The Land of Miu (Land of Miu, #1, 2nd ed.)

Chapter 12

Kate scrambled to her feet, her dressing gown twisting around her legs. She yanked the fleecy material out of the way and ran.

Emma screamed.

Kate stopped and turned to find her sister standing motionless a few steps behind her.

“Come on!” Kate reached back, gripped Emma’s shoulder and pulled the younger girl towards her. “Run!”

They ran around the boulder and Emma veered towards the door to the court.

“Forget that door! Go to the right,” said Kate. She could hear shouting, but she couldn’t tell which way Min and his crew were approaching.

Emma and Kate squeezed through the narrow gap between the boulders and the cavern wall. Strands of her dark hair clung to Kate’s face. Her skin crawled, her heart raced. She prayed they would reach the other end before Min found them.

“I see them!”

Her heart jumped into her mouth at the sound of Min’s voice. There wasn’t time to look over her shoulder. It was enough to know that he was behind them.

They pushed on. The narrow gap widened. Loose stones appeared and Kate knew they would soon be running across the clearing where everyone could see them.

Emma fell, landing with a crunch.

“Hold this.” Kate thrust the torch into Emma’s hands and then scooped her up into her arms and continued running as fast as she could.

Light flashed. The wall beside her exploded. Kate staggered sideways and fell. Emma cried out. The torch bounced on the ground and rolled away. Dust clouded Kate’s vision and she tasted grit in her throat. She gulped for air.

“Get her!” It was Min’s voice.

Scrambling to her feet, Kate scooped Emma off the ground again and ran. Stones moved under her leather wrapped feet. Emma whimpered in her arms.

“My arm hurts,” Emma murmured into her chest.

Kate ignored her. Escape was her first priority and she could see their destination. Once they reached the next set of boulders, the hole in the wall wasn’t far. She wanted to rub the grit from her eyes, but couldn’t. Everything swayed gently, even the boulders she raced towards.

Gold eyes glared at her. Min.

The dark shape she thought was a boulder turned out to be Min. He had doubled back and now he stood foreboding in front of them. A guard stood beside him. A hand grabbed her upper arm, forcing her to stop, fingers dug deep into her flesh. Emma’s weight had taken its toll. Kate’s arms arched. In the next instant, she was pulled sideways and pushed to a crouching position. Emma lay cradled in her lap.

Min towered over them, an axe in one hand and a spear in the other.

“Where is Alara?” Min glared down at her, the black slits in his eyes narrowing.

Kate glared at Min.

“The purr-princess. Where is she?”

Kate looked towards the well. Djal had returned to his concentration stance. Hebany stood motionless, watching his son, a deep frown on his face.

The blunt end of Min’s spear prodded Kate’s shoulder. “How did you get in here?” Min looked around the cavern. His flat, furry nose twitched. “There has to be another entrance.”

Emma twisted in Kate’s lap. A thick, sticky substance clung to Kate’s fingers. Blood! She looked down to find her sister clutching her elbow. Blood smeared the fabric of Emma’s loose pyjama sleeve and Kate’s dressing gown, but Kate knew it wasn’t life threatening. She reached for the sleeve and ripped it off, then looked up at Min.