Leah's Hero - Miranda Martin Page 0,22
a lot more words he says, but I don’t understand them. I gasp in desperately needed air, but no one seems to take special notice of me, thankfully. The Zmaj are debating again, rapid fire talking that I can’t follow.
“Uh, guys!” Michael, the one human male survivor in our group calls out. When the Zmaj don’t stop talking to listen to him, he speaks again. “GUYS!”
“What?” Riley asks.
“We got a problem,” he says.
The room shifts around, and I get a good look at him for the first time. His pants are soaked and he’s dripping water onto the floor.
“Why are you wet?” Mick asks.
“That’s the problem,” Michael says.
“Do we really need to pull this out of you one sentence at a time or are you going to actually say it?” Ziva asks, the queen of snark coming out with her frustration.
“The lower level is flooding, bad,” he says.
“Okay,” Mick says. “We’re not staying down there so who—”
She’s cut off as water rushes into the room. It’s only an inch or so but enough to get all our feet wet and it’s cold. Everyone cries out and people scramble around trying to find ways to get off the floor. Standing on chairs, climbing on the table, anything to get out of the cold water.
The three Zmaj are silent but also the only ones not scrabbling around like crazy people, myself included.
“Yeah, about that,” Michael says.
He’s climbed onto the counter next to the wall. The water keeps coming and now the level is rising.
“Shit,” I exhale as I remember the water lines I was pointing out to Ziva earlier.
“Great timing Mikey!” Mick yells, throwing her hands up in the air.
“Hey, it’s not my fault,” he says, flinching and raising his arms protectively.
Everyone is talking at once. Yelling being a more accurate description. I’m on the table and the new Zmaj is barely a hand’s width from me. I’m acutely aware of him. Goosebumps rise on my arm, his presence is so… manly. He’s standing there, doing nothing untoward, but I feel his dominance, his power, his machoism.
And I like it.
A strong man, one who knows what he wants, yet in him I recognize more. It’s as if I’ve known him before, or known him longer than I have. I feel an affinity for him that I can’t explain. The only thing about it that makes sense is he’s been through hard times too. He’s been wounded, and he wears the scars from his wounds openly on his body. Mine are hidden, but I don’t know that they’re any less twisted or deep.
One wounded animal recognizing another? Is it really something as simple and as primal as that? No, I’m an evolved human. It’s chemicals. Chemicals in my brain affecting my body’s systems. Ignore it and it will go away. This is the effect that leads to poor choices and bad one-night stands.
And here I am thinking about all this while water is steadily rising and the room around me is freaking out. Hey, at least I’m staying calm, right? I shake my head in a desperate attempt to clear it out. We’re in trouble, and I’m being stupid.
The Zmaj men talk rapid fire while Ziva and Riley contribute. Everyone else yelps, screams, and in general makes a nuisance of themselves all while the water continues to rise.
“Look, we can’t stay here,” I say. “I noticed earlier there is a water line and if I’m right, this entire place is going to be underwater. That’s probably why it was abandoned in the first place.”
“You noticed earlier?” Charlie asks, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“Yeah,” I say, feeling sheepish.
“And you just now decided to tell us?” Belle asks.
“It didn’t seem important,” I say.
“Right, flooding deep enough to drown us all, what would be important about that?” Mick says, sarcastic as ever.
Why does she hate me? Rolling my eyes, I shrug and do the only thing I can, ignore her. She wants to hate me, fine. There’s nothing I can do about it. She’s going to be the way she is, and right now there are much bigger fish to fry.
“Urukol is offering to take us to his home,” Riley says.
I exchange looks with the others. Fear, and relief shines on their faces and I’m sure it’s mirrored on my own.
“His home?” Charlie asks.
“What does that mean?” Lisa asks.
“Well obviously it means he wants to take us away from here,” Mick snaps. “Question is, do we trust him? Are we sure he’s not working for the