Panic fractures my mind, and my thoughts. I can’t think. I just keep going.
My only chance is to evade Lyam. To lose him in the underground passageways. He probably knows the catacombs as if he was born to them.
And in some ways, he was.
My breaths burst from my burning lungs, ragged and loud. Giving me away. When I come to another split, I stop long enough to glance both ways.
As I stare, the tunnels seem to shrink around me.
And then I hear it.
A steady, rhythmic sound. Soft but firm, growing louder every second. The sound of footsteps on gravel. Lyam is close.
Veering to the right, I sprint until I come to another division. I choose a shaft, but it ends abruptly, with an arched doorway blocked by iron bars. A bright light shines on the other side. Some sort of utility room? A place where I can find a weapon?
Running to the bars, I push and pull. A padlock hanging down.
And something else. Inside on the floor.
A body, curved in fetal position, blonde hair falling across the lower half of her face.
It’s Alice. And she’s not moving.
I gasp. “Alice. Alice, can you hear me?” No response, so I take a closer look. She’s curled inward, one arm extended. Beneath the curve of her elbow, a dark stain spreads on the floor.
Blood. Fresh. Seeping.
“Alice.” I try rousing her again, but there’s something about her motionless form. So quiet and still. Too still. I’m not sure she’s breathing.
My hands grip the cold bars—old, rusty, and rough on my palms. “I’m sorry,” I say, my voice splintering. “I’m so sorry.” I let my forehead fall against the metal, staring at Alice.
That’s when the lights go out.
Nothingness surrounds me. Everything is dark. My heart pumps in my ears, the beats so fast they blend to a single sound.Gadunkgadunkgadunkgadunkgadunk.
Blood pounding in my head, I turn and press my back to the bars. But still, there’s nothing, only a fluid gray filling my vision.
I lose track of time. Pressed to the door, my brain stalling out in the absence of light. I’m almost grateful for the cold on my skin, and the shuffle of my feet on dirt. Physical stimuli keeping me grounded.
I’m still alive.
But I can’t stay here, trapped in a dead end.
Groping for the wall, I keep one hand on the rough stone and follow it to the corner. I edge forward, going in the same direction as before, keeping contact with the wall as I walk blindly down the tunnel.
Adrenaline hyper-focuses my mind. I have one clear goal.
Stay away from Lyam.
The scrape of feet sounds far too loud, but I keep moving, following the wall. Maybe I’ll find another door. A way out of this subterranean hell.
My bare foot lands in water, and I bite back a scream. The cold liquid stuns me, and I lift my foot. A thousand grotesque images flicker in my brain.
Fungus. Rot. Blood.
Even in the dark, I clench my eyes shut.Stop it. It’s none of those things. Only runoff from the rain.
Another few breaths and I calm down. I take another step.
