Page 49 of Passions Ignite

Lux let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “I’m not trying to be negative, Zoey. I’m just being realistic. We’re up against a fire that’s only getting worse, and we have no way to communicate. The odds aren’t exactly in our favor.”

“So, what do we do now?” Zoey asked, hating how small her voice sounded.

Lux looked at her, her expression softening just a little. “We keep moving and try to stay ahead of the fire. And we pray that the fire burns itself out before we get to the summit.”

Zoey nodded, feeling a little steadier. Lux stood up, brushing the dirt from her pants.

“We should get going,” she said.

Zoey stood up, too, though her legs protested.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

They started walking again. Zoey kept close to Lux, her breath coming in short gasps as they climbed. Now and then, she glanced over at Lux, watching the way she moved with purpose, even though the strain was evident on her face.

“I’m sorry,” Zoey blurted out, unable to keep the words from spilling out.

Lux glanced at her, confused. “For what?”

“For dragging you into this mess,” Zoey said. “If I hadn’t?—”

“Stop,” Lux cut in, her tone sharp. “This isn’t your fault, Zoey.”

Zoey nodded, but the guilt still gnawed at her. She hadn’t asked for this, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was somehow to blame for their situation.

They walked in silence for a while, and the only sound was the crunch of their boots on the dry earth. The sky above them was a dull gray, the sun barely visible through the haze of smoke. The air was thick, making it hard to breathe, and Zoey felt the burn in her lungs with every step.

“Do you think we’ll make it out of this?” Zoey asked.

“I don’t know, Zoey. I don’t.”

The bluntness of her words hit Zoey hard, but she appreciated the honesty. It was better than false hope, at least.

Zoey stared at the ground as they walked, her mind swirling with thoughts. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and it was getting harder to keep up with Lux’s pace. Her legs felt like lead, and her lungs burned with every breath.

“We need to rest,” Zoey said, finally coming to a stop. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her vision blurring at the edges.

Lux stopped, too, turning to face her. She looked like she was about to argue, but then she saw the state Zoey was in and nodded. “Okay. Just for a few minutes.”

Zoey sank to the ground. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. Her whole body was trembling, and she felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She didn’t want to break down now, not in front of Lux, but the stress and fear were becoming too much to hold back.

Lux knelt beside her, placing a hand on Zoey’s back. “Hey, you’re okay. Just breathe.”

Zoey nodded, trying to do as Lux said. She focused on her breathing, taking slow, deep breaths. Lux’s hand on her back was grounding, a reminder that she wasn’t alone, even though everything else felt like it was falling apart.

“I’m sorry,” Zoey whispered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Lux said. “We’re both scared. It’s okay to be scared.”

Zoey nodded again, grateful for the reassurance. She took another deep breath, feeling the tightness in her chest start to ease.

“Thank you,” she said.

Lux gave her a small smile. “We’ll be okay, Zoey. We just have to keep going.”

Zoey didn’t know if she believed it, but she nodded anyway. She couldn’t afford to break down now, not when they were still in danger. She had to keep going, no matter how much she wanted to curl up and give in to the exhaustion.

They rested for a few more minutes before Lux stood up, extending a hand to help Zoey to her feet. Zoey took it, pulling herself up with a grunt.

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