Squinting, I twisted my mouth. It would probably stand a better chance of success than attempting to skate on my boots.
Don’t think. Just do.
My heart kicking up, I rolled my shoulders and waited for the whooshing plumes to die off. Once they did, I took off at a run, dropped to my sore knees on the ice, and then let the momentum carry me forward. It worked.
Until it didn’t.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Iwasn’t even sure exactly what happened. Only that I ended up sprawled on my front and smacked my skull hard on the ice.Fuck.
A ringing sound filled my ears as my vision went all blurry. Lifting my head, I blinked hard, bringing the world back into focus. And I realized that I was staring right at a hole in the wall.
My stomach dropped with panic. I moved fast, shuffling forwards to get out of the literal line of fire. I’d no sooner slid completely off the ice than I felt heat near my legs.
I rolled onto my back, my breathing out of control. I could honestly scream with fury right now. These freaking caverns were—
An almighty bang came from somewhere far ahead of me, promptly followed by a tremendous splash.
I tensed, my blood chilling. Slowly sitting upright, I felt dread tighten my chest, making it even harder to get control of my breathing.
I would have wondered if someone had fallen, but there’d been no cry of surprise or pain. Then again, wouldn’t someone do their best to hold in any sound?
Get up, you don’t have the luxury of sitting around debating things in your head.
No, I didn’t. Very true. And the carpet of snow wasn’t comfortable anyway.
Once I was back on my feet, I immediately started walking, though I had to wonder if it was a good idea. The huge bang could have snatched the minotaur’s attention if he was close enough to hear it. Then he’d track it, and he’d findme.
But I couldn’t exactly afford to cautiously hang back—not while stuck in the icy temperature of this passage. It was affecting me both mentally and physically. Exhaustion tugged at my willpower, and fatigue plagued my muscles. I was starting to feel light-headed again, which wasn’t good. My body would eventually shut down if I stayed here too long.
So I traipsed through the snow yet again, my face and ears sore from windburn. I licked my chapped upper lip, wincing at the sting. It would start bleeding if I didn’t reach the end of the circuit soon. I really, really needed to. A throbbing ache had settled in my head, which was probably part dehydration and part it-had-taken-far-too-many-hits-today.
I shivered, my teeth chattering. I was sweating from the effort of pushing onwards when it was so much more tempting to curl up on the ground. My clothes were heavy with the weight of the snow that had soaked them through, making every step so much harder to take.
Coughing—and ow, that hurt—I rubbed at my chest. It pained from inhaling the dry and bitterly chilled air.
The wind suddenly picked up, wailing like a banshee, sucking away my every foggy breath; giving the snow more of akick. The flakes pelted my numb skin, peppered my hair, and drummed on my clothes.
My curse lost in the gust of wind, I upped my pace, my every breath weak and raspy. The visibility here was so bad that Ididn’t notice I’d reached a crevice until I was only a few feet away from it.
Not trusting that the wind wouldn’t knock me into it, I didn’t go right to the edge. I remained at a safe distance from it and leaned forward. Below was a sheet of blue ice broken only in one spot.
A spot where a limp body floated on its front.Finian.
My belly rolled. The noise I’d heard earlier had been him falling through the ice, I then knew.Fuck.
Sadness tightened my gut. I hadn’t known him well but I’d liked him. He might have been standoffish toward me in the beginning, but that had gradually changed. And now—
Don’t think about it, be upset later, you have to keep going.
I let out a shuddery breath, swallowing hard.I’m so sorry, Finian, I’m so sorry.
Rubbing at the frost clinging to my eyelashes, I examined my only path across the crevice: a thin iron beam.
No. No, I’d never manage it. Not while my entire body violently trembled. There was no point in even trying.
What’s your alternative? Stand here and allow death to take you?
