Page 29 of Stealing Embers
“Gabe.”
Sable lifts a hand to her lips, and with sad eyes she gives a curt nod before turning away.
With another tug, Steel rushes us away from the battle.
Chapter Eight
“You want me to put what in where?”
A small gap yawns in the side of the mountain. It can’t be more than two feet in diameter. Steel’s instructions were clear enough, but I don’t want to believe him. Thankfully, I don’t suffer from claustrophobia, but still. Wriggling into a tiny hole in the ground isn’t my idea of a good time.
Pressing both palms to his eyes, Steel groans. “Do you have to make everything so difficult?”
Crossing my arms, I glare. I’m not saying anything until he acknowledges me.
When his arms drop and he takes in my stance, he immediately returns his hands to his eyes.
“Will you please just get in?” After scrubbing his face, he gestures to the hole.
“This can’t seriously be the best place to hide.”
“It’s bigger inside . . . slightly. Veins of natural springs run through these mountains, which will help hide you from view. The alluvium between the rocks will disguise your smell.”
Resisting the urge to sniff myself, I heave a sigh and drop to my knees. Gingerly putting my head, shoulders and arms in the cramped space, I shuffle forward until most of my body is in the opening. I’m forced to duck my head until my chin is almost skimming the ground.
“Any day now,” Steel calls from behind. His voice echoes throughout the black abyss.
Biting back a sharp reply, I keep army crawling. The sharp rocks and loose pebbles grind against my forearms.
After a couple minutes of shuffling, I only make it a handful of body lengths forward, but the air has chilled considerably. Goose bumps pebble on my arms. I stare into the black void before me and suddenly don’t want to continue.
Like,reallydon’t want to keep going down this rabbit hole.
Hands shove my backside and I yelp.
“Keep going,” Steel’s stern voice orders.
“Hey, boundaries, dude.”
“That’s a luxury we don’t have right now.” A quiet chuckle follows his words. “Just wait until we get to the cavern.”
“What?” I crane my neck to try to see him on the ground behind me, but we are so deep into the hole that the darkness conceals his body.
“Do you need another nudge?”
Gritting my teeth, I resume squirming. This is seriously messed up.
Several long minutes later, I notice the tunnel widens enough that I can finally crawl on my hands and knees rather than having to keep wriggling forward on my belly—that is, if I bow my head.
How Steel is making it through this tunnel is beyond me. The guy is not small.
“We’re almost there,” he calls.
“Great,” I mutter under my breath.
I make it another body length forward and am able to stretch my neck without hitting my head.
“Finally. I can crawl like a normal—ow!”