Page 78 of A Tempest of Intrigue (Tempest of Shadows #4)

CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

Ellery

As we edged forward, our light revealed a little more of the space around us, but not enough. Judging by the airflow, it was a massive space with a temperature barely above freezing.

Mouse’s teeth chattered so loudly they might block out any other sounds. I pulled him closer as I ran my hand up and down his arms while he huddled against me.

On his other side, Ryker gave him some warmth too, but it wasn’t enough. If we didn’t get him out of here soon, Mouse would freeze, and I wouldn’t be far behind him.

When Ryker looked at me, he waved a hand to indicate he would step away. He released Mouse and took a few steps before kneeling to place his hand on the ground.

A bolt of lightning shot from the earth and crashed into the stone ceiling above us. The impact caused bits of stone dust to break free; it peppered us after the lightning vanished.

It was only a brief flash, but it revealed the horror surrounding us. Mouse whimpered and huddled further into me as Ryker rose and turned back to me.

Amazement etched his features as our gazes met. I had no idea what to make of the cavern we’d entered, but the shivers wracking me weren’t just from the cold.

Ryker edged toward us while I held my breath in anticipation of a rustling, creaking, or growl, indicating the monstrous creatures surrounding us were coming to life. The flap of their wings would give a warning when they swooped down to devour us.

My hand tightened on Mouse’s thin arms. I wouldn’t let them have the boy.

As the seconds ticked by, nothing stirred. There was no scrape of claws, no click to indicate jaws opening, and no murderous clack of teeth as the creatures prepared to pounce.

There was nothing other than the settling of the falling pieces of stone against the dirt floor. And once it stopped, all that remained was the crackle of our light.

“Where are we?” I breathed.

“I don’t know,” Ryker answered. “Did you see the pathway?”

His lightning had revealed a pathway alongside the monsters. “Yes. It winds up and through them, but I’m not sure to what.”

His bolt had faded too fast to reveal much.

“Neither am I,” he said, “but up might be our only way out.”

Up and past those things all sitting, waiting, and watching . “Or back.”

“I’m going to send another bolt up; keep your eyes on the pathway to see where it leads.”

“I will.”

When he knelt and sent up another flash of lightning, I skipped over the monstrosities this time and focused on the pathway. I only got about halfway up before the light vanished.

“Do it again,” I said as more stones rained down around us.

He sent up another bolt and then another until I saw where the coiling pathway ended about ten stories above us. At the end of the path was a large door etched into the ceiling above the last of the monsters.

“Ryker….”

“I saw it.” He shook the stone dust from his hair as he returned to us. “Do you want to try for the door or turn back?”

I looked from him to Mouse as the dark settling around us again shut out the creatures, but I could feel them out there. I held my breath while I waited for one of them to awaken; nothing stirred.

In the dim glow of our light, Mouse pointed into the cavern and nodded. When he looked behind us, he shook his head.

“You want to go for the door?” I asked him.

He nodded.

While I didn’t think this was a decision a child should make or a responsibility that should be on his shoulders, I agreed with him. Walking back to where we started, and then who knew how much further beyond that, sounded exhausting.

And we could end up at a dead end… or somewhere worse.

We were exhausted, thirsty, and while my stomach had stopped rumbling, it was only because it was now a knotted mess of hunger pangs. I wasn’t sure I had the energy to make it back and beyond.

We didn’t know if that door was a way out, but it was a chance, and even if it meant walking past all those monsters, I was willing to take it.

“I agree with you,” I said to Mouse before looking at Ryker.

“So do I. I’ll lead the way.”

Arguing with him would be pointless, so I saved my breath. When he moved away from us again, Ryker held his hand out to illuminate the way before him as he strode to the right and the start of the pathway.