“Here.” Amir shoves his phone at me. I take it and run into the darkness alone.
It doesn’t take me long to get to Dex’s group. I have to duck and jump several times to avoid the vines, which are like whips reaching for me over and over. Luckily, the group wasn’t that far behind, and the screaming leads me straight to them.
I find the champions at the edge of a pit full of poison ivy. Dex is on his stomach at the lip, pulling a teeth-gritted Dae out as the vines try to drag him back down. Meanwhile, Rima, Neve, and Samuel, even with his strength, are writhing on the ground.
I run to them first and help yank Dae the rest of the way out. Then I rip open a case of their vodka.
“You’re seriously stealing from us?” Samuel demands on a groan, wide-set eyes accusing in the beam of the flashlight.
“Bitch,” Neve mutters and tries to push to her knees, maybe to come at me.
A vine slithers out of the darkness, reaching for her.
I ignore her and twist the top off the bottle, then splash it on Dex’s head.
“What the fu—” The instant the healing effect hits, he bites off the words. Then, “Shit.”
I shoot him a grim smile as I kneel over a wary Samuel next. “That’s right. I’m your savior today.”
It takes almost half their bottles to get them to a point where they can function, especially because vines keep coming at us, leaving behind more blisters to treat. But at least none of them passes out like Meike.
“Can you run?” Rima asks her team.
Samuel lifts the crate above his head, Superman-style. “Go.”
We take off through the cavern.
Not having to drag a pallet helps, but the vines are getting more aggressive. I can hear them in the cave now, rustling and moving…to get to us. Like a den of snakes coming at us from the walls and ceiling.
We manage not to stop until we stumble over my allies, and I trip over my feet at the sight of Meike still unconscious on the ground. Some of the welts are healed, but some still look rough. Empty bottles of vodka litter the ground.
Trinica looks up at me with pained eyes. “She’s not getting better,” she says. “We used it all.”
53
No Choices Left
Rima drops to her knees beside Meike, quickly checking her over with sharp, professional movements. Right. Neurosurgeon.
I know it’s bad when she whispers to herself, “Merciful goddess.”
A vine comes out of the darkness for her, and Samuel knocks it back, giving a hiss of pain at the contact.
Rima looks from him to me. “Meike’s not going to make it if she doesn’t get help now.”
“Godsdamn.” I think Dex is the one who says it behind me.
Neve stomps on another vine. “If we stay here, we’re all dead.”
Meike’s breathing is getting noticeably worse. Her body is reacting to the poison, and we’re out of options.
Samuel could carry her, but we need to move fast, and he can haul the most vodka. Which we all need now. Not to win—to survive. Jackie’s already flown away, or I’d enlist her help. But even if Zai flew Meike out of here, it wouldn’t fix her condition. Not until the rest of us cross the finish line and end the Labor.
I squeeze my eyes closed. I can’t let her die here.
Fuck me.
I think I’m the only one who can help her. If I use a pearl.
“Damn,” I whisper.
I’m predicting another round with Hades when I return to Olympus. Charon warned me not to do this, but I don’t hesitate. “I can get Meike out of here.”
Sorry, Hades.
“How?” Trinica asks.
“You’ll see. But…” I pause. “I’m not sure I can take even one with me. I don’t—”
Amir taps me on the shoulder. “Take Meike. We’ll get through.”
I look directly at Dex. “They’ll need to use your vodka if—”
“Go,” he snaps. He’s clearly not happy about it, but it means I can leave them with him.
I look back to find Zai staring at me, earnest and urgent.
