Directly beneath their feet.
Viri didn’t even have time to scream before they fell, the shadows swallowing them whole.
24
Down they plummeted, down, down,downthrough pitch-black nothingness, the force of the wind making Viri tumble and somersault through the air. Reeve was somewhere to her left, falling just as swiftly, but she only knew that because she could hear him bellowing her name into the darkness. She wanted to yell back, but her throat was closed again—not by the wraith’s mental tricks this time but from the sheer terror of how fast and deep they were dropping beneath the earth.
And then, suddenly, the darkness lifted as they descended into a cavernous chamber, the expansive space lit by glowing blue moss covering the rocky walls and reflecting off the glassy surface of an immense underground lake.
Viri only had a split second to fill her lungs and brace for impact before she slammed into the water, her body barking in pain and then flooding with shock as the ice-cold temperature registered. She kicked upward, breaking through the surface with a gasp.
“Reeve!”she called, spinning frantically in place.“REEVE!”
A splashing sound came from her right as he appeared, coughing up lake water and yelling her name.“VIRI!”
“Here!”
He whirled toward her, then swam her way, the blue glow illuminating his worried features.
“Are you—”
“I’m all r-right,” she answered quickly, her teeth chattering as she treaded water. “B-Bruised and c-c-cold, but alive. You?”
“Same,” Reeve said. He pointed to a cluster of rocks resting like a small island a short distance away. “We need to get out of this water—I think I saw the shoreline as we fell, but I’ll have to look around and get my bearings.”
Viri immediately started swimming toward the rocks, her limbs tingling with pins and needles by the time she reached them, making it difficult to grip the slippery stone and pull herself up. With Reeve’s help, she levered her body out of the water, shivering violently as she stood upon the island that was barely as wide as they were tall.
“Elders, you look like death,” Reeve said, swiping water from his face—a useless endeavor, given his dripping hair—and eyeing her quaking form with concern.
“J-Just what every g-g-girl wants to hear,” Viri chattered through frozen lips.
Before she could stop him, Reeve stepped forward and pressed his palm to her chest, right over her heart. She jerked backward, nearly sliding off the rocks, but his other arm snaked around her waist, holding her in place.
“Easy, I’m not trying anything.” He winked. “No promises about later.”
Viri was so cold that she couldn’t even blush, though she did roll her eyes and try to pull away again.
Reeve didn’t release her, just furrowed his brow in concentration. “This might feel strange.”
That was all the warning Viri had before his hand heated and his magic flowed into her, spreading from her chest upward and outward, through her middle, along her arms, down her legs, his power thawing her from the inside out. A moan left her as every trace of ice vanished, leaving her no longer trembling but toasty warm.
“Better?” Reeve asked, tucking a tendril of wet hair behind her ear before letting her go entirely.
Viri swallowed against everything his tender, thoughtful actions made her feel and straightened her still-soaked cloak. “All that magic, and you can’t even dry clothes? Some all-powerful mage you are.”
A low chuckle. “You’re welcome.” He indicated the lake surrounding them. “And we still have another swim ahead of us. My magic doesn’t come without a cost—I’ll dry us both fully once we’re out of here.”
Shame hit Viri, making her feel like an ungrateful toad. “What kind of cost?”
Reeve’s mouth curled upward, his eyes soft on hers. “The kind that was worth it.”
This time, Viriwaswarm enough to blush, and she was thankful that the blue haze over everything would keep it from showing. She cleared her throat and asked, “Where’s this shoreline you thought you saw?”
Reeve turned carefully on their rocky platform, squintingaround the luminous cavern, before finally pointing at what Viri could now see herself.
“There’s a bank over there, and it looks like there’s natural light coming from beyond it, so I’d say that’s our way out.” He gauged the distance. “It’s a fair swim—do you think you can make it without turning into an icicle?”
His question was wry, but Viri answered seriously, her insides churning at the thought of getting back into the frigid lake. “As long as you’re happy to heat me up again once we reach the other side, I’ll be fine.”
