“Risky,” he repeated, “but it should work.”
A warm glow filled her insides, but she shook it off. Now wasn’t the time to moon over Niklas Phoenix.
“Hey,” Solomon called out. “I hate to break up your little party over there, but if you guys are going to do something, now’s the time.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” Nera said.
She stood right at the edge of the chasm, and aimed the grappler toward the beam above Solomon’s head. Niklas waited beside her. She took a deep breath and fired.
The line whizzed up and over the beam. She pressed a button that sent the grappling hook zooming right back toward her.
Niklas reached out and nabbed it. He handed it to her. “Hook it onto your belt.”
She shot him a wry look as she clipped the hook to her belt. “I have done this a time or two.” She handed the grappler to him. Now he held one end of the line, while the other end was tied to her.
“Always wondered what it would be like to have you tied up,” he said.
She went still. “Really?”
“It only seems fair. You’ve tied me up a time or two.” He leaned in close. “But I like you free to use those clever hands of yours.”
She turned her head. “Young treasure hunter to rescue, remember?”
Niklas touched a gloved finger to her jaw, then with a nod, he stepped back. “Be careful while you do your thing.”
She took a few steps back, gripped the line, then ran forward and pushed off. She swung across the hole below, air rushing past her face, and a second later, she slapped into Solomon.
He cursed, his hands slipping.
Nera already had her arms wrapped around his lean waist. “Hold onto me.”
His arms clamped around her. “Never in a hundred years would I have expected to have my arms around Nera Darc.”
“Don’t expect it again,” she warned him.
His face paled. “Right.”
She got a foot against the beam and pushed off. As they swung back toward Niklas, she saw the beam fall away completely. As it fell into the hole, she heard a loud crash.
Nera and Solomon reached the edge.
“Release!” Niklas shouted.
She touched the hook on her belt.
They dropped. Nera crashed to the ground with Solomon. She heard the young treasure hunter groan.
“Nera? Are you all right?” Niklas pressed a hand to her shoulder.
She nodded and sat up.
He smiled. “Nice moves.”
Her lips twitched. “Thanks.”
“Jonas, you okay?” Niklas helped the young man sit up.
Solomon hissed out a breath, wrapping his arms around his middle. “Broken ribs, but nothing life-threatening.” His green gaze met Niklas’ before moving to Nera. “Thank you. I was going to end up lunch for whatever the hell was down in that hole. I wouldn’t have made it without your help.”
