“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Tormund said. “Tahir and I are brothers without needing a bond. I just can’t go too near him. Otherwise, I risk getting burned. Just like anyone else who isn’t an orc.”
The heat that dragons emitted was far too powerful for most folk to withstand. We’d need to keep that in mind if we did find the creature we sought. If he was anywhere near the Everstone he’d stolen, we’d have to find some way to lure him away from it.
We came to the end of the path and ducked into another tunnel. The walls were low and narrow, and the sunstones were so few and far between now that I had to squint to see more than a few feet in front of me. The scent of petrichor grew stronger, and the stones beneath our feet were slick, puddles forming from water trickling in through the walls.
“Why do you suppose he stole the gem, anyway?” I asked.
“Dragons treasure those who shine. And so do I.” Tormund’s voice was rough, and it dragged my attention away from my footsteps and to his face. He stared at me in the dim lighting, his eyes dark yet full of fire. Every part of me went hot with longing.
No one had ever looked at me this way.
“Tormund,” I whispered.
He reached a hand toward my face, our footsteps in sync. My heart nearly pounded out of my chest. Whatever I’d felt before, I suddenly knew it hadn’t been one-sided. There was something between us, against all odds. And even if it might end in nothing but pain, I was desperate to give into it.
Tormund’s thumb caressed my cheek. A sigh escaped my parted lips, and I started to lean into his touch.
But then the floor opened up beneath us, and we fell.
18
ASTRID
Ishrieked as my bells filled the air with their song. The cavern walls rushed past me. I reached out to grasp at something—anything—but then my feet hit the ground. My teeth snapped shut; stars dotted my eyes. Shaking my head, I looked around. I hadn’t fallen particularly far. If I were twice as tall, I might be able to reach the ledge above with a little jump.
“Tormund, I think you might be tall enough to reach that ledge. You could hoist me up on your shoulders, then follow me back up. What do you think?” I turned toward him, but…no one was there. Frowning, I tipped back my head. “Hallo! Looks like you missed the bloomin’ hole! Lucky you! Mind helping me back up again?”
“I am afraid I did not miss the hole at all,” called Tormund—from the opposite direction in which I looked.
“Oh no,” I muttered, then looked down. Just to my left, the hole continued, opening up to an almost impenetrable darkness. Tormund’s horns, cutting through the shadows, were the only thing I could see of him. And from the distance between me and him, it did not look like he could climb back out.
“I’m surprised you sound so worried,” he said with forced laughter. “You’re well and truly rid of me now.”
“Are you all right?” I knelt beside the hole and peered into the depths. He’d fallen a lot further than I had.
“I’m fine. My shadows helped slow me. Too bad they couldn’t stop me from falling in the first place.”
“I’ll get you out,” I said matter-of-factly, dropping my pack to the ground. I rummaged around inside and pulled out the rope.
“You brought a rope with us?” he asked.
“Of course,” I replied. “Dwarves never venture into the mines without proper supplies. The better question is, why didn’tyoubring one?”
“I didn’t anticipate falling into a hole,” he said flatly.
“Well, that was your first mistake. The second was not looking at where you were walking.”
“Very smug for the girl whoalsofell into a hole.”
“I fell into the smaller hole, so I can be as smug as I bloomin’ like, thank you very much.” I grinned, unwinding the rope, the rough surface scratching my palms. Truth was, I had no idea how I was going to get him out of there, and joking seemed like the best way to keep both of us from panicking. Sure, I could toss him the end of the rope. It was plenty long enough to reach him. Just like I’d told him, us dwarves liked to be prepared. The problem was, he was twice as big as I was. How would I find the strength to pull him out?
So before I could talk myself out of it, I tossed one end of the rope into the hole. It hit the ground only a second later, and I felt a tug as Tormund tested the weight of it.
“There’s a stone there,” he called out. “You could tie it around that.”
I frowned at said stone. I’d noticed it before, but hadn’t considered it as an option. Like us, it had fallen here some time ago and only came to my hips.
“It’s loose,” I told him. “And I don’t think it’s large enough to hold your weight. I’m afraid it will go sliding into the hole and fall on your head if you try it. You’ll turn into smashed demon.”
