunnel. If I stopped, I would die.
Smoke and flames chased us through the narrow space. I couldn’t stop coughing and my eyes were tearing up, making it difficult to see.
The sound of someone tripping and hitting the floor filled my ears. Fuck.
I turned, finding Reed crumpled on the ground next to Killian trying to lift him up. Nat kept running ahead and Dex pulled at me to follow.
My eyes bounced between the growing flames and my fallen teammates.
“No,” I said, rushing to their side and pulling Reed to his feet.
This might be a cutthroat place, but I couldn’t leave them behind like this.
Reed leaned on both Killian’s and my shoulders as the flames continued to grow at an alarming rate behind us. We had to keep moving.
“Ow, fuck. You should just leave me here. Go on ahead,” Reed insisted.
“I’m not leaving you,” I said, struggling to hold up his weight. My legs were shaking with the effort to keep going.
“Give me him,” Dex said, pushing me ahead, and taking over for me.
There was a silent moment that passed between us then, and I mouthed my thanks.
I didn’t hesitate to run once Dex had ahold of Reed. Just ahead, a wide expanse opened, and Nat stood near the edge of a cliff.
There was nowhere to go.
We were standing at the edge of the abyss. A partially collapsed drawbridge could be seen swinging several meters away. Far enough that there was no way to reach it without magick.
Magick. Right.
I’d almost forgotten that I even had that power inside me. The mask on my face felt almost like a second skin at this point.
“How do we get across?” Nat asked, her eyes blown wide as she looked down into the inky expanse. It seemed to stretch on forever as if night itself had settled beneath our feet and taken up residence in this cave.
The flames were still growing and would be upon us in moments.
“Do you think you have enough power to fly across?” Nat asked Reed, whose power was The Bird- the power of flight.
He looked to be in rough shape, but maybe, just maybe he could find a way across.
Reed stepped forward, shrugging out of Dex and Killian’s hold.
His burned arm shook as he struggled to keep his balance.
“I can try,” he said taking a deep breath that resulted in a coughing fit.
“I don’t know about this,” Killian said, the worry evident in his tone. I felt it too, but what choice did we have?
Reed took a few steps back, steadying himself.
“Here goes nothing. If I fall, tell my family I love them.”
