17. Talia

Chapter 17

Talia

A s we moved deeper into the passage, the walls closed in. My breath quickened, and a spike of fear shot through me. I could handle a lot, I had handled a lot, but narrow spaces never failed to send terror clawing through my mind. The tunnel seemed to squeeze around us, the shadows from the stone walls pressing in on all sides. Each step became an ordeal. It was all I could do to resist the urge to flee back the way we’d come.

For days, I’d found a way through this, but now when it was vital that we remain quiet, that we move quickly through the passage, I could barely breathe or think.

We stooped lower as the ceiling descended, forcing us to almost drop to our hands and knees to avoid hitting our heads. The tight space grew smaller, strangling my wind in my throat. My heart thumped in my chest, echoing in my ears. Each breath I took seemed to bounce back at me, growing louder, quicker, as panic tried to carry me away. My world shrank to the press of stone on all sides, and an all-encompassing fear gripped my limbs, freezing me in place.

I stopped, unable to go any farther. I couldn't make myself move. The memory of every tight, suffocating space I'd ever encountered rose to choke me. My pulse hammered in my throat, blocking out everything except the terror spiraling inside me. My hands trembled as I pressed them against the cold stone, the solid rock giving me no comfort. It only reminded me of how trapped I was.

Firion stopped with me, his gaze protective and unwavering in the dim light. He didn't speak. He didn't have to. The closeness of the tunnel echoed every sound, and the fear of being caught by the guards weighed on us both. But when he opened his arms, offering the sanctuary I so desperately needed, I collapsed into him. He dropped to the floor, and I cuddled against his firm chest. He seemed to suck in the quakes of my body, and the strength radiating from him helped anchor me, even as my fear kept spiraling inside me.

His warmth seeped through my clothes and into my bones. The reassurance of his touch bled into my scattered thoughts, pulling me from the brink of a full-blown panic attack. His arms remained secure around me, his grip just right, reminding me I wasn’t alone.

I screwed my eyes shut and pressed my forehead against his chest, focusing on his even breathing. The steady thrum of his heart. He wouldn’t let anything harm me. Firion was my lifeline, my protector. The stone couldn’t break me as long as he held me. With the rhythm of his heartbeat steady and solid in my ears, I gathered my courage, bunching it into something I could cling to when we started moving again.

We stayed like that for moments that stretched on until the shakes wracking my body started to slow. The suffocating feeling of the passage lurked on the edges of my mind, but with Firion's solid presence, I could draw in a steady breath. We needed to move, needed to keep our focus on escape, but I’d take these few seconds to find the calm I desperately needed.

Firion's hand slowly moved up to my nape, and his fingers threaded gently through my hair. A simple gesture, but one that spoke volumes. He was here with me, for me. No words were needed.

Taking a deep breath, I willed myself to open my eyes, to see Firion’s face inches from my own, strong and unwavering, his gaze lingering on mine with a promise I couldn’t resist grabbing onto. I nodded, the motion small, but it was all the assurance I could offer that I was ready to move forward, to keep fighting.

His lips brushed my forehead in a barely-there kiss as he gently loosened his hold on me. We got to our feet, and he kept one arm around my waist, guiding me as we moved together through the narrowing tunnel. The stone walls still pressed in on me, but Firion’s hand on my back was a constant reminder that I wasn’t alone. With him, I found the strength to take one step, then another.

The passage twisted and turned in the blackness, but Firion led us onward with steady, measured steps, keeping us close to the side where the walls curved slightly outward, giving us even a few more inches of breathing space. His body remained attuned to mine as if he sensed when my resolve stumbled, and my confidence frayed under the weight of the narrow tunnel.

In the distance, the tunnel ahead seemed to widen, and a glimmer of light urged me forward. Each step became marginally easier, the air, though still stifling, smelled fresher and felt less oppressive.

The passage gradually widened, and we could stand upright. The weight that had been bearing down on my chest began to lift, and for the first time since we entered the tunnel, I sucked in a breath that didn’t make my lungs ache.

Finally, we emerged into a large chamber. The noticeably cooler air carried a faint metallic scent that mingled with the familiar tang of crysthron. My eyes strained to adjust to the flickering, muted glow from insects scattered across the ceiling.

The processing area stretched in front of us, stone walls giving way to sleek metal machinery in an eerie blend of primitive and advanced technology. Conveyor belts spanned the room, likely designed by the Veerenads for sorting and packaging the crystals we mined. The belts hummed with a low, mechanical murmur, winding in serpentine pathways across the room. Clusters of crysthron, shiny and raw, sat in piles near the belts, waiting to be processed.

To my left, towering metal containers stood ready to transport crystals. The containers were large enough to hold several tons each, and the sight of them filled me with a sense of urgency. We had to get out of here before the crew arrived to start working or we ran into a guard.

Firion’s hand slid back into mine, his firm grip reminding me that we were in this together. We crept forward, keeping low and staying within the shadows cast by the surrounding machinery. My heartbeat thudded like I’d been running forever, and my breaths came much too fast. I forced myself to stay calm, listening for any sound that could indicate we weren’t alone in the room.

But the area seemed to be deserted. No guards, no Veerenads at the stations. Only the rhythmic hum of the conveyor belts echoed around us as we made our way across the room. It felt strange and unnatural to be in a place like this without someone waiting to pounce or shout at us, but I reminded myself that this was what we’d hoped for.

I caught a glint of metal out of the corner of my eye. Squinting, I focused on a door off to the side, slightly recessed in the wall. An office area, maybe. Or a place where we could find something useful for our escape. I nudged Firion, pointing toward it, and he gave me a sharp nod, leading me swiftly and silently across the stone floor.

We kept low, the muted glow of the ceiling insects barely lighting up our path. The coolness of the processing area was a stark contrast to the suffocating heat of the tunnels, and it sent a shiver through me. For once, I was grateful for the darkness, knowing it would hide us if anyone passed through.

At the metal door, Firion didn’t hesitate. He placed his hand against the cold steel, testing the lock, feeling for any weakness. Stooping down, he studied the lock. They’d used keys for our cells. Would a key open this door?

Firion must’ve thought so too. He rushed over to one of the conveyor belts and pawed through the sharp crystals waiting in a pile, returning with one about the length of a pencil, only finer.

Stooped again, he inserted it into the lock and gently wiggled it around. His silver hair barely shone in the scant light, and his tusks cast shadows on his chiseled jaw. I held my breath, my nerves jangling in the silence.

We were rewarded with an audible click, and when he tested it, the door opened with a soft groan. We both froze, but after a long moment of listening with no footsteps, shouts, or alarms, just the continuing hum of conveyor belts, we both sighed with relief.

Firion tossed the crystal onto the floor and lifted me to his level, grinning about our success. His mouth claimed mine in a kiss much too short, but we couldn’t risk anything longer. Soon, my mate. Soon.

Silently, Firion slipped through the slightly ajar door, holding it open wide enough for me to follow. The small room smelled musty, and from the dust coating a few boxes piled in the corner, it wasn’t used often. A metal cabinet on the back wall drew our attention, and we hurried over to it .

Firion opened one of the doors, revealing shelves stocked with supplies. Flasks of water, dried food stashed in tough, durable packs, and other items likely intended for desert forays had been lined up neatly inside. Relief surged through me. These could be our lifeline once we emerged from the mine.

Firion grabbed a pack and began loading it with as much water and food as it could hold, his movements quick but deliberate. I mirrored his actions, my hands moving on autopilot as my mind raced ahead. I had no idea how far we’d need to travel once we reached the desert, let alone what lay beyond it. But having these supplies might give us a fighting chance.

The smell of the dried food was faint, almost imperceptible, but hunger gnawed at me anyway. I shoved the feeling aside, telling myself we'd eat once we were safely away from here. Firion’s gaze kept shooting to the door, and I couldn’t stop peering that way myself. We were on borrowed time.

With the packs slung over our shoulders, we turned back to the door and paused to listen and peer around the big open room. My heart hammered as Firion motioned for me to follow.

We crept through the processing area, the sound of the conveyor belts filling the silence once more. Shadows danced on the walls, playing tricks with my vision, making me believe I saw movement where there was none. The sloping exit tunnel yawned ahead, the gaping maw of a beast, and I couldn’t wait until we were inside, hurrying up it, toward the desert .

Each step felt heavier than the last, my pulse roaring in my ears. The air seemed to grow thicker, more oppressive, pressing down on us as though the stone walls knew we were trying to escape.

At the entrance to the tunnel, Firion placed his hand on the small of my back. This was it. We were finally escaping.

The tunnel ahead was dark, almost too dark, and the slight incline promised a long and exhausting climb. I could barely see a few feet ahead, the shadows thickening like a waiting storm.

Firion took the lead, guiding us up the tunnel. The packed dirt floor underfoot was uneven and treacherous in places, making each step deliberate and slow.

For what felt like hours, we ascended, the stone walls widening around us. My breathing grew ragged, but I swallowed back every harsh breath, keeping as silent as I could. Firion kept glancing back at me, checking to make sure I was doing okay. I was, but only because of him. The promise we shared kept fueling me.

A faint breeze drifted through the tunnel, cool and dry, a far-off whiff of sand and freedom that made it easier to push my tired muscles for more. My heartbeat quickened; each step now tinged with anticipation. Firion's hand firmly in mine was the only thing holding me to the present. Without it, I might have sprinted the rest of the way up the tunnel.

As we neared the tunnel’s exit, the space widened out in front of us, and we slowed our pace, wary of what might be lurking outside. The air tasted fresher here, holding the scent of desert sand baking under the sun, yet I also caught an edge of something metallic.

Firion lifted his hand holding his stone knife, signaling me to stop. My heart leaped into my throat. While we pressed our backs against the right wall, his eyes scanned the area for any hidden dangers.

He finally motioned for us to keep going. We stayed close to the wall, trying to remain out of sight as much as possible. My nerves had bunched into a tangled mess. The thought of being caught sent a fresh wave of adrenaline rushing through me, and I broke out in a sweat.

At the lip of the tunnel, we stopped again, taking in the long, rolling hills of the desert stretching on forever in all directions. Only hints of vegetation peppered the area.

How were we going to survive out there?

I reminded myself that we had supplies. Water. And Firion had been traveling in the desert when he was captured. He knew how to survive in this environment, and he’d teach me.

Firion secured his pack to his back, and I did the same.

“Free,” he whispered with a tusky smile that melted my bones. He kissed me quickly and took my hand, squeezing it. “Let’s get out of here.”

“I can’t wait.” I couldn’t stop smiling. Finally, we could begin to put this behind us. We could get to safety and look for Maggie.

Then he and I could start a new life together.

As we stepped through the opening, sunlight blinded us, something we hadn’t been exposed to for a very long time.

Firion’s boot grazed across a faint line on the ground. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then a harsh shriek shattered the silence behind us. The alarm echoed through the passage, slamming into us with a force that left me deafened and disoriented.

“No.” My breathing hitched as the fear I had kept clamped down broke free. I grabbed onto Firion’s arm, and we bolted into the desert. There was no other option. Unless everyone was too busy with the rebellion, they’d send guards. And if they were looking for us, the alarm was telling them where they could find us.

“Let’s go.” Firion’s eyes blazed with resolve, and he tightened his grip on my hand, pulling me forward, his long strides eating up the sand.

Our packs beat against our backs as we surged up a small hill and started skidding down the other side.