Fighting for Power (Howl of the Elements: Book One)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Waking with fierce shivering, Layla opened her eyes and clutched her body even further into the fetal position. Falling asleep in a cold, wet cave with no clothes had turned out to be a terrible idea, even though she hadn’t really been thinking clearly at that point in time.

Shaking her head and listening to the roar of the waterfall, she attempted to wake herself more. What time is it? After rubbing her eyes, she casually glanced towards the water. Bright sunlight streaked through the clear water, causing Layla to shriek and leap to her feet. Shit! I’m going to be late for the wedding. I hope it hasn’t started yet.

She scrambled closer to the opening of the cave, scanning her eyes for another possible way out without having to dive back into the dangers of the ravenous current beneath the waterfall. Her hope dissipated with seeing only slick rocky edges ending right before the opening, until right as she was going to give up her search her eyes landed on a very thin trail of stone snaking it’s way around to the outside of the hidden cavern.

Relief soared through her, and the sense of urgency quickly returned. Ignoring the stabs on the bottom of her bare feet from stepping on random rocks, she carefully pressed herself up against the slick wall near the cave’s entrance. The closer she got to the waterfall, the more stray splashes of water began to coat her face and body. Feeling the foothold beneath her getting slipperier, her heart started racing. Her nerves were on edge, and her every breath felt tight and rigid.

Layla took another cautious step, gently trying to find a stable place to put her foot down. The water was pouring down right in front of her face now. There were only a few more feet to go. Letting her excitement build, she took another couple of steps towards the sunlight. While taking a deep breath, she readied herself and pushed around the outer edge of the waterfall, only to land her foot on a smooth, slippery stone. She lost her grip and went tumbling forwards. Not again..

Knowing that there was no saving her balance, she decided to take a leap of faith and push herself forward as hard as she could. The sun blinded her sight, and warm air engulfed her body for only a mere second before she dove into the depths of the pond. A slight tug of the water’s current grasped her legs, but it was much easier to fight through than when she had been right beneath the cascade the night before. Forcing her way upwards, her face breached the surface. Instantly, she sucked in a lungful of the fresh breeze.

The adrenaline from the experience started to seep from her, and  fatigue was slowly creeping in to take its place. Taking the last of her energy, she thrust herself towards the shoreline. As she drew closer to the edge of the pond, her feet found the bottom and she crawled her way onto the dry sand that lined the sparkling water.

The heat of the sand would have made her flinch any other time, but at that moment it was the most welcoming feeling she could imagine. It was clinging to her wet skin and felt unbelievably inviting beneath her shaky hands and knees.

Letting a sigh of exhaustion escape her parted lips, she rolled herself onto her back. The water from the pond still licked at her now outstretched feet, the sun above her was now high in the sky and warmed her to her core, and her mind escaped all of her previous thoughts of being in a rush. She could feel her body going limp with relaxation, and she lolled her head to the side to shield it from the brightness above her.