Page 441 of Coal Hearts

Giving Peter a few seconds to rally, I looked in Mollie’s direction. “Did you mean what you said, Mollie?” I chewed on rising panic. “You sure you remember the way we came?”

A rustle as she nodded. “I’ve gone through the turns twice with you. I kept track of every direction we took. I can get us out, even without a torch.”

“Mols has a bachelor in quantum physics,” Rachel said with a stronger tone. “She’s beyond smart.”

“Didn’t stop me from being snatched at a party, though, did it?” Mollie huffed. “I know how one particle can be in two locations at the same time, yet I couldn’t see the pill dropped into my drink.”

Rachel continued as if Mollie hadn’t spoken. “Mols and I became friends through our shared love of science. I’m a research chemist turned war chemist, but Mols? She’s on a whole other level. She can get us out. I have no doubt.”

Mollie scoffed. “If I could get my hands on some household cleaning products, I could make a bomb big enough to blow up Victor’s beloved Joyero. Then we’d really be out. We’d be free...”

Even with the tide creeping over my feet.

Even with Peter unconscious and barely alive on my lap...sheer blinding hope found me all over again.

“Wait. You could do that?” I asked on a sharp inhale. “Y-You have those skills?”

“Rachel does too.” Mollie laughed sadly. “Between the two of us, we could destroy this entire island, but...knowledge is worthless without ingredients and action.”

“Speaking of action, I agree with Ily,” Rachel said. “The water is rising quickly. It’s time to go.”

It took some organisation and a lot of achy, chilly bones, but we managed to clamber to our feet and bring Peter with us. Among the three of us, we held him dangling in our shaking embrace.

Slipping the knife Caishen had given me into the back of my underwear, I hoped to God I wouldn’t have to use it.

“Should we be worried that he’s not waking up?” Rachel whispered.

“His system has shut down. A person can only survive in shock for so long.” Mollie shifted her hold on him. “He might rally, he might not. I hope you girls are feeling strong.”

“We need to talk about blowing up this island,” I said, refusing to think about a scenario where Peter never woke up.

Rachel snickered. “Yeah, okay. Can we get out of the caves first?”

“The caves might be the best place to plan an uprising.”

“Not if we drown, it isn’t,” she snapped.

“Everyone ready?” Mollie asked. “Focus.”

Her voice seemed too loud in the pitch black, but her strength bolstered me.

We were moving. Finally.

We would be safe. Hopefully.

Today is almost over.

And tomorrow...we’ll build a bomb.

“Lead the way.” Rachel sniffed. “I’m so ready for a hot shower. I don’t even care if I get raped for the privilege.”

“Let’s go.” Mollie tugged on her part of Peter, guiding us toward the crack where the others had vanished.

We walked slowly, gingerly, blindly.

It took an age.

It took all our waning strength to half-carry, half-drag Peter, but we would make it.