There was nothing for it. I either fell from his back in a heap, or I leapt and had a chance at keeping my feet under me. As I slid down his back, I pushed to the side and hit the ground running.
In seconds, the lava was at my heels, kissing the backs of my boots, heat rolling up and around me, stealing the air I needed. Liam dropped back to my side, grabbed my hand and jerked me forward as a gulp of lava rolled ahead of the rest of it.
We burst through the bush into the parking lot where Dox’s truck sat waiting for us. But the trail ran parallel to the edge of the flow of the lava; the truck was going to be toasted. The lake it was.
With the searing heat behind us, the multi-hued Gang of ogres dove into the lake, swimming out into the open water. I caught sight of Calliope being floated between Dox and the grey boy.
And then I dove in, the icy water sluicing over my head. I floated for a minute under the water, looking back the way we’d come. The lava hit the shoreline, flowing into the lake, lighting it up from inside.
A pair of red swirling eyes hardened in the lava, as the water cooled the deadly flow.
“We are not done yet, Tracker. I will have your soul yet. Yours, and the souls of all you love.”
I kicked myself to the surface, anger searing my synapsis. “And that’s your mistake, Orion. You can threaten me, but threaten those I love and you will regret it beyond the grave.”
The ogres were in high spirits, having no problem with the winter-chilled, glacier-fed lake. I, on the other hand, was freezing. My eyes drooped with each breath I took, fatigue dragging me down.
While the ogres splashed and played, exultant from having outrun the lava, I swam to Dox, each movement of my arms and legs causing shivers of cold-induced pain to ripple through me. Liam kept pace with me, seemingly as unaffected as the ogres by the cold. Before I could speak, Dox slung an arm around my waist and gave me a hard squeeze.
“Thank you, Rylee.”
I looked up at him. Even through my wet clothes and the water, I could feel his body heat, which I was intensely grateful for. “Thanks for what?”
“I would never have come back without you needing to be here for a salvage, and I would have missed out on this. On the fight, and seeing the triplets again. On Sas. For the first time, I finally belong, I’m finally home. I don’t know if you can understand what that means to me.” He grinned down at me, a new light in his eyes. I understood what it was to want to belong, to finally find that place. I glanced at Liam over my shoulder. Yeah, I really did understand. I gave Dox a nod.
“I’m happy for you. And glad you came too. Our asses would have been fried up there without your help.”#p#分页标题#e#
Teeth chattering as a wash of cold water thick with ash swirled between us, I pointed at the shoreline. “But we have to get me and Calli out of this lake, or it won’t matter that we dodged the hot sauce.”
He nodded, gave a holler, and the triplets swam over to us, helped to get us across to the far side. Ash floated down around us, coating the lake’s surface. It stuck to my face and neck, and as we stepped out of the water it clung to every piece of us.
As much as I wanted to complain, I didn’t. We’d survived something that should have taken us out. Would have died without the help we’d received. Which still made no sense, but I wasn’t going to remind them that they were on the hunt for us.
The triplets got a fire going within minutes and I crouched beside it, peeling out of my jacket. Calliope lay beside me, her legs tucked under her and as close to the fire as she could get. The firelight flickered and danced against her white coat. I ran a hand over her back, and she turned to look at me, gold nubbin catching the light.
Thank you, for saving me.
I smiled and gave her a tired nod. “Just try to avoid Rocs in the future.”
She bobbed her head. I will do my best.
Crouched beside her, I stared out at the lake, all of the ogres still hanging out in the water except for Dox and the triplets.
“What happened?” I turned my face up to Dox, who stood over me.
“You mean after you left without us?” He growled.
Lop laughed, slapping his hands on his thighs. “That was fucking wicked awesome, woman. If you were an ogre, I’d be banging the hell out of you.” His brothers were nodding in agreement.
Liam slowly stood, every line of his body tense. Lop held up his hands. “Easy wolf, I said IF. She’s too fucking puny for my taste. But that took balls, to head into hostile territory without help. Ogres like a good, strong woman. None of this pansy ass, ‘I broke my nail’ shit.”
Liam relaxed, then snorted. “No, it takes a stubbornness that one day is going to get her hurt. But if I ever get tired of her, I’ll let you know.”