Page 196 of Empire of Shadows

“They are drawn to the heat!” she retorted.

The nearest insects had turned toward the flames of the fallen torch. They began to skitter closer to it.

Adam’s eyes widened.

“Huh,” he said with understanding, and then shot her a wry look. “Except your aim was off.”

“Only by a foot,” Ellie noted.

He sighed and started sloshing forward.

“I’ll fix it,” he declared.

Ellie grabbed him by the belt and hauled him back.

“Are you mad? You’ll be right in the middle of the swarm,” she hissed.

“I’ll be quick,” Adam assured her.

Ellie stared at him.

“Exactly how quick do you think you are?” she pressed.

Over by the torch, the nearest insects reached the flames… and kept going. They climbed into the low, flickering light. Their bodies crackled, crisping and blackening as they added themselves to the fire.

“Pretty damned quick,” Adam retorted defensively.

Ellie reached for the dry torch in his belt.

“I’ll try again,” she said.

Adam shifted his hips away from her.

“Uh-uh! That’s our only torch,” he protested.

“We can’t go anywhere if there’s an army of venomous insects in our way!” Ellie snapped.

“You think it’s a better idea to navigate through a cave in the dark?”

“That is exactly what we were going to do before you found the torches,” she pointed out, seething.

“Yeah, well. Now I found them, which is a lot better than falling into a hole in the ground!”

More of the insects joined the crackling pile by the torch—and more. They crawled over each other to reach the heat of the fire. Their roasting carapaces emitted a low, hissing squeal.

The squeal shifted into a whoosh as the pile of flaming bug corpses extended to the side of the reed basket and the old, dry wood ignited.

Flames swirled up the side of the basket, reached the pitch-soaked torches inside… and burst into an inferno.

A black column of smoke poured toward the ceiling. The cave was blazingly illuminated.

The entire colony of assassin bugs wheeled toward the fire, racing to join it.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Adam said.

The light revealed another tunnel mouth on the far side of the dry ground. More stalactites framed the black hollow with teeth-like daggers.

“Come on!” Ellie ordered as she grabbed Adam’s arm and tugged him forward.

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