The water around them seeped in the ground, leaving a chill, leaving them drenched and with mud splotched all over their clothes and skin. Elize wobbled her way to a gnarled root that was jutting out of the soil on the side and perched atop it. She looked down at the dirty water that was churning over some pit and disappearing slowly. A chill swept over her as she stared at the water, thinking how her skin felt and how she thought she would die.
Caleb's concerned gaze was on her. Her chest rose with a shallow breath as rage brushed across her skin. She rubbed her neck to ease her throbbing heart. "I am not going to be a part of any deal," she said to Auril. "I will go to my apartment and retrieve my things, and then—" her throat bobbed. Her gaze met Caleb's and she stopped mid-sentence, their eyes locking.
"There are people who are after you," Caleb said as he took a step forward and perched on the gnarled root below hers. "If you go there alone, you won't be safe."
