Eirwen’s thoughts raced, her gaze bouncing across every surface of the room, every entrance, every item. A dozen tables, fifty benches, a broken throne, a chandelier–
“Toss me,” she said.
“What?”
“Throw me into the air. High as you can.”
Cole didn’t ask another question. He linked his fingers together, she jumped on top of them and catapulted into the rafters.
High ceilings, yes. But the rafters were low.
She whipped out her hunting knife and flung it across the room, severing the chandelier. It crashed to the ground. It caused the momentary distraction she was praying for. Wasting no time, she seized the remains of rope and threw it down to Cole, hauling him onto the beam.
“Follow me,” she instructed.
Cole didn’t argue, although he wobbled clumsily behind her, his large feet, tall form and inexperience slowing him.
The shades were still distracted by the chandelier, or looking around for their prey as if they’d vanished into thin air. Eirwen moved quickly, reaching the end of the rafters and leaping back down into the corridor, sprinting towards the exit.
Cole was much slower. Too slow. Any second now, more would come, or the others would realise where they went.
Somewhere, deep inside her, there must have been a voice telling her to abandon him. Onyx or Wren would have.
But not her.
“Quickly!” she rushed.
She fumbled about on her belt and withdrew two clumsily wrapped spark stones, a roll of twine and a small explosive. She looped the twine over the rafters and ran a length of it outside the doors, reaching a safe spot just as Cole tumbled from the final beam and skidded out after her.
The shades turned. She struck her stones.
The beams exploded.
Not checking to see how much damage she’d caused, she seized Cole’s hand and dragged him down through the city streets. The wheezing and scuttling continued. They were not alone. They could not stop.
Her escape rope dangled ahead of them. She seized the end and flew to the top, Cole not far behind, but the swarm was catching up, swimming beneath him. If they grabbed the rope–
“Cole!”
She drove her hand into the hole, trying to tug him up, will him up,faster, faster…
His hand reached hers. She hauled him into the space, pushed him aside, and struck her blade into the rope. It fell away, any shades clinging to it crashing to the ground beneath.
The breath shuddered out of her, and she collapsed on the floor of the tunnel next to Cole, panting hard.
“So,” said Cole, after the sounds of the monsters below subsided, “mind telling me what on earth just happened?”