Page 88 of Guardian

35

Logan finally removed the shackles around Winter’s wrists and rose. As much as he needed to take her into his arms and explain to her why he’d had to kill her grandmother, there was no time for it. They had to make it to one of the vortex circles before they were swarming with demon guards. If that happened, his escape plan would be dead on arrival.

“This way,” he said and pointed to the exit Zoltan’s underling had used.

Winter shook her head. “More demons will come from there. I know it.”

He stared at her for a second, then nodded. “Your vision.” He pointed to the tunnel Zoltan had used. “How about that one?”

“Same.” She motioned to the opening at the other side of the cave. “Nobody came from there.”

Logan realized immediately why. “The lava pit.” He exchanged a look with Winter, then took her hand. “We’ll have to be careful.” But they had no choice. It was either navigating their way around the lava pit, or running straight into the arms of more demons.

They walked toward the pit, and Logan could already hear sounds coming from one of the other tunnels. He quickly assessed the ledge around the pit and tested it with one foot. A piece of stone broke off and fell into the bubbling pool of lava, where it instantly turned into liquid.

Winter gasped.

“We’ll make it,” he assured her. “I’ll go first. We’ll walk as closely to the wall as possible. Stay behind me.”

She nodded, but he could see the fear in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he walked forward, one hand gripping the indentations along the wall, the other clasped in Winter’s. Beneath him, he could feel the stone start to give. Eventually the hot lava from beneath it would erode the stone, liquefying it, and making this tunnel inaccessible. But he hoped that day wasn’t today.

Slowly they inched forward toward the tunnel entrance. Four more yards, then three. The ledge got slimmer here, and Logan knew he had to change his approach. He stopped, calculated the risk, and made his decision. He turned his head to look at Winter.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Here’s what I’ll have to do.” Logan pointed to the ledge. “That won’t support the two of us at the same time. I’ll have to go ahead. You need to stay here, hold on to the rock wall for balance. As soon as I’m on the other side, I’m going to help you over.”

He saw her swallow hard. “Oh God.”

“I won’t let you die.”

Winter nodded, her body shaking.

He let go of her hand and moved forward, gingerly setting one foot in front of the other, while trying to take some of his weight off the ledge by holding onto the jagged rock to his left. Two more yards. Three more steps. He set his right foot on the solid surface at the entrance to the tunnel and pushed off. His left leg jerked downward, and he lurched forward, falling into the tunnel. He rolled around and looked back. A piece of the ledge he’d stepped on had fallen into the pit.

His eyes shot to Winter, who clung to the rock wall, her feet still on the ledge, but between them there was now a gap of two yards, a gap too risky for her to jump over. Winter looked at him in utter horror.

“I’m going to get you. Hold on.” He removed his backpack and pulled out a rope with a hook on one end. Quickly, he looked for a solid object to anchor the hook to and found a large boulder only a few yards into the tunnel. He tested the rope, making sure it wouldn’t slip, then returned to the opening of the tunnel, measured the distance between him and Winter with his eyes, and tied the rope around his waist, leaving sufficient length so he could move as much as he needed to.

He stepped to the very edge of the pit and felt the rope behind him tighten, while he leaned forward, his feet braced on the edge of the pit, his body held by the rope. This was as far as he could go.

His gaze connected with Winter’s. “I’m halfway there. It’s only a yard now, Winter. Just reach your arms out and reach for me. I’ll catch you. And I’ll pull us back.”

Cold fear shone from her eyes. Tears brimmed at their rim. “Logan, it won’t hold us both.”

“It will.” It had to. “Trust me, Winter. I’m not going to leave you here. We’re getting out of this place.” He reached out his arms toward her. “Do it.”

He watched as she hesitantly let go of the rock wall and took one more step toward him. She stood at the very edge now.

“Reach your arms out.”

He could see she was shaking, but finally Winter reached her arms out, bridging the distance between them, and he grabbed her and pulled her toward him, just as beneath Winter’s feet more of the ledge crumbled.

He twisted to the side and swung his precious cargo toward the tunnel, releasing her there. Winter rolled onto the ground. With a sigh of relief, Logan pulled himself in along the rope until he had found his balance again. He looked back at the pit, and beyond it, in the cave where Winter had been imprisoned, he saw several demons.