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My chest was still rising and falling quickly as I climbed the shelves. Thankfully, it was more than tall enough. I only had to climb up a few feet before I could reach the ledge, and then I hauled myself up onto the stone floor again, panting and struggling. It was smooth enough not to scratch me, though it took a lot of effort to drag my ass back up.
“One minute,”Ivaylo warned.
“I’m working on it!” I yelled back, hoping he could at least hearsomethingthrough the stone. “This den was not made for a human woman!”
A moment of silence followed, and I heaved a sigh when I realized he probably hadn’t heard me.
I forced myself to my feet and back to the lever, then grabbed it, and pulled.
It didn’t move.
My eyes widened, and I pulled again.
The damn thing didn’t so much as budge.
I took a moment to gather my strength before yanking on the thing, throwing all of my weight into the motion.
It groaned and moved—all of an inch.
“Damn you, lever,” I grumbled.
“Ezra?” Ivaylo’s growl was in my ears instead of my mind that time, only slightly muffled by the stone. A glance to my side proved that the barrier had moved just a fraction of an inch. That sliver was enough to let more noise out and in, though.
“Stop threatening me,” I warned him. “I had to climb a bookshelf to get out of the pit, and now your lever is refusing to move.”
He was silent for a beat. “It gets stuck sometimes.”
“I noticed,” I drawled.
“You’ll have to ease it toward the den as you pull it.”
“Fine. Give me a minute to catch my breath.”
He was silent, and my breathing eventually calmed as I leaned up against the wall.
After a few minutes, I grabbed the lever again. “Alright. Toward the pit?”
“Yes. And pull hard.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“If you can’t get it, my pack will help me move the boulder.”
“I’ve got it.” I threw my weight into the lever, pushing instead of pulling this time.
It didn’t budge.
“Try again,” Ivaylo said, his voice more relaxed than I expected.
At least he wasn’t growling at me anymore.
I tried again.
And again.
And again.
I groaned, collapsing against the wall. I was sweating and getting all panicky, over a damnlever. “This is never going to work.”
