What if I start blasting the rocks above me?
But if I did that, I might bring it all tumbling down on top of me. Once that happened, I wasn’t sure how well my powers would work… or if I’d survive.
I could do it slowly, destroying them one at a time while I crawled out.
It sounded like an impossible, terrible idea, but it was the only one I had. I could either sit here and do nothing while my family suffered, or I could try to free myself, even if it meant bringing it all down.
I hobbled over to settle on the rocks while I contemplated my options. I yearned for freedom, and more than that, I wanted Ryker and the others out of here, but going up was a horrible option.
Maybe, if I took some time to contemplate this, I could come up with a better plan.
But the more I pondered it, the more limited my options were. Instead of my lightning, I could take my time and use my hands to dig out, but that could also bring everything down.
Shifting, I studied the rocks behind me in the hopes that the door to the tunnel was still there. If it was, the rocks had buried it, and I couldn’t see it anymore. I didn’t bother trying to shift the rocks to see if it was there; I could have landed a hundred feet away from it, or it could be on the other side of me.
I couldn’t waste time figuring out where it was. Besides, I was pretty sure the wall of the house was behind me and not the tunnel. I had no idea where it had gone.
Lowering my head, I rubbed at my throbbing temples. I had to think about this and come up with something better than trying to climb out. I couldn’t be reckless about this.
If I wasn’t careful, I’d doom us all. Shifting, I examined the rocks behind me. I could try digging sideways to locate the tunnel that at one time led to the gargoyles, but again, I risked bringing it all down.
I glanced down at the rocks beneath me, and suddenly I knew. I couldn’t dig up without taking the risk of hurting my friends more, and I couldn’t go sideways from here, but I could go down.
Then, once I got beneath the house and into the earth, I could go sideways. Yes, the tunnel I created might collapse behind me, and I was sure it would be difficult to breathe down there, but if I kept my tunnel small, it might not collapse… or at least I’d lessen the chances of that happening. I hoped.
And then, once I was sure I’d gone far enough, I could start digging up until I connected with the gargoyle tunnel. Once there, I might be able to survey the wreckage of the collapse and work to free the others.
It wasn’t a perfect plan, and certainly not without its risks, but it was far better than any of my other ones. And it was better than sitting here.
Taking a deep breath, I rose and hunched over again to avoid hitting my head on the rocks. Lightning zapped between my fingers before I focused it downward to carve through the stones piled beneath me.
Rocks broke apart and sprayed outward as the wood above groaned ominously. I didn’t dare look up; I couldn’t stop it if the ceiling gave way, but I could get out of here before it did.
More and more of the ground shifted beneath my lightning. Once it was wide enough and deep enough to accommodate me, I crawled in headfirst and continued obliterating the layers of stone in my way.
Fragments peppered my face, and the dust filling the air clogged my nose and coated my tongue, but my lightning kept the tunnel I created illuminated while destroying the stones. The small remnants of rock and wood from the house’s floor dug into my chest, scraped my flesh, and drew blood as they tore at my clothes. Dirt burrowed beneath my jagged nails, and splinters pierced deep as I clawed my way forward.
The passage was so compact that it pressed against me on all sides, making breathing extremely difficult, but I didn’t let myself think about what would happen if I got stuck here. That would only lead to panic, and panic would result in death.
When I was free of the thick stones of the palace and foundation of the house, I went down another ten feet through dirt and more rocks, though far less than before. I used my wind and lightning to break up the debris and blow it behind me. Certain I was clear of the fallout, I twisted a little to start burrowing to the side.
More than a few times, I stopped to clean my mouth and nose of debris so I could catch my breath. Tired, hungry, and battered, my throat burned, and while I shouldn’t have an appetite after all this, my stomach rumbled.
When was the last time I slept? Ate? Drank anything?
It was in the cavern before we left for the palace, but whether that was yesterday, the day before, or today, I didn’t know. I was knocked out in the collapse and had no idea how much time passed before I woke.
I wouldn’t know until I was free of this place. Pushing onward, I dug my toes into the earth as I broke apart the wall of earth before me.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
Ellery
I wasn’t sure how much time passed or how far I dug before I decided to tunnel upward. I hoped I’d gone farther than necessary to avoid carving my way back into the cavern with all the debris.
Dirt and rocks bounced off my face while I worked, but I dug my toes into the side to keep myself braced as I pressed on. When I sent another bolt of lightning forward, dirt rained down, but this time, a rush of fresh air accompanied it.
Despite the rubble impeding my airway, I sucked in a deep breath. Dirt went straight down my throat and into my lungs. I couldn’t stop coughing as I clawed at the ground, pulling myself up faster as I sought fresh air.
