Miri groaned, not even attempting to move for a few moments. God, had she just fallen through the ground? Every inch of her body ached, and her mouth felt gritty. Turning her head to the side, she spat out dirt and fought not to gag. An earthy yet slightly metallic taste remained in her mouth. She didn’t want to open her eyes—she really didn’t. Could this all be some horrible nightmare? Maybe she was safe at home, wrapped up in bed.

Her eyelids fluttered open, but instead of the white-washed walls of the bedroom she shared with her sister, she was surrounded by glittering darkness. No, not a nightmare, then. Something worse than one—reality. She gave a whimpering sigh before gathering the last reserves of her strength. Fear would only hinder her, wasting precious minutes that she and her sister might not have.

Had she broken anything during her fall? A flexing of her limbs promised sore muscles later that day. When she moved her right shoulder, it gave more than a twinge. Wonderful, it felt dislocated.

She needed to get up and regain her bearings. Too bad her body didn’t want to obey. Her fingers dug into something soft—more dirt? Shuddering, she refused to think about what creepy-crawlies might be down here. With a grunt, she pushed herself onto her haunches and took her first good look at her new accommodations. Black walls that housed thousands of glittering lights stared back at her. Were those jewels lit from within? But how? She rolled her eyes. Really, she was asking herself this after all that had happened?

Curiosity drove her to her feet and toward one of the walls. Her feet hit something that felt suspiciously like a body. She swallowed back the lump in her throat and carefully squatted down. Though nothing was readily visible at first, was that the faint sheen of red hair? She reached a hesitant hand toward what she hoped was a person’s shoulder. A living person’s shoulder, at that.

Her fingers touched material, and soft, warm skin could be felt beneath. With her breath coming quicker and her lungs threatening to explode, she squinted and ran her hand over the person’s face. Hot air puffed against her palm. At this confirmation of life, tears sprang to her eyes. She ghosted her hands over the curve of a jaw and cheek. The features felt small and childish. Her sister. Her Eve! She’d know her from anywhere.

With a sob breaking loose from her chest, she collapsed onto her backside. Her sister was alive! Was she unharmed, though? Some of her joy abated as quickly as it’d come. Eve certainly wasn’t safe. Neither of them were, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

Indecision gnawed at her. She wanted to hold her sister, but her gown was covered in that tar. But then, it wasn’t soaking through to her skin, so it probably wouldn’t hurt Eve. Anyway, surely, her sister had brushed up against the trees, too. It’d been impossible to not do so. Without further thought, she gathered Eve in her arms. Her sister didn’t stir. Miri’s eyes slowly adjusted to this new level of darkness until she could see the outline of Eve’s body.

Maybe if she got them closer to those glowing, sparkling things set into the walls, she’d be able to make out something more? She scooted them closer, though her shoulder screamed with every move. Her sister didn’t wake, which she didn’t know was a blessing or a curse. Once they were a few feet away from one of the walls, she blinked and blinked again. Those were flowers, not jewels? Petals gleamed with multi-faceted, mica-like flakes. They were so beautiful, so at odds with the forest and this dirt hole in the ground.

Her fingers itched to touch the blooms for some unfathomable reason, though she knew that probably wasn’t the wisest choice. Still, she found herself leaning toward the wall. As her hand neared, the flowers glowed brighter. Miri gasped and pulled back. Then she tried it again with the same results—increased radiance. Still, she hadn’t actually touched one of the flowers. What would happen if she did? Could it possibly give them a way out? That sounded crazy, but this whole episode could be defined as insane.

As her fingers brushed over one of the flowers, the ground shook. She ripped her hand back. Awe and fear rolled through her veins. By Omera’s grace, had she done that? With any luck, the tremors would stop on their own. But they continued until her brain felt as if it were turning to mush and dripping from her nose. Though her shoulders ached from the weight of holding Eve, she swiped at her nostrils. Her palm came back with a slick spot. Blood. Even in the earthy-smelling chamber, the scent was unmistakable.

She grimaced. What a wonderful time to get a nosebleed. They were going to die like dogs in the dirt. Literally in the dirt, surrounded by pretty, luminous dirt walls. A hysterical giggle bubbled out of her throat. Was that what their lives had come to? Dirt?

Suddenly, a deafening rumble roared through her ears, and a blinding light flashed through the dim chamber. Her beleaguered eyes screwed shut. Almost immediately, the tremors died away.

God, what now? Could she just sit there until she died, pretending nothing existed until it didn’t? No, there was Eve. There was always Eve. Miri was the next best thing her sister had to a mother. She had to remember that and not fail in her duty to protect her, no matter how worthless her efforts turned out to be.

With that thought ringing through her mind, she opened her eyes, and the booted pair of feet that stood before her appeared with surprising clarity. Her heart dropped to the floor. Oh, great skies above, not again. But these immaculate, finely tooled boots didn’t belong to a pig-cat creature. These were human-sized and the legs that belonged to them were clothed in leggings that displayed taut muscles. A man? Her gaze slowly slid up the form. Narrow hips and waist, broad shoulders.

She gulped down her dread and continued her perusal. Hazy light cascaded from the open chasm in the ground above her, and it shone on the long, silvery hair that framed a sculpted face. A scream welled in her throat. A ferocious expression covered the male’s handsome face, but that wasn’t what terrified her into a near faint. No, it was the veins of black running underneath his deathly pale skin that shoved her over the edge.