AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nahla and Oliver, go left around this pond to see if you can find an exit. Alek and I will go right.”
“I would rather go with one of them instead of you,” Alek says, giving me a look of disgust.
“Stop acting the fool, Alek. We’re not fighting for Ivy’s hand here, we’re simply trying to find a way back to the others. Help me if you want or stay here, I really don’t give a damn.”
“Just do what he says for once,” Nahla complains. “You’re giving pirates a bad name. Besides, our people are counting on us to bring back the cure.”
Although Alek doesn’t look happy about it, he falls in beside me as I start walking around the pool in the direction I chose.
“You know, we don’t have to be enemies,” I tell Alek. “You and I both know that Ivy belongs with me.”
“I don’t remember saying that.” The firm set of Alek’s jaw shows me just how stubborn he plans to be.
“She loves me,” I say simply. “Would you really force her to live out a life with you when you know she’ll never love you?”
Alek remains mute on the subject, but I hope I’ve planted a seed of common sense in his obstinate brain.
The area around the pool is smooth for the most part. There are a few outcroppings here and there, but nothing substantial to block our path.
“I don’t see any way out,” I say to Alek, “do you?”
“Yes.” His gaze is directed toward something over my head. “But I’m not sure how we’ll reach it.” He points to something behind me.
I turn and see a hole in the cave wall wide enough for one person to stand in. It’s at least ten feet up and seemingly unreachable.
“Oy!” Nahla says as she and Oliver meet us at the halfway mark around the pool. “We didn’t see any way out. Did you two have more luck?”
Again, Alek points at the hole in the wall. Nahla whistles as she sees the dilemma we’re in.
“I have an idea,” Oliver says as he starts to unbuckle his pants.
“Hold on there, land lover.” Nahla takes a step back. “What exactly are you planning?”
“If the strongest of us acts as a steppingstone, he can help three of us reach the hole.” He shimmies out of his pants. “And if we all tie our pants together, we can pull up the last person.”
“That’s actually a good idea,” Alek says, sounding surprised. “But I think Nahla should be able to keep her pants on. It should only take three pairs to act as a rope for the fourth person.”
“We all know I’m the strongest,” I say, unbuckling my belt. “Once you’re all up there safely, you can help me climb up with the makeshift rope.”
“Are you sure you trust me not to just leave you down here?” Alek has a mischievous grin on his face.
“Oliver would never let you do that.” I pull my pants off and throw them to Oliver for safekeeping.
“Then I would just shove him out of the hole to stay in here with you for all eternity.”
“And I would never let you do that,” Nahla says. “If you try to shove me out too,” she brandishes a dagger in her hand that must have been tucked in the back waistband of her pants, “I’ll make sure you never have any little pirates with the fair Ivy because your balls will be mine.”
I can’t help but snicker at Nahla’s promise because I know she would keep her word.
“Whatever.” Alek rolls his eyes in disgust. “I have no intentions of double crossing you. Besides, we don’t know what else is hiding in this mountain. I may need your help getting out of here. It would be stupid of me to waste manpower, and I’m no fool.”
“If you say so,” I say, unconvinced.
With a withering gaze in my direction, Alek begins to take his pants off too.
With me acting as a ladder for the others, I lift Nahla up to the hole first with the makeshift rope. She lowers the rope over the side to give Alek and Oliver something to hold onto once they’re high enough. My trip up the rope is quick and easy, even if it strains the torn muscles in my shoulders. We’re all feeling that particular pain, but none of us grumble about it. Getting out of the mountain is the important thing. Returning to Ivy and keeping her safe is all I care about and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Once we’re all in the tunnel and have our clothing back on, we peer down into the passageway ahead of us. There is a small pinpoint of light, giving us hope that it might just lead to the outside.
