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Sophie was a healer, and that made her useful in itself, but she could also shock people. Tessa had magic and apparently could undo healings. Sylee had training to defend herself and had so many cool abilities with her element. Jazz, I didn’t even want to think about how useful she’d turned out to be. Even exhausted from using her element over and over as we ran into beasts, she was still more useful than me.
My feet ached and the sun had risen by the time we reached the Ridge. Maybe it was me—I doubted it from the shocked looks around me—but we weren’t supposed to be here so quickly. Had the trees done something to help us travel faster?
Sylee’s face paled more as heat smacked us in the face.
“Okay, listen up, Ladies.” Grace turned to look our way, her back to the Ridge. “This place is hot. You’ve never known heat until now. I’m going to do my best to keep the temperature low, but I can’t keep it really low. My priority is to keep Sylee and the babies cool. So, Brynn, hand Taylee to Sylee, and Sophie, hand your baby off to me. Brynn and Sophie, you will walk outside my temperature barrier.”
My mouth popped open in shock. Sophie was the one with the ability to speak.
“Wait, what?”
Grace held up her hand. “Trust me. If Chris can handle this heat, the two of you can too. I walked through here with Adam last time, and he held up just fine as well.”
Okay, if Adam could do this, so could I.
“I’m not strong enough to handle this many people under a temperature shield.” Grace didn’t appear to be someone who admitted to weakness often, so I perked up. “If the temperature becomes too much for you two, I’ll try to cool you down, but you’re the best options to be out of the shield because of the elements you carry.
“Brynn, you’re heat itself. This should be a piece of cake for you. Sophie, you have lightning running through your veins. I don’t know of anything hotter than that.”
Sophie and I nodded, passing our babies to the other women. We could take one for the team. The two of us could walk in there without shielding so the babies could be protected.
“Keep a lookout for Chris and danger. Jazz can’t protect us here. There are no trees.” Grace gave us one last order before turning and marching into Demon’s Ridge.
The heat didn’t bother me like I thought it would as we began our walk through a steep canyon. Everything was dead. The random trees that had once grown here were nothing but statues hanging onto the walls.
Sophie didn’t appear to be under any more duress than me. We made sure to stay together and away from the larger group. Sylee was already sweating, and I worried about her. She was a Water Elemental. This heat couldn’t be good for her. That had to be why she’d been upset about going to the Ridge.
“Sophie and I are going to walk a little further ahead to see if we can see anything.” Grace didn’t like my offer, but I flicked my eyes to Sylee while the Water Elemental wasn’t looking, and Grace nodded.
“I have no one you can take with you. You’re not fighters, so stay hidden as best you can.” Well, that wasn’t the pep talk I’d have liked, and it nearly made me want to stick around, but truth was, none of us could protect anyone here. We were all sitting ducks.
“Find some shade, Grace.” Sophie looked at the sky. “The sun hasn’t even risen all the way. Brynn and I will be right back. We won’t go far.”
Sophie and I turned and walked forward. Around a bend, the canyon opened up a bit more. Nothing moved.
“Do you think there are still Demons here?” Sophie asked as we found a trail leading up the wall on our right. The wall was littered with openings. Caves, maybe?
I looked around us, but nothing moved. “I’m not sure. I don’t even know if those creatures can stay outside during the day.”
“I really hope they don’t travel during the day.” A tear slid down her cheek, and she tried to wipe it away before I saw.
“We’ll find him, Sophie.” Looking out over the area around us, our job did seem a bit hopeless. Chris could be in any cave, and we could walk right by him. If he was hurt and couldn’t look out into the Ridge, he wouldn’t even know we were here.
“Yeah. We will.” Sophie’s jaws grit together hard. “Because I’m not leaving here without him.”
“And I’ll help you find him. Now, why don’t you climb there, and I’ll climb on the other side?” Sophie paled a little but nodded. “If you get into trouble, use the link, and I’ll be right there to help you. Not that I’ll be much help. You’re the one who can shock things.”
She smiled and nodded.
Halfway up the Ridge, I already regretted sending Sophie away.
How are you doing?Sophie’s question startled me, and I jumped. She laughed in my head, and I looked across the Ridge. She stood outside a cave and waved at me.Sorry for scaring you.
I just need to get used to people in my head.One day maybe I would.
You’ll be used to it soon. I think. When our bonds were created, we didn’t have everyone else in our heads. Sometimes I forget I can talk to all of you. It’s been just Chris and me for as long as we’ve been bonded.
I laughed.That would have been nice, to have Adam to myself for a little while to get used to all this craziness.
