Chris trudged forward to stand next to Kate. “I guess I’m coming, too,” he gave in, surveying the arching branches.
“Follow me.” Kate squared her shoulders and reached her arm out, her hand sinking into the granite like it was no denser than the air. Then she closed her eyes and walked into the boulder, vanishing inside of it once again.
“I’m next.” Blake walked into the rock like it was something he did every day, disappearing from sight.
I stepped forward, but Danielle’s elbow pushed against my chest, blocking my way.
“I’m going after Blake.” She flung her hair over her shoulder so it hit my face, and stepped through the boulder.
Chris was the only other one of us left. He shoved his hands into his pockets and shifted from one foot to the other. “After you,” he said, motioning for me to go first.
The sparkling granite was inches from my face, and I clenched my fists to my sides, unsure if I could do it. I trusted that Kate was telling us the truth that it was safe, but she didn’t know the details of how this portal—or whatever it was—worked. What if she was the only one supposed to go through, and it shredded the rest of us into bits? Or what if we all got through in one piece, but ended up in different places?
But as terrified as I was, I also didn’t want to be left alone in these woods. So I pushed the worry from my mind and closed my eyes, trying to relax. It would be easier to walk through solid granite if I didn’t have to watch it approach.
Then I took a deep breath and stepped into the rock.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Walking through the boulder reminded me of one of those mist machines at theme parks—cold and prickly against my skin. The whooshing of the wind through the trees instantly disappeared. All I could hear now was the steady dripping of water echoing from the distance. Damp, musty air filled my nose, and the humidity layered on my skin—it was like I was in a windowless basement with a leaky pipe that hadn’t been tended to in years.
Finally I opened my eyes. Kate, Blake, and Danielle stared back at me, and relief rushed through my veins at the sight of them.
Wherever we were was dark—the balls of fire in Blake’s hands were the only light we had. Jagged, patchy shadows stretched across the ground, and I looked up to see what would cause shapes like that.
Huge stalactites dropped down from above, like they were defending the area against unwanted visitors. I was no geologist, but even though the ceiling was too high up to see in the darkness, there was no mistaking what this was.
We were in a cavern.
Air whooshed behind me, and Chris stepped through a shimmering wall. He stumbled forward and steadied himself. “That was easier than I thought,” he said, blinking a few times and looking around. His voice echoed when he spoke, making him sound louder than normal. “We’re in a cave. Cool.”
“A huge cave,” I added, still trying to figure out how big it was. Blake’s fire didn’t come close to filling it up, making it impossible to tell.
Danielle turned on her heel to look at Kate. “Do you know where the clue is?” she asked.
“No.” Kate shook her head. “And the compass is useless. The arrow just keeps spinning around.”
“So let’s explore,” Blake said, the flames in his hands growing taller. Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked forward.
“Wait.” Danielle held her hands up, stopping us. “We need to remember how to get back here. As far as we know, this door is our only way out, and we need to be able to find it. Does anyone have something we can use to mark our path?”
“Like how Hansel and Gretel used bread crumbs so they didn’t get lost in the woods?” Kate asked.
“Yes,” she said. “Exactly like that.”
“I’ll remember how to get back,” I told her.
“But if your perfect sense of direction fails, or if we need to split up, we’ll need a backup plan,” Danielle said, lifting her chin defiantly in the air.
“Fine.” I held my hands out in defeat. I doubted my new directional sense would suddenly stop working, and splitting up was rarely a good idea, but it wasn’t worth arguing with Danielle.
She nodded, her expression serious. “Now, like I asked before, does anyone have anything to mark the path with?”
“The prophecy only took up a small part of the paper,” I said, removing the crumpled sheet from my back pocket. “This is only a copy, so I can tear off the part with the writing on it and rip the rest to mark our path.”
“Good idea,” Blake said. “Chris—you stay in the back and drop pieces of paper behind you every ten feet or so. Make sure they’re small. We don’t want to run out.”
“Sure thing,” Chris said, although the frown on his face gave me the feeling that he wasn’t happy about being stuck in back.
I tore off the part of the page that held the prophecy and handed the rest of the paper to Chris. The part with writing on it was so narrow that it looked like it could have come out of a giant fortune cookie. I folded it up and put it back into my pocket, taking a deep breath in preparation to explore the darkness ahead.
We only made it twenty feet, and then Blake stopped in his path, holding his arms out to keep us from going any further.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Ahead of us, the ground came to a startling halt, dropping into the darkness with no end in sight.
“Don’t get any closer,” Blake said, throwing a ball of fire downward. It fell about a hundred feet, hit the ground, and sizzled out. I spotted what looked like a tunnel at the bottom, and then the light disappeared completely.
“Great,” I mumbled, kicking a pebble over the edge. It clattered when it reached the ground. My head spun, and I took a step back so I wouldn’t have to look anymore. “We walk for less than a minute and reach a cliff.”
“Should we try going another way?” Chris asked.
“No.” Blake threw another ball of fire, lighting up the bottom once more. Again, it went out after a few seconds. “I can’t keep the fire going from this far away, but there’s a tunnel down there,” he said. “We need to figure out how to get to it.”
“No problem.” Chris pushed up the sleeves of his jacket and looked down the cliff.
“Seriously?” Kate said. “You’re going to float us all down? Do you have enough energy left to do that?”
“Easily.” He rubbed his hands together, smiling and looking around at all of us. “Who wants to go first?”
“I’ll go,” Kate volunteered. “I already know what to do, since you flew me up to try getting the eagle. Not like you have to do anything,” she assured us. “But at least I’m prepared.”
“But what are we going to do about light?” Danielle asked. “Blake can’t be in two places at once, and Chris needs to be able to see the person he’s lowering down.”
“She’s right.” Chris nodded. “If I can’t see someone, I’ll drop them.”
“Can you hold two people at once?” Blake asked him.
“Probably,” Chris said slowly. “As long as you stay close together.”
“How about this,” Blake said, glancing down the cliff. “I’ll go down with one person and hold onto them to light the way. Then you bring me back up, and we’ll continue like that until everyone is down.”
“I think I can manage that.” Chris looked down the cliff again, and then glanced at Kate. “You still up for going first?”
“Are you sure about this?” She didn’t sound as confident as she did a few minutes ago. I couldn’t blame her, since Chris didn’t sound positive that he could pull it off.
“Why don’t I go first?” I volunteered. The words shocked me the moment I spoke them. But as much as I hated heights, I might as well get this over with. That way, I wouldn’t have to stand up here freaking out for longer than necessary. “I’m the one with the healing ability, so if anyone falls and gets hurt, I can fix them.”
“After how much you’ve already used your power today?” Blake shook his he
ad. “Are you sure you can handle it?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, even though he was right that I’d used my power a lot today. I didn’t feel like I was about to pass out on the spot, but I did feel more tired than normal.
Hopefully everyone would get down in one piece and it wouldn’t be an issue.
I glanced down the cliff again, my body shaking at the reminder of the height. A wave of dizziness overtook me, and I stepped back. “Are you ready?” I asked Chris, somehow managing to sound more confident than I felt.
Chris nodded. “Go stand next to Blake.” He looked over at Blake, who was next to the ledge. “Don’t drop her, or we won’t have our healer.”
“Don’t worry,” Blake said, looking at me. “I won’t drop you.” He held a hand out, focusing on me like he was trying to will me to believe him.
“I know you won’t,” I said, taking his hand. His palm radiated warmth, most likely from the fire he’d held in it seconds before. He still held a ball of fire in his other hand. It glowed bright against his skin. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and I tightened my grip around his to calm down. “I trust you.”
He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer until my cheek rested against his chest. The warmth felt nice compared to the freezing cold we’d dealt with for the majority of the day. I held onto him tightly and took a deep breath. He smelled good—like a campfire on a summer night. He wasn’t going to let me fall, and neither was Chris.
“Get ready.” Chris’s voice rang loudly in the cave. “I’m starting now.”
The air swirled around me, pushing up against my feet. The ground floated away until Blake and I hovered inches away from the cliff. While I technically wasn’t standing on anything, it felt like there was something beneath my feet—like the air had condensed so it could hold us, although it wasn’t solid, either. It was like walking on a cloud.
The make-believe cloud moved to the side, bringing the two of us with it. Suddenly we were past the ledge, and the ground disappeared from under our feet. My pulse quickened. If Chris dropped us now, that would be it.
I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my cheek against Blake’s chest and listening to the steady beat of his heart. It kept my mind off the fact that I was floating down a hundred foot drop and could fall at any moment if Chris lost his concentration or sight of us. My heart sped up at the thought, and my lungs squeezed together, suffocating me until all I could manage were short, shallow breaths.
Blake’s arm tightened around my waist, holding me closer. “Are you okay?” he whispered, soft enough so no one else could hear.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “Are we almost there?”
“Just a few feet more.” The warmth of the nearby fire let me know that I wasn’t totally surrounded by darkness, which allowed me to breathe easier. Of course we were going to be fine. Chris wouldn’t let us fall.
After what felt like forever, my feet finally touched the ground. Once sure I was steady, I willed myself to open my eyes. A rock wall greeted me. I looked up, unable to make out the shapes of the others at the top of the cliff.
“Are you guys all right?” Chris called down.
“We’re good,” Blake answered, his arm still tight around my waist. Neither of us made an effort to move away from one another. “You did a great job,” he said, soft enough that only I could hear.
Then everything went dark. It was pitch black, and not like when it’s night time and the stars and moon are shining overhead so you can still tell where you are. It was like I’d gone blind. I held my hand in front of my face to test if I could see it, but it made no difference. The entire world had disappeared.
“What’s going on down there?” Chris screamed from up in the darkness.
“The fire went out and I dropped my lighter,” Blake said. “Hold on while I find it.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked, quieter, so only he could hear. “Are you tired from using your powers so much today? If you need a break, I’m sure everyone would wait.”
“I’m fine,” he said. “Although it’s sweet that you’re so worried.”
“Okay.” I struggled to see, but it was impossible. All I could focus on was the pressure of Blake’s arm still wrapped tightly around my waist, and that we were standing so close that I could feel his breath on my cheek.
He moved to face me, his nose brushing mine. “Do you want to know a secret?” he asked.
“What secret?” I asked, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
“The fire didn’t go out by accident.”
Then he pressed his lips to mine, and the world disappeared around me. He traced his fingers up my arm, and before I knew what was happening, he’d pinned me against the wall of the cliff, his fingers entangled deep into my hair. My hand found its way to his, our palms connecting. A wave of energy passed through my body as the bond between us twisted together, reminding me of what I’d felt earlier while healing him.
We shouldn’t be doing this—but I didn’t care. All that mattered was Blake kissing me, and how I never wanted him to stop.
“What’s taking so long down there?” Chris’s voice jolted me back into reality—the reality where Danielle was standing a hundred feet above, blinded to how her boyfriend was cheating on her under her nose.
Guilt flooded my chest, and I pulled away from Blake, glad that it was too dark for us to see each other. Otherwise he would see the hold he had over me, and it would make it harder for me to do what was right.
“I dropped the lighter and had to find it,” Blake called back. “I got it now.”
“Good,” Danielle said, and at the sound of her voice, I took another step away from Blake. If I didn’t, I was afraid I would reach for him again, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. “Can you put it back on?” she asked. “It’s pitch dark in here.”
“Yeah,” Blake said. “Just a moment.”
His hand brushed mine, but I pulled away, running my fingers through my hair to smooth it. My stomach twisted with the knowledge of what I’d let happen. Contributing to cheating was unlike me. Then again, I wasn’t the same person as I was back in Georgia. Now I knew that the blood of ancient gods runs through my veins, and that I have powers most people don’t believe exist.
But I wouldn’t let that change my morals. Because despite what Blake had told me about wanting to end his relationship with Danielle, he hadn’t done it yet.
Until he did, nothing could happen between us.
“Nicole?” he whispered. “Are you okay?”
“That never should have happened,” I said. “It can’t happen again.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Yes.” I swallowed away tears. “I do. Now, go get the others. They’re waiting.”
He was silent for a few seconds, as if expecting me to take it back. But I didn’t. So he flicked the lighter back on, and despite being able to see again, I refused to meet his gaze. Because if I did, I might lose it completely.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
It didn’t take Chris long to lower Kate, Danielle, and himself down the cliff. I couldn’t look at Blake again, for fear that one of the others would see the way I was looking at him and realize that something had happened between us in the darkness. It was the hardest when he brought down Danielle, his arms wrapped tightly around her the same way they’d been around me. Because despite what he’d told me about wanting to break up with her, they had history together. They’d known each other for years. How was I supposed to compete with that?
Not wanting to focus on them for fear of tearing up again, I looked around to get an idea of my surroundings. The cavern looked even bigger from the bottom of the cliff than from the top. The walls sloped up into a dome, the stalagmites and stalactites growing longer down here than the ones on the top of the cliff. Some of them were so old that they now met together to form giant columns.
“Let’s keep going,” Blake said, turning around to continue forward.
We reached the end of th
e room and arrived at the tunnel we’d seen from the top of the cliff. It was about ten feet tall, like a gaping mouth, and like the rest of the cavern, it was so dark that I couldn’t see where it led. A warm breeze blew from inside of it, pushing a few strands of my hair out of place. It was like the place was alive. And while I didn’t know what was waiting at the end, I had a terrible feeling about it.
“We’re really supposed to go in there?” I asked. “What if it collapses on us?”
“I have power over the earth,” Kate said. “I won’t let that happen.”
I nodded and tried to swallow down my worry. We couldn’t turn back now. And Kate was right. We all had powers over the elements, and we wouldn’t let anything happen to each other. I had to trust my friends.
“I’ll go first and light the way,” Blake said, taking a few steps closer to the opening, the fire glowing brightly in his hands.
I hurried to follow him, but Danielle had the same idea, and I nearly crashed into her. She glared at me and scurried ahead so she was directly behind Blake. Kate walked behind me, and Chris trailed in the back. He diligently dropped a piece of paper every so often to mark our path.
Blake’s light didn’t extend far enough to show us an end anywhere in sight. We continued forward, the air thickening with humidity. Beads of sweat accumulated along my brow, and I unzipped my coat, which was a welcome change from the freezing weather we’d had outside.
A feint bubbling echoed in the distance, like water in a pot when it starts to boil. Finally the tunnel came to an end and dumped us into another large chamber.
The fire in Blake’s hand grew bigger. “We have another problem,” he said, his voice steady as he looked straight ahead.
The ground ended, but this time it didn’t stop at a cliff. It met with a steaming lake of boiling water that spread the entire width of the cave. Huge bubbles popped to the surface, and it was so hot and sticky in the chamber that I wanted to peel off every layer I was wearing and toss it on the ground. Instead, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, grateful for the hairband I always kept on my wrist.
Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows Page 15
