Before I could react, the fast upward motion stopped. I squealed as I froze in the air and then dropped. My fingers scrambled to grab a handhold on any rock that jutted out into the night air. I made contact with something sturdy and I gripped down.

As fast as my momentum changed, I felt the air around me stop as I hung from the cliff. Pain filled my hands and wrists, spreading quickly to my forearms and elbows. With a slight sigh of relief, I glanced down. "Halfway," I whispered, finding good footholds.

My heart pounded in my chest as I secured better handholds and rested my feet against the rocks. My throat closed as I looked down again. If I had fallen to the caverns below, my legs would've been broken. I glanced back up to the top of the cliff. My only options were to either attempt to climb up the rest of the way and join the fight, or climb down and hide.

But if I climbed up to the plateau, there was the added risk of getting snatched by an enemy.

"Screw it," I hissed, not liking my choices. I looked for the remaining two ropes that had been Thaddeus's and Dominic's. Locating one, I began to spider-crawl over the jagged rocks. I unhooked my old lead and let it drop down below before grabbing a new line. Taking a deep breath, I used my gloved hand to wind it around the curve of my bottom, gripping it tightly. Next, I leaned my weight back onto it carefully, my other arm holding the rope under me to keep from falling. I let go of the rock face and grabbed the cable.

I began to repel down, watching as the stars and gunfire slipped further away. Once I was closer to the rocky beach and the opening to the cavern, I kicked my way off to the left so Dominic wouldn't see me. Once my feet touched down, I made my way along the rocks.

With no exit strategy, I kept close to the cliff's side, keeping my hand on the stones for balance as I hurried to pick my way over the rough terrain. With a hop over a flooding tide pool, I rounded the corner and kept going.

Suddenly, I could hear voices over the crashing waves, making my heart jackhammer into my throat. I stopped, listening carefully to pinpoint their location.

"Find the Dark Child! Keep in contact with the top group. I don't want her outsmarting us!"

I fought to conceal a gasp, backpedaling two steps to take a running leap over the hole in front of me, loud echoes of thrashing water sounding up out of the dark.

Go! Go! Go, my brain screamed.

I jumped over a small pile of boulders and kept moving, fear striking me again as I heard their voices. They were gaining ground, even if they didn't know it. Ahead, an entire outcropping of rocks made plenty of shapes and holes. With as much speed as I could manage, I made my way into a little hole that formed a tunnel narrow enough I could squeeze through to the other side. I decided to pull a fox maneuver on them.

"Keep looking! She couldn't have gone far!" a masculine voice shouted over the sounds of the ocean. A second voice, feminine, yelled something in a Spanish-sounding tongue. "If her own group hasn't found her, then she's got to be hiding down here somewhere!" the man added.

They're still alive!

I leaned against the dark rocks, waiting for them to climb over before I could sneak to the opposite side. I closed my eyes, forcing my heart and lungs to steady themselves, hoping the ocean's thundering waves would drown out my body's panic. I kept my ears keen on listening to the voices, holding my breath as they began to ascend the rocky formation.

Once they were above me, I carefully backed into the hole and began to sneak to the other side. My foot found sand and I felt the wind hit the back of my legs. I turned to come face-to-chest with a man's body. I looked up just in time to see dark hair and amber-yellow eyes. He pushed me into the rocks, slamming a hand down over my mouth.

"Don't breathe a word," he whispered, his voice thick with an accent.

My body went stiff, my eyes widening. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

The woman's voice yelled out again in the foreign language, sounding like a question.

"Nada aqui! Ninguem poderia caber!" he answered. He waited a moment before looking back down at me. "You squeeze back in there and wait until you can't hear us any longer. Then go back to your people. Be quick. Go!" he hissed softly, pressing me down towards the tunnel.

I nodded fervently under his hand and doubled over into the small opening without taking my eyes off him. I started to open my mouth to whisper a thank-you, but he had climbed over my head on the rocks and was gone. I stayed perfectly still, feeling my lungs burn as I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

Once I could no longer hear their distant voices, I made a run for it. After checking over my shoulder repeatedly, I rushed back to the ropes and hooked myself up. Contessa's lead was still gone, but Thaddeus's remained. I glanced down into the mouth of the cave, hoping Dominic was too gone. Not hearing anything, I carefully repelled down into the cavern. But all was silent in the mouth of the Moon Worshipper caverns.

I unhooked the rope again, pushing it off to one side so it wouldn't swing back and forth. With a little sigh of relief, I turned around to face the dark cave again. Just as I took my first few steps into the darkness, my eyes picked up on the dim outline of something on the cavern floor. I dug around in my jacket pocket for my phone, finally able to wrap my fingers around the device. I hit the screen's button as the soft ambient light flickered on, revealing black combat boots.

I nearly screamed, quickly pressing my fist into my mouth before I could gasp audibly. My fingers began to tremble as I opened the flashlight function and held it forward.

Dominic's body lay in the sand, his skin desiccated to a deep grey and green with immortal death. A bullet wound dented his forehead and a wooden stake protruded from his chest, piercing his heart. My knife was gone. My heart thundered in my chest behind my ribs again as I stared at my first corpse. I glanced around quickly, terrified whomever had been his ending would still be waiting in the shadows. Stifling the need to throw up, I carefully skirted around the dead body and began to listen for Thaddeus. I hurried along the wall silently, avoiding puddles so as not to make any more noise.

Halfway to the mural caverns, I heard a low grunt and the soft static of a radio receiver. I dropped down into a crouch amongst the shadows, my back to the cave wall.

"Tess? Brian?"

It was Thaddeus.

"Anyone have eyes on Eris?"

I stood from my hiding place, watching him come into view. I wiped the sudden tears off my cheeks. "Thad? I'm here," I called, rushing up to him. Unable to stop myself, I gripped his coat and pressed my face into his chest, sighing at his familiar smell of vanilla and pipe tobacco. I was safe again.

"Eris, thank the gods," he said from above me, and I could feel his arms wrap around my shoulders. He pulled me back to inspect me for injuries. "Are you all right? Let me see you."

I nodded shallowly. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a touch of rope-burn and shock," I answered, my voice shaking. "Are you okay?" I looked at his wound. With his age, he seemed to be healed.

"Once I got the wood out," he replied. His breathing was still shallow, caused by the injury. "Tess, I've got her. Send down a new line." He pulled me under his good arm. "C'mon, let's get you out of here before they come back for another round."