The oxygen was clean and pure. Life.
“Your turn,” Charlie said, then held her breath.
They took turns in the darkness. Seconds stretched into minutes that felt like years. The oxygen helped but Charlie could feel her body still shutting down from the cold, the blood loss, the shock.
“Rowan—” Viv's voice cracked. “Where's Rowan? Is he?—”
“Viv,” Charlie said quietly. “I need you to stay calm. Breathe slowly. We need to make this last.”
Viv sobbed.
“Rowan's smart. He had oxygen too. He'll get himself out or they'll dig him out.”
Please let that be true.
Time becamemeaningless in the darkness.
Charlie counted her breaths. Slow. Steady. In for four counts, hold for one-hundred twenty, out for ten. She tried to use as little oxygen as possible while keeping Viv calm.
Her shoulder throbbed with every heartbeat. The blood didn’t feel warm which meant she must have stopped bleeding. That was good. Less blood loss.
But bad for other reasons.
The cold was seeping deeper. Into her bones. Into her core.
“Charlie?” Viv's voice was small. Scared.
“I'm here.”
“Are we going to die?”
Charlie wanted to lie. Wanted to sayof course not, we'll be fine, help is coming.
But Viv deserved the truth.
“I don't know,” Charlie said quietly. “But I'm not giving up. And neither are you.”
“I'm scared.”
“Me too.” Charlie adjusted slightly, trying to ease the pressure on her ribs. Pain shot through her side. “But we're still breathing. That means we still have a chance.”
Silence for a moment, punctuated only by another hiss of oxygen. How much more did they have?
Then Viv whispered, “Tell me something. About you and Ben. Something happy.”
Charlie closed her eyes in the darkness and calculated keeping Viv from panicking and hyperventilating versus spending her breath on talking.
“He made me a necklace. Silver filigree with blue stones. Took him weeks.”
“Are you wearing it now?”
“Yeah.” Charlie could feel it against her throat, the metal warm from her skin. “He gave it to me with that Evelaine dress at the Ren Faire. Called me his princess.”
Viv was quiet for a while.
“He's going to come for you,” she finally said. “You know that, right? He's up there right now, digging for you.”
“Yeah.” Charlie barely kept her voice from breaking. “I know.”
