Knightqueen (Oronis Knights #3)

Carys’ heart pounded. She ignored the car dropping away; instead, she watched Sten dangling from the broken rail line.

“I’m okay,” he said.

But he wasn’t. It was too far for him to jump to the platform.

“Can you climb along the rail and come across?” she asked.

“There’s some of that blue fluid on the line. If I touch the main rail…”

It would eat into his skin.

Her belly clenched tight. They needed a plan.

She wasn’t losing him.

Carys searched around the platform, but it was empty.

“The fluid will break through the main rail line soon.” His voice was calm.

Panic fluttered through her.

They had no idea how long they had.

“Hold on,” she said.

“No.” His voice was deep, with that infuriating unruffled tone. “Carys, you need to go. Get help. Get away from here, and find a way to contact Oron.”

Her head snapped up. “And leave you?”

“You’re the knightqueen. Your life is more important.”

She stepped forward, her throat tight. “Yours is important, too.”

“Carys—”

“It’s important to me.” She glared at him across the gap. “Now, hold on.”

She swiveled and raced out into the tunnel. She would save the irritating man, if it was the last thing she did.

She hurried along, her pulse racing. She knew that any second, he could fall.

Before long, she came to a doorway. When she reached it, she paused. There was a tall skeleton lying on the ground, empty eye sockets staring straight ahead. She stepped carefully over it.

Inside the room, she yanked open warped and weathered cupboard doors, searching through the shelves. A cloud of dust made her cough.

Come on. There had to be something she could use to save Sten. Her heart squeezed. She couldn’t lose him.

He may not want her the way she wanted him, but he’d been hers a long time.

Her hands touched a coil of rope and her heart leaped. Yes.

She grabbed it and ran.

When she got back to the chasm, he was still hanging there.

“Carys, go.” His voice was a growl. “Get yourself safe. That’s what’s most important to me.”

“Save your breath, Thorsten.” She hefted the rope. “Get ready to grab this.”