Feel the Burn (18 page)

Staring both at and beyond him, her eyes no longer showed red or green, but fully black.

‘Centaur,’ snarled an archaic voice from her lips. ‘More come. It is time to leave.’

He bowed, feeling every single hair on his hide and the feathering on his legs, stiffen.

*~*~*

Chapter Twelve

My head spun unpleasantly and when the red shade left them I found, to my astonishment, Belsesus bowed low before me. Blinking in confusion I turned and looked up the hillside. Black smoking mounds dotted the razed land, not a bush or tree to be seen, all burned to the ground.

‘Oh god,’ I said my stomach turning when I realized what the smoking mounds marked. ‘Is that the urotho?’

Belsesus straightened and I twisted to look at him but pulled back in shock when he flinched as our eyes met.

‘Belsesus?’

The centaur’s ears flicked back like threatened, his brown forelock stiffening and I jerked around to check behind.

‘What is it? Can you see something?’

He regarded me for a long moment, the look unnerving like I was something dangerous and unknown.

Oops, I guess when I let loose it’s scary.

Do you need much more evidence, my rational voice snapped when I glanced up the torched hill.

‘We need to leave,’ Belsesus said in a weird tone. ‘More are coming.’

‘How can you tell?’ I asked, using his proffered elbow to scramble up. He didn’t answer, checking the saddle bag ties, tugging on the strap that held it to the saddle.

‘I just can. Now hold tight, this’ll be rough.’

Yet again I wished for something tangible to cling to while on centaur back when Belsesus plunged over the edge. Even leaning back as far as possible and hanging on grimly with my thighs, I still needed to rouse a little energy to keep my seat.

Rough is an understatement, I thought while my teeth chattered and I clamped my mouth tight before I accidentally bit my tongue off. My head bounced off Belsesus’ back as I kept up the punishing ninety degree angle, the rattling so hard I couldn’t tell how far we had to go.

Bloody hell! And I thought off-roading with Sian was rough.

The shingle fan started to move with us, burying Belsesus’ legs knee deep and he half waded half jumped his way through. All around us a metallic, heavy pouring sound filled the air while rocks of all sizes flowed past. Dust filled the air and we both coughed, the arid clouds stinging my eyes. Blinking rapidly I could see the valley floor fast approaching. Gritting my teeth still, I braced my strength and started to push up to sitting, preparing for the inevitable. The heavy blow when we finally hit horizontal nearly caused Belsesus to collapse, his knees buckling at first before he gathered his strength and started across the riverbed.

Cat!
Loi’s alarmed voice broke into my rattled mind.
I need you here, NOW! The ceiling is collapsing!

Coughing still, I tried to speak and croaked out, ‘We need to hurry!’

I couldn’t manage any more and leaned forward when Belsesus broke into a gallop, arms bent and tucked at his sides and he leaned too, hooves pounding the rocks beneath. We headed for the other side of the valley, covering a good distance in little time when Belsesus muttered something and stopped.

Cat! Get inside now!

‘Belsesus! Is there far to go?’ I yelped the words when an image of Loi from Sian’s link showed in my mind. She stood with her arms stretched high and head twisted, looking behind for something—presumably us—while chunks of rock dropped around her.

‘No. We’re here.’

I sat straight, surprised, and peered around then shook my head when my vision appeared to go double and the rocks before my eyes swam. It took a moment for my brain to register what I looked at.

‘An optical illusion,’ I breathed, awestruck and Belsesus stepped behind the wall of stones that concealed the entrance. The wall matched the exact line of the stones on the valley floor so it appeared flat until you stood beside it. We trotted in and the sudden darkness caused Belsesus to pause. I lit a hand and held it high.

‘WHOA.”

We stood in an enormous cavern and my voice bounced of the sides. At the center stood Loi, her energy glowing bright while she held the ceiling. The loud CRACK when a piece of stone smashed down near us spurred Belsesus into action, at the same time Loi screamed.

‘RUN!’

His hooves clattered across the stone floor and we raced toward the others who watched from an archway beyond this chamber. We flashed past Loi and I focused inward again, searching for Loi’s life flame and wrapped my energy around it, swelling a soft healing light into it to give her more strength.

It wasn’t like lifting Tomiar, or even Sito. The whole ceiling of shattered rock trembled under the spread of energy she pressed against it but occasional pieces of stone dropped from the outer section and smashed to the cavern floor. Loi squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the ceiling, trying to get it stable.

Leave, earth one.

Your friends are through to the next chamber, leave.

At this depth the plants’ voices sounded quieter and Loi felt a moment of panic, then Cat’s red energy synched with hers and the murmurs filled her mind again. Her friend’s energy gave her the extra strength she needed and Loi thickened the shield then started to walk briskly toward the next chamber, mind focused. A vicious snarl echoed in the chamber and Loi twisted to look back then gasped. A strange creature with many legs scuttled across the floor toward her, snarling again. The scant light from the cavern’s entrance showed a crown of horns and alarmingly large canines as it swiftly covered the space between them.

Rocks tumbled down at the start of the cavern, blocking the light and Loi shrieked when the creature vanished in the dark. She started running in the direction of where the others waited.

‘Cat, LIGHT!’

The surge of energy Cat threw out to light the cavern rang in Sian’s head, as did Loi’s energy, still clinging in place.

‘Let go of the shield!’ Sian yelled while Sabyn and Gredel stood on either side of her, tense and ready to lunge. Loi wore a deep frown and sprinted toward them, arms pumping, the light from Cat flashing off her chainmail. Sian could sense the change in her energy then the ceiling started to collapse, beginning at the entrance. A hail of boulders crushed a group of ugly yeti like creatures trying to enter. The weird snarly crab thing yelped now, scrabbling across the cavern after Loi while she continued to release her hold on the rocks above. The saber-toothed crab lunged for Loi at the same time as Sabyn and Gredel. The men beat it by a mere second, snatching Loi in and a rock slammed down on the creature, crushing it. Sian heard a tiny whimper then a massive, deafening roar and the rest of the ceiling caved in. Coughing and choking they all backed up, moving away from the archway as rocks poured in, blocking it. A hand latched onto her arm, leading the way and she didn’t recognize Daron until he spoke.

‘A little further, watch your step, there’s a ledge.’

She stumbled over the ledge and he held her firm, guiding her along. The air cleared the further back they got and she noticed light when she blinked with watery eyes, stinging from the dust. Her ears still rang from the sound of the cave-in and now and then the occasional loud heavy thud rang out, sending tremors through the floor. Still blinking Sian saw that the light came from lamps that the General Guards carried, short stout things with a wide circular band as the base, wide enough for a handle to slot in and convert it to a torch in the way several of the soldiers held theirs while they peered at the filled-in entrance.

‘Is there another way out?’ ventured one of the soldiers.

‘Yes,’ Loi said firmly, much to everyone’s evident relief and the somber tone lifted. Sian gave Daron’s hand a squeeze and ducked away, eyes searching in the darkness.

‘Sito,’
she thought while anxiety threatened.
‘Where are you?’

How could it possibly be difficult to spot my giant of a dragon, she thought her eyes straining for a glimpse of tan scales.

‘Here, friend.’

Tucked into what appeared an impossibly small alcove Sito stared down at Sian, his beautiful brown eyes glinting in the torchlight. The dragon’s long tail hung over the ledge and coiled on the cave floor, partially hidden beneath Kerak who spread himself across it, chin resting on a thick section.

That can’t be comfortable, Sian thought in amusement and relief but she didn’t comment; both creatures looked content.

‘Whatcha doing up there?’
she thought to the dragon and stepped carefully around Kerak, patting his beak on the way. It was the only part of the griffon not covered in armor and received a loud purr that reverberated beneath the metal.

‘Feels like home,’
came Sito’s happy reply.

Not any home I want to live in, Sian thought, stopping to have a proper look around. The cool air in the cavern made her shiver and the low ceiling meant Sito stooped to get into it. That evidently didn’t concern him, looking at the crevice he now occupied.

The sense of relief at seeing those hideous creatures disappear, fast vanished. Kassie shook, unsure whether the cold or the fear caused it. For her first time—ever—in a cave, with a cave-in to boot and it all happening so fast! Kassie’s mind boggled at the sudden adjustments and the tremors within her body refused to settle down.

‘W-w-e-e ca-ca-can g-get out?’ she demanded again to Loi.

‘Don’t panic, Kass. I can get us out,’ Loi smiled tiredly then allowed Sabyn to lead her away.

Nobody around Kassie seemed concerned. The soldiers and allies all moved determinedly around the stone chamber, setting up bed rolls and checking all the nooks and crannies along with Nesha, Loushka, Phroma, and Tomiar. Kerak looked happy curled up on Sito’s coiled tail and even Rumal looked unconcerned while he spoke with Rashid and Larvaste. Snapping her fingers in irritation, both at everyone’s lack of concern for this dire situation and at her cursed bodily reaction, Kassie stalked over to where the bag she’d packed sat and rummaged through it for her jersey. Taking the chainmail suit off wasn’t an option, not until sleep, and she shrugged into the soft oversized garment. It didn’t offer the same sense of comfort through the chainmail, but it would do for the moment. The deliberate action helped to calm the shaking somewhat. Kassie glanced at Kerak and watching her footing, avoiding the smaller unobtrusive stalagmites, she made her way to the griffon, climbing into the curl of his body, tucked against Sito’s long tail.

‘How you doing?’
she thought to the griffon.

‘Okay. Pleased we’re off the ship.’

‘I don’t know,’
Kassie thought.
‘I think I preferred the ship. I don’t like not seeing the sky.’

Kerak lifted his head off Sito’s tail and regarded her in surprise, eyes wide through the slots of his helm.

‘Are you scared, Kass?’

‘It’s not all that weird,’
she thought grouchily, not wanting to acknowledge the twist of fear in her gut at the awful panic that kept threatening.
‘I am the air elemental.’