“A gurgling sound.”She plucked at her tunic, which was sticking to her torso.“It’s getting hotter in here.”
“Yes.”Ransom wiped his hand across his sweaty brow.
“Is that lava we can hear?”
“I hope not.”Ransom’s tone suggested he thought otherwise.“Wait.I'll expire of this heat if I don’t strip off my tunic.”
“Ooh!Wonderful idea.”Scarlett peeled off her tunic.She tied it around her waist for easy access.Her arm.Frying fungus, it itched.She turned to the light cast by the lamp and swore.“Talon, you wee beastie.What did that Quito man put in my arm?”
“Let me look,” Ransom said.
His touch was gentle as he turned her a fraction to study the two bulging purple swellings.They pulsated and jiggled.Creeeepy.Her preternatural senses preached danger, and every foreign sound made her start.She loathed this underground prison and couldn’t wait to flee.
“Is it painful?”
“No, but they’re uncomfortable.”
“Talon, come here,” Ransom spoke in a no-nonsense tone, reminding Scarlett of her oldest brother.
Talon trotted over, his expression innocent.A pity his eyes betrayed him.Their shrewd intelligence indicated he had answers.
“Will these injure Scarlett?”
Talon waggled his head.
“Will they grow bigger?”
Talon again did a negative shake.
“Should I dig them out?”
Talon shook his head harder and swelled in size.
“Scarlett, can you bear the discomfort until we leave this chamber?I’ll dig them out for you then.”
Talon didn’t make a protest at this decision, so she nodded.She glanced around and whispered, “What’s our plan when we find the prince?If he’s expecting a kiss from his true love to awaken him, one of you can do it.”
“Haw-haw-haw.”
Ransom chuckled.“What Talon said.You guys ready to move again?”
Scarlett gave her upper arm a sly itch.“Let’s do this.”
She trailed Ransom, and as they rounded a corner, the bubbling became louder, the heat higher.
“Not this way.”Scarlett halted beside Ransom.
The entire wall of the chamber glowed orange and red.Trickles of lava ran down the wall.
“We’ll backtrack.”Ransom held his head as if it was aching.
Scarlett squeezed his arm.“Shore up your mental barriers.Make it difficult for him to get into your mind.”
“It’s hard to concentrate.”
“You can do this.Don’t let him win.”
They retreated and hurried in the other direction, forging a path through the stacks of purple boxes.Something—maybe a quake—had toppled the top layer of boxes.One lay in the way, the lid open.
