Reid replaced his spectacles. “Oh no, princess. We’ll die of thirst long before that.”
“You’re a fountain of knowledge. No, wait. I'dprefera fountain over you right now. And stop calling me a princess!” Cass growled and began pacing the floor.
Reid shrugged. “It's just biology.”
Gavin raised both hands. “Hold on. Let’s think for a second. Bowen's right, they won't crawl through. We've got time. We won't die of thirsttoday.We just need to come up with a plan. There might be another way—”
A sharp whistle echoed through the shaft. One of the marauders shouted something in another language, then a cylindrical object clattered into the tunnel, bouncing off the walls before rolling to a stop near Bowen's feet.
We stared at it for a heartbeat, as if none of us moved, it might disappear.
It did not disappear. It hissed.
Then it ignited.
Chapter 5
A plume of thick,blue smoke burst from the cylinder.
Gavin shoved me behind him as the rest of us staggered backward, coughing and waving the haze from our faces.
“What is that?” Cass shouted.
“A smoke capsule,” Reid said, stumbling into a statue. “I don’t have my book of poisons with me, but I’m fairly certain that's a highly toxic compound designed to render us unconscious, allowing the marauders to enter the chamber and slaughter us at will. Once the toxins dissipate, of course. They'll have to wait for that.” He rubbed his thumb under his chin. “Unless they have proper face masks. Then the slaughtering will be fairly quick.”
I glared at Reid as the smoke continued to spew.
So much for plenty of time!
Bowen barked the first order, shouting over his shoulder as he darted between the statues. “Search for another way out! Check for hidden panels or strange levers!”
Gavin followed, and together, they heaved against a sarcophagus, likely hoping to uncover a hatch beneath it. Reid joined their search, scanning the altar and muttering to himself, while Cass and I split off toward the perimeter.
The smoke billowed, rising against the low ceiling beforediffusing into the thick, stagnant air. I yanked the collar of my tunic over my nose, coughing into the fabric as I pressed it against my face. A wave of dizziness crashed through me, and black spots danced at the edges of my vision. Disoriented, I dragged my hands along the stone wall, feeling my way around the chamber.
“Wait!” Cass grabbed my arm. “Reid was being a jerk about the water. But he was on to something. Look!” She pointed to the vines clinging to a chipped pillar. “I recognize those. In my plant enthusiast circles, they’re called greedy little water suckers.”
“Seriously?” I coughed, bending at the waist. “That seems oddly specific.”
“Well, yeah. I’m still testing out a name. They’ll probably get saddled with some long, unpronounceable title, when mine is clearly more accurate.” She huffed, brushing loose hair from her face. “One of these days, I’ll be famous enough to name my own plant species. Then no one will question it.”
“Cass!”
“Right! Poisonous smoke. Point is, they need a water source. And judging by how overgrown this place is, it has to be steady. If water can come in, it can also go out.”
Cass was right. I'd noticed the sweltering humidity when we entered the chamber. I scanned the floor, following the vines until they led to a massive swath climbing the far wall. It was dense and covered in blooms like an organic tapestry.
“Over there!”
We sprinted to the wall, clawing at the vines. The tangled mass held firm, forcing us to draw our knives and hack through it.
Our movements were shaky, our breaths ragged as we triednot to inhale more smoke. But it was impossible. Each step toward the wall felt like a net cinching tighter. The vines snagged my clothes and twisted around my feet.
Finally, on the other side, we found a thin sheet of water pouring down the wall. Behind the cascade was a dark chute coated in algae. The flow ran steadily into the tunnel's mouth and vanished into the depths.
“We found a way out!” Cass shouted over her shoulder. “But it’s a risk. We don’t know where it leads.”
“It can’t be worse than staying here!” Gavin abandoned the statues and raced toward the chute.
