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“I would have to agree with that statement,” Oliver groans, being the first of us to sit up and fully take in our new surroundings. “Why the hell did they drop us here?”
“I have no clue.” Not to be outdone by my best friend, I find the strength to not only sit up but also stand. My arms ache from having my shoulders clamped between the talons of the bat. Fortunately, the sharp nails didn’t dig all the way through the muscles, but as I move my arms to test them, the damage that has been done is painfully obvious.
I scan the sky for our attackers but see none of the giant creatures anywhere. The gust of wind at our new elevation almost bowls me over.
“We need to find shelter,” I shout to the others as the wind picks up strength.
With a quick glance of the area, it’s obvious finding a place to hide is going to be difficult if not downright impossible.
“There’s nowhere to go,” Alek says. “Now what do we do, oh great and mighty king?”
His sarcasm isn’t lost on me, but I don’t have time to get into a shouting match with him.
A low hum fills our ears, forcing us to cover them with our hands to deafen the sound. The stone beneath our feet begins to vibrate, causing my bones to ache. A hole in the mountain’s surface opens and a light illuminates the area like a welcoming beacon.
Oliver takes his place by my side. “Where do you think that goes?”
I shake my head. “Your guess is as good as mine, but it looks like an invitation to enter the mountain.”
“An invitation by whom though?” he asks, eyeing the hole with trepidation.
The loud squeak of the bats draws my attention to the sky. They’re heading toward us again from the south. I don’t know if they’re intent is to push us into the hole or carry us off again. Of the two choices, I know which one I prefer.
“Get inside the mountain,” I order, running for it as fast as my legs will move.
This time Alek doesn’t argue with my command. He sees the bats returning and has probably come to the same conclusion that I have: anywhere else is safer than here.
I’m the first one to reach the hole. When I peer down into its unknown depths, all I see is blinding white light. I have no idea if I’m about to jump to my death or my salvation. With a leap of faith, I enter the hole feet first. My free fall only lasts a few seconds before I hit the surface of a pool of water. I struggle to swim up with my injured shoulders. As soon as I break the water line, I take in a deep, bracing breath. The water is frigid. My breath plumes out of my mouth like smoke.
Oliver plunges into the water a few feet away, quickly followed by Nahla and Alek.
“Bloody hell, this water is freezing,” Nahla sputters, her teeth already chattering from the cold.
Desperate to find us warmth, I shield my eyes from the light that seems to be emanating from somewhere in the water. I quickly spy a shoreline for us to swim to.
“Come on,” I tell the others, not waiting for their responses as I head for dry land.
Trusting me to keep them safe, all three follow without questioning my command.
We struggle to reach the edge, but when we do make it, warmth seeps back into my bones. The air is still chilly but not nearly as cold as the water.
The screech of the bats outside the hole reverberates in the chamber we’re in. When I look up, I can see them fighting to stick their heads in and attempt to reach us, but the hole is too small to accommodate their gargantuan size.
“Take that, you bastards,” Alek taunts, sticking both of his middle fingers up at the bats in defiance.
Nahla, out of breath either from the swim or the excitement of it all, scans the area.
“Where the hell are we?” she asks. “And how the hell are we going to get out of here?”
“One problem at a time,” I say, wringing the water out of my clothes as best I can. “We all need to warm up a bit before we try to find a way out of this mountain. Let’s huddle up and share what warmth we can.”
“I’m not hugging up on you,” Alek says stubbornly, even though it’s obvious by his shivers that he’s freezing as much as the rest of us.
“Do what you want,” I say as Nahla, Oliver, and I press our bodies together to trap what heat we can between us. “Freeze to death, for all I care. It’ll mean one less suitor trying to take Ivy away from me.”
Alek rubs his hands together and blows into them while rocking side to side on his feet. After a few minutes, he gives up on his bravado and joins the rest of us.
It takes a good while before we stop looking like a shivering mass, but eventually we’re warm enough to separate and take our next step.
