The stinging pain in the back of my head tore me back into consciousness.

I felt the cool sand gently scratching my face. I peeled my eyes open and took a deep breath. I pushed myself up, resting on my knees for a couple of minutes.

The sun had gone down. My skull pulsated as I looked up and took in my surroundings. I was on the little half-moon beach on the east side of the mountain, its giant limestone wall towering over me. I touched the back of my head and hissed from the pain. I’d been wounded. My fingers had silver blood on them.

I cursed under my breath, then managed to stand up, despite my whole body aching.

“What the hell,” I muttered, then stilled as I went over the last things I remembered.

I’d rappelled down the mountain with Fiona. The three tunnels we’d seen were still very much there, but the one in the middle had collapsed, a pile of giant chunks of stone sealing its entrance. Pitch-black darkness awaited in the other two.

I turned around and saw the old jetty, remembering myself as I’d stared at it, wondering what purpose the tunnels served and why there were no boats docked there. The deep blue ocean water lapped at the shore. I struggled to catch up with my current state.

“Fiona…” I gasped and rushed to the pile of broken stones clogging the middle tunnel.

She’d gone inside. I’d heard her say something but couldn’t remember what, exactly. But I had turned around and everything had gone white. I had felt something hit the back of my head, and I had just slipped into darkness.

“Fiona!” I shouted, hoping she’d hear me.

With the tunnel collapsed, she’d most likely gotten trapped in there.

I held my breath for a second, and had another look around me.

Hold on…

Why was only the middle tunnel collapsed? Why were the other two in pristine condition? I climbed over the rocks and noticed large, deep holes above. The stone had been split by localized explosions. This had been deliberate. It had been planned.

“Fiona!” I shouted again, from the bottom of my lungs, but no answer came back.

My heart thudded in my chest, my blood freezing as I came to terms with the fact that I’d lost Fiona. I moved to go through one of the remaining tunnels but stopped in front of the entrance.

What am I doing?

Whoever did this wanted us separated. I didn’t know what lurked in those tunnels. What if they’d orchestrated it so they’d break us up and take us down? Clearly, we were easier to attack if we were on our own. But I was still alive, even though they could’ve finished me off when they knocked me out. So, that hadn’t been their purpose—at least not with me. Nevertheless, maybe they had an ulterior motive for sparing me.

It would still be a risk. I shouldn’t go on my own…

If I went through the tunnels after her, I was vulnerable. On top of that, I wasn’t even sure if I’d get to Fiona through these other underground passages.

Two missing GASP agents wasn’t going to help anyone. As much as it killed me on the inside, I couldn’t just go after her. I needed to bring in the whole team. I needed our hardcore weapons.

The dragon…

“Damn it!” I cursed.

The ropes were still there, hanging from their bolts above. I looked around again, but there wasn’t a single trace of anyone or anything else there.

“Damn! Damn! Damn!” I growled as I pulled one half of my rope through my legs and a couple of times around my hips, then safely tied a double knot. I pulled hard on the other half. I took a few deep breaths, then hauled myself up, using the solid metal bolt at the top as a rough pulley, and managed to reach the edge of the stone path that Fiona and I had descended earlier without looking down.

I scrambled to my feet and rushed into the city, nearly flying up flights of stairs. My blood rushed, and my pulse thundered in my ears. I was angry at myself, thinking I should’ve been more careful, that I shouldn’t have let Fiona out of my sight, not even for a second. I looked forward to breaking the necks of whoever had split us up like this.

Dread washed over me in icy waves when the prospect of daemons came to mind. My heart nearly stopped as I considered those invisible fiends getting their claws on her. I broke into a cold sweat and ran even faster.

Hold on, Fiona. I’ll get you back.