Page 60 of Forged By Heart and Claws
He looked back at me, wings furling tight behind him. His concern tightened through our bond. “Will you be able to jump? I can come back and get you.”
“I’m good.” I adjusted the bag slung over my shoulder with my jaw tight. Elara didn’t need to be left alone for even a second.
He studied me, a wrinkle between his brows.Seriously, I’m coming back. Just hold on.
Nope, not waiting,I retorted.
Backing up a few steps, I shook out my arms. The water slid around my ankles, cold and steady, creeping halfway up my foot as I moved. My stomach dropped, and the hairs on my neck rose as I sprinted forward, splashing water with each step. The stone blurred beneath my feet…and then I jumped. Air sliced past my face, and then I landed safely on the other side. The ache in my injured foot flared, stealing my breath.
Vad grabbed my arm and steadied me.You’re so stubborn.He huffed and kissed my lips.
You knew that coming in.I snorted.That’s on you.
His fingers laced with mine as he placed a hand on Elara’s shoulder, keeping her steady on her feet. The buzz between us was comforting.
One by one, the others crossed. Some jumped; some were carried. Quen nearly lost her grip on the edge of the rock island and had to be pulled up by the sleeve. The rising water had worked against our jumps and ability to maneuver. No one spoke. Not with the water lapping against the stone behind us and the shadows stretching overhead like clinging threads.
The river’s edge had claimed the rest of the stone floor, and the air felt thicker by the time the final boots hit dry ground.
My gut twisted.
“This way.” Vad led us to what looked like a solid wall, but as we drew closer, I spotted a narrow vertical gap that was barely wide enough for Veralt’s shoulders.
Vad turned sideways and slipped through first, his wings pressed tight to his back. Stone scraped as he vanished into the dark. “Come on,” he called, voice echoing hollowly from the rock.
I followed, twisting sideways to fit. The passage closed in on me at once, cold and damp. The soft rush of the river sounded far off now, but not far enough. It wouldn’t take much to trap us here.
The floor sloped sharply upward. I braced both hands against the walls as I climbed after Vad. My feet scraped against damp stone, the incline steep and slick. One wrong step, and I’d end up knocking the whole line backward.
“Watch your footing.” Vad slid farther into the passage and offered a hand to me. I caught it and slid my fingers across his bandaged palm. The ceiling hung low enough that I had to duck my head in several spots. The run bag I carried bumped awkwardly against my hip as I climbed.
“This isn’t exactly a comforting tunnel,” I muttered, trying to ignore the growing tightness in my chest as the passage narrowed further.
Behind me, Elara and Silus slipped in next, elbows brushing the walls. Their breathing echoed in the narrow space. Quen followed with the lamp, its glow flickering wildly, casting strange, stretched shadows across the stone.
The rest of our group filed in slowly—Elias, Vyraetos, Thalen, and Myantha. Veralt grunted as he began forcing his way in, the stone scraping his back and shoulders. Rhielle followed him, one hand on his arm.
“Everything all right?” Vad called back.
“Delightful.” Veralt spat. “If you like crawling through rock coffins.”
The passage twisted tighter. At times, I had to duck or press my back to one side, using Vad and my other hand against the stone wall to keep from sliding back. My breath created small puffs of condensation that clung to the rock.How much farther?My chest tightened with the thought of getting stuck.
A few hundred feet.He continued forward as discomfort leaked through the bond despite his calm tone.Then it opens up.
I checked on Elara beside me. Sweat beaded her forehead, and her jaw was set tight. Silus stayed close behind her, and I caught a glance from Quen behind them, her focus split between keeping the lamp steady and checking on the others.
Elias moved just behind Quen, his face tight and unreadable, like he was reliving his time in the prison. Vyraetos followed, his movements controlled, every breath measured to conserve energy in the narrowing space. Thalen and Myantha came next, whispering quietly to each other as they steadied their steps, hands brushing the rock to stay upright on the slick incline.
A low grunt echoed from the rear as Veralt was wedged in a section so narrow even Vad had struggled. His massive frame pressed against both sides, shoulders scraping stone. Rhielle stayed close, her hand splayed on his back, offering silent reassurance with every step he forced forward.
Above, the path steepened again, and even more rocks bit into my feet.
We climbed hand over foot, shifting sideways when the passage narrowed too much for us to face forward. Our backs dragged against one wall while our palms searched for holds on the other. The air grew thinner, the silence heavier. Only the soft shush of leather boots on stone, ragged breathing, and the occasional scrape of someone’s pack reminded me we weren’t alone.
The line of us inched upward, breathing labored, the tension thick in the still air. No one was talking now. We were all too focused on climbing, squeezing, not slipping.
A sharp yelp rang out, followed by a loudthudand rattling stones. My heart lurched into my throat as I twisted my head around.
