Chapter 9 Rhianelle #2
I nearly weep with relief at the sight of a wide-open door. “Thank the heavens.”
Escape is finally within sight. I chase after the bright light when the world suddenly slips from right under my feet.
The excitement made me careless.
I’m free falling into the trap. A sudden jerk forces me to release my grip on the torch. It takes a long while for the flame to finally meet the bottom of the chasm. I glimpse the spikes covering the ground before the fire flickers out.
The only thing standing between me and them is the prisoner’s hand clutching mine. I can feel my body getting heavier by the pull of gravity. If this man is anything like Jack, he’ll let me fall to my death.
My breathing stalls. Time seems to freeze when I raise my head to look into his eyes.
Don’t let go, I plead silently.
He reels me up easily in one smooth motion. I release a long breath when I sense solid ground underneath my feet again. His keen eyes scan me for injuries.
“I’m fine,” I say shakily.
He keeps checking me to see if I’m intact. This reminds me of the time I accompanied Rainer to the market when I was young. The elderly ladies do the same thing when they’re measuring for fresh vegetables and fruits. A bubble of laughter escapes my lips despite my near-death experience.
His fingers close around my chin, lifting my face to look at him.
Once again, he is smothering me with that heavy gaze.
Even in the dim lighting of the crystals, I can make out his rough, handsome face.
I almost look away when he suddenly wraps me in a tight embrace.
I soak myself in his refreshing scent, listening to the rapid beating of his heart.
The guy is worried for me. Heat prickles along my back. I push the sensation away as I melt into his arms. “Thank you.” I smile at him, even though he can’t see much of my face.
“I don’t even know your name. Rhianelle,” I say, pointing to myself. I touch his muscular chest.
He answers me in that strange language again. I don’t catch any of it. The words are too long. Is that a name or does he fail to understand my question?
“Svenn?” I try the last syllable.
I hear a low rumbling from his chest. It sounds a whole lot like a laughter.
“Nel,” he teases right back.
An angry wailing shriek suddenly echoes through the chamber. “I can smell you, dirty elven rat!”
“He’s found us!” Panic seizes me. I drag Svenn to sprint faster. “This way! Come on!”
We need to put as much distance as possible between us and the demon. Thank the gods Svenn has no trouble keeping up with me.
My heart thunders like a war drum over another eerie, high-pitched howl. Pain sears through my left leg but I keep going. Sometimes, I think the Ashmedai is close enough to catch us and then he slows down. The sick demon probably gets off on the chase.
I hear Svenn’s heavy sigh in the dark, as if all this running is boring him. He suddenly halts and turns around.
“What’s wrong? We have to go now.” I tug him. I might as well try to move a mountain. He will not budge. The guy is adamant on waiting for the demon.
I don’t want to get mauled to death. If I continue moving forward, I might get a head start. But I can’t bring myself to leave Svenn behind.
“I need you to come with me.” I take his hand, begging him to listen.
His brows draw together as he looks at me.
Tears well in my eyes. “Please, Svenn.”
A long, frustrated breath leaves him, but he finally relents.
The Ashmedai’s insidious laughter fills the cave. “I’ve always wanted a new elven coat!”
My skin crawls with dread with each threat. I keep my mind empty as we bolt down the corridor towards the bright archway.
I will escape this place with Svenn. I say the words repeatedly in my head.
We finally reach the open hall filled with sculptures and carvings of celestial gods and monsters of old. The sound of trickling water from one of the magnificent statues catches my attention. I follow the gutter towards a small tunnel deep into the colossal structure on the wall.
“Hiding is our only chance.” I drag Svenn into the dark opening. I pray all the running water is enough to mask our scent. If the demon is still blind from my attack, there’s a chance he might miss this entrance. We enter deeper into the narrow pocket.
“I know you’re in here!” The Ashmedai’s screech sounds so near, I’m sure he has entered the chamber. A tremor runs through the walls as the demon goes on an absolute rampage. He’ll destroy this place in no time.
“Keep going,” I mutter, ducking my head from the fallen rocks and pebbles. I fail to evade a particularly large one. Pain bursts over my forehead at the impact. Gods, it hurts so bad.
In a split second, the roof of the small passageway collapses over our path.
“No, please,” I cry uselessly. I try digging for a way out but it’s no use. This is the furthest we can go. I look at Svenn with trembling hands. Everything around us is crumbling down.
“I’m so sorry.” I clasp my hand to my mouth. I’ve led him to our doom, to this dead end.
He suddenly gathers me into his arms, covering me from the falling debris. My heart aches for him. We’re going to be buried alive.
“It’s all my fault, Svenn.” I cry in his embrace. He holds me through every tear, every shuddering gasp. I feel his soothing touch against the small of my back and the chaos drowns.
Several heartbeats pass and somehow, we remain breathing.
I pull away from him slowly. My eyes gaze at the surrounding rubble and pillars around us with profound disbelief.
We could have been trampled by one of those giant boulders or suffocated by the dust. It’s a miracle we survived through all that.
“You’re not getting away from me, vermin!” The Ashmedai’s voice filters through the opening. “I’ll find you and I’ll skin you alive!” His vicious threat rattles through my bones.
I raise my sword to protect us when my vision starts to double. This injury is worse than I thought. My head begins to thrum with pain.
Svenn pulls me close to examine the cut. I hope it’s not deep.
A sudden low growl rumbles from his throat. His wrath is almost palpable in the air. He moves straight towards the partially covered entrance.
Not this again.
He doesn’t know how incredibly strong the Ashmedai is. Not even Ragnar, my knights, or the Grimsbane can hold it down.
“Svenn, don’t do this,” I whisper in the lowest voice possible. “You have to stay with me.”
I see the cold intent in his eyes. There’s no stopping him now.
I touch his face so he will look at me. Words are useless and I don’t know what else to do to persuade him.
I crush my lips against his desperately.
For a flicker of a moment, my world stops.
There is only the warm, hard feel of him.
It’s a quick, nervous kiss, but it distracts him enough from his anger.
“Stay with me,” I beg with all my heart. I hear another heavy breath from him as I coax him to sit down.
He draws me towards him, and suddenly I am sprawled on his hard chest. I ignore the thrill I feel when my body is pressed against his rigid form. He is all honed tendons and muscles. Not an inch of softness.
Our small hiding spot barely has enough space for the both of us. He slants his back against the fallen rubble, and we huddle together in the narrow slit quietly. Silence falls in the air; I can hear my own heart beating. I know the demon is out there watching, waiting for me to make my next move.
Svenn suddenly licks my temple over the injury.
What is this weird human doing now? My skin tingles at the sensation. He’s starts nibbling over the site of my cut. I almost protest but my head hurts a little less after his odd gesture. If this is a distraction method, then it’s working. The pain is slowly shifting into a dull ache.
“You are safe, Rhianelle.”
Wow. I must be losing my mind because I can hear his voice clearly in my head now. I close my eyes, locked in the arms of the stranger.
“Go to sleep, I’m here.”