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“Not even when you’re going running, apparently.”
Amusement briefly touched his lips. “It’s a ranger’s motto to always be prepared.”
“I thought that was the Boy Scouts?”
“Same, same.” His smile faded. “I’ll lead from here on in.”
I wasn’t about to object when his physical senses were far stronger than mine. He stepped forward carefully, testing each bit of ground before putting his full weight on it. It made for slow progress, but that was infinitely better than getting caught in whatever other macabre trap our vampire might have set.
We were maybe a dozen steps away from the mine’s entrance when a slight tremor ran through the ground. Aiden immediately stopped, his body tense and head cocked slightly to one side. There was no further movement, so he took one more cautious step.
It was one too many.
Without warning, the earth gave way, and we were falling into darkness.
Chapter Nine
Even as we plunged down, Aiden somehow twisted in midair and grabbed at the pit wall. His fingers found purchase and he instantly reached for me. His hand locked around my arm and a grunt of effort escaped his lips—a sound I echoed as I came to an abrupt stop. For several heartbeats, we gently swung back and forth. I didn’t dare breathe, and my heart hammered like crazy. I stared at the crumbling edge of shoring he was holding on to, waiting for that moment when it gave way and plunged us both into darkness.
A darkness that was very, very deep, given the stone and dirt that had fallen with us had yet to hit the bottom.
Lizzie, what in hell—
Not the time, Belle. Chat later.
“I need you to grab the plank closest to you and swing your weight onto it.” Aiden’s words were little more than a hiss of air, and beads of sweat had broken out across his forehead.
“Will it hold my weight?” I said, even as I reached for it.
“It’s got more hope of holding your weight right now than I have.”
As if to emphasize this, his grip slipped and I dropped an inch or two before he caught me again, this time at the wrist. His “Hurry, Liz,” was little more than a pant of air.
I quickly dug my fingers into the soft soil behind the plank in an effort to get a better grip. The entire length of it shuddered and bits flaked off. But for the moment, at least, it held. I pulled myself closer, and managed to wedge one shoe into the small space between two horizontal boards. It didn’t make me feel any safer. Didn’t make me feel any further away from death.
I repeated the process with my other foot, but the wood crumbled as my weight went onto it and my shoe slipped. The abrupt shift in position and weight sent me twisting around, wrenching my shoulder and undoubtedly Aiden’s. He hissed but didn’t say anything.
He didn’t need to.
Ignoring the panic pulsing through me, I tried again, this time reaching a little further along the plank. It held.
“Ready for release?” Aiden asked.
Hell, no. My knuckles went white as I instinctively tightened my grip over the old bit of wood.
Then I nodded.
Aiden immediately released me and lunged for his section of shoring with his now free hand. I did the same, grabbing the brace so fiercely that splinters dug into my skin and fingernails. Pain flared, but it was totally drowned in fear.
I closed my eyes, my body shaking with the effort of holding on. Dirt, stones, and small bits of wood rained around me as Aiden began to climb. I wanted to follow, but fear held me locked in place.
After a few minutes, there was a grunt of effort and the shower of debris briefly increased before lessening again.
“Hang on, Liz. I won’t be long.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” It came out little more than a hoarse whisper, but it was a sound that echoed ominously.
His footsteps ran away from the shaft. After several overly fast heartbeats, a long, loud howl cut across the silence, the sound of desperation and urgency. Aiden might be calling for help, but would it come fast enough to be of any use?
