Spellbound (Otherworld 12)

So would a cover spell, though.

I looked around the empty room. She'd escaped. Somehow, she'd escaped.

I glanced up. The ceiling was solid and twelve feet overhead. To my left, the window was bricked over, as my father said.

A door. There had to be a--

I came to on the floor without realizing I'd even blacked out. I looked around, dazed. I could smell the

gas and see it shimmering in the air.

I started pushing to my feet. Then I saw it--a partly open hatch under the third bed. Covering my mouth, I bent and yanked it open. The hole descended into darkness. As I felt around inside for a ladder, Bryce bent beside me.

"I can't find a way down," I said. "But obviously there is one if she used it."

Bryce reached inside.

"There's something over here," he said.

He leaned in farther.

"Don't--"

He lost his balance. I managed to catch his sleeve, but the sudden jolt sent me sailing over the edge with him.

thirty-seven

I clawed and kicked, desperately trying to stop myself from falling. When I realized it was too late, I tried to twist in midair, to get my head up so it wasn't the first thing to hit--

My skull slammed into something and there was a momentary flash of "Oh, my God, I'm dead" before I realized I'd plunged into water.

My hands shot over my head to break that final impact with the bottom. I hit hard enough to send pain jolting through my arms.

I felt around. Thick mud over rock or cement. I managed to get my footing and pushed off and up.

By the time my head broke through the surface, my feet had left the bottom. I treaded water and squinted around. Above I could make out the rectangle of the hatch, but it was so high it barely gave off any illumination. I was in a deep pit, with at least ten feet of water. From the sounds of it, I was alone.

"Bryce?" I called.

No answer.

"Bryce!"

I dove, got a mouthful of foul water, and shot back up again, gagging and spitting. Another deep breath and I went under.

If I couldn't see above water, I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to see under it. I swam around, praying my fingers or toes would brush against Bryce.

He'd float, wouldn't he? No, that was only after you drowned. A live body would sink.

I had to find him. He was already weak. It wouldn't take long before--

Something tickled the back of my head. I reached up and felt fabric, and let out a whoosh of relief that sent more disgusting water into my mouth. I ignored it and grabbed Bryce around the torso. I hauled him up until we finally broke through.

I could only dimly see him, his skin and light hair glowing pale in the near dark. His head lolled back. Unconscious.

I remembered Paige giving us a first aid class back when the agency opened, and I know she'd covered CPR and I know I'd been there . . . sulking because it would be a long time before I was in the field, meaning I had no use for first aid so I damned well wasn't going to listen . . .

Shit.