Chapter 429 Chapter 429
“I’m fine.” He growled back at him. “Look for a way to get us up.”
“Right, I’ll just pop to the hardware store and grab a ladder,” Blair called down.
“Noah, can you climb back up?” That was Calum.
“Give me a minute.” He touched her side. “I can smell blood, she’s hurt.” His warm hands moved down over her leg before he switched to the other. “Can you move?” His breath brushed over her cheek.
“Yes.” she leaned closer to him; thankful she wasn’t alone. “It’s my shoulder.” Her breath hitched as she tried to see again. “It’s so dark.” It came out sounding like a whine.
“Hey,” he touched her cheek gently, “close your eyes and slow your breathing down,” his tone was so gentle, she didn’t know how he stayed so calm. “Reach for your cat, she’ll help you see in the dark.”
“You can see?”
“Yes,” he moved in front of her and lifted her arm, she sucked in a breath. “Close your eyes and focus.”
She squeezed them shut and blew out a breath trying to focus on her animal. Normally they worked together, but with the panic filling her, she was having trouble. She heard ripping material.
“It’s not too bad, I’m going to wrap this around and cover it, so it doesn’t get any more dirt in it.”
She hissed out a breath when he put something around her arm. It made it throb worse. She also was able to smell more than soil now, she could smell the blood. Giving her head a quick shake, she closed her eyes again and felt for her cat. She was there this time, shaken but alert.
“That’s it. I’m going to look for a way back up. Don’t move around, we don’t know if this drops further.”
Her eyes popped open when he said that, and she could actually see. Not as clear as she’d preferred, but she’d take it. “I can see now.” She watched him move over a few feet, looking up in all directions.
“Noah,” Calum called down.
“It looks like it’s been dug up before...”
“Probably an old mining shaft or filled-in quarry.” Calum’s tone was even, with no panic or concern in it at all. “Is there anything to get a hold of to come back up?”
“I’m looking.”
“Watch your head, I’m dropping some light sticks,” Blaise shouted.
Emersyn watched them fall, the red looking so bright in the darkness. One hit the bottom and then another one followed.
“Thanks,” Noah said as he knelt and looked over at her. “Stay near the side while I figure this out.”
She bit her lip, it dawned on her that the man had jumped down here with her having no idea how they were getting out. She felt guilt fill her, he’d done that for her. At the same time, she was grateful he had. If she had been down here long alone, she would be freaking out. She watched him move to the middle and straighten to stand up. That made her look around, she was sitting on a little shelf with only a few inches of space above her head. Her chest tightened. All the earth above her could come down at any time. Her heartbeat stuttered in her chest. “Noah.” She whispered, now afraid to talk.
“Hey,” he was right there in front of her now, “it’s okay, come on, come over here.” He held her arm gently as she followed him back to the center and knelt beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.
She closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. “I just wanted to look at a flower.” It was her fault they were down her. If she’d just stood there and waited as he’d said...
She felt him suck in a breath, “this is not your fault.” He squeezed her gently. “None of us could have known this would happen.” He kissed the top of her head and then she felt him stiffen.
Reaching with the arm that wasn’t throbbing, she wrapped it around his waist. “You are a stupid man for jumping down here.” She rested her forehead against his chest, just near his heartbeat.
“Seemed like a good idea at that moment.”
She smiled. “Do you have any good ideas to get us out?”
“Mmm, working on it,” he sounded distracted, and she realized he was looking around trying to figure it out as he comforted her.
“Blair,” he called out, “anything?”
“Not a fucking thing. We’re in the middle of the emptiest field I’ve ever seen.” Blair sounded angry now. “Not even a tree I can rip out of the ground.”
“Can you climb up?” Calum called down to them.
“Even if I could, Emersyn’s arm is hurt, and she can’t.” He rested his chin on her head briefly, “is there anything in the car?”
“Even if there was, we can’t shift and take a chance of being seen out here in the open to run back,” Calum answered.
“Right.” He moved and released her, then touched her chin so she’d look up at him. “I need to go see how solid the walls are.”
She looked into his eyes and saw the resolve there, that somehow, he’d get her out of there. “Okay.” His face was so close, that she could taste his breath. Lifting her hand, she placed it on his cheek. “Thank you.” She whispered, “again.”
Something in his eyes changed and he released her chin and straightened up. “Stay here.”
She felt chilled as he moved away and his body heat was gone. Pulling her legs up, she wrapped her uninjured arm around them and watched as he went over to the edge and ran his hand along the rough wall. he looked up to the top and then moved over to another place and did it again.
“Blair?”
“Yeah.” His voice echoed down.
“I have a really stupid idea.” His tone was without emotion.
“Those seem to be your thing today,” Blair answered.