“Better off staying out of their way,” Kaige comments. “I can’t imagine it’s a massive opening if it’s supposed to be discreet, so this is faster than all of us tripping over each other; even if it kills us to stand by and wait.”
The best I can manage is a sharp nod, unable to rip my gaze away from the massive hellhounds frantically tearing at the earth. Within a few of the longest minutes of my life, the swipe of Reid’s claws across metal threatens to make my ears bleed, and I swear, I’ve never heard a sweeter sound. Pushing past them, I search for a handhold on the circular metal hatch on the sloped earth. Whipping out my knife, I jimmy it into the small gap beside the stone, prying it up enough we can get a better grip.
Wrenching it open, a rush of water pours out of the bottom half, revealing a pitch-black tunnel.
“Give me your lighter.” I hold out my hand expectantly and Kaige slaps it into my waiting palm.
Flicking it to life, I reach my arm in, showing the narrow opening only lasts about a foot before widening. Crawling in first, the small pool of water collected at the base soaks the lower half of my pants, but I’m able to rise to my full height within seconds. The tunnel is at a steep incline, made completely of smooth stone, and water steadily flows in a trickle beneath my feet. Keeping the lighter up, I trudge forward as the others follow my lead, the twins forced to shift back to fit through the opening.
“I was worried it might be flooded,” Cinjin admits in a hushed whisper.
Reid falls into the role of reassuring him as naturally as breathing since I’m barely holding myself together as it is. “If it were that bad, it would have backlogged and caused issues far sooner. Must have just been the door slowing it down. It’s a good thing, actually. This means they’ve had water while they’ve been stuck waiting for us to rescue them.”
“Why wouldn’t they follow it to the exit, then?” he asks, and I stop abruptly, whirling on him.
“Knock it the hell off, will you? Like we aren’t all freaking out right now? She’s fine. Bo’s fine, and so are Hunter and Damian. There might be a series of doors like the one at the end and they don’t realize there’s a way out. There are a million possibilities, and worrying about them is only going to make this more terrifying than it already is.” Pivoting on my heel, I storm forward, walking at a brisk pace.
“Sorry,” he murmurs, and I sigh heavily, all of the anger deflating in a rush as swiftly as it came on. I miss it immediately. Without it, I’m left with only a cold sense of hopelessness that has me even more lost than before.
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you, I’m just-” raking a hand through my hair, I fist the strands, the sharp bite of pain helping a little. “I’m scared, too, okay?”
An agonizingly long time later, we come to a dead end, and if it wasn’t for the water trickling from midway up the wall, I might have actually sunk to my knees in defeat and never bothered getting up. Throwing my shoulder at it, a few pebbles fall to our feet, and I slam against it again.
Cinjin grabs me before I can land a third hit, yanking me out of the way and shoving me up against the side of the tunnel. “There’s enough room in this spot Reid can shift, and he’ll do a hell of a lot more damage.”
The small flame we were using to guide our way is snuffed out, and a split second later, a low snarl proceeds our brother slamming into the blockade. Claws rake across stone as he tears away at it, followed by another solid impact that shakes the entire tunnel.
They’re okay. Not buried alive, and didn’t drown. Sabrina hasn’t survived everything Ash has thrown at her just to die in this place.
The next crash has Reid finally busting through the blockade, only to be thrown back as a massive rush of water sends him down the impromptu waterslide with a yelp. My legs are knocked out from under me, but Cin and I manage to dig our claws into the wall, sucking in a deep breath as the water level rapidly rises in the tunnel until we’re completely submerged.
Twenty more seconds. If it hasn’t started to drop by then, we’ll have to let go so we can make it outside before we drown.
As my lungs threaten to burst, my claws drag another few inches until I lose my grip completely, losing my hold on Cinjin and getting caught up in the current. A hand snatches around my wrist at the last moment, and a few seconds later, the onslaught of water slows, the water level lowering until I’m able to get my feet under me and break through the surface. Sucking down ragged breaths, we’re plunged into darkness, and when I fumble in my pocket for the lighter to attempt, it won’t catch.
Finally beneath knee level now, Kaige releases my wrist, and we slosh our way with Cin to the opening. The incline is steep enough that I’m practically crawling upward in a few places, but it’s a short enough tunnel that I can see a faint flickering of light at the other end. Unable to breathe for a very different reason, I rush through the last stretch, pulling myself out of an opening and tumbling down into a shallow pool of water. Coming up sputtering, the breath freezes in my lungs as I look around the massive cavern. Shadows dance across the walls, small, multicolored flashes of lights catching from the low-burning embers.
And on the ledge beside the fire are four familiar faces that have me falling to my knees in the shallow water as relief slams into me like a freight train.
“Slade?” Sabrina rushes over to the ledge, Bo grabbing her before she reaches the edge.
Holding her tightly against him, he jumps down, nearly wiping out on the slick stone. Setting her down, she races over, splashing through the water and sliding to her knees in front of me just as Kaige makes it through, quickly followed by Cinjin.
“Are you okay?” she asks, grabbing my wrist and inspecting the mangled state of my hand. “Let me-”
Jerking my arm back, I crush her against my chest, burying my face in the crook of her neck. The faint scent of dirt clings to her skin, overshadowed by sex and her natural coffee shop fragrance. No blood, no bitter tang of fear. Just her, smelling likehome.
“No.” My voice is barely more than gravel, and for once, I don’t bother to hide it. “But I will be, now.”
