Page 61 of Secrets of Ruin

Pushing and shoving down these steep stairs could result in a domino effect that could send their fighters plummeting to the bottom. Taking out half of their army wouldn’t be his best decision in life.

They were almost to the bottom when someone shouted from ahead of them. Brokk stopped and frowned as he tried to make out their words, but ten feet in front of him, the stairs took a sharp turn and vanished.

The walls, and the distance between him and whoever was shouting, suppressed the words. A murmur ran through the crowd ahead, making its way back to them.

And then one word broke through all the rest. “Run!”

CHAPTER SIXTY

As soon as Brokk recognized the word, a grinding, grating sound came from all around as the rocks creaked and jerked forward. Brokk’s mouth went dry as he realized the walls were creeping in to crush them.

“Run!” he bellowed.

The crowd surged forward ahead of him, and he lost sight of Kaylia as she vanished around the curve. He wanted to sprint forward, grab her, and race down the stairs, but too many immortals separated them, and he could only go so fast with the crowd ahead of him.

Behind him, Varo’s breaths were heavy as the walls moved closer. Behind Varo, Orin and Cole were the last two in the line.

He resisted looking back at his brothers. That small fraction of a delay could mean the difference between living and dying for all of them.

The possibility of living grew smaller as the walls pressed against his shoulders, squeezing him further between the thick stone. Ahead of him, Kaylia and the others came back into view.

Ryker was already having to turn sideways as the walls crept closer. The immortals at the front of the line were moving fast and might have already made it outside.

Kaylia leapt down three stairs and got hit by the closing wall. She would have tumbled down the steps if it hadn’t been for Sahira grasping the collar of her tunic and ripping her back.

Behind him, he knew Cole must be sideways too and would get caught between the closing walls soon… as would Ryker. And if Ryker got pinned, it was over for him and his brothers.

Kaylia and the others vanished from view again. When he came around the corner, he saw her sprinting out of the stairwell. At least she was free.

She turned and looked back. Kaylia and Sahira rushed back toward them, but Del caught his sister around her waist and pulled her back as Maverick seized Kaylia.

Neither of them could do anything to help as Brokk had to turn sideways too. Ryker was almost stuck, the walls against his chest and back while he was still ten feet from freedom.

He’s not going to make it, and neither will Cole.

Eight feet from freedom, Ryker threw himself to the side. He plummeted down what remained of the steps, bouncing off them before stopping near Kaylia’s feet.

“Brokk!” Kaylia screamed.

Knowing he had to get out of the way now to give Cole a chance of surviving, Brokk threw himself down the stairs too. His elbow and then his head cracked off the stone.

Bright white stars burst across his mind; unconsciousness loomed as his body bounced and thudded off the stone. All his bones ached when he came to a rolling stop.

Brokk wished he could have a second to lie there and take stock of his injuries, but there was no time for that. His eyes flew open as Varo and Orin came to a bouncing stop a few feet away.

The walls ground together with a grating crunch that caused Brokk’s stomach to plummet. Was Cole still in there? Were those his bones breaking as the walls crushed him?

He searched for his oldest brother but didn’t see him anywhere amid the assortment of limbs. Arms swept around his neck, and Kaylia crushed herself against him.

“You’re okay,” she breathed.

“Where’s Cole?”

Before she could answer him, his oldest brother rose from the front of the pile. He wiped away the blood trickling from a gash on his forehead and flicked it away.

“What happened?” Cole growled.

“It was a stone in the wall,” a berserker responded. “I stumbled on the steps and pushed against it with my elbow. Thankfully, it was toward the bottom of the stairs.”