Page 46 of Passions Ignite

But they had no choice.

As they pushed through the underbrush, Lux felt the rocks and roots threatening to trip her at every step. She stumbled, but Zoey was there, steadying her, keeping her moving.

Suddenly, the ground dropped away in front of them, revealing a slope that led down into a narrow ravine. Zoey skidded to a stop, her heart pounding in her ears.

“This way,” Lux said, her voice strained as she pointed down the slope. “We can use the ravine to get away from the fire.”

Zoey hesitated for a moment, the drop making her stomach churn. But the flames were too close. She could feel the heat at her back, the crackling of the fire growing louder by the second.

With a deep breath, she nodded and followed Lux down the slope, their feet slipping and sliding on the loose dirt and rocks. The descent was treacherous, and Zoey’s hands scraped against the rough surface as she tried to keep her balance.

They reached the bottom, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Zoey looked around, her eyes scanning the narrow ravine. The walls were high, offering some protection from the flames, but they couldn’t stay here for long. Jay would have no hope of spotting them.

“We need to keep moving,” Lux said as she started down the ravine.

Zoey followed, her legs trembling with exhaustion. The ravine was narrow and winding, the walls pressing in on either side of them. The air was cooler here, but the smell of smoke still hung heavy, a constant reminder of the fire that raged above.

As they rounded a bend, Zoey felt something catch her foot, and she stumbled again. She cried out as pain shot through her ankle, the sharp, sudden jolt bringing tears to her eyes.

Lux was at her side in an instant, her hands gripping Zoey’s arms as she tried to help her up.

“I think I twisted it,” Zoey said, her voice tight with pain.

Lux looked up at the ravine, her eyes filled with worry. “We can’t stop here, Zoey. The fire?—”

“I know,” Zoey said, cutting her off. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand, leaning heavily on Lux for support. Every step sent a jolt of pain through her ankle, but she didn’t let herself think about it.

They kept moving, the ravine winding its way through the forest. The smoke was thinner here, and Zoey could feel the temperature dropping as they put more distance between themselves and the fire.

But they weren’t safe yet. The fire was still out there, still chasing them, and Zoey knew they couldn’t let their guard down. They had to keep moving, keep pushing forward, no matter how exhausted they were.

As they reached the end of the ravine, Zoey could see the sky through the trees, dark clouds of smoke hanging heavy above them. The sound of the helicopter was gone, lost in the chaos of the fire.

“We need to find somewhere she can see us,” Lux said as she scanned the area.

“Jay, she was here,” Zoey said. “We missed her, Lux. We missed her.”

“She’d still be around here somewhere,” Lux said. “She has to be.”

“And if she isn’t?” Zoey asked. “What if she somehow had issues with the chopper and couldn’t hang around any longer?”

“We just have to hope she didn’t leave, Zoey. She can’t leave.”

“What if she did, Lux?” Zoey asked.

Lux stopped pacing and stared at Zoey. She raised a finger and pointed it up the mountain. “Then we’d better get up that mountain or we’re toast. Literally.”

“Fine. Come on,” Zoey said, moving ahead of Lux.

The trail was narrow, and the dense trees on either side offered some shade from the heat.

“We need to get as far away from here as possible,” Zoey said, glancing over at Lux.

“Yeah,” Lux said. She didn’t add that the steepness was starting to wear on her.

The ground beneath them got rockier. Lux adjusted her footing, careful not to slip. Zoey was ahead, her gaze fixed on the trail.

“Watch your step,” Zoey said.

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