Chapter 147
The air in the tunnels is sweltering, thick with the smell of sulfur and the sharp sting of ash. Every breath burns, and every step is a gamble. The ground beneath us shifts and groans like a living thing, and I can’t shake the feeling that it’s actively working against us.
“Step carefully,” Cora warns, her voice tight. She’s a few feet ahead of me, her sharp blue eyes scanning the uneven path. “The ground here is unstable. If it looks solid, it probably isn’t.”
“Great advice,” I mutter under my breath, glancing nervously at the faint glow of molten rock seeping through cracks in the walls. “A little late, though, don’t you think?”
Cora stops abruptly, turning to glare at me. “This isn’t the time for sarcasm, Phoebe.”
“Well, excuse me for being frustrated,” I snap, stepping around her and taking the lead. The narrow tunnel forces me to hunch, and my palms sting from where they scrape against the jagged rock walls. “Please, feel free to pretend like I’m not here.”
“I’m trying to keep us alive,” she says sharply, following close behind. “If you would just listen—”
I whirl around to face her, my chest heaving. “Maybe I’d listen if you didn’t treat me like I’m completely useless!”
The cavern shakes violently, cutting off whatever retort she had ready. A crack spiderwebs across the ceiling, and chunks of rock rain down around us. I dive to the side, narrowly avoiding a piece the size of my head, and slam into the wall.
“Move!” Cora shouts, grabbing my arm and yanking me forward just as another section of the ceiling collapses behind us. The tunnel fills with dust and the sickening scent of scorched earth.
We stumble into a larger chamber, coughing and choking on the thick air. Pools of boiling water bubble ominously around the edges, the steam rising in ghostly wisps. The faint orange glow of lava reflects off the slick, black walls.
“Are you okay?” Cora asks, her voice laced with genuine concern as she steadies me.
I yank my arm away from her grip, still too frustrated to appreciate her help. “I’m fine.”
She sighs, brushing soot from her ash-blonde hair. “You need to stop rushing ahead. This place is a death trap, and if we’re not careful—”
“I know it’s a death trap!” I snap, gesturing wildly to the boiling pools and unstable walls. “I don’t need you to remind me every five seconds!”
Cora’s jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think she’s going to shout back. But instead, she pinches the bridge of her nose and takes a deep breath. “We can’t afford this,” she says finally, her voice measured. “Arguing won’t get us out of here.”
“Neither will treating me like a child who needs babysitting,” I shoot back, but my voice lacks the venom from before.
She hesitates, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Fine,” she says after a moment. “You want to take point? Go ahead. But if you make a bad call, we both pay the price.”
The weight of her words settles over me like a stone. I glance at the chamber ahead, the path winding precariously close to the pools of boiling water. The heat radiating from them is intense, and the air shimmers with it.
“Great,” I mutter, swallowing my nerves as I start forward. My footsteps are cautious, my eyes scanning every inch of the ground. The last thing I need is to step on a weak spot and end up in one of those pools.
Cora follows in silence, her presence behind me both reassuring and irritating. I can feel her watching me, probably waiting for me to mess up. The thought makes my blood boil almost as much as the water.
As we near the edge of the chamber, a faint rumbling echoes through the space. I freeze, my heart pounding. “What was that?”
Cora’s hand lands on my shoulder, steadying me. “Keep moving,” she says, her voice low. “Slowly.”
I nod, taking another careful step forward. The rumbling grows louder, and the ground beneath us trembles. I glance back at her. “This feels like a really bad idea.”
“Just stay focused,” she replies, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. “The tunnel narrows again just past those rocks. If we can make it there—”
The ground erupts beneath us with a deafening crack, and a geyser of boiling water shoots into the air. I dive to the side, hitting the ground hard, as scalding droplets rain down around us.
“Phoebe!” Cora’s voice cuts through the chaos, sharp with worry.
“I’m fine!” I shout back, scrambling to my feet. My skin burns where the water hit me, but the pain is manageable. I glance around, my heart racing. The geyser has subsided, but the ground is steaming and hissing ominously.
Cora moves quickly to my side, her face pale but determined. “We need to move, now.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” I mutter, my voice shaky as we make our way around the steaming ground. My legs feel like lead, every step heavier than the last.
The tunnel ahead is narrow, the entrance barely wide enough for us to squeeze through. I glance back at Cora. “You first.”
She arches a brow. “You’re giving me control?”
“Just go,” I snap, gesturing impatiently.
She doesn’t argue. She slides through the narrow opening with surprising ease, and I follow close behind. The air in the tunnel is cooler, the sounds of the boiling pools fading behind us. For the first time in what feels like hours, I feel like I can breathe.
Cora stops ahead, turning to look at me. Her expression is unreadable, but there’s a hint of something softer in her eyes. “You did well back there.”
I blink, caught off guard. “Thanks… I guess.”
Her lips twitch, almost like she’s fighting a smile. “It’s a start.”
The sound of falling rocks precedes heavy, wet footsteps. We turn to find a large, non-humanoid shape rising above us.
Cora gasps, “Oh…gods!”
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