Page 21

RIVERA

T he path ahead looked like something from my nightmares. A deep ravine cut through the landscape, its walls slick with recent rainwater. Jagged rocks jutted from the bottom like teeth waiting to catch whatever fell. Clouds gathered overhead, dark and threatening.

Varek stood beside me, his breathing labored. The makeshift bandage I'd applied to his burns looked pathetically inadequate against his midnight-blue skin. His lifelines pulsed erratically, dimming then brightening in an uneven rhythm.

"This is the only way forward?" He gestured toward the ravine with his good arm.

I scanned the area with both my eyes and the enhanced perception from my markings. "Unless you want to backtrack five miles and risk running into Hammond's patrols."

"Then we go forward." He straightened his shoulders, hiding a wince.

The first drops of rain hit my face as we began our descent. The path—if you could call it that—zigzagged down the ravine wall. Recent flooding had carved new channels into the rock, making every step treacherous.

"Watch that section." I pointed to a crumbling ledge. "The substrate's unstable."

Varek nodded, his eyes narrowing as he studied the terrain. "You should go first. I'll follow."

"So you can catch me when I fall?" I tried for a light tone.

"So I don't fall on you when I slip." His mouth tightened. "My reflexes aren't at their best."

The rain intensified, turning from scattered drops to a steady patter. Water began streaming down the ravine walls, creating miniature waterfalls across our path.

I stepped carefully onto a narrow ledge, testing it with my weight before committing. My markings tingled, a cool silver sensation spreading across my collarbone as they responded to the heightened danger. Through them, I could sense the composition of the rock face—which sections would hold and which might crumble.

"Here." I reached back to guide Varek's hand to a solid outcropping. "This one's stable."

He grasped it, his fingers brushing mine. A spark jumped between us, gold and silver light momentarily merging where our skin touched.

"Sorry," I muttered, pulling my hand away.

"Don't be." His voice dropped lower. "It helps."

We made slow progress, each step requiring careful consideration. The rain fell harder, turning the already treacherous path into a slippery nightmare. Water streamed down my face, plastering my hair to my scalp.

A rumble echoed through the ravine. Not thunder—something else.

"Did you hear that?" I stopped, straining to listen over the rain.

"Yes." Varek's head snapped up, scanning the ravine walls. "Water. A lot of it."

My stomach dropped. "Flash flood."

The words had barely left my mouth when I saw it—a wall of muddy water surging around the bend in the ravine, carrying debris and boulders in its churning mass.

"Up!" I grabbed Varek's arm. "We need to climb!"

The nearest wall looked almost vertical, with few handholds. I jumped for a protruding rock, scrambling for purchase as my feet slipped on the wet stone.

Varek followed, his movements slower but powerful. He reached up with his good arm, finding handholds I couldn't see. Below us, the water level rose with terrifying speed.

"There!" I pointed to a narrow ledge about fifteen feet up. "If we can reach that?—"

A chunk of rock gave way beneath my foot. I slid down several feet, fingers scraping against the stone as I fought for grip. Pain shot through my hands as my nails tore.

Varek lunged downward, catching my wrist. His face contorted with pain as the movement stretched his burned shoulder, but his grip remained iron-strong.

"I've got you." He pulled, muscles straining against his skin, lifelines flaring bright gold with the effort.

The water churned below us, close enough now that spray hit my legs. I found a foothold and pushed upward, helping Varek pull me to safety.

"The ledge," I gasped, pointing again to our target.

We climbed side by side now, fighting against the increasingly slick rock face. The ledge tantalized us, just a few feet away, when another rumble shook the ravine.

"Look out!" Varek shouted.

A section of the wall above us broke free, sending rocks tumbling down. Varek shoved me against the wall, shielding me with his body as debris rained around us. I heard him grunt in pain as something struck his already injured shoulder.

"Varek!"

"Keep climbing," he growled through clenched teeth.

With one final push, I hauled myself onto the ledge, then turned to help Varek. Blood mingled with rainwater on his shoulder, but he made it up beside me just as the flood waters surged past below, carrying tree trunks and boulders in its violent current.

We collapsed against the ravine wall, chests heaving. The ledge extended back into a shallow alcove, providing minimal shelter from the rain.

"Your shoulder," I said, reaching toward the fresh damage.

"It's nothing." He pulled away slightly. "We should get moving once the water recedes."

I touched his arm, more gently this time. "Let me at least check it."

He relented, allowing me to examine the wound. The impact had torn open part of his burn, exposing raw flesh beneath.

"Nothing, huh?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Compared to what might have happened." He nodded toward the raging torrent below us.

The flood continued for nearly an hour before beginning to subside. We huddled in silence, conserving energy, though I noticed Varek scanning our surroundings constantly, alert for danger despite his exhaustion.

When the water finally receded enough to reveal the ravine floor, we faced a new problem. The flood had completely transformed the landscape, washing away any semblance of a path.

"We'll have to find another way." I peered over the edge, calculating the safest route down.

"Wait." Varek pointed downstream. "Look."

Through the rain, I made out an unnatural regularity in the ravine wall about fifty yards ahead—an opening of some kind, possibly a maintenance tunnel for the ancient systems that ran throughout the region.

"Good eye." I squinted through the rain. "If it connects to the subsystems, it might lead us directly to the western compound."

"Or trap us in a dead end." His expression remained cautious.

"One problem at a time." I began picking my way along the narrow ledge, moving toward the opening.

The ledge narrowed as we approached the tunnel entrance, forcing us to press our backs against the wall and sidestep carefully. One wrong move meant a twenty-foot drop onto jagged rocks.

"Almost there," I called back to Varek.

A strange smell hit me as we neared the opening—sulfurous and acrid. My markings tingled in warning.

"Wait." I held up my hand. "Something's not right."

The tunnel entrance led to a wide, flat area dotted with small pools of bubbling mud. Steam rose from vents in the ground, carrying that same sulfurous odor.

"Geothermal vents." Varek stepped up beside me. "Dangerous."

"And our only option." I studied the field, trying to map a safe path. "The flood took out any chance of continuing along the ravine."

Varek nodded grimly. "How do we cross?"

I pulled out my damaged scanner, adjusting settings to detect heat signatures. The screen flickered, struggling to maintain power, but gave me a partial reading.

"The vents follow a pattern." I traced invisible lines in the air. "If we time it right, we can move between eruptions."

"And if your timing is off?"

"Then we get a steam bath hot enough to cook flesh from bone." I tucked the scanner away. "But my markings can sense the pressure buildup before each eruption. Between that and what's left of my scanner, we should be able to navigate through."

Varek studied my face, his expression unreadable. "Should."

"Got a better idea?" I challenged.

His mouth twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. "Lead on, engineer."

I stepped cautiously onto the field, testing the ground with each step. The earth felt warm beneath my boots, vibrating subtly with underground activity. My markings responded to the energy, creating a map of sorts across my senses—showing me where pressure built and where it released.

"This way." I pointed to a path between two bubbling pools. "Quick, before the cycle changes."

We moved in short bursts, pausing between sections as I read the patterns. The rain continued to fall, turning to steam where it hit the hottest ground and creating a disorienting fog that reduced visibility to a few feet.

"Stop!" I threw out my arm, blocking Varek's path as a vent directly ahead began to rumble. Seconds later, a column of scalding steam erupted from the ground, so close I felt the heat sear my face.

Varek stepped back, his expression grim. "That would have been unpleasant."

"Understatement of the year." I wiped sweat from my brow, scanning for our next move. "We need to go right, then wait for that large vent to cycle before crossing."

We were halfway across the field when my scanner died completely, the screen going dark with a pathetic electronic whimper.

"Damn it." I smacked it against my palm, but the device remained dead.

"We rely on your markings now." Varek's voice remained steady, but I saw tension in the set of his jaw.

I nodded, focusing on the sensations flowing through my silver markings. The patterns grew more complex the deeper we moved into the field, with multiple vents operating on overlapping cycles.

"Wait." I held up my hand, concentrating. "Something's wrong. The patterns are changing."

The ground beneath us trembled, more violently than before. A low rumble built from deep underground.

"Hammond's drilling," Varek guessed. "It's affecting the pressure systems."

"Which means all bets are off on the eruption cycles." I scanned frantically for the safest path. "We need to move. Now!"

We broke into a run, zigzagging between vents. I led by instinct, my markings flaring with warnings seconds before each eruption. Behind us, the entire field seemed to come alive, vents erupting in chaotic sequence.

A vent directly in our path began to rumble. No time to change direction.

"Jump!" I shouted, leaping over the building pressure point.

Varek followed, but his injured body couldn't match my speed. As he passed over the vent, it erupted, catching his leg in a blast of superheated steam.

He stumbled forward with a sharp intake of breath, refusing to cry out despite what must have been excruciating pain.

"Almost there," I encouraged, pointing to the solid ground visible ahead. "Just a little further."

The field's edge tantalized us, just thirty feet away, when disaster struck. Multiple vents between us and safety began rumbling simultaneously, cutting off our escape route.

"Back!" Varek pulled me away as the ground in front of us became a wall of steam.

We retreated several steps, searching for another path, but found ourselves surrounded by active vents, the safe zones between them shrinking by the second.

"There." Varek pointed to a narrow path that might lead us out, but a large, bubbling pool blocked the way. "We need to jump it."

I measured the distance with my eyes. "It's too wide."

"Not if I throw you." His lifelines pulsed with determination.

"And then what? You can't make that jump on your own, especially not with your injuries."

"I'll find another way."

"No." I grabbed his arm. "We stick together."

The ground shook violently. Our time had run out.

"Trust me," Varek said, his eyes locked on mine.

Before I could protest further, he clasped his hands together, creating a foothold. "Step here, jump when I lift."

I hesitated only a fraction of a second before placing my foot in his hands. With a surge of strength, Varek launched me into the air, sending me sailing over the bubbling pool to land safely on the other side.

I spun around immediately. "Varek!"

He backed up several paces, eyes fixed on the gap. Even at full strength, the jump would be challenging. In his current state...

Varek charged forward, his face a mask of determination. He reached the edge and leaped, powerful legs propelling him through the air. For a moment, he seemed to hang suspended, and I feared he wouldn't make it.

Then he crashed down beside me, rolling to absorb the impact. We scrambled away from the field just as a massive eruption sent steam and boiling mud shooting skyward behind us.

Safe on solid ground, I turned to Varek. His pant leg was scorched away, revealing an angry red burn on his calf to match the one on his shoulder.

"You're hurt. Again."

"Acceptable cost." He rose to his feet, testing his weight on the injured leg. "We made it across."

I wanted to argue, to tell him he didn't need to keep sacrificing himself, but movement in the trees ahead caught my attention. Something large shifted in the underbrush, and a low growl rumbled through the clearing.

"We've got company." I nodded toward the sound.

Varek tensed, instantly alert despite his injuries. "Predators."

"Probably displaced by Hammond's operation." I scanned our surroundings, counting at least three large shapes moving through the rain-soaked vegetation. "They sound hungry."

"And we look like food." Varek picked up a broken branch, testing its weight. "Stay behind me."

The first creature emerged from the underbrush—a sleek, wolf-like animal with six legs and iridescent scales instead of fur. Its eyes glowed amber in the dim light, fixed on us with predatory focus. Two more appeared flanking it, moving with eerie coordination.

"Trelleth pack," Varek murmured. "They hunt in groups of three or more."

"Any weaknesses I should know about?"

"They're fast but not particularly smart. They rely on coordinated attacks from multiple directions."

The lead Trelleth snarled, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth. It began circling to our right while its packmates moved left, attempting to flank us.

"Back to back," Varek ordered, positioning himself so we covered each other's blind spots.

The creatures continued their circling, tightening the noose around us. I frantically searched for anything I could use as a weapon or distraction.

My hand brushed my dead scanner. Useless for navigation now, but maybe...

"I have an idea," I whispered to Varek. "When I say now, be ready to attack the leader."

"What are you planning?"

"Just be ready." I began working on the scanner, prying open its case with my fingernails. If I could cross-wire the power cell to the display circuits...

The Trelleth tensed, preparing to spring. I worked faster, fingers slipping on the wet components.

"They're about to attack," Varek warned, his makeshift spear held ready.

"Almost got it." I connected the final wire, creating a circuit that would overload the scanner's light elements. "Now!"

I hurled the scanner directly at the lead Trelleth's face and covered my eyes. The device exploded in a blinding flash, momentarily disorienting the predators.

Varek lunged forward with unexpected speed, driving his improvised spear into the lead creature's shoulder. It howled in pain, retreating several steps.

The other two Trelleth hesitated, confused by their leader's retreat and the lingering spots in their vision from the flash. I seized the moment, concentrating on my markings until they flared with silver light, projecting a pattern that mimicked the electrical signals of a much larger predator.

The Trelleth backed away, uncertain. I advanced, my markings pulsing brighter, broadcasting a threat display I barely understood myself but somehow knew would frighten these creatures.

"It's working," Varek murmured, moving beside me with his bloodied spear still ready.

The wounded leader snarled once more but turned away, retreating into the underbrush. Its packmates followed, disappearing into the rain-soaked forest.

As soon as they vanished, Varek collapsed to one knee, the adrenaline that had carried him through the fight draining away. His lifelines flickered weakly, and sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool rain.

"Varek!" I rushed to his side, supporting him before he could fall completely.

"I'm fine," he insisted, though his voice lacked conviction.

"Sure you are." I helped him to a relatively dry spot beneath a rocky overhang. "Let me see those burns."

He didn't resist this time as I examined his injuries. The steam burn on his leg looked painful but not life-threatening. His shoulder, however, worried me. The wound had reopened, and heat radiated from it in a way that suggested infection.

"We need to find shelter," I said. "Somewhere you can rest properly."

"No time." He tried to stand but swayed dangerously. "Hammond?—"

"Hammond will still be there tomorrow." I pushed him gently back down. "You're no good to anyone if you collapse from fever."

"The settlement?—"

"Is counting on us to succeed, not die heroically." I softened my voice. "Please, Varek. Let me help you."

He regarded me for a long moment, his expression unreadable, then finally gave a sharp nod. "A short rest only."

I sighed in relief. "I'll scout ahead, see if I can find somewhere more protected."

"No." His hand caught my wrist. "Stay together."

The intensity in his eyes surprised me. This wasn't just about protection or duty—there was something more personal in his insistence.

"Okay." I settled beside him under the overhang. "Together."

The rain continued to fall, but lighter now, pattering against the leaves and rocks around us. Despite everything—the pain, the danger, the uncertainty—I found myself drawing comfort from Varek's presence beside me. Somehow, in the midst of all this chaos, we'd formed a connection I hadn't expected but couldn't deny.

I glanced at his profile, strong even in exhaustion, and wondered what would happen when this was all over—if we survived to see it through. The thought of returning to separate lives seemed suddenly, inexplicably wrong.

Varek's eyes closed as he leaned against the rock wall, conserving his strength. His breathing steadied, though pain still etched lines around his mouth. Even injured and pushed to his limits, he radiated a quiet strength that I'd come to respect.

"Rest," I told him softly. "I'll keep watch."

His hand found mine in the shadows between us, his fingers curling around mine. The touch sent a ripple of gold and silver light dancing across our skin where we connected—a visible manifestation of something I was only beginning to understand.