Page 43

Dex

A large boulder came careening straight at us. We broke apart just in time. My body slammed into the wall behind me as I avoided being crushed to death, but the boulder began to roll towards Odessa.

“Move!” I called out with panic in my chest.

She tucked and rolled out of the way narrowly missing being crushed to death.

The dust continued to kick up making it difficult to see as boulder after boulder fell from above. It shook the ground with each one that came careening down. Fuck Reed for tripping this motherfucking trap.

I hoped one of them crushed him until he was nothing but dust. A whisper of what he once was for putting us in danger twice.

My body moved. Legs pumping and adrenaline coursing through every nerve inside me. I couldn’t see where Odessa was. Couldn’t tell where the boulders were coming from.

“Odessa!” I called out, but all I heard in response was the sound of rock hitting ground. Where was she?

In the cloud of dust, a shining red light began to emanate from just ahead.

With everything in me, I knew instinctively that it was a shining beacon to the end. We were so fucking close.

A male guttural scream pierced my ears sounding like Reed had just gotten what was coming to him. I wish I could have seen it happen. Or even better, been the one to do it. But I could take the satisfaction of knowing he wouldn’t be walking out of here with the grand prize.

Only a few more steps and I’d make it, but Odessa wasn’t with me.

I couldn’t make it to the finish line without knowing that she was okay. Turning around, I headed back. My body hit a few of the fallen boulders, knocking the wind out of me.

The dust had begun to settle and the boulders had stopped falling, but I still couldn’t see where Odessa was.

It wasn’t until it cleared that I found her unconscious, with blood seeping out from a wound in her head.

“Oh, fuck!” I cried, running straight to her.

She’d been hit by a smaller piece of rock, but it had knocked her out cold. Thankfully she was still breathing. I grabbed at the backpack and found the healing mask. I yanked my mask off and put on the healer, feeling its magick settle into my bones.

“Hold on, I’m going to fix you up. Good as new,” I promised, finding that spark within me.

It flowed into her, stitching her up and fixing the pulsating head injury she’d sustained.

The healer’s mask allowed me to see where exactly she needed that power, and I gladly poured what I could into her, until finally her eyelashes fluttered, and her brown eyes locked onto mine.

“What happened?” She asked, looking around.

“You got knocked out. Do you think you can stand?”

She licked her dust covered lips and nodded her head.

“Does anything still hurt?” I asked as I helped her to stand.

“No, I just feel off. Like I’m missing a chunk of time.”

She wobbled a little as she got her bearings but then righted herself. I kept my hands around her waist just in case though.

“That was a close call,” she said, looking down to where she’d just been laying.

“Too fucking close. You think you can stop trying to die on me?” I asked.

She gave me a half-hearted smile and then froze. “Is that?—”

I looked over my shoulder to see what she was looking at. “The end? Yeah.”

“And you could have gone for it?”

“I couldn’t leave you here,” I answered.

Her eyes shone with shimmering unshed tears as she took in my words. “You really are something, Dex.”

“So, does that mean you trust me yet?” I joked.

But the look she gave me was serious. “I think I do,” she said.

“You ready to finish this thing?” I asked.

“Absolutely.”

I took her hand in mine, and we walked together towards that glowing beacon of hope.

“What’s the first thing you’re doing once we get out of here?” I asked as we sidestepped the fallen boulders.

“Taking a long hot shower. Gods, I miss running water. Oh no! I think I changed my mind— I’m going to stuff my face with something other than fucking granola. Cake! No, cheese! Warm melted cheese and a crust of bread. If I never have to eat granola again, I’ll be one happy woman.”

“Agreed.”

Reed’s crumpled body lay crushed. All that was left were his two legs that were sticking out from underneath, reminding me of some children’s story I’d heard of once.

I kicked his black boot with the toe of mine and spat on his still body as we passed by.

“Here let me help you up,” I said, having Odessa go up and around a particularly difficult few pieces of rubble.

“Thank you,” she said sounding giddy. “I can’t believe we made it.”

“I can.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, there’s no way it wasn’t going to be you and me at the end of this thing.”

“Well, I’m glad one of us knew it. You could have at least clued me in though,” she teases. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do when we get out?”

“I think I’m going to?—”

A loud crack came right from above. A stray boulder.

One second, I was holding Odessa, and the next I found myself pushing her out of the way. Feeling the moment the rock made impact with my body and darkness enveloped me.