Page 130 of Crown of Chaos

Chapter Sixty-One

Hands held me tightly, andI muttered profanities at the pain rippling through me. When I opened my eyes, it was to the sight of glowing stars dotting an endless night sky. Esme was plastered against the cave’s side, holding me on a thin sliver of the ledge.

“You saved me,” I mumbled, running my fingers over the cut on my head.

“We’re going to die here,” she whispered so softly I almost didn’t hear her.

I snorted in agreement. In front of us was the whirlpool, which seemed to be the only exit out of the cave unless we wanted to go back the way we came. I looked up and then dismissed that immediately. To get back to the opening we’d come through, we would have to scale a vertical wall, which was slippery with precious few handholds.

“I can’t see another way out of here, Aria,” she babbled, her gaze locked on the whirlpool.

“I’ve been down one of them before.” She tensed behind me, and her grip tightened as if she feared I would slip over the edge and suck her down with me.

I wondered if I should tell her that perfectly flat walls more than likely meant that the water rose, but then I dismissed the idea. She was already shivering so forcefully I was shocked we hadn’t already gone over the edge.

“Maybe it’s our greatest fears we must overcome?” I offered.

“And which was yours? The rope bridge?” She scoffed, indulging in the mindless conversation to avoid the reality that we were about to die.

“Nope. Guess again.”

“Mermaids? Oh, no, it’s the murderous shadow creatures,” Esme offered, tightening her hold on me.

“Losing people I love or care about, like my sisters,” I supplied, hating the pricking of tears that burned behind my eyes. “I spent almost my whole life being afraid of being alone or worried that they’d die and I wouldn’t have anyone in my life. In the end, I am without them. I guess I’m stronger now because that fear has been realized already. Sure, I had to fight hard not to become bitter or become what the world tried to turn me into, but I did it.”

“I hate that they turned against you, but if it’s true that Aurora has their siblings, I can’t say that I wouldn’t do the same thing, Aria. I’d move mountains and do whatever it took to get Siobhan back,” she replied, forcing me to consider that maybe, just maybe, they weren’t as against me as it appeared.

“I don’t see another way out of this for us, Esmeralda,” I announced, unwilling to continue that conversation, which may not even matter in a few minutes.

“I can’t go into that thing. I don’t even know how to swim.” Her tone was filled with horror as it echoed off the cave walls. “We’re going to die if we go down that.”

“We’ll die if we stay here,” I countered, carefully leaning to the side to look back at her.

“I can’t do it. I won’t,” she whispered brokenly.

“Look at me.” I waited until she did as I asked. “We have to.”

“I cannot do it, okay?” Her teeth chattered even harder than they had been.

“We’ll freeze to death here, Esmeralda. That, or we’ll fall asleep and end up in the whirlpool when we’re not strong enough to fight against the current. If we go willingly into the water, we have a chance to escape this alive. And you’re immortal, so you’ll probably drown and just wake up once this is over. I choose not to let fear lead me, and so should you. Be the girl who runs blindly into battle beside me.”

“I have magic and weapons when I rush into battle!”

“I’m your weapon right now. I’ll be your blade, Esmeralda. Together, right? You’re my ride or die, and who wants to live forever?” I countered.

“Sane people, Aria,” she returned with a worried look burning in her eyes. “My friends call me Esme, and you’re my friend.”

“Best friend?” I asked.

“Nope.” Her lips twitched into an almost smile.

“Oh, come on! I hung on to you while you screamed like a bitch. Did I let you fall? No, because best friends never let their bestie fall to her death in an endless void. We might actually fucking die here, and youstillwon’t be my best friend?”

“No, because you think we need to hide bodies and I am not shoveling anything,” she scoffed in a haughty tone.

“Breathe,” I ordered.

“Why?”

---