the others climbed up the bodies. Once the seventh Naphil began his climb, Chazaq transferred Karen to him. “Take her to the top. When we’re all safely away, we will return her.”
Seconds later, only Chazaq and the four giants forming the ladder remained in sight. The top one pulled himself into the air shaft, then reached down for the others. The three remaining linked themselves hand-to-ankle while the giants above hoisted them upward. As the bottom giant rose, Chazaq wrapped an arm around his feet and rode upward with the chain of Nephilim. “Farewell, valiant warrior. I must admit that you have great courage. It’s a shame you’re on the losing side.”
As Chazaq’s feet disappeared through the door, Sapphira stepped underneath and called upward. “How are you going to lower Karen down safely from way up there?”
Walter dropped the sword and rushed to her side, whispering, “Don’t give him any ideas.”
In a flurry of red hair and flailing limbs, Karen dropped from the ceiling. Walter held out his arms, and she crashed into his chest, crumpling his body. Karen rolled to the side and groaned.
Ashley knelt next to them and laid a hand on each of their heads. “Are you two all right?”
Walter blinked at her. “Not exactly a gentleman, is he?” Just then, the rope slid down, collecting in a pile on his leg, and the trapdoor slammed shut.
Laying a hand on her stomach, Karen wheezed. “I … can barely … breathe.”
Sapphira stooped at their feet. “I think Chazaq collapsed her lungs! We have to get her out of here!”
“I was working on building a pile of rocks,” Ashley said, “but those creeps knocked it down. We’ll have to start over.”
Sapphira raced through her words. “There might be an easier way back at the museum room. The portal is gone, but if the dimensional barrier is still thin, I should be able to get us through. Even if we go to an unexpected dimension, at least we’ll be out of this place, and maybe I can figure out what to do from there. But there’s no way Karen can get very far in this state.”
“Sapphira’s right,” Walter said, struggling to his feet. “Ashley, you’d better try to heal Karen right now.”
Ashley pointed at him. “I was just thinking that.” She sat down and pulled Karen up into her arms. “Better stand clear, Sapphira.”
Sapphira backed away a few steps. “I think I’ve seen you do this before. How does it work?”
Walter picked up Excalibur. “Ashley is a healer,” he explained. “When I shoot the sword’s beam through the ground and into her, somehow she uses the energy to heal people. Since I’m an heir to King Arthur, I can make the sword do some pretty cool stuff.” He raised the blade and summoned the beam. “Watch.”
The shaft of light burned into the ceiling above. Walter slowly lowered it to the ground, making it sizzle across the scattered debris as it sent up gray puffs of smoke. Then, guiding it toward Ashley, he called out, “Ready?”
Ashley hugged Karen’s heaving body close. “Ready!”
The streak of energy surged into Ashley, lighting up her whole body. White beams poured from her eyes and into Karen’s chest. As arcs of energy danced around both girls, Karen cried out with a loud moan.
“That’s enough!” Ashley shouted.
Walter jerked the beam to the side and shut it down. The light from Ashley’s eyes blinked off with a tiny popping noise. Then, like a heated coil cooling down, her radiance faded. “Whew!” she said, rubbing her eyes, “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”
Karen, her face gaunt and dirty, shook her head slowly. “I hope someone wakes me up soon. I don’t like this dream at all.”
Walter put the sword away and hurried over to the two girls, extending a hand to each of them. “I think this nightmare is far from over.”
“Can she walk?” Sapphira asked. “With those Nephilim heading to the surface, we should get going. There’s no telling what they’re planning to do.”
Karen stood and tested her legs. “Yeah. I’m okay.” She squinted at Sapphira. “Who are you?”
“I’ll explain later.” Sapphira marched toward a door at the far end of the room, tongues of white fire emanating from her hands. “Everyone follow me. That includes Gabriel and Roxil. I’ll be our lantern.”
“Wait.” Ashley limped to a pile of rubble and tossed fragments to the side. She pulled out a finely polished, rectangular block and held it up. “Is this one of the gravitational field