Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Days passed, and we stayed put.
There was food storage that would last us a long time and a fire to keep us warm from the chill. We could venture farther out, but what would we find? After that sound we’d heard, we had no idea what we were dealing with in this new place.
“I think we should stay,” Mother said. “We have everything we need right here.”
“And what about when the residents return?” Father asked.
We had these family meetings every day, trying to figure out how to survive. We had limited options, so we just went around in circles over and over.
“Maybe they’ll help us,” Mother said. “Clearly, we don’t belong down here.”
“Or maybe they’ll butcher us and eat us,” Father said.
Laurie let out a scream and started to cry.
I gave him a glare. “Don’t say that in front of her.”
He ignored me.
“I think we should try to see what else is out there,” I said. “Maybe there’s a village or something nearby. If not, we’ll just come back here. If there’s no way back, we need to integrate with society. There have to be people just like us down here, other people from Delacroix. All the lottery winners. They’d want to help us.”
“I agree,” Mother said. “They would.”
Dad stayed quiet.
“I can go on my own and report back,” I said.
“I can go too,” Laurie offered, picking up a dagger.
My hand gripped her shoulder. “You need to stay here, kiddo.”
“But I want to help!”
“Who’s going to protect Mom and Dad while I’m gone?” I rubbed my hand up and down her arm, seeing the same bravery I possessed. Must be genetic. “They need you. I’m just going to go for a short walk and see if I can discover any clues. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“Absolutely.” I kneeled and gave her a big hug, squeezing her for the first time in forever.
She hugged me back, her head resting on my shoulder, her arms around my neck.
I gave her a kiss on the cheek and pulled away. “I’ll be back in a couple hours. Sit tight.” I grabbed one of the bags and filled it with water and food in case I needed it, and then I tied the broadsword to my hip—and hoped I didn’t have to use it.
6
RYKER
The ladder never ended. Down, down, down, it went, plunging deeper into darkness. There was no mistake where this path led, because there was only one thing this deep underground. The air became damp and stale, and the heat from the surface quickly disappeared as I traveled deeper into the rock.
I stopped to sleep, but sparingly, because I knew time wasn’t on my side.
If I took too long, there would be nobody to save.
If I found her dead body in the snow, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I wouldn’t be able to return to my luxurious quarters and go about my life like nothing had happened. How could I be with another woman when I knew the last woman I’d been with was dead?
Because of me.
When the ladder stopped, I took a tunnel that spiraled down, and then I reached a flat pathway, ice crystals in the stones around the ceiling, in the roots from vegetation that grew on the exterior of the cliff.
When I finally saw a dot of daylight on the other side, I ran.
I couldn’t bring my horse down here, so I’d had to make the entire trek on foot, which slowed me down, and it would slow me down even more when I emerged from this cave. I didn’t have a map. I didn’t have experience. I didn’t have anything. A lesser man would have turned around a long time ago.
Bravery didn’t fuel my path forward. It wasn’t courage either. Wasn’t even obligation.
Something else entirely.
I stepped directly into the sunlight and got a full view of this new world for the first time. It was covered in snow, the ground white and too bright to stare at. Tall pines extended far into the distance, their green leaves covered with snow. It couldn’t be more different from Delacroix, which had mild winters and blistering summers. Now that I was no longer in the shelter of the cave, vapor escaped my breath and my lungs immediately felt dry.
I didn’t know where to start.
The cables to the platform had been cut, so it should be lying somewhere in the snow near the edge of the cliff. I’d find that first, and if I didn’t see their bodies, I’d keep going south. If they’d survived the fall, they were probably still alive.
Because Effie was tough.
I found the platform.
The cables were hidden under the snow, and I saw no signs of blood or injury. The color would be unmistakable against the white backdrop. All their supplies were gone, so that meant they were well enough to carry everything.