Elodie's POV
"I've been practising for months now, it's very doable."
"And you're one hundred percent sure you'd be able to dematerialise the second anyone caught you?" Cara enquired.
She nodded. "Ninety-nine percent." She turned to Cara. "But I do need you."
"How so?"
"The minute I've given the signal to tell you guys I'm out and safe, seeing as there's no way anyone would be able to get close without strongly risking their life, I can enchant your bow to manipulate fire. You have the best aim from anyone I've ever met, so I want you to be the one that lights the fuse."
Cara smiled and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'd be honoured."
"Elle, I love you but you're not exactly the strongest swimmer, so how about you be the messenger? You let the others know when you receive my signal."
I nodded, smiling.
"Kieran, Luke, you're probably the strongest. Swim down and carry the explosives with me, I'll take them in a waterproof bag the minute we get to the entrance of the tunnels."
The two lingered on each other's eyes for a little too long, an agreed disliking for one another clear in the air before they both nodded unreluctantly.
"Bry and Noah are staying here with the group, with a phone if they need to contact Elodie."
"Alright. Gear up everyone." Kieran shouted.
"Cara, you come with me. Bring your bow."
***
Arya's POV
"It does not feel good being back here, I had my heart set on the fact that we wouldn't have to come back any time soon." Elodie whispered.
"But this time we have a plan, I'm going to hide in plain sight. It's a little funny if you think about it."
My line was followed up by discouraged looks from just about everyone in the car.
"Ok, everyone out. Lock doors."
We started picking up gear, lugging the heavy equipment onto our shoulders and planting towels at Elodie's feet. One at a time wrapping exhausted arms around her.
"Be safe." She whispered into Kieran's shoulder. "And make sure you are ready, Arya. If you hear anything, cast the spell."
I nodded. "See you in an hour."
"I better, good luck."
And with that, the three of us turned around and started the twenty-metre retreat towards the castle. Eventually stripping off the layers we had packed onto ourselves.
"Kieran, Luke, you two first. I will follow behind with the equipment. The two nodded, before raising their hands above their heads and diving in alongside each other. Eyes trained on the bottom and lungs blowing out bubbles to savour any air there was left.
I followed, barely seeing their outline as I pushed through the water behind them, propelling myself further down with every hand stroke.
Eventually, we reached the opening. Driving ourselves through the waterfall to rest.
"Okay, this is where we part."
"Be safe." Kieran breathed.
I nodded and turned around to begin the passage along the tunnels. Clearing every corner, I could with nervous movements.
Eventually I reached the third catacomb, quietly placing down the bundle I had in my arms and unwrapping the fuse gently.
The explosives didn't need to be moved at all; it was enough to have a significant blast inside. My job was to trail the fuse back to just before the water, be loud in order to cause them to drain the moat before saving myself with the invisibility cast. Kieran had a harness and Luke would belay him down the empty moat to fetch me, and the fuse.
At that point, we needed to run. Because in a couple more seconds the entire castle would be blown to pieces on Elodie's command. Cara would not miss. She never did.
Taking a deep breath, I sink to the ground and pressed myself tightly against the wall, immediately after, yanking out the pin of a small hand grenade and turning my head to the side as I threw it down a nearby catacomb.
Filling my lungs with air, I took a single deep breath and screamed at the top of my lungs. A tormented, harrowing scream. One I was not sure how I'd even began to muster up.
It was in that moment that the footsteps started, continuous footsteps that echoed round the catacomb walls, a whirlpool of people entering the catacomb next to me.
At that exact moment, I pulled out another pin and aimed it straight to the direction the footsteps.
This one, however, was a smoke grenade.
The aim was not to actually kill anyone.
Yet.
"Grenade!" Someone screamed.
"Put us on lockdown!" another screamed into a walkie talkie. "We have an intruder."
Now, I had to focus. If I weren't successful, it would cost me my life.
I focused my mind back to the millions of scriptures I had studied and memorised myself. Photographic memory allowing me to conjure up exact images of the pages.
"nohb molfefrin."
"Who's there?" I heard someone shout.
I ignored it and kept chanting. "nohb owofefrin,
noob fenhr
ossizo mo
voazo
rhafz noi
fo vlolsom."
With the last word, my hands started to tingle and my entire body was enveloped in confusion and nausea.
Grabbing the explosives, I felt my body sink back into reality.
Just as I did, people started to run past. They looked all around, checked the corners, but nothing.
It had worked. The explosives and I were completely invisible.
"Whoever they are they had to have gotten inside somehow, there's no way they're still lurking in the tunnels." One man whispered into his device. "Search the castle grounds."
At this point, I let out a huge sigh and dropped the explosives. Allowing myself to relax. But it wasn't over yet.
I dragged my exhausted body upwards and started running back, the fuse wrapped around one of my hands, dragging behind me.
"Kieran!" I screamed from below. Rematerializing as the sound of rope friction echoed down the empty moat.
"Grab onto me." He whispered when we reached the bottom.
I did so, wrapping my arms around his neck and looking up to the empty cavern.
"Luke, get us up. Now." Kieran yelled.
No response.
"Luke?" I shouted, tilting my head to look at him.
He looked back at me and kept eye contact.
"Luke what the hell are you doing?"
He turned away and looked at the ground. Breathing heavy. "I'm sorry Kieran, Arya. I'm not bringing you up."