Page 251 of A Flame of the Phoenix

“You can do this, love. I know you can,” Nik said into her ear. He yearned achingly for their mating bond to soothe her senses within. There was nothing more he could do for her, and there was no feeling more tormenting.

Glancing up, Nik’s hold tightened around Tauria at seeing the thrashing water rejoining the lake they were about to pass under. The moment they did, their air bubble shrank, and Tauria faltered her walking, trembling to hold their pocket of air.

“We have to keep moving!” Nerida called.

“It’s too much,” Tauria wheezed. Their air pocket shrank again, shuffling them all closer.

“You’re stronger than you think, Tauria Silverknight. Pushharder,” he said firmly.

It killed him to encourage her to dip dangerously into her magick, but if they faltered here…the surface was too far for any of them to make it up by swimming.

Tauria cried out, her arms shaking, but her wind strengthened again, and Nik guided her walk with more urgency.

“That’s it. You’re incredible,” Nik murmured in her ear, continuing his words of adoration and encouragement as all he could offer.

“I see the entrance ahead!” Edith exclaimed.

Nik did too. A single circular stone door with a carving of a trident on its center. Around the trident was an ancient script he didn’t recognize. He didn’t breathe his relief yet when Nerida parted the water away from the seal as they reached it. Nik letTauria go to approach the door, digging his fingers into the side and attempting to pull it open. It didn’t budge, not even when Tarly joined his efforts with his one good arm.

“None of your reading of the cave mentioned how to open it?” Nik asked Nerida, trying to keep his irritation dulled, but his concern for Tauria made him sharp.

“You need the blood of a descendant of Hilia,” Edith said.

Nik found her studying the circle of script.

“You can read that?” Tarly asked.

“It’s the old language. I know enough of it to read this.”

Nik’s eyes closed to collect himself. This had been a waste of Tauria and Nerida’s energy. Without the break they planned for inside for them to regain enough strength back, he didn’t think Tauria could last the trip back.

His mate wasn’t present in their conversation and dilemma. She trembled, struggling to hold her magick, and her skin was slicked with sweat.

“We need to retreat then—now,” Nik growled, returning to her.

“Wait,” Nerida said.

To everyone’s horror, Nerida let go of her magick. Tauria cried as the full force of the deep water compressed against her air. Nik caught her when her knees buckled, but she held onto her magick.

“Nerida!” Nik barked, whipping his head around to find her slicing Tarly’s palm before she pulled him, slapping his hand to the stone.

Nothing happened.

Tauria was faltering.

Then the trident…glowed.

To everyone’s shock, the trident began to flood with light before the door groaned, released of its tight seal.

“Hurry!” Nerida said, ushering them inside before taking stance and pushing the water off Tauria’s air again.

“I can hold the water if you can seal the door,” she said to Tauria as she slipped by and inside.

Tauria’s feet shifted back, and her arms moved, gathering a tight tornado before pulling her arms into her body, slamming the air she conjured into the stone from the outside. Then Nerida let go of her magick, and Nik tensed at the booming crash of water into the closed door. It didn’t flood past the seal.

Nik’s tension released all at once. He needed to pull Tauria into him, embrace her tightly and smooth down her hair.

“I knew you could do it,” he muttered.

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