Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

of massive figure attached through. No time like the present.
    to the roof. What the hell—
    I tore a couple of scraps off what remained of my dress Suddenly, a tiny shape detached itself from the ceiling. and wrapped them around my hands. Then I grabbed Then another, then another, then another. It took me a hold of the kudzu and yanked on it. The vines seemed few moments to realize what they were.
    sturdy enough to support my weight, so I began to climb. Bats.
    It was hard. So fucking hard . Even harder than reachHundreds of them. ing for my Ice magic had been to stop Tobias Dawson that Evidently my resounding curse had disturbed their final time in the cavern. But inch by inch, foot by foot, peaceful slumber. Because the creatures all abandoned I hauled myself up the thick vines. Whenever I found a their perches. They hovered in midair for a moment befoothold in the stone, I jammed my bruised, bloody, cold fore flapping away. They all headed down the left pastoes into it and rested. The vines under my body smelled sageway.
    faintly of dew. I was about halfway up the wall when I felt My heart lifted, and I scrambled after them as fast as I a cold breeze whistle down into the hollow room. could. Bats needed air, light, bugs, water. If they could get The caress of air against my bruised, throbbing cheek out, then I could too. I didn’t care if there was only a hole made me want to cry.
    small enough for the winged creatures to flutter through. But I shook off my emotion. Now was not the time to I’d find a way to get my human-size ass through it too. give in to my feelings. I could always slip and fall. And I’d of course, the bats were much faster than me and not be damned if I was going to die of a broken neck. Not now, hampered by a lack of adequate spelunking footwear. But when the sweet scent of sunshine was just a few feet away. still, I hurried after them as fast as my aching body would I drew in a breath and started climbing again. The let me. The passageway curved a couple of times before it walls narrowed to form a sort of circular point where the opened up into a round room. I stopped at the entrance opening was. I was going to have to let go of the kudzu and blinked. Was it my imagination or was it lighter in vines, reach for the edge of the hole, and hope the earth here? I dropped my hold on my magic. The room went didn’t crumble under my weight.
    dark, and my heart started to sink again. But I stood I found a good toehold and rested a moment, gaththere, waiting. And slowly, the area came into focus. ering my strength once more. For the final time. When I peered up, and there it was. An opening twenty feet I felt strong enough, I bent my knees, kicked up, and above my head. What looked like early morning sunlight reached for the lip of the opening. My hands scrabbled for Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 356-357
    12/17/09 9:32 PM
    358 JENNIFER ESTEP
    purchase. At the last second, my fingers clamped around another kudzu vine, this one anchored somewhere above the surface.
    I hung there in midair, supported only by my clenching fingertips. At this point, I was weeping openly from 32
    the pain in my hands, arms, shoulders. But somehow I hung on.
    I slid one hand up the vine. Then the other. Hauling myself upward. Snarls and half screams spewed out of my lips, like I was possessed by some evil spirit. Maybe I was. Because my will to survive was a powerful thing. Alexis James hadn’t been able to overcome me. Neither had Tobias Dawson. I wasn’t going to let some damp, slippery kudzu vines stop me now.
    So I hung there and inched my way up, like a spider I crabbed away from the hole on my hands and knees. I climbing up its own web.
    made it twenty feet before the last of my strength gave out, Finally, my right hand stretched up into the clear air. I and I did a header into the ground. For a long time, I just placed it on the edge of the opening, testing the ground. lay there on the forest floor breathing in the earthy scent of Solid stone, more than steady enough to support me. I the leaves that formed a rough, crackling blanket beneath scuttled upward and managed to hook my right elbow me. There was noise twittering above my head. More bats?
    up and out of the hole. Then the other one. I drew in a No, I realized after a moment. Birds. The birds were breath and strained upward. My head cleared the tangle singing. Which meant I’d definitely, finally, escaped from of vines covering the opening, and the