She gripped my elbow and helped me stand. The remaining prisoners lifted an unsteady Oliver through the hole in the ceiling. Their shoulders shook as they hoisted him up. Luckily, Oliver was coherent enough to grab onto either side of the hole and help pull himself up the rest of the way.
As Oliver scrambled through, I squinted up at the hole. Daylight filtered through, blinding me temporarily. A blue sky and searing heat waited on the other side.
One by one, the prisoners climbed through to freedom, using shoulders and hands as footholds to reach the opening. Still holding the troll in place, I nodded at the Santera in front of me to urge her forward. She raised her hands, and another prisoner caught her by the wrists. She wriggled through the small hole and extended her arms toward me.
I took several deep breaths. You can do this. You can do this. With a shout, I flung my arms to the side, and the troll collided with the wall. Then I sprinted toward the hole. I jumped and caught the arms of the Santera, which shook from my weight. The Santero behind her grasped my elbows and began to pull me up. My fingers scrambled to grasp the rocky edges of the hole so I could climb the rest of the way on my own. The scent of flowers, weeds, and gunpowder beckoned me forward, a welcome change from the damp, putrid demon dungeon.
Before I could get a firm grip, a large, meaty hand snatched my ankle.
I shrieked and wiggled my legs, but the troll’s grip was unyielding. He yanked me by the leg, his hand stronger than the two Santeros were. Fingernails scraped my arms in an effort to hold on, but it was useless. The troll was too strong.
I fell backward, my arms flailing. My head knocked against the rocky ground, and my vision darkened. Agony pierced through my head, blinding me. The disgusting stench of troll was the last thing I remembered before I blacked out.
Chapter 13
THE STENCH OF MILDEW and excrement filled my nose. I jerked awake. Loud chains rattled in my ears. I blinked at the surrounding darkness. Where am I?
Resistance pulled at my wrists and ankles as I tried to move. My arms were spread eagle, attached to chains in the cave wall. My legs were chained as well. I struggled and thrashed against the restraints, but the metal wouldn’t budge. Numbness paralyzed my arms from being elevated for so long, and I felt dizzy.
I wiggled my fingers, but the familiar thrum of magic was gone. I felt naked and powerless. Searching inside myself, I called for the river of electricity, the empowering magic I was accustomed to.
Nothing.
Panic welled in my throat, and I resisted the urge to sob hysterically. Heavy, frantic breaths tore through me. I’m going to die here. I’m going to die!
“Hello?” I shrieked. “Is anyone there? Help!”
An explosion of fire appeared in front of me, searing my eyes. I shut them, but the orange heat still pierced through. I cracked my eyes open to just slits and found a figure engulfed in flames standing in front of me.
“O-Oliver?” I whispered tentatively, but something told me it wasn’t him.
A low, deep laugh resonated around me, and I shuddered. The flames subsided to a calm glow, though they were still enough to obscure the figure from view. He was just a tall blob of orange.
It would’ve been funny if I hadn’t been afraid for my life.
Behind the figure, I barely made out jagged, graphite boulders and stalactites. A few unidentifiable shadows lingered just out of sight. More demons, no doubt.
So we’re still in the demon caves. My heart fell to my stomach. Even if Oliver tried to find me, he couldn’t reach me without a Teleporter.
“Who are you?” I tried to sound brave, but my trembling voice betrayed me.
The orange blob cocked its head at me. “You don’t know who I am? Well, I’m quite disappointed. I’d hoped my reputation had preceded me.”
Icy fear trickled down my chest and pooled into my stomach, making me feel ill. “El Diablo,” I said.
The demon chuckled again. “Quite right. It’s an honor to meet you, Timecaster.” He dipped his head in a bow.
“T-Timecaster? How did you—”
“—know you’re from the future?” His tone dripped with mockery. “It’s quite obvious. You don’t quite blend in as much as you’d hope to.”
Rattled breaths tore through my chest. “Please, just let me go.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that. You hold valuable information that I can’t risk others obtaining.”
“I—what? What information?”
“Information about the future. And traveling through time.”
“It—it was an accident! I don’t know how to do it again, I swear.”
“Where was your intended destination?”
I opened and closed my mouth, my lower lip trembling. My chest shook with my quick, shallow breaths.
“This will be much easier for you if you answer my questions.” El Diablo’s voice was soft and dangerous as he crept closer to me. The flames of his body burned against my face.
“You’re just going to kill me anyway.” I gritted my teeth, trying to sound braver than I felt.
“This is true,” El Diablo said. “But I can kill you quickly . . . or slowly. And from the looks of it, you don’t have the stomach for what I’ve got planned for you.”
Bile crept up my throat, and more dizziness clouded my thoughts. “Why?” I demanded, my throat burning. “Why can’t you just let me go?”
El Diablo sighed loudly. “I wish I could. But your blood would give me more power than I could’ve gained from the Santeros or the other witches. Not just because of your magic, but because of your time.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Imagine this gift falling into my lap! I really must
