“So we might have to wait until the water reaches us.” Ash retrieves her black military knife, testing its sharpness. “Croc meat, anyone?” Then she’s firing fire balls into the water. Hissing and growling emit from below. “I think all I’m doing is pissing them off even more.”
“Maybe you should stop,” I suggest.
Torrent stands and aims his hands to the deep, rising pool. A writhing snake of water answers him, but only reaches a little ways above us before collapsing, spraying us both. He tries again and again, but can only reach it slightly higher, as the water level rises. “That’s what I thought.” He stops, looking down, fisting his hands.
The dark shadows are swirling through the pool, crisscrossing each other, churning the water. Every once in a while one launches its body out of the water and splashes, just making itself known they are still there. Waiting. We ready our knives. I carefully stand with Torrent’s help. Smoke can only hold onto Tage, whispering to her. She looks at him and blinks, taking deep breaths.
“Torrent, as soon as you can, get Tage and Smoke to the opening.” Dr. Mara nods to us. “The rest of us will have to fend for ourselves a little while.
“Form a unit in a corner, try to stay together,” Smoke says. “Don’t let them pick you off one by one.”
“Good idea, bro.” Ash shifts her pack, holding her knife ready.
“Shouldn’t we stay on our platforms until the water rises high enough, though?” I ask. “That way they can’t come up under us. I can try moving a column so it hits the next platform so we have something like a staircase.”
After everything I’ve seen Ash and Tor do, I’m confident that I can do exactly what I suggested. In my mind, I’m envisioning gently tipping a column that no one is sitting on so that the ledge on top falls toward another column. Trying one that won’t kill anyone.
“Yes, Ridge try that and if it doesn’t work on my mark, we’ll move to the corner below the passage, once we have to swim.” Dr. Mara goes back to studying the walls.
Ash keeps her firelight bright. One by one, the braziers hiss and go out, throwing steam into the air. It’s much darker with just Ash’s palm light. I can no longer see the crocs in the water, now inky black in the dim glow. My heart pounds faster as I grip my knife tighter.
“Headlamps, peoples, but keep them off until light is really needed.” The doctor doesn’t even look at us. She’s scrambling to get all of the information she can.
What am I doing? I don’t know how to fight a crocodile. Torrent is facing Tage and Smoke and the passage above, readying his hands, waiting for the water to lick our feet.
Part III
Chapter Thirty-Six
Cool water runs over our bandaged feet. Torrent lifts Tage and Smoke in a water pillar, throwing them to the open passage six meters above.
“Ow,” shouts Smoke. He rubs his head while helping Tage scramble into the passage, water streaming down the wall.
The crocs continue to hiss and snap around our platforms as Ash shoots flames at anything breeching the surface. “Take that, you son of a bitch.”
Fire bolts sizzle as they hit scaly flesh. Ash shoots from each hand, one after the other. The beasts churn the water all the more, jaws snapping, tails lashing as they circle her on the platform. A thick tail sweeps Dr. Mara off her feet and she tumbles from her column into the deep.
I jump in after her, gripping my knife in my teeth as I pump my arms. I get to her and we swim to the corner farthest from the crocs, where we said we’d meet the rest of the team. I shield her with my body and we float, knives ready. The beasts are too fast for me to even bother calling my earth skills.
I slash at any shadow that gets too close, but I can’t see a thing. I’m trying not to choke on the water that pours into my mouth as we bounce up and down. The only light in this black room come from Ash’s shooting flames.
A large full-sized croc arcs out of the water, grabs Ash and sweeps her under. Torrent dives after the beast and with two loud splashes we’re plunged into pitch blackness.
“Quick, Ridge, we need more light.” I keep my knife ready while the doctor fumbles with her pack, then her flashlight shines out. “Everyone, turn your headlamps to red so we can see.”
She’s right, the white lights would blind us too much. She holds her knife out while I quickly get my own light onto my head, switching the button to the right. The water looks like rippling blood in our lights. A shudder tears through me.
After a moment two red lights shine from the ceiling corner, to the left of us, moving over the water like eerie searchlights.
“Do you see anything?” The doctor tries not to shout over the pouring water.
“No, nothing.” Smoke keeps moving his light. Even the churning is slowing to ripples and bubbles, and the water continues to rise. “Ash? Torrent?”
“Wait, guys!” Tage points to one of the walls. “There are the four symbols. I can see them. Now if only we can get there.”
“At this rate we’ll reach the passage in fifteen minutes, tops.” The doctor checks her waterproof watch. “Smoke, can you pull us up if we use our ropes?”
“Ash, where are you?” Smoke’s voice is getting louder. “Come on, Sis, Tor, come on.” Smoke continues searching the water. “Yeah Dr. Mara. If you and Ridge want to try while we wait for Ash and Tor. That way we’re ready to leave this place and continue finding the hieroglyphs we need to appease this god.”
“When we make it. We need to stay positive, team.”
Our red beams race over the pool, crossing each other, trying to find something alive.
A string of bubbles breaks the surface, then a large form shoots out. Torrent and Ash are struggling with something caught on her backpack—Torrent rips off a wooden figure the size of a baseball bat.
“Holy fuck, how’d you do that? You turned it back to wood?” Smoke follows them with his red light.
Torrent tosses the figurine then points his hands toward Ash, raising her in a pillar of water, gently, to the passage. The force of it pushes him below the surface. Smoke pulls Ash beside him.
“How is she?” Dr. Mara asks. Torrent bobs up, a large bubble over his head popping.
“I’m fine, the bastard mostly got my backpack,” Ash calls from above.
“You’re bleeding, Sis, let me take a look.”
Torrent dives. Another bubble pops the surface. After a minute, a long wooden object bounces up, bobbing as it floats near.
“How is he doing that?” I search the deep.
“No idea, Ridge.” Dr. Mara shakes her head. “It must be his water magic.”
A gaping mouth full of sharp teeth yawns out of the water right at me. The doctor and I shove back and out of the way as the snap cracks our eardrums. Torrent’s head breaks the surface and he grabs the beast’s tail—the croc shrinks back to a wooden statue. Torrent tosses it aside and dives under.
I catch my breath as the water continues rising, floating us up the wall. My heart’s racing so hard I’m sure the doctor can hear it. We swim to the corner under the passage.
Plop—another long, narrow shape breaks the surface, floating lifelessly.
Something hard hits my leg—I cry out on instinct. The wooden croc hits the surface and bumps against my shoulder. God, I thought it was real. Thank you it’s not. Thank you, Torrent.
It’s all too much. Losing my family, my friends, my life, my home. Everything I’ve ever known. We’ll never make it through this death maze. I don’t even know these people. I’m too tired to try anymore.
Blackness fills my vision as the cool water covers my head.
Something inside me tingles. It spreads and warms my body. Even though I know I’m floating in water and those crocodiles are not real beasts anymore, a soothing hum calms my thoughts and panic.
It’s soft and lulls me into a deeper slumber. But I know I mustn’t actually fall asleep. Eventually I’ll run out of oxygen unless my teammates save me from my watery grave.
I c
an feel the earth.
In my mind’s eye, I can see her. She’s a green glow that surrounds everything. She flows through me and I into her.
We are one.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
A mighty force of water shoots me up and I’m thrown onto rough ground, hands grabbing me. I cough as they help me sit up.
Dr. Mara joins us, scrambling with the assistance of Torrent’s water-lift. “Ridge, are you okay? You passed out.”
I look down. I didn’t pass out; I gave up. My heart weighs as much as my water-logged gear. Darkness squeezes my chest. “I’m fine,” I mumble. “I heard a voice down there.”
“What did it say?”
“It didn’t have words. It was more like a hum or feeling. Power surged into me.” I rub my chest. “I can feel it all over my body. It doesn’t hurt or anything.”
“Sounds like you just acclimated with earth.” Ash lays a hand on my shoulder. “That’s something like how Fire and me became one. The volcano goddess filled my mind and I finally understood the power of the flame. That was back in Hawaii.”
“Good, Ridge, take it easy a minute. Ash, how about you? Anything broken?” Smoke has already bandaged Ash’s bloody arm.
“I’m fine.” She pulls up her warm firelight in her palm. She blazes her fire to warm our soaked bones. “Ready for duty, doc.”
“Team, Tage thinks she found the Water Rite. You good to come with me?” Tage nods, her red light shining from her headlamp. They remove their packs before easing down into the water with two splashes. “Torrent, whenever you’re ready, we could use a lift to that section of the ceiling.”
“No problem.” Torrent motions his hands and a stream of water rises. The two women are slowly pushed to another ledge that’s closest to where the doctor wants to go.
“I should help them with light.” Ash moves to the edge.
“Not now, Sis, your bandage will come off. They’re fine, take a break. You almost died, if Tor hadn’t saved you …” Smoke’s brows furrow.
“What about you, what the hell happened?” Ash looks at me.
Heat races through me. “Nothing, I, I had a moment of weakness.” The darkness still threatens to overwhelm me. I move back into the passage and lean against the wall.
“Try eating and drinking something.” Smoke turns to Ash, examining her torn pack. “Maybe we can tape this up.” He removes duct tape from a waterproof container, and together they patch her bag, going over what she lost to the crocodile.
I watch as Dr. Mara and Tage inspect the ceiling. They aren’t there long when Torrent is lowering them back onto the platform. “Thanks, Torrent, for helping us. We’d never have found the negative confession without it, near the top.”
“No problem, doctor.” Torrent is wringing the water from his T-shirt.
“Did you guys find the Water Rite?” Smoke puts his arms around Tage, who is shivering.
“Yeah, it was near the ceiling where I thought I saw it.” Tage points across the inky, rippling pool. “This room had to actually be full of water to even be high enough to see it.”
“Weird,” Smoke whispers into her ear.
“You’re positive it’s the Water Rite?” Torrent scoots closer to Ash and her warm palm fire, squishing us all a little closer.
“Yes.” The doctor stops at a picture on her camera. “The water is about to reach us. Quickly now.” She zooms in on the shot, reading it. “Repeat after me: Hail, Ahi, who comest forth from Nu, I have never raised my voice.”
We mumble the words after her, none of us with any conviction. A film of cold water skims across the stone, soaking our butts and feet.
Again we repeat it. A sudden silence settles with an echo.
“The water stopped.” I look into the chamber, my red light flashing on my forehead. “I think … yeah, it’s draining.” Our passage is on a slight slope, and the water runs back and flows into the room.
My wet feet are cold and covered in damp grit between my toes.
“Good. Team, take a short break. Get food and water, dry off. This passage is our way out. Tage, copy the Water Rite; you too, Torrent.”
The three begin working while everyone else settles, huddled around Ash’s warmth. She blazes a campfire in our midst; the heat even radiates off her body.
The brightly painted hieroglyphs dance in the light with all their colors.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“Easy, Team. I’ll bring up the rear.”
We’re lined up, walking bent over in the meter-high passage. Ash is in front with her palm fire, the rest of us use our red lights strapped to our heads. I’m behind Ash, Torrent is next, then Tage and Smoke in front of Dr. Mara.
“Dead end.” Ash stops. “Ridge, can you move this?”
I step beside her at the meter-high wall blocking our way. Looking around, I spot the familiar Earth sign, placing my hand on it.
A crunch and scraping sounds as the door slides into the floor. My red beam plays over a narrow stone bridge spanning a room plunging into darkness. The ceiling is a couple of meters above. The bridge is barely wide enough for one person to walk or crawl over. It connects to a meter-high passage, continuing on the other side.
“Is anyone afraid of heights?” Ash calls back. Everyone shakes their heads, but Tage looks pale.
“How far down does it go, Ashley?” the doctor asks.
Ash shoots a fireball into the gloom. “It looks as tall as the croc room, doc. Maybe sixty feet?”
“Yet the bridge goes across. That’s our way, I’d guess. Ropes, everyone.” Dr. Mara removes hers, tying it about her waist. We follow suit, attaching our lines to each other like a long snake. If one falls, we all do.
Ash straightens to stand on the stone bridge, not looking down. I brace against the walls, my palms attaching as best I can, just in case. Torrent lets the rope out, making sure it doesn’t tangle.
I follow her onto the path.
Ash keeps her palm light going, flaring it slightly when her body tilts, halfway across.
I stop when I see her flailing. She better not fall.
Ash regains her balance, making her way, running the last meter and rolling into the passage. “Easy as fuck,” she yells.
I shake my head as my body is tugged forward by her roll. This isn’t any different from all the times I’ve walked across the roofless walls of the crumbling buildings in Zabbaleen. Home … the dark chamber yawns black before me, like the hole in my chest, pulling me in. I blink, wiping my eyes.
“You okay, buddy?” Torrent puts his hand on my shoulder. He’s with me on the narrow ledge. I nod, then stand on the bridge as he lets out the rope between us.
I keep my eyes on Ash, walking across steadily. I wind a tendril of power through my feet, connecting to the stone with each solid step. Ash helps me into the passage.
Torrent comes across the rest of the way, walking slowly. He’s followed by the doctor, Tage, then Smoke.
“I’m going to take my time, read the glyphs on these walls.” The doctor straddles the bridge carefully. “My balance isn’t what it used to be.” She goes a little ways, then stops and studies the walls, ceiling, and bridge art. She scoots a litter farther, stopping to scan the hieroglyphs.
Torrent is holding the rope steady for Smoke, so the rest of us can sit, leaning against the walls. Ash unties her line, winding it around her arm before packing it away; I do the same.
“Let’s check out the passage, Ridge.”
I follow Ash, making our way with our lights farther into the passage. After several meters, it turns to the left. We go farther, where it stops, blocked by a stone wall. I place my palm on the earth glyph, but nothing happens. I try again, closing my eyes and focusing my power.
Nothing. The wall or door, whatever it is, doesn’t budge.
“Try the other surface.” Ash moves out of the way. I put my hands on the floor, the ceiling, and walls. Nothing moves or changes.
“Dead end, I guess.” I turn to Ash.
<
br /> “That’s fucking weird. Where else are we supposed to go?”
I shrug.
Shouting and a high-pitched scream echo down the passage to us. We turn and run, bent double, around the corner and back to the yelling, shouting, screaming and scuffling.
The opening ahead is empty and we stop, peering over the edge into the dark chamber.
But our friends are gone.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Dr. Mara—Smoke—where are you?” Ash leans over the edge.
I’m trying not to panic. Why did we leave the group again? Stupid, stupid, stupid. I’m slapping my hand to my head.
“Stop it, Ridge, I think I heard something.”
In the quiet, the doctor’s familiar, calm voice echoes up from far below. “We’re down here, Ash. We’re okay.”
“How far down does it go?” I look over the edge.
“Only about forty feet, I think, but I can’t see them, it’s too damn dark.” Ash bends further into the hole.
“Ash,” Smoke’s voices calls from somewhere below. “It’s an illusion. It looks like there’s a stone floor, but it’s not actually there. We’re below it.”
“Come on down and join us,” Torrent calls. “The weather’s fine. Just be careful when you fall.”
“You two will have to jump, soldiers.”
“What? No fucking way.”
“We fell, Sis, and we’re okay. A bit stuck at the moment but once you and Ridge get down here, we’ll think of something. You can do it. Now come on!”
I grab Ash’s arm. “Could this be a trap? What if it’s not them for real?”
“Who else could it be? It’s their voices, isn’t it?
I shrug. “I don’t want to jump.”
“You’re not the only one. Shit.” Ask takes several deep breaths.
“You can do it,” Tage’s voice is small coming from the darkness below.
Ash is poised, but she doesn’t move. “I wish I could at least see where I’m going. My light won’t go that far, and I don’t want to burn anybody.”
Earth Guardian (Deities Series Book 2) Page 12
