Even with blood trailing her arms, Rania had the posture of a queen. She barked orders to her guards while the crowd's murmurs stirred with panic.

Catch yanked Halen back from the ledge.

"Come on." Pepper descended the ladder.

"I'm sorry." Halen stared at her hands as if they weren't her own. She turned to Dax. Had he manipulated her magic? Was this even possible? "I saw you on the seam..." Her thoughts raced. He was her balance. Dax was supposed to keep her from losing herself in the dark side of her soul. He wouldn't take her there intentionally—would he?

The corners of his mouth turned with a smile. "Thank you."

His gratitude caught her off guard. "I didn't mean to hurt her! Why didn't you stop me?"

"Deep inside you wanted it, or it wouldn't have happened." He shrugged.

"What are you talking about? I didn't..." She clasped her hands to her chest. But she had. For one beat of a second, she had wished Rania dead. 

Pepper's head poked from the entrance. "We have to get out of here. Now!"

"Go." Dax guided her by the elbow, while he held Catch back from the ladder. 

Catch's eye twitched double-time, but he said nothing.

"You're not coming with us? We should stick together." Halen stopped her descent.

"It's okay. We'll be right behind you," Dax said.

Pepper tugged on her ankle and Halen lightly kicked her away. She held out her hand to Catch. "Why don't you come with us?"

"I need him," Dax said. "We still have to free Nelia and find Huron."

"It's okay." Catch's lips lifted with a forced smile.

Catch wasn't built to fight. No way was he okay with Dax's plan, but there wasn't time to argue. "Just hurry." Halen grabbed the ledge. Her head swimming with doubt, she descended the ladder. 

At the bottom, her back pressed against the cool rock and she glanced up, thinking they should stay together. Her magick got them into this trouble, but it could also help them out. 

Pepper grabbed her wrist. "Where are the guys?" "They're staying," Halen said flatly.

Pepper muttered something under her breath that sounded a little like a string of curse words. "What's important is to get you out of here."

"I should stay and fight," Halen said.

"This is not the time to be brave." She tugged her to the left.

"What good is this magick, if I can't use it to help?" 

"You will help, just not here. Trust me." Pepper touched her arm. "Please come with me."

Above, a conch shell rang with an eerie challenge. Her heart tripped, her fingers trailed with sparks. Was Dax insane?

"Come on!" Pepper tugged her hard. 

As the conch shell rang again, she feared for Dax and Catch, but she had to believe Dax knew what he was doing. Everything he'd done so far had been to protect her. She couldn't blame him for the sand arrow when she too had wanted to see Rania suffer. She followed Pepper, sliding through the passage.

They scooted side by side until the wail of the conch shell faded into the darkness. Halen's magick charged along her veins, seeking release, but as the passage widened with the soft glow of light and no sign of Rania, her sparks settled.

"Just through there." Pepper pointed.

The echo of rushing water reverberated off the walls. In the center of the cavern, a dark pond flowed counter-clockwise, with a water spire spinning like a drill in reverse. The spire rushed up to kiss the azure sky, then cascaded back into the pond, fueling the turbulent current below.

"It's beautiful," Halen said. 

"And deadly." Pepper cast her gaze toward the spire. "We have to cross to the other side." 

Just beyond the water spire, two tunnels offered a way out.

"How? We can't swim in that water." Halen scanned the shore for a boat, even though she figured the current might shred the hull. 

"We have to go under the waterfall." Pepper headed to the side of the pond, the spray of the water hitting the rocks coating her in a fine mist. "Through there." 

Beneath the cascading water was a narrow path, the rocks slicked with algae and the spray. 

"You're kidding?" Nervous laughter bubbled up her throat.

"It's the only way."

"Well, then, let's do this." Halen took the first step and her foot slid along the rocks. Pepper caught her by the elbow.

"I'll go first," Pepper stepped around her, and flattened against the wall, pressing between the waterfall and the rocks. 

Halen's toes curled into the rock formation as she took a careful step. She leaned into the wall like Pepper had done while the waterfall beat at her back. She hugged the rocks tighter. "I won't fall," she murmured over and over as if this mantra could keep her from slipping. 

She caught up to Pepper, who glanced back with a brief weak smile. Halen had let her down, too, and she wished desperately for a do-over. If she were more prepared, if she hadn't let Asair trick her... I wish you were dead, she said to Asair, but he didn't answer.

They scooted another few steps. A sandy outcrop lay ahead, and beyond, their escape route. "That's it!" Pepper picked up her pace when her foot slipped from the ledge, her ankle turning. Her scream cut the air as her knees bashed the rocks. She scrambled for the ledge.

Teetering, Halen reached out and grasped Pepper's wrist. "I've got you!" Halen tried to draw Pepper in with her magick, but her sparks wouldn't rise. "Hold on!" Her back was to Pepper, one hand on the wall, her toes digging into what little of the ledge she had to hold on to.

"I can't!" Pepper shouted.

Halen tightened her grip. She called to her magick again, reaching deep inside, traveling to her seam, but found only darkness.

Let her go! Asair's voice rushed through her mind.

Never! She tugged and her foot dipped in the current.  

Let her go now, or all will be lost. Halen's fingers spread and Pepper slipped.

"Help me!" Pepper cried.

"Kick!" Halen shouted. The current spun faster, trying to rip her from Halen's grasp when another hand reached down and grabbed Pepper. Halen followed the muscled arm up to Dax's clenched jaw.

Halen let out a heavy breath filled with relief. 

Dax yanked Pepper up, but as he guided her to the ledge, his balance wavered and she plunged back into the water. 

Pepper's head bobbed in and out of the current. "Grab my hand!" Halen reached out as she spun toward her. 

Pepper whizzed by with her hand outstretched, but she missed. The current dragged her flailing body toward the center, where the vortex increased in speed. With each spin, she floated farther and farther away.

"Dax! Do something!"

For what he did next, Halen would never forgive him. As Pepper spun toward them, instead of reaching out for her, Dax shoved Halen off the rock ledge and onto the sandy shore while the water swallowed Pepper whole.

Thank you for reading the first ten chapters of Curses and Ash! I hope you'll continue Halen's journey and read the rest of the series for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

Also be sure to check out my new YA romantasy, Isle of Wolves coming out June 11, 2024 with Finch Books.