Atlas knew Ashe was here. He could see her white jacket abandoned beside his manager. She wouldn't have left it there had she or Grayson been able to pull it off.
He couldn't let himself get stuck beside Arrone!
But the metal wouldn't budge beneath his kicks, not that he expected it to. It was yet another trick, another thing that would leave Chaos hissing in his face. He didn't want to let his mother hear that Dizzee was somewhere nearby, somehow hidden from the hounds.
When the dogs sprinted by, his mother's attention drawn to the far side of the cavern chamber, Atlas finally figured out what he was supposed to do. The only way he would be dropped was if his chaos mother lost control over her sandalwood chains.
But what was he supposed to do after?
He didn't stray on the thought as long as he should.
They stood at the edge of the limestone floor, where it disappeared beneath a dark, green glittering lake. His mother was the closest to it. And he knew what happened when one fell into lakes in this world.
Atlas knew it was the right time to bring Dizzee back into the action. "Dizzee!" he yelled. He tried to motion toward his mother, and could only hope that the firefighter understood it.
He did.
She whipped around at his shout, only to get a glimpse of an ex-track runner sprinting toward her. He grasped her around the waist and before she or Cerberus could react, he shoved her into the depths.
Her body didn't make a sound as it disappeared under the surface, the water just as endless and textureless as Atlas could remember. There were no bubbles or splashes. Only the sound of breaking chains as the sandalwood disappeared.
Atlas crashed to the ground with a shout, pain lancing up through his ankle and his ribs. He sucked in a pained breath as he rolled out of the way of Cerberus' feet.
"Sorry, ma'am." He heard Dizzee's whisper even through the clanging of metal as the statue beast turned around.
"Thank you," Atlas gasped, coming to a stand beside his rescuer.
Dizzee clapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry 'bout your mom."
They didn't have time to say anything else, for three reasons. The main one loomed over them in its bipedal form, the rust glinting an ugly green in the light casting over the lake.
Now what were they supposed to do? And before Chaos just replaced his mother with another one of his strange creations.
Ashe couldn't do it anymore.
She clung to her stalagmite, her lungs burning with the exertion and terror, blood trickling down her arms. They weren't going to make it.
"Come on," Grayson urged her, helping her across. She barely held her footing on the slime, forced to clutch to his arm to keep from falling into the lake. She pressed her forehead against the wall, sucking in rough breaths, trying to find the constitution to continue on.
They were closer, now. But the dogs were nearly on top of them. The lead was stopped right outside of the first stalagmite by now, pausing briefly as it debated how to go further. She watched it back up and ram its unfeeling shoulder against the limestone. The thin rock cracked and busted under its weight, dropping into the water without a sound, like the rock may as well have been thin clay, and the lake air.
Grayson cursed. He squeezed onto the ledge beside her. "Grab around my neck."
She didn't have the energy or strength to resist him. She did as told.
YOU ARE READING
Steady Ground | ✔
Paranormal[ 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐲𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ] He's damaged. He's lost. And worse of all, his memories have come to life. If he wants to find peace, he'll need to redefine what it really means to move on. -- For the first time in years, Atlas feels li...
