Page 207 of Empire of Shadows

“That would fit with the written accounts,” Ellie returned uneasily. “How are we going to get past it?”

“With whatever else is in that big brain of yours,” he said. “And luck.”

Ellie’s stomach dropped.

“That isn’t very reassuring.”

“Best we’ve got,” Adam concluded.

He shifted her from his lap, climbed to his feet, and extended a hand down. Ellie accepted it and let him pull her upright.

He ducked back into the council chamber to retrieve the torch. It illuminated the way ahead—a low-ceilinged labyrinth of veils, pillars, and stalagmites, which creeped with shadows.

Ellie faced it with grim determination. They would get through this. Theyhadto.

Everything depended upon it.

?

Thirty-Nine

In the dim torchlight, the space around them was shadowy and maze-like. It was not so much a chamber as a throat of stone lined with obstacles. The rock formations were close and awkward. Ellie struggled to see how she and Adam were meant to proceed through it.

“That looks like a path.” Adam pointed ahead of them.

The narrow, uneven track twisted through the stones. It was visible for only a short distance ahead of them before turning from view. The cleared ground looked barely wide enough for Ellie to put her feet side-by-side on it.

She took a determined breath and started forward. She had only gone a few steps when Adam let out a sharp hiss of pain behind her.

“What’s wrong?” Ellie said as she whirled back to him.

“Damned cave bit me,” Adam returned.

He shook out his hand—and a quick, wet splatter darkened the nearby stones. Ellie’s pulse jumped uncomfortably at the sound.

Adam noticed it too. He glanced down at his hand and then flashed her a distinctly guilty look.

“Just scratched myself a little,” he said.

Ellie grabbed his hand and turned it over. A gash crossed his palm, as clean as the mark of a surgeon’s scalpel. Blood welled out of it as she studied it.

“Adam, this isn’t a scratch,” she protested.

Adam took his hand back.

“It’s fine,” he insisted stubbornly.

“It absolutely is not. Give it back to me.Now,” she added when he hesitated.

Adam sighed and gave in.

“There’s not much we can do about it in here,” he pointed out as she examined him.

“I could sew it,” Ellie countered.

“Do you even know how to sew?”

“Of course I do,” Ellie replied, and then hedged a bit. “I mean—I despise it and avoid it if at all possible. But Icando it. We can disinfect the thread with my illicit liquor.”

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