Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Fuck this shit.
I rubbed my hands together, trying to get rid of the aches that were cramping them, as I walked onwards. My nipples ached just as much. I folded my arms to shield the buds, once more tucking my hands beneath my armpits.
I shook and trembled with every step. Not only from the cold, but with fatigue. My body was using up what energy it had to keep my body temperature from hitting critically low levels, and it was leaving me drained.
I jumped as an icicle dropped from the ceiling and crashed to the ground in front of me. It shattered, pieces of it scattering across the ground like diamonds. I swallowed nervously, because that icicle had been a little too close for comfort.
Leery of more falling icicles, I watched out for them as I continued down the passage. A throb soon took root in my ears—they were so cold they burned. Little snow crystals were forming on my clothes, making them feel crusty and stiff.
A whooshing sound tugged at my awareness. No, two whooshes.
Through the gale of snow fogging the air, I could see sporadic flashes of red/orange. Flames, maybe? Thirty seconds or so later, I had my answer. Two plumes of fire were randomly erupting out of holes in the left wall. Beneath them was a hazardous patch of ice.
Ah, this wasn’t going to be fun.
Like the bursts of steam from the previous circuit, there was no pattern to the eruptions of the flames. A person’s best chance of avoiding them was to move fast. Which would be much easier and safer if it wasn’t for the ice.
Maybe I could sort of propel myself over the patch. Jump it. Like it was a ditch.
Checking its width, I wrinkled my nose. Nah. Not even if one of my ankles weren’t sore could I pull off a jump like that. Which meant I’d have to be swift on my feet and try to skate over the ice—all while hoping for the best. As plans went, it sucked.
Then I recalled something that my cousin had once done on a frozen lake at Phoenixia.
Squinting, I twisted my mouth. It would probably stand a better chance of success than attempting to skate on my boots.
Don’t think. Just do.
My heart kicking up, I rolled my shoulders and waited for the whooshing plumes to die off. Once they did, I took off at a run, dropped to my sore knees on the ice, and then let the momentum carry me forward. It worked.
Until it didn’t.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
I wasn’t even sure exactly what happened. Only that I ended up sprawled on my front and smacked my skull hard on the ice. Fuck.
A ringing sound filled my ears as my vision went all blurry. Lifting my head, I blinked hard, bringing the world back into focus. And I realized that I was staring right at a hole in the wall.
My stomach dropped with panic. I moved fast, shuffling forwards to get out of the literal line of fire. I’d no sooner slid completely off the ice than I felt heat near my legs.
I rolled onto my back, my breathing out of control. I could honestly scream with fury right now. These freaking caverns were—
An almighty bang came from somewhere far ahead of me, promptly followed by a tremendous splash.
I tensed, my blood chilling. Slowly sitting upright, I felt dread tighten my chest, making it even harder to get control of my breathing.
I would have wondered if someone had fallen, but there’d been no cry of surprise or pain. Then again, wouldn’t someone do their best to hold in any sound?
Get up, you don’t have the luxury of sitting around debating things in your head.
No, I didn’t. Very true. And the carpet of snow wasn’t comfortable anyway.
Once I was back on my feet, I immediately started walking, though I had to wonder if it was a good idea. The huge bang could have snatched the minotaur’s attention if he was close enough to hear it. Then he’d track it, and he’d find me.
But I couldn’t exactly afford to cautiously hang back—not while stuck in the icy temperature of this passage. It was affecting me both mentally and physically. Exhaustion tugged at my willpower, and fatigue plagued my muscles. I was starting to feel light-headed again, which wasn’t good. My body would eventually shut down if I stayed here too long.
So I traipsed through the snow yet again, my face and ears sore from windburn. I licked my chapped upper lip, wincing at the sting. It would start bleeding if I didn’t reach the end of the circuit soon. I really, really needed to. A throbbing ache had settled in my head, which was probably part dehydration and part it-had-taken-far-too-many-hits-today.
I shivered, my teeth chattering. I was sweating from the effort of pushing onwards when it was so much more tempting to curl up on the ground. My clothes were heavy with the weight of the snow that had soaked them through, making every step so much harder to take.