Page 27 of Hunter's Moon
I scanned her quickly for injuries. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, still catching her breath. “Just... just a few scratches. Nothing serious.”
A chittering sound behind us snapped me back to the present. The swarm was regrouping, preparing for another assault.
“The elevator,” I barked. “Now!”
We raced to the control panel, Lina’s fingers flying over the ancient keypad.
“Come on, come on,” she muttered.
The insects advanced, a living wave of glowing bodies and clicking mandibles.
“Lina...” I warned, positioning myself between her and the oncoming swarm.
“I’ve almost got it!”
A bug leapt at us. I swatted it away, my hand coming away sticky with bioluminescent fluid.
“Any time now would be great,” I growled.
“There!”
With a groan of protesting metal, the elevator doors creaked open. We dove inside, Lina stabbing at the ‘close door’ button repeatedly.
The swarm surged forward, a mass of writhing bodies mere steps from the threshold. I tensed, ready to fight them off if necessary.
With agonizing slowness, the doors began to slide shut. A few insects managed to squeeze through the narrowing gap. I stomped on them, grinding them beneath my heel.
Finally, blessedly, the doors sealed with a resounding clang. Lina and I sagged against the wall, breathing heavily.
“That,” she panted, “was way too close.”
I nodded, still on high alert. “We’re not out of danger yet. This elevator could be taking us anywhere.”
Lina straightened, wiping sweat from her brow. “At least it’s away from those bugs.”
As if in response to her words, the elevator lurched into motion, carrying us up towards an unknown destination.
We made it the rest of the way without incident, finally reaching the relative safety of the elevator platform. As Lina sagged against the railing in relief, I surveyed the control panel.
“Looks like the power’s still on,” I mused. “But the security protocols might be an issue.”
Lina peered over my shoulder. “I think I can bypass them. Give me a minute.”
I watched, impressed, as her fingers flew over the keypad. Within moments, the elevator hummed to life.
“Where did you learn to do that?” I asked as we stepped inside.
She shrugged, a grin playing on her lips. “Do you know how often my boss forgets his password?”
As the elevator began its ascent, I studied Lina’s profile. She was a puzzle, this human woman. Brave, clever, and far more intriguing than I cared to admit.
I shouldn’t want her. But as we rose towards the surface, leaving the darkness behind, I realized it might already be too late.
LINA
The ancient elevator lurched, sending me stumbling into Tharion’s solid chest. His arms instinctively wrapped around me, steadying us both against the jerky ascent. The metal box groaned and creaked, each floor passing with an ominous clank that echoed through the shaft.