Gently moving my arms and legs, I glide through the water. Silent. Stealthy. Straining for any sound that might give Lyam away.
When I first see the light, I blink and blink, certain I’m imagining things. I’ve gotten used to the dark, and it takes my brain a few seconds to comprehend.
A pearl-like color splashes on a wall. Dim. Pale. But definitely light.
Be an exit. Please, be an exit.
A loud splash carries through the cavern, followed by the sound of limbs chopping through water.
Lyam’s in the water.
And he’s moving fast.
Letting go of the wall, I kick off the stone, following the light instead. I find a burst of energy and swim at full speed.
When I round a corner, the light brightens, so I bullet forward. I can see around me now, the gloomy water and craggy walls. And there, beneath the glow, what looks like steps carved from the stone.
I can get out. I can get out.
When I reach the steps, my hand slides in a layer of slime. Drawing my knees forward, I start a slow, cautious climb. Water streams down from above, but finally, slippery algae becomes coarse rock.
I run up the steps, feet slapping against stone. The stairs wind in a spiral, climbing higher and higher. My thigh muscles scream from overuse.
“Don’t waste your time, Brooke.” Lyam’s gleeful voice rises from below. “You can’t get out that way.”
My heart clenches at his words, the loss of hope crushing my ribs.
He’s lying. Trying to trick me.I convince myself to keep going. Light is pouring in from somewhere, and if I can reach the surface, I can find help.
Near the top, I stumble when a stone shifts beneath my foot. But my forward motion carries me up the last few steps. I stumble into a chamber.
Solid walls enclose the small space, illuminated by light coming in through a hole.
No. A window. A window in a door.
I know this place.
Throwing myself against the door, I press my face to the slit in the metal. Falling rain hazes the world outside, but I know what I’m looking at. The alley behind the gardens.
I’m locked behind the mysterious door.
I drag my hands up and down the metal, hoping to find a lever, some way to open the door. All I find is a hole where a handle might have been. And I remember the padlock on the other side.
I’m not getting out.
Terror bubbles up, and I shove my arm out the hole. “Help!” Waving my hand, I scream into the gray. “Please, I’m here. Help me!”
“Broooooke.” Lyam is taunting me again, letting me know he’s coming. I hear the smile in his voice and realize he had the advantage all along.
As I listen to him climbing the steps behind me, I press my face to the bars. I scream again. And again and again.
But no one answers. No one hears me. No one will help.
And now I’m trapped.
52
The downpour drowns my screams, cutting me off from the world outside. But I can’t quit. Can’t give up. I press my face to the window and try again.
