Chapter 44 Danica #2
This one is harder than trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded, and I can practically hear the gears in my brain grinding to a halt. I have to focus, or we're going to end up dead.
I chew on my lip like a piece of gum, my mind racing. "Darkest depths, softly glow... beacon for the lost... Shit, I don't know. A lighthouse?" I blurt out, immediately regretting the words as soon as they leave my mouth.
"Wrong again," the voice taunts, "One more chance, or face the consequences."
The blade that had stopped now kicks back to life, and I let out a groan of defeat that sounds like a dying whale.
The blades' deadly dance gets faster until they're nothing but a blur of glinting metal.
And then, because the universe can fuck right off, another set of blades drops down behind us with a sickening clank, cutting us off and trapping us in.
Shit! Oh my god. I'm pretty sure my heart is about to explode out of my chest like a xenomorph, and Rhyland's grip on my hand is so tight I'm pretty sure he's rearranging my bone structure.
He tries to Jedi mind-trick those blades into stopping, but it's about as effective as using a squirt gun on a forest fire.
Rhyland's jaw is clenched tight, and he's sweating more than a sinner in church as he gives it another go. The blades sound like a pissed-off blender, slowing down for a hot second before Rhyland drops his hands, looking like he just went ten rounds with a hurricane.
Shit.
I guess we can't count on vampire superpowers to save our asses this time. Time for Plan B... if only I had one.
"Darkest depths, softly glow... beacon for the lost..."
"Try bioluminescence, baby," Rhyland's voice echoes in my mind, clear and insistent. He knows damn well that only one of us can answer these stupid fucking riddles.
That's good—genius.
"Wait, could it be... bioluminescence? Like that glowing shit we saw earlier?" I ask as I pray to every god I can think of that I'm right.
Because if we're not…
Two blades shudder to a stop, frozen in place. I let out a shaky breath—my knees weak with relief.
"Two down, one to go," Rhyland murmurs, his voice strained with the effort of keeping calm. "You've got this, baby. Just one more."
The final riddle echoes through the cavern, the voice heavy with malice.
"In water's grasp, I flicker bright, A dance of shadow and of light. What am I, in liquid's flow, That makes the depths above me glow?"
For the love of all that's holy and unholy!
The panic now is a living, breathing thing inside me, clawing at my throat and squeezing my lungs until I can barely breathe.
It's like a thousand tiny spiders crawling under my skin, a million ants marching through my veins, and I swear to god, if I don't get out of this fucking tunnel soon, I'm going to lose my shit.
The blades behind us are getting closer with every second, the sound of their swinging filling my ears until it's all I can hear.
We're forced to shimmy closer to the one blade swinging in front of us, the metal glinting in the eerie light like the teeth of some monstrous beast. I can feel the heat of Rhyland's body pressed against mine, the tension in his muscles, the way his breath comes in short, sharp bursts.
He's just as scared as I am, and that terrifies me more than anything else.
"Water's grasp, flickering bright... shadow and light... Ugh, I don't know. A flashlight?"
All three blades drop back down with a sickening clang, swinging faster now, the air whistling as they slice through it—I have to fight back a scream as they get closer and closer until I can practically feel the metal brushing against my clothes.
"Wrong again," the voice taunts, making my blood cold. "Time's up, little saviors. Prepare to meet your doom."
The blades are so close now that I can feel the air they displace, the way they make my hair flutter and dance like I'm in the middle of a tornado.
"Babe, I don't know what to do," I whisper, my voice small and broken. Rhyland doesn't respond, but I can feel the way his body tenses, the way his grip around my torso tightens until it's almost painful.
The tears are flowing freely now, hot and salty, against my skin, and I can taste the despair on my tongue, bitter and cloying. My mind is a whirlwind of half-formed thoughts and fragmented memories, snippets of my life flashing before my eyes like some jacked-up highlight reel.
I squeeze my eyes shut—a scream of pure desperation tears from my throat as I dive deep within myself, clawing desperately for that elusive time-bending power.
It's like trying to grab a fistful of smoke in a hurricane, but I keep pushing, straining, until I finally brush against that familiar spark.
Something shifts.
The world around me shudders, then slows. With a final shuddering scream, everything just... stops. The silence that follows is so absolute, so all-encompassing, that for a moment, I wonder if I've gone deaf. Or maybe just died.
I crack open an eye, half-expecting to see those psycho blades still doing their best Cuisinart impression on my sorry ass. But no…instead, those circular death dealers are just hanging there, frozen mid-slice. It's like the universe decided to buffer right in the middle of my execution.
I'm half-tempted to wave my hand in front of my face to make sure I haven't accidentally stumbled into a glitchy video game cutscene. But knowing my luck, that'd probably trigger some boss battle I'm in no shape to handle right now.
"What the hell?" Rhyland's voice is a hoarse whisper in my ear, his breath hot against my skin. "How…? Did you do that?"
I spin around to face him, my eyes wide with shock. Holy shit, I did. But usually, my power only lets me slow time down, not stop it completely. And it's always been a solo gig, but now Rhyland is stuck in this weird-ass time bubble with me.
"I-I think so," I stammer, my voice shaking with adrenaline and disbelief.
Rhyland, being the practical bastard he is, doesn't waste time analyzing this bizarre turn of events. He grabs my hand, and we slip through the fissure like thieves in the night, the frozen blades looming over us.
I cling to that sensation like a lifeline—the one keeping us suspended in this bizarre time bubble.
Every fiber of my being is focused on maintaining this fragile state as we shimmy through the deadly obstacle course.
We duck under the frozen blade, its edge gleaming wickedly mere inches from our heads.
Rhyland moves with me, his grip on my hand never faltering.
The fact that he's here, frozen in this moment with me, is a mind-fuck all its own.
I mean, unless my vampire boyfriend suddenly developed time manipulation powers when I wasn't looking, the only explanation is that my mojo decided to go plus-one tonight due to our physical contact when I tapped into this power, pulling him into my little time-out corner of reality.
As we weave our way through this deadly sculpture garden, I can't help but wonder if this is what it feels like to be a cat with nine lives.
Or maybe we're just starring in our own action movie, complete with slow-mo escape scenes.
Either way, I'm not complaining. I'll take "miraculously not dead" over "sliced and diced" any day of the week.
We make it to the other side, and then I let it go—the world snaps back into motion, the blades whirring to life with a vengeance, like they're pissed off that we dared to cheat death.
I think back to the riddle, turning the words over like a Rubik's cube, "Water's grasp, flickering bright... shadow and light..." And then it hits me.
It's so simple, so damn obvious, that I almost want to laugh. The way light dances on the water's surface, casting shadows and illuminating the depths, is a simple concept that holds so much meaning and power.
"The answer to the riddle is Reflection!" I shout, my voice bouncing off the tunnel's walls like a pinball.
And just like that, the blades grind to a halt, the mist dissipating like a fart in the wind. We're left standing there, panting and shaking, our hearts pounding in our chests like jackhammers.
"Holy shit," Rhyland breathes, his eyes wide with awe and disbelief. "That was too fucking close."
I nod, my legs trembling beneath me as the adrenaline wears off. "You're telling me. I thought we were goners for sure."
"How the fuck did you pull that off?" Rhyland pants, his hands braced on his knees like he just sprinted a mile. "That whole freezing time shit? That's a new one, even for you."
I shrug, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "Beats me, but I'm sure as hell not complaining." I pause, my brow furrowing as I consider the implications. "Maybe my powers are leveling up or something? Like, I just unlocked a new skill in the world's most screwed-up video game."
Rhyland snorts, shaking his head. "Only you would compare a near-death experience to a damn video game."
I grin, the adrenaline still buzzing through my veins like a live wire. "Hey, if the shoe fits..."
Rhyland rolls his eyes, but I can see the relief in his gaze, the way his shoulders sag as the tension bleeds out of him. "Well, whatever it was, I'm just glad it worked."
I nod, my relief so sharp it's almost painful. "You and me both, babe. I guess the universe decided it wasn't done with us yet."
Rhyland's lips twitch, a hint of his usual smirk returning. "Or maybe it just didn't want to deal with your sassy ass in the afterlife."
I gasp, "Excuse you, my ass is a fucking delight. The afterlife would be lucky to have me."
Rhyland chuckles, the sound warm and rich in the damp chill of the tunnel. "Whatever you say, baby. But let's try to avoid testing that theory anytime soon, yeah?"
I nod, my smile fading as the reality of our situation settles back in. "Agreed. We've got shit to do, and I'd rather not end up dead before we finish it."
Even as I say it, I know it's a lie. Because as much as I hate to admit it, as much as it scares the ever-loving hell out of me... I live for this shit. The danger, the adrenaline, the rush of knowing that we're alive and beaten the odds once again.
Rhyland grabs my hand and pulls me through the tunnels, "Come on, Angel. We ain't done yet."