Fire and Ice (32 page)

Adrius dismounted and placed his hand on the skittish unicorn's head. He whispered something I couldn't understand in Elvish, and the animal immediately settled.

“You okay?” he asked, offering his hand — his expression two-parts concern, one part amusement.

“I'm fine,” I snapped, getting up without the aid of his outstretched hand. “It's not like that's the first time I've been thrown by a unicorn. I'm used to it,” I muttered, dusting my clothes.

Everything had gone eerily still and quiet as though frozen in fear. A sharp wind tugged my hair. My head whipped around toward the tunnel, responding to a silent voice calling my name.

“Lorelei, wait!” I heard Adrius shout. But it was too late. I was already inside, engulfed by the blinding darkness. I heard him sigh, followed by the rasping of metal as he followed.

The moment we entered, I knew it was a mistake. We were in a dark, dank cave filled with tepid knee-high water that reeked of spoiled meat and rust. But it wasn't only the environment that had creepy chills crawling across my skin. Something evil was lurking here, I could sense it… a shadow, waiting for us. But what choice did we have, it was go in or go back. And there was no going back. Who or whatever was in there had Tilak. And I couldn't let him die. Not after he'd risked so much to help us.

Adrius stepped forward, into the belly of the cave, and with a deep breath I followed, dreading what lie ahead. We had only been walking a short while before we heard the sound of splashing behind us. There was something coming and as it slammed against the walls rattling the stone, I knew it was something big.
Everything
in the Nevermore was big.

In the middle of the sweltering cave, Adrius stopped. I wasn't sure why, but it was obvious a second later as a massive creature sprang from the water in front of us. I screamed, with no attempt to stop myself. It was a beast too terrifying for description. Like a monstrous squid with teeth, bearing down on us. Up until now, monsters had only existed in nightmares and horror movies. Here they were real. They were flesh and blood and deadly real.

A wave of foul water splashed in my eyes, temporarily blinding me with the acidic liquid. When I could finally see, what I saw made my blood run cold. One tentacle curled around Adrius, locking him in its grip.

“Lorelei, run!” he shouted as the creature thrashed him against the wall of the cave.

Common sense told me to listen, to get out as fast as I could. But then what? Leave him there alone with this blood-thirsty monster? How long could I keep running away? At some point I had to stand and fight. If the life of someone I loved wasn't worth dying for then what was? A strange determination pulsed through me.

“Go, Lorelei!”

“No!” I shouted into the darkness, surprised by the strength in my voice. I searched wildly, for something, anything that might be of use. Then almost as if someone had whispered it in my ear, I remembered the bottle of liquid pain in my pack that Hawthrin had given to Adrius. I uncorked the tiny vile of lime green liquid, wading cautiously toward the beast.

“Hey,” I called out, my voice shouting back at me in an echo.

The creature changed direction, and splashed toward me, its wide open mouth filled with cracked, dagger-like teeth. Ducking the whipping tentacles, I waded as close as I could without getting caught in its suction-like grip.

Adrius watched from high above, he had almost managed to free his sword.

I needed the creature to be still with my terrible aim. If I missed, Adrius and I would both be dead.

Adrius yanked his sword free and sliced through the tentacle arm with the glowing blade. The creature let out a shriek, and sunk closer to the ground. It lashed out, pinning Adrius against the wall with one thorn-tipped tentacle and knocking his sword away with another. I heard him groan as the thorn pierced his side, nailing him in place.

I cried out in pain, feeling everything he felt. Withdrawing my sword, I waded toward the beast as purple smoke curled around my arm. I slashed at the tentacle holding Adrius in place. The blade sliced clean through before another tentacle flew at me. The impact sent my sword flying into the dark waters. Jarred, I stumbled backward but managed to regain my footing. It came toward me with its mouth gaping wide, slimy strings of mucus dripped from massive canines, sizzling as they hit the water. For a cold, heart-stopping second, I worried what would happen if I missed. Taking the bottle, I aimed for the creature's mouth, hurling it with all my strength through the air. It hit its mark, and the giant squid let out an agonizing wail, releasing its hold on Adrius. I trudged through the rising water and pulled him up.

“Thanks…”He exhaled, shaking the water from his hair. “…but you have to stop risking your life for me.”

“Not a chance,” I said, wrapping his arm around my neck to support some of his weight. Even though it was dark, I could tell he was still bleeding. Fortunately, the putrid, coppery scent blended with other more offensive odors, making it impossible for me to feel queasier than I all ready did.

“It's your life that matters, Lorelei. You have to keep yourself alive, and not only for me.” His tone was grave. “And if that means I give my life for you, then so be it.”

“I get how important this is, but if you still expect me to let you die…” I was panting too heavily to finish. Wading through water and holding him up was next to impossible.

“I can walk,” he insisted, but I heard him groan when he unhooked his arm from my neck.

He grabbed my hand before I could argue.

“Come on, we don't have much time before the potion wears off,” he said.

From the darkness came a soft moan. As we moved closer, a head bobbed above the surface of the water.

“Tilak!”

Adrius grabbed him and we moved steadily in the opposite direction. Here, the water reached knee level on Adrius, and even higher on me. Any deeper and we might not make it out, since none of us were in any shape to swim.

“It's not much farther,” Adrius called.

No sooner had he uttered those words than I heard a splash. And then another. The creature had regained its strength and came after us again, sending waves of dark water crashing over us. We waded hand in hand, Adrius with Tilak slung over his shoulder, through the darkness of the cave, aware of nothing but the urgent need to survive.

As we rounded a bend, a massive flailing tentacle struck us, sending us reeling into the water.

Tilak sprang to his feet, diving out of the way as a tentacle swatted at him.

I felt the sting as I slammed into the stone wall, my head knocking against the rock. Something held me in place. And a deep burning sensation spread through my side.

Adrius broke swiftly through the surface and swam to me and for a slight moment there was a flicker of panic in his eyes.

“Hold still, this is going to hurt,” he said, and before I could respond he yanked the thorn pinning me to the wall and caught me as I fell. I cried out, but my voice was muffled beneath the sound of thrashing water.

“Go Tilak, I've got her,” he ordered. Grabbing me around the waist, he lifted me into his arms. My head was throbbing, I felt nauseous and confused. Water seeped into my nose, obscuring the stench of blood and decay, burning my sinuses.

The Kraken followed close behind as we raced through the water filled tunnel.

A deep sounding voice began to hurl insults and threats. Was the creature
talking
…? When I forced my eyes opened, it wasn't the monster, but something equally as frightening, skittering across the ceiling of the cave — a Redcap? Make that three Redcaps. As if one deadly creature trying to kill us wasn't enough.

Up ahead, a glimmer of daylight meant we were approaching the mouth of the cave, and as we got closer, the stagnant water receded, pulled in a reverse tide back into the cave. We heard splashes close behind us.

“Give up, elf. You cannot win. I will have the half breed,” it hissed. “I will feed her soul to the Ice Witch and cast her remains to the trolls. And you will wish for death before it is through.”

Adrius gave a bitter laugh. “Like that's something I've never wished for,” he muttered under his breath.

At the mouth of the cave he placed me gently on my feet and freed his sword. Closing his eyes, he uttered a string of Elvish phrases that I couldn't understand. With a great heave he struck the sword into the wall of the cave. The ground began to quake, and I stumbled backward. Instantly the side of the mountain came crashing down in a cloud of rubble and dust, sealing the mouth of the cave, and the wailing cries, within it.

I collapsed on the ground, waiting for the familiar aftershock to leave me shaky and breathless, but instead exhilaration heightened and intensified my senses making me feel hyper-alive. Even the bed of pine needles beneath me was strangely soft, their fragrance intoxicating.

Adrius sheathed his sword and ran to my side.

“Where's Tilak?” I gasped, looking around.

“He escaped. He's fine. Still hiding somewhere no doubt,” he said, casting a quick glance around. He gently caressed my forehead, his hands trailing down my neck. I felt an electric shiver. A worried frown creased his face as he examined my wounds. He tore off a piece of his shirt, to gently blot the small gash on my head, but then his hand froze when his gaze dropped to the puncture wound on my side. An anguished frown shadowed his face.

I reached up and touched his cheek, wanting to soothe away his torment. “I'll be fine,” I said between staggered breaths. The healing had already begun. “You on the other hand… ” I pushed myself up and looked at him.

“Take off your shirt.”

He stared at me blankly.

“I have to be able to touch the wound if I'm going to heal it,” I said, sounding rather doctor-like.

He gave me a strange look, but obediently removed his shirt.

I stifled a gasp. He really was beautiful. Easing onto my knees, I leaned over him, letting my fingertips trail down the length of his chest to the gaping slash torn open by the Kraken.

“Hold still,” I instructed, taking a deep breath that made my own injuries ache.

His skin felt warm beneath my touch and I had to fight to keep my concentration. I let the familiar energy expand inside me, traveling from my heart, up and out through my hands. His body tingled. It was as if I could actually feel the cells regenerating. That was something new. A minute later, I opened my eyes and his wound had healed. The area was still red and bruised, but the nasty gash had closed. “There,” I said, not wanting to pull my hands away.

He searched my face, with amazement and wonder. When he didn't say anything, I was a little concerned.

“Does it feel better?” My voice came out in a whisper.

He didn't speak, but he leaned toward me and paused agonizingly out of reach. I slanted in the rest of the way, closing the distance until our lips met. The electric jolt was barely noticeable under the pulsing rush of adrenaline. His kiss began with a delicate brush but the pressure and intensity quickly amplified. The firmness of his muscles and chest contrasted the soft fullness of his mouth moving against mine.

I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck and laced my fingers in the damp waves of his hair, pulling him closer. A deep moan escaped from his lips, as he leaned back into the grass drawing me down on top of him. I lifted my head to gaze at him.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” I whispered, tracing the lines of his face with my fingertip.

“I know how lucky I am,” he replied softly, pressing my fingers to his lips and kissing each one in turn. He placed both of his hands gently on my face. “Although I never dreamed I'd be this lucky.”

There was a trace of doubt in his eyes, before he slowly pulled my mouth to his. His hands perused the curve of my spine, and I whimpered. Then he rolled over with me in is his embrace and I felt the damp coolness of the grass against my back.

“Lorelei.” His voice was throaty and ragged. “Do you think this is a good idea?”

“I love you, Adrius. You're the only one… you'll always be the only one.” I tried to kiss him again, but he held back.

A flicker of seriousness came to his eyes. “I love you too,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “More than you can ever imagine. But we can't do this. There's still…”

“…Still what?” I buried my hands in his hair. All I wanted was him… And then more of him. Arching upwards, I placed a trail of tiny kisses along his throat, working my way along the square of his jaw before finding his lips once more. He moaned in defeat, sliding his hand down the length of my thigh, pausing under my knee. He cupped my leg, wrapping it around his hip. I gasped, feeling a shiver. For a moment it seemed like he might be reconsidering.

“What,” he murmured between kisses, “is the sudden rush?” His lips moved against the hollow of my throat. “Would you tell me?”

It was almost impossible to concentrate as he continued to pepper me with tiny delicious kisses.

“Waiting just seems so… unnecessary.— Considering.”

“Considering?” He stopped, pulling back a little and I almost cried out in protest.

Considering we had almost died nearly a dozen times so far. Considering I already belonged to him, heart and soul. Considering the chances we would survive this were extremely slim.
I kissed him again, this time with an urgency that couldn't be ignored.

“Mmm.” He sighed. It sounded like I was making progress.

“…Ready to reconsider?” I whispered.

Suddenly, he pushed himself away, rolling onto his back next to me. Breathing hard, he stared at the sky.

“Why must I be the only one with any control? I'm not made of steel. Even I could lose it.” His tone was serious and he seemed to be battling an inner war.

“
This
… it would be a bad idea, Lorelei.”