“I slipped. Couldn’t see anything in this rain,” the woman said. “I think I could cut it away. I’ve tried taking off my shoe and maneuvering my foot every which way.”
“I can try to saw through it,” Katie said and pulled out the knife Gabriel had given her. She paused. “Can I ask you something first?”
“Sure.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m not sure. I was at home when someone broke in. I heard someone screaming then something hot went straight through me. Everything went black, and I woke up here,” the woman explained.
“So you died.”
Silence.
“Sorry. I mean, it sounds like you died,” Katie said quickly. “But what do I know? It’s my first time here, too. What’s your name?”
“Deidre.”
“I’m Katie. If I go through your shoe or something, just yell,” she said and began sawing at the root.
“You think we’re dead,” Deidre said in a quiet voice.
“If we aren’t, we will be soon. I don’t think I’ll make it out of here.”
“Me neither, I guess. I don’t know how. Didn’t know dying was like this.”
Katie’s throat tightened, and the knife slipped. She drew a shaky breath and glanced around for Andre again. The damned phantom had lured her away from Gabriel and left her to her fate. She was a fool.
Anger filled her, and she began to saw in earnest, unwilling to let another innocent person die in the darkness of the underworld.
“Maybe we can find a way out,” she said. “I know I want to go home. I mustmake it home.”
“I have no family living. I have nothing to go home to,” Deidre said. “Do you?”
“Sorta,” Katie replied. “It’s a long story. I have a mate waiting for me, if he hasn’t gone off and killed himself.” Her knife slipped again, this time slicing her hand. “Dammit!”
“We need more light,” Deidre said.
“Maybe the storm will clear up.”
Deidre shifted with a grunt. Katie sat back on her haunches, not sure what to do when she couldn’t see what she was trying to cut. Deidre was shaking as hard as Katie was, and Katie crept closer for body heat.