Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

Winter

"We have to climb!" Alec turns and studies the rock.

"Climb?" The mere thought of it makes my stomach drop. Who knows how deep the hole beneath us is? "Can't you just fly us up?"

"I can only fly short distances. You know, without my wings."

I chew my lip. Damn it.

There's a banging from the tunnel. It sounds like the troll is beating his club against rocks.

"Okay," I decide. "Let's go."

I find the first handhold, then swing myself over. Alec comes close behind me, his flashlight switched off.

I focus on climbing, feeling for the next spots to put my feet and hands. Since it's so dark, I can't see anything. I'm just blindly moving through space.

If only our angel wings would come back. We could really use them right now.

My foot slips, and I almost fall, but I hold in the cry. As well as the panic.

I've climbed freestyle like this before, but something about the dark below us makes it all the worse.