Page 55 of Passions Ignite

“No. I’m not leaving you.”

“Zoey, please,” Lux said. “I can’t do this again. I can’t let you get hurt because of me.”

Zoey shook her head, her jaw set in determination. “I’m not leaving you.”

She could see the fear in Lux’s eyes. But she also saw something else: trust. Lux trusted her, and Zoey wasn’t about to let her down.

“I’m going to get you out of this,” Zoey said. “I promise.”

The ground had stopped rumbling, but the aftermath of the landslide had left chaos in its wake. Trees were uprooted, boulders scattered, and the path they’d been on was obliterated. Zoey’s hands shook as she tried to clear the debris around Lux’s leg, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

She glanced up at Lux, whose face was pale and streaked with dirt. “You have to hold on.”

Lux nodded weakly, her lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m trying, Zoey.”

Zoey saw the pain in her eyes. Lux’s leg was pinned under a large branch, and every time Zoey tried to move it, Lux winced.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Zoey whispered as she continued to pull at the branch. Her arms ached, and her hands were raw, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. She could feel her panic rising, but she forced it down.

“It’s not your fault,” Lux said softly. “Just…get me out of here.”

Zoey put all her strength into moving the branch. It took several tries, but finally, with a grunt, she managed to shift it enough for Lux to pull her leg free. Lux let out a cry of pain as she did, and Zoey immediately knelt beside her, helping her sit up.

“Are you okay? Can you move?” Zoey asked, her eyes wide with concern.

Lux shook her head, tears welling. “My ankle…it’s worse.” She tried to move her foot, but the pain was too much, and she quickly stopped.

Zoey felt a surge of helplessness wash over her. She didn’t know what to do. They were alone, far from any help, and Lux was injured. She swallowed hard, trying to think. They had to keep moving. They couldn’t stay here, not with the fire still so close.

“Lux, we have to go. I’ll help you. Lean on me, okay?”

Lux hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.” Zoey helped her to her feet, and Lux leaned heavily on her as they started to make their way uphill again. Every step was a struggle, and Zoey could feel Lux’s weight dragging her down, but she didn’t complain. She just kept going, putting one foot in front of the other.

The air was thick with smoke, and Zoey’s lungs burned with every breath. She could hear the crackling of the fire behind them, but it wasn’t as close as before.

That was something, at least.

But the climb was steep, and with Lux injured, it was slow going. Zoey’s muscles screamed in protest, but she pushed through the pain, determined to get them to safety.

Lux was silent, her face pale and sweaty. Zoey knew she was in a lot of pain, but she didn’t say anything. She just kept going, Lux’s grip on her shoulder tightening with every step.

“Just a little farther,” Zoey said.

Zoey was careful with every step, making sure she didn’t slip and bring them both down.

“We should try to find a place to rest,” Lux said after a moment, wincing as she shifted her weight. “Somewhere we can wait for help.”

Zoey wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Okay. But we need to take it slow. I don’t want you hurting yourself even more.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I just need to catch my breath.”

The terrain was rough, and Lux’s ankle was giving her trouble, but she didn’t complain. Zoey kept a close eye on her, ready to catch her if she stumbled.

They walked in silence for a while, both too exhausted to talk. The forest around them was eerily quiet, the only sound the distant crackling of the fire. Zoey’s mind was racing, thinking about everything that had happened, everything that could still happen. But she tried to push those thoughts away, focusing on the present, on getting them to safety.

After a while, they found an area sheltered by trees. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. Zoey helped Lux sit down, then collapsed beside her, her body aching all over.

“We’ll rest here for now,” Zoey said. “We’ll figure out what to do next once we’ve had some sleep.”

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