"But I can do it!" Llor cried.
Erian said to Llor, "You aren't going." If a spirit found him inside the shaft, he'd be trapped with nowhere to run. Plus anything could be up there. More spirits. A dead queen. "I am." She climbed into the lift and held out her hand for the medicine. "You have to promise to take care of Llor. Hide him from the spirits. And Llor, you have to promise to take care of Father when he wakes." Her heart was thudding. She didn't want to leave Llor, but bringing him wasn't the responsible-
The ice spirit screamed again, closer. It's coming!
Llor climbed in with her, his elbows and knees bumping against her as he squeezed in with her inside the lift. "I'm just as safe in here as out there. Safer! Please don't leave me!"
It was the "please" that convinced her. Llor never said please. And what if the spirit turned down this corridor? How could she leave not knowing if he'd have time to hide? "Okay." She held out her hand to Arin. "Medicine?"
Arin hesitated and then handed Erian the vial. "The queen's my sister. Not just a queen. She's family. Please . . ."
"We can do it," Erian promised. "Can you turn the crank in the kitchen? I don't think I'm strong enough to pull us all the way up." I know I'm not. It was a long way up.
"I can," Arin said. "I will."
Erian tucked the vial into her pocket and kicked the lock to release the dumbwaiter. It jerked down, but she and Llor held on to the rope at the back of the lift. Together, they pulled the rope. The dumbwaiter lurched upward.
Soon, they were in darkness.
Below them, they heard Arin scream.
Chapter 35
Arin slammed the door to the dumbwaiter shut as the ice spirit swept around the corner. She saw it-too close-with its eyes like white stones and its body covered in icy spikes. Opening its mouth, it screeched and flew toward her.
She screamed once.
And then she ran.
Right, left, right again, then down a set of stairs. She didn't think. Just ran. Behind her, she heard shards of ice shatter against the walls. The steps beneath her feet were slick with ice, and she grabbed onto the railing as she half fell forward. She didn't look back.
Cold pricked her neck, and wind howled in her ears. Ahead, she saw the hallway writhing-the walls were undulating with ripples as if the wood were water. Vines were snaking across the floor.
Tree spirit!
She looked back.
The ice spirit was on the ceiling of the stairwell. It had jabbed its spiked fingers into the wood and was studying her as if she were delicious meat. It's toying with me, she realized. It could kill her at any time. "Daleina!" Arin screamed. "Daleina, help me!"
She knew her sister couldn't hear her. She was near the base of the palace tree, and Daleina was at the very top. For all she knew, Daleina wasn't even alive to hear her. Don't think that. Daleina had to be alive, and soon she'd wake and take control again . . . But she wouldn't be cured until that little girl and boy reached the top, which they couldn't do without her.
Arin kept moving, knowing that if the ice spirit didn't catch her, she'd run into the tree spirit. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. I don't want to die. Please, I don't want-
Behind her, the ice spirit screeched again, and she clapped her hands over her ears and ran faster. The vines tangled around her feet. She fell onto her knees, and the vines closed over her ankles. "No!" She tried to push them off. Jamming her fingernails into the soft wood, she tore at it.
And the tree spirit scurried toward her. It looked like a twisted knot of brambles but with stones for eyes and thorns for hands. It launched itself at her shoulder. Pain shot through her as it dug into her arm, and she screamed and yanked at it.
"Cover your face!" she heard.
She buried her face in her hands and then felt a splash of water-her skin began to burn. She screamed again as every bit of flesh touched by the liquid felt as if it were on fire. But the wood spirit was yelling louder.
"Get free, girl!"
Arin forced her fingers to shove at the vines-they were loose-and she scrambled to her feet. She wiped with her sleeves at her face, neck, and arms, wiping the liquid off.
A blast of icy air slammed into her back and knocked her forward.
"Down! Crawl!"
She obeyed, even though she couldn't see who was shouting the orders. Looking up, she saw Master Garnah step around a corner and hurl a vial above Arin's head. It shattered, and flames licked through the corridor.
"Now! Follow me!" Master Garnah ordered.