“We need to run. That will barely buy us half an hour,” I say.
The team set off running, and once more I’m awed by Sailor. She easily keeps pace with the rest of us, and something tells me she’s hanging back to stay with us. I have a feeling she could outrun any one of us. I guess being the Paradox has its advantages.
We reach the gate and push through it. Mel closes it behind us and we start up the staircase. We come to the bend where Sailor fell and it’s just a straight run from here. I can feel the potion wearing off though. I can’t keep running and I slow to a walk.
“Rye, what is it?” Sailor demands.
I just shake my head. I don’t have enough air to explain. I wave my hand upwards, telling her to go on, but of course she ignores me. The others have realized something is wrong and they’re all turning back. I must have gotten slightly less of the potion than them with going last, but it wasn’t by much and they’re wasting time fussing around me instead of moving.
I force myself to start climbing again, knowing it will be the only way to convince them to start moving. After a few more steps, I start to see dots of light dancing in my vision and I know I don’t have long before I pass out. The others are starting to feel the effects now too as their own potion wears off. Sailor is affected more than the rest of us. Paradox or not, she’s still human. She’s coughing and spluttering, and she falls to her knees.
I reach down and grab her hand. Jinx grabs the other one and we haul her to her feet. I’m half dragging her now and it’s taking everything I have just to keep moving, and the gate isn’t even in sight yet.
“Shh. Listen,” Mel hisses, barely able to get the words out.
I strain my ears and I hear it. Footsteps. We’ve got company. And none of us are in a state to fend off an attack.
CHAPTER TEN: INVISIBLE SURPRISE
I try to raise my sword, but it’s too heavy. I can see Sailor fighting to pull her dagger out, but instead, she slumps forward, landing on the stairs. Jinx and I try to pull her up again, but it’s no good. Neither of us have the energy left to do it. Mel takes one more step and then one of her knees gives way and she falls to the floor too. We’re going to die here. On a fucking dusty staircase. After we’re supposed to have done the hard part and be in the clear.
A voice drifts down through the darkness.
“Hold on, guys, we’re coming.”
I feel the dread within me change to relief. The voice is Sunday’s. A few minutes later, he’s there above us with Ya-Ya. He has a bottle of the potion in his hand. He goes to hand it to Mel, but she pushes him away and points to Sailor, who is barely conscious. Sunday kneels on the step beside her and pours some of the liquid into her mouth. She swallows and I hear her take in a great big gasping breath. Sunday hands the potion to Mel again. She drinks this time and passes it to me, then Jinx. I look around for Aziza, but she’s not there.
“Where the fuck is Aziza?” I snap, jumping up.
“Nice of you to notice I’m missing,” she croaks from below us.
Sunday jumps down a few steps and then stops and a second later he and Aziza join us.
“When we got to the cabin, Nexus gave Ya-Ya the anti-venom,” Sunday explains as we walk back up the stairs. “As she was administering it, she saw Ya-Ya’s watch and made a comment about it not working. For some reason, I checked mine and it said the same as Ya-Ya’s. That’s when Nexus realized that somehow, time works differently down here. She gave me the potion and told us to come find you guys.”
“You left it to the last second,” Jinx points out.
“I wanted it to be dramatic.” Sunday grins.
“And I’m fine by the way. Thanks for asking,” Ya-Ya says.
“Well obviously or you wouldn’t be here,” Aziza says.
Ya-Ya rolls her eyes.
“Ever the sympathetic one I see, Zi-Zi,” she says.
“Would you have it any other way?” Aziza grins as we step out into the light of the day.
“Nope.” Ya-Ya laughs, wrapping her arm around Aziza and giving her a quick squeeze.
“Hopefully some of the Boundless will still venture down there not knowing we beat them to the Soul Gem. The airlessness might just finish a few of them off,” Mel says.
“Not much chance of that,” Sailor says, pointing back over her shoulder.
I have to do a double take. The gate is gone, replaced with the same dirty whitewashed walls as the rest of the alley.
“Let’s get back to the cabin and chill out for bit,” Mel says. “And we can give Sailor her surprise.”
I raise an eyebrow.
Jinx laughs. “And now you know how I came up with that on the spot.”
“It was true?” I say.
Mel laughs and nods her head.
“Yeah. We figured Sailor deserved something nice after what happened to her.”
“You really think I would be dumb enough to lie to Adam? Dads of teenage girls all have inbuilt lie detectors in their brains. Trust me, I know.” Jinx laughs.
“Speaking of your dad, check your cell phone,” I say to Sailor.
She pulls it out.
“There’s a text, but he only sent it five minutes ago,” she says.
She taps out a reply and then she turns to Jinx.
“I believe you owe me a story about Mandy, the worst hostess ever,” she says.
“Indeed I do.” Jinx grins. “So picture the scene. This happened a year or two ago. Mandy was pretty hot, and I’d taken her out on a date as you do. She invited me back to her place after it,
