15. Talia

Chapter 15

Talia

A t the end of the work day, as we trudged back to our small room, I noted a change in the guards, with only one lizard in the front and a second in the back. Not the full force like usual.

While we’d worked, Firion had carefully shared Brax's news. The dignitary's visit was pulling guards away from the mine. This was our chance.

Firion and I exchanged a charged look as we were locked inside our cell. We sat on the bunk together and other guards delivered our tray. As before, the stone god in the wall fed us something better, but it was all I could do to eat. My hands shook as I picked up my food, adrenaline pumping through me, making me nervous.

I'm coming, Maggie, I kept thinking. Soon, we'll be back together. After that . . . My gaze sought Firion's. My future was with this male, and my sister could come with us no matter where we roamed.

We ate quickly, whispering about our plan. Firion's protective gaze never left me, and the hope swelling within me made it nearly impossible to think. Fear had become a constant in my life, but soon, that would be over. Firion would make sure I never had to be afraid again. He was my rock, my protector, and I knew that together, we could make it through this.

Brax ate as well, watching us from his cell across from ours.

After we'd gotten rid of our tray, we sat again, saying nothing. I wanted to hold Firion's hand, but other Veerenads would see. The three who'd stared at me today knew I was female, as did Brax, but I didn't dare show the others that it could be true.

At least the three hadn’t appeared to squeal to the guards. Once they did, the guards would probably take me. The three must know they’d never get near me after that.

Finally, the lights went out.

Firion’s hand sought mine, and he linked our fingers, squeezing comfort.

As we waited in the darkness, my heart pounded and sweat trickled down my spine. I could sense Firion's tension as well, his body coiled and ready to spring into action. The belief that we might finally escape this nightmarish place had been growing inside me all afternoon, fueling my determination to keep my spirits high.

Over the past few days, Firion had become so much more than just a fellow captive. The bond we'd formed had deepened, and I found myself falling for him. Despite his alien appearance, he was kind, brave, and fiercely protective. The thought of finding Maggie and then planning a future with him filled me with joy and hope.

But that joy was tainted by the constant worry that gnawed at my soul. What if our plan failed? What if we were caught and punished, or worse, separated? The lizard guards had shown us no mercy so far. They definitely wouldn’t if we tried to escape.

As the minutes ticked by, my anxiety grew. Firion's soft, even breathing was the only thing keeping me from leaping up and pacing. How he could keep control of himself was beyond me. He must feel as anxious as me.

Scooting closer on the bunk, I leaned into him, taking in his warmth and strength.

Finally, a faint sound caught my attention. We rose and quietly went to the door of our cell, finding Brax standing at his own. With an almost feral grin, he lifted a pryer he must've stolen today in the mine. How? They counted them, watched to make sure each of us turned ours in.

The distracted guards. This truly was our best chance.

Brax began to quietly work on the lock on his door. Even as he struggled, his soft grunts ringing out, I couldn't hold back my excitement. My feet danced on the floor, and I ground my teeth together to keep from shouting at him to go faster. The thought of leaving this hellish place and starting a new chapter with Firion was the only thing keeping me going.

Firion's teal eyes gleamed in the dim light. We exchanged a silent nod, a promise that we would face whatever lay ahead with each other.

Finally, a satisfying click rang out. Brax creaked open his door and crept into the hallway, staring wildly up and down both sides.

Other prisoners rushed to the doors of their cells and called out for him to release them as well. Their raised voices echoed in the narrow space.

But it was the sharp gazes of the three Veerenads who'd whispered about me today that sent fear bolting through me. They’d been placed in a cell a few down from Brax’s. One of them took a piece of metal and started banging on the bars.

Brax snarled. He raced to our cell and began to work on our lock.

My heart beat so fast, it was going to slam its way through my chest. Freedom was close, but the three Veerenads were determined to ruin this opportunity.

The door at the end of the hall banged open, and guards stormed toward Brax. Snarling, he kicked out and punched those rushing him, his tail smacking one of them into the front of our cell. His punch sent a guard reeling backward. But there were too many of them. En masse, they tackled him to the stone floor in a pile of limbs. A blow to Brax's head made him slump, and when they climbed off him, breathing fast, he lay slumped on the stone, his head lolling back and his blank stare pointed to the ceiling. Unconscious?

Or dead.

The guards snarled at all of us, and we slunk to the bunk, sitting. They dragged Brax into his cell and locked it again, taking the pryer with them. The door banged shut at the end of the hall, and quiet descended once more.

So close.

As if someone had plunged their fist into my chest, latched onto my heart, and crushed it, I slumped against the wall. The defeat I felt . . .

What were we going to do now? Tears prickled in the backs of my eyes, but I did not allow myself to cry. One step forward, followed by two back, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t rush forward again.

Firion squeezed my hand, but he didn’t speak. If I knew my mate, he was thinking, planning, plotting. This was not the end. We were getting out of here no matter what.

Firion’s jaw was set with determination as he turned and pressed his palm against the cold stone wall. I watched, barely breathing, as he closed his eyes and began humming, the tones soft and altering in pitch. Each subtle sound seemed to ripple through the rock, vibrating in my bones, stirring something ancient and powerful. I didn’t know if this was a true god—how could it be? –but what I did know was that there was a force at work here that wanted to help us.

The only sound in our cell was Firion’s deep humming, but I could feel the weight of anticipation barreling down on me, mingling with the terror I’d become used to living with. If this didn’t work . . . I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on his voice to drown out the whispers of doubt nipping at my confidence. A bead of sweat trickled down my face, leaving me shivering in its wake.

Firion’s brow furrowed in concentration, and his body went rigid, as if the mere act of speaking to the stone god required every bit of his attention.

Then he stopped.

Silence settled, thick and heavy in the frigid room.

Across the hall, Brax’s shadow remained on the floor. Was he alive or had they murdered our friend?

Firion’s eyes fluttered open, and he nodded toward me. He shifted around to face forward again, his expression guarded. My stomach twisted, but I forced myself to meet his gaze.

“Watch and wait,” he whispered, his voice low and measured. “I think something’s going to happen, though I don’t know what.”

I wanted to believe him. Needed to believe him. This could be our only chance.

Brax shifted on the floor, and his low moan rang out. Alive. We had to help him. Guilt gnawed on my bones. He got injured trying to help us escape. I assumed he’d planned to go with us, but would he have tried if we weren’t here?

A low thud rang out behind me, and I spun, my pulse hammering through my veins.

A metal key lay on the bunk, a key that hadn’t been there seconds ago. My breath caught, relief mingling with disbelief. It had worked. The stone god had answered .

Adrenaline shot through me. I grabbed the key in trembling hands, turning to Firion. He gave me a sharp nod, not needing to say a word.

Together, we moved to the front of the cell. My heart thundered and when we stood by the door, I handed Firion the key. The silence was deafening, the tension a force pressing down on my shoulders as he inserted it into the lock. For one terrifying second, time stretched on forever.

With a faint click, the lock released.

A gasp escaped my lips, and I pressed my palm to my mouth to hold my excitement back. This could be our new beginning or our doom.

Without wasting a second, Firion swung the door open. The whispers of the other prisoners immediately filled the hallway. They surged forward, hands outstretched, some clawing at the bars of their cells. Their muted cries were filled with desperation. Had anyone ever escaped this mine?

“Please,” one of them hissed, his eyes wild, his clawed hand stretched through the bars. “Give us the key. Don’t leave us here.”

Firion hesitated, his eyes flitting to me. My heart ached for them, but I knew the odds. One misstep, and we’d all be caught.

“We’ll help those we can,” I whispered. “But we need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

We rushed to Brax’s cell. My skin crawled with terror as Firion slid the key into the lock. I kept watch, waiting for the door at the end of the hall to slam open and for guards to rush through. For the three to realize what was happening and start banging on the bars.

The guards would slam us to the floor like they had with Brax, and I wasn’t confident we’d survive their attack.

It was all I could do to keep from letting panic take hold.

With a groan, the cell door swung open. Brax still lay on the stone, but his tail shifted, rising to slap back down on the floor.

Firion crouched next to him, shaking his shoulder. “Brax, come on. We’re getting out of here.”

Brax stirred, groaning as he blinked up at Firion. His hand moved to his head, touching a swollen spot where one of the guards had hit him. His fingers trembled as he pushed himself up to sit and stand, his legs unsteady beneath him. His tail plunged to the floor and stayed there to give him better balance.

“Which way?” Firion hissed.

“Go out through the other door. Take the stairs to the bottom,” Brax said.

Stepping into the hallway, Firion guided Brax with careful movements, and I shadowed them, my senses sharp for any sign of danger.

The metal key felt warm and heavy in my hand. I glanced back at the other prisoners, their eyes begging, their hands clawing through the bars as they whispered, “Please, don’t leave us here.”

We were only partway down the hall when Brax stopped. He braced himself on a cell and turned back. “ I’m not leaving.” The strength in his voice stunned me. Not long ago, I thought he was dead. Now he looked ready to take on all the guards at once and come up the victor.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Firion said.

“You two go.” Brax held out his hand for the key, and I gave it to him. “I'm releasing the others, and we're taking over the mine. Only then will I find revenge for them killing my mate.”

“I'll help you,” Firion said grimly. This was our out. We could leave, but like Firion, I would stay and fight if it would help the others. They didn’t deserve this any more than us.

The three who'd notified the guards could remain in their cells, but the others deserved a chance to escape or make things better.

Brax braced Firion's shoulders and stared into his eyes. “You need to leave and take your mate with you. I’ll handle this.”

“How?” Firion asked. “You can’t do it alone.”

“I won’t be alone.” Brax’s gaze swept down the hall. “I have friends here, and I have a plan.” Brax's lips peeled back in a smile when he looked my way. “One day, I’ll find a new mate, and when I do, I will protect and love her as much as Firion does you.”

“We want to help you,” I said.

He shook his head. “Go. I ask this of you with my whole heart. This is for me and my friends to handle, not a Zuldruxian and his fragile mate. ”

“I'm stronger than I look,” I said. Strong for a human. Compared to a Veerenad? I could see his point.

“I'm sure you are.” He flashed me another smile. “But I ask you to do this for me instead. Leave. Find safety. Live a long, happy life together.”

“Alright,” Firion said as the clamber rose around us. The three were banging on their metal door again and the guards would arrive in seconds.

“That way.” Brax tilted his head to the opposite side of the hall. “When you reach the large cavern, take the passage on the far right. It leads to the processing center where you should find a way out into the desert. Be safe my friends. Be well.” A bellow rose up his throat, and he raced down the hall and started releasing the other prisoners.

We’d opened the door and had started down the stairwell when cries erupted behind us. A glance back showed only a few guards streaming into the hallway. Were the others detained with the dignitary?

Brax and the other prisoners met up with them, quickly overwhelming the guards.

With a wave to us, Brax and his friends rushed through the other door and into the center of the mining operation.