Chapter 21
Icy water hits my body hard as I try to swim to the surface.
I make it to the top and gasp a lungful of air just before the harsh current slams into me and drags me toward the waterfall.
Kicking my legs, I try to fight the current, but it’s no use, and I get dragged under once more.
Not ready to give up, I push harder and try to swim upward but the current drags me under, shoving and pulling me down.
My body starts to grow weak, my lungs are on fire.
I’m about to use my shield to save myself when strong arms wind around me dragging me close before moving us up to the surface.
I gasp in a lungful of air and find Malakai.
“I’ve got you,” he says as we rush down the river toward the steep cliff of the waterfall.
Shit.
“We’re both going to go over,” I warn him. But there’s not an ounce of fear on his face.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promises as his grip tightens.
“That’s not—” I close my eyes as we fall over the edge. My stomach tilts, but Malakai’s grip never wavers around me.
My body suddenly twists before we land in the large pool of water and a grunt hits my ears as we both go under.
Seconds later, Malakai pushes me to the surface before following me with a wince on his face.
I open my mouth to ask him what’s wrong when he pulls me to him and starts swimming over to the rocky land.
He helps me out, practically carrying me before sitting me down.
Checking me over, he scans every inch of my body before pulling me into a hug.
“I’m going to fucking kill Finn when I get my hands on him,” he vows with a hiss.
I pull back and catch another wince before he tries to cover it up. I move forward and he doesn’t stop me when I drag up his wet top to uncover a large bruise forming across his side and ribs.
I think back to a moment ago when I felt our bodies twist before we hit the water.
Shock splinters through me when I realize he turned us around so he would take the brunt of the fall. And he did. He looks like he has a broken rib or two.
His eyes soften as he watches me. “I’m fine.”
“You’re an idiot,” I reply only making him smile. “Your ribs are most likely broken.”
“I’ll live.” He grips me chin forcing me to look at his face. “Once you’re okay, nothing else matters.”
I drop his shirt. “Don’t be so stupid—”
“Hey!”
I glance over to find Cyrus, Knox and Theon making their way around the river edge to us. They must have followed us all the way down here.
They scan my body just like Malakai did, checking for any injuries before moving to Malakai.
“I think his ribs are broken,” I tell them before glaring at Malakai’s little smirk.
“He’s had worse.” Knox punches him playfully in the arm.
I roll my eyes at them and then glance around. “How are we going to catch up to them now?”
“We’re already ahead of them,” Cyrus says, and my eyes finds his. He points to the other side of the river, and I get up and glance over to where it leads around to a huge mound of rock.
Wait… not a rock. It’s a cave. The tunnel.
“Looks like the river was a shortcut,” he says with a smile.
We start heading toward it when Knox steps up beside me. “Are you talking to us now?”
I don’t look at him, trying to stay focused on our surroundings in case Finn and the others attack us. “Let’s just focus on getting through this.”
“Why do you want to go to the Hollow?” he asks, not deterred by my cool tone.
“Why do you?” I throw back at him trying to figure out why they’re here.
“I asked first,” he says, staring at me as he waits for an answer.
Maybe it’s my near-death experience, but instead of ignoring him like I have been, I sigh and answer him truthfully. “Because if the Hollow is destroyed, then so is all the trouble that comes along with it.” I tell him before waiting for him to tell me his answer, but he doesn’t.
I finally peek over at him to find him staring at me. “You’re turn,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “It’s a threat to you and what you are. And anything that’s a threat to you needs to fucking go.”
I pause. “What do you—” The rustle of leaves and twigs snapping draws my attention, and I see Finn and his team heading this way.
Shit. “Let’s go,” I tell the others, and we all rush for the tunnel.
Finn and his team finally notice us and curse us to hell and back before making a run for it. But we’re already heading into the tunnel.
Complete darkness blinds me. A hand reaches out to grab me, and because I’m not completely stupid, I don’t shove it away.
“I can’t see a thing,” Knox says, a little to the right of me. “It’s like being in one of Cyrus’ shadows.”
Cyrus chuckles revealing who’s holding my hand.
The ground beneath me shakes and Cyrus’ grip tightens as he yanks me to the left.
The airs whips by as something large slams into the cave.
“What was that?” I ask, a little afraid to hear his reply.
“It’s a moving maze,” Cyrus says.
A moving… Wait. “You can see it?” I ask him.
Cyrus rubs his thumb along my hand. “I’ve lived in the dark most of my life. This is a walk in the park.”
Something about the tone of his voice makes me pause.
“Cyrus—”
“I can’t see the others,” he says, and I feel him slowly turn as if he’s inspecting what’s around us, but he doesn’t let go of my hand. “But it looks like most of the cave structure has changed.”
Fuck my life. Nothing is every easy or straight forward.
My stomach drops when I realize I haven’t heard the others or anyone else for that matter. I immediately open my connection to Knox. “Knox?”
“Sena? Are you okay?” he asks, and relief fills me.
“I’m with Cyrus. He says he can see through the darks but you’re no longer beside us.”
“I think there’s a wall between us,” he says. “Go with Cyrus. He’ll lead you out.”
“I’m not leaving you all here in the dark,” I tell him.
“You worried about me?” he asks, and I hear the shock in his voice.
I sigh. “Just… try to stay where you are, and Cyrus will find you.”
“We’ve trained with Cyrus’ darkness for years. We’ll follow you.”
“How?” I ask
“We’ll figure it out,” he says as if the answer is going to come to him any minute.
I shake my head at his foolish idea before coming up with an actual one myself.
We’re mates. Something I’ve been ignoring for weeks, but it might be useful now.
I open my connection to all of them and keep it open.
“Can anyone sense where I am?” I ask hoping one of them can find me through our bond.
Knox’s husky chuckle slides through me. “Theon can sense your emotions,” he says. “He said he can follow you by focusing on them.”
“Good,” I tell him before squeezing Cyrus hand to get his attention.
“Theon can sense me through my emotions. He’s with the others and they’re going to follow us,” I tell him.
“You opened your connection to us all,” Cyrus says, and I hear the shock in his tone.
I sigh. “I may be fucking pissed at you all. But I don’t want any of you dead,” I tell him.
“Sena…” he starts.
“Let’s just get out of here,” I tell him, and he sighs before pulling me along.
We silently make our way through the tunnel with no issues. But soon enough, the ground shakes once more. A second later, I hear a whoosh just before Cyrus yanks me into him and spins us with a grunt.
“Cyrus? What was that?” I ask as his hands move over me, checking to make sure I’m alright.
“Nothing,” he says but I can hear the pain in his voice. I reach for his bond only to realize he’s blocked me out.
“You’re lying,” I tell him and try to pull away from him, but his grip tightens.
“There must be traps set in place,” he says, and I freeze.
“What was it?” I ask. He lets me go as I reach out to touch him finding his chest before moving up to his neck and face.
“Blades,” he says on a sigh before leaning into my touch. “They must have come from the walls.”
“Where are you hurt?” I ask as I slowly feel over his shoulders and arms for any injuries.
He swallows hard. “I’m fine.”
I feel his body shiver as I slide my hands down his back, but I gasp when my fingers stop on small, sharp blades that are now sticking out of it.
“I’ve missed your touch,” he says as I slowly and gently try to feel how many there are.
Three. Fuck. My fingers slip against the wetness around them.
“Cyrus… you’re bleeding,” I stupidly say in shock as if he doesn’t already know.
“I’m fine,” he says again, like it’s nothing, before sliding his hands around me and pulling me closer.
His hand brushes against my cheek and my body automatically leans into it.
“You’re not…” I tell him but then his lips brush against mine, silencing me.
“I’m fine,” he breathes just before a shout and grunt sounds from somewhere behind us.
Cyrus moves, dragging me away from it immediately.
I blindly follow him, hoping he knows where he’s going before reaching out to Knox.
“Knox? Is everyone okay?”
His answer is almost immediate. “All good. Just having a little fun. We’re right behind you.”
“Knox says they’re fine and right behind us,” I tell Cyrus.
“Good,” he says as he pulls me along. A few minutes of silent darkness pass before I start to see a light.
Just as we’re heading out of the tunnel, something glints off to the side and I move toward it and find all the stars tied with small rope to the cave wall.
I head over and grab my star and feel Cyrus do the same. We head outside and I smile in relief as we finally exit the darkness only to turn to Cyrus and gasp.
The back of his white tee is completely covered in red. And there are two more small blades in the back of his thigh.
“We need to take you to the healing center,” I tell him. “Now.”
Instead, the fucker yanks out the blades like they’re pieces of dirt on his clothes before discarding them to the side.
I rush over to him to put pressure on them, calling him every name I can think of while glaring at him.
Instead of taking my anger seriously, he stares at me like he thinks I’m the cutest thing he’s ever seen.