“No.” It hurt her to say the words when she knew what Erin must be going through. “Not until we reach the hot springs at the other mountain. Even then it will be dangerous.”

And when would that be, she wondered. It seemed as if they had been wading, half swimming and crawling forever down this rocky water passage. It had just narrowed again, and Erin was ahead of her crawling through shallow water on hands and knees over the rocky ground. Catherine’s own hands and legs were scratched and cut from the sharp rocks.

“Cameron, you’d better have been right about this damn spring.”

“I’m right.” Soothing gentleness, removal of all pain. “You’re not too far. Keep her going.”

“I don’t hurt anymore. Is that one of your tricks?”

“One of the better ones.”

“Well, don’t waste it on me. Take care of Erin.”

“I’ve already done it. I had to attend to her first. She’s my responsibility.”

“No, she’s my responsibility.” She added wearily, “But I’ll let you share. I’m too tired to argue.”

“You’ve had a rough—” He stopped, then said sharply, “Tell Erin to stop. The floor of the cave falls off just ahead. She won’t be able to see—”

“Catherine!” Erin suddenly plunged forward, hitting her shoulder on the stone bank as she fell.

Water.

Water up to Erin’s shoulders.

No, up to her neck!

Panic jolted through Catherine as Erin’s words came back to her. Never let your head go under the water. Brain disease and death.

“Erin, hold on to the bank.” She was crawling frantically forward. “Tread water. I’ll be there in a second.”

“Having trouble,” Erin gasped. “It’s deep here. And I can’t hold on to those stones. I think my shoulder popped out again when I hit it against the bank when I fell.”

Dammit!

Catherine threw her flashlight into her boot and dove after her in the water.

Hot. The water was hot.

“And it will get hotter. Get her to the left side of the passage. There’s cold water flowing in there.”

Catherine grabbed Erin and pulled her toward the left. The water didn’t cool until she was almost to the edge of the water. “Why didn’t you tell me you were boiling like a lobster?” she asked as she held Erin above water.

“There seemed to be enough problems to tell you about,” Erin said. “And I wasn’t scalding.”

“Yes, there is that.” She took her flashlight from her boot. “Let’s see how far this stretch of water goes…” The water was wider, deeper, and the sound of rushing water was clearer.

“Cameron?”

No answer.

“We’re on our own? Fine. I didn’t need you anyway.”

She grabbed Erin under the chin, carefully keeping her head above water, and started to propel them both through the water. “Look, try to kick, but let me do the rest.”

“I don’t have any choice.” Erin began to kick rhythmically. “I’m sorry, Catherine.”

“For what? It’s not as if you could keep that shoulder from going out again. If we’re going to blame someone, let’s blame Kadmus.”

Erin chuckled. “I’ll second that motion. I’ll just add it to my list and—” She stiffened. “My God, did you hear that?”

“Yes,” Catherine’s pulse had jumped, then began to pound hard.

Shit.

Voices. Men’s voices. Shouts. Curses.

Coming from behind them.

“Kadmus,” Erin whispered. “I was hoping—”

“Me, too.” Catherine began to swim harder, stronger. “But we didn’t luck out. We have to get out of here.”

“By all means, but it may not be as bad as you think. These passages act as one huge echo chamber. They could still be on their way down.”

She had just remembered that echo syndrome herself, and relief was pouring through her.

“It’s bad enough, Cameron.”

She said out loud to Erin, “Echoes. We’ll make it.”

“That’s right, why didn’t I think of that?” She added, “I think the water is getting cooler again.”

“Not too bad.”

But it was cooler. What was happening? All they needed was to be dumped in an ice pool instead of hot springs.

No, the water was getting warmer again and rough, very rough. She had to struggle to keep Erin’s head above water.

“Move left. There are rocks ahead. Grab hold of them and pull Erin up with you.”

“I don’t see—”

“Do it!”

She moved left. A moment later, she saw the group of four or five rocks ahead. The water was pouring, gushing around them.

“Grab them.”

She grabbed desperately for the rocks with her free hand. She curled her arm around the smallest and scooted up the flat face of the rock, pulling Erin with her.

A blast of cold air cut her like a knife.

Outside. They were outside.

“Keep crawling. Go down the rocks on the other side. You’ll be able to manage the flow there. If you’d stayed on that course, you’d have gone down that small waterfall and there would have been no way to keep from dunking both of you underwater.”

Bright moonlight. She could see the waterfall pouring down into a wide pool. It was small as Cameron had said but the force could have been deadly.

She crawled over the rocks and then down the other side.

Cold. So cold.

Then she was immersed in water again. Warm water.

She sighed with relief as she pulled Erin down into the water.

“Does this mean what I think it does, Cameron? Are we away from Kadmus’s mountain? Have we reached Milchang and the other hot spring?”

“Of course, I told you that you’d make it. Keep swimming. Hurry. There’s a bank about thirty yards away. You have to get out of this area right away. Kadmus will have found your clothes back on the bank and will start trying to put everything together.”

“I am hurrying.” She was so tired she was numb, but she had to ignore it. Keep moving. Keep swimming. Keep Erin well and afloat. “She’ll need help. You’d better have someone there to—”

“Hush. Stop worrying. Just get her to the bank.”

“Catherine?” Erin’s voice was weak. “Is it going to be—”

“It will be fine. We’re almost there. You’ve been great. Just hold on a little longer.”

“You’re the one who’s been holding on.”

“Hey, I couldn’t let that Pulitzer Prize brain be taken down by some crummy amoeba.” Keep going. Shouldn’t she be seeing that bank by now? Mountains. Moonlight. Water.

There it was!

And on the bank dressed in black parka and gear was Richard Cameron. All power and grace framed against those harsh mountains. Light, glittering eyes, that face that had held her fascinated during their strange mental encounter. He was the same, yet not the same. But definitely more than she had envisioned.

“You said you’d send someone else.”

“You were insistent. What could I do?”

“I was right. Erin needs you.”

“So I’m here.” She was close enough to see his smile. “Now come the last few yards and let me take care of both of you.”

“Just Erin. And, now that we’re away from that damn mountain, you get out of my head.”

“As you wish. But it was much simpler…”

“Cameron?” Erin had caught sight of him on the bank. Her face lit with a radiant smile. “God, I’m glad to see you. Now I know everything will be all right.”

He ruefully shook his head. “Erin, after all you’ve been through? I’m flattered but a little bewildered. The sight of me should make you anything but optimistic.”

“My fault. All my fault.”

“Shh.” He grabbed a dark covering of some sort from the ground. “Now get out of there and let me wrap you up. The minute you’re out of that spring, you’re going to be subject to freezing temperatures.”

“I’ll help.” Catherine swam closer to the bank and steadied Erin. “Watch her shoulder.”

“I’ll do that. I really don’t need your instructions, Catherine.” He reached down and lifted Erin out of the water, enveloping her in the cover with the same motion. He wrapped her carefully, even covering her damp hair. Every movement was done with the most exquisite gentleness Catherine had ever witnessed. Was this a glimpse of Cameron’s treatment of Erin during those days of horror? For the first time, she was beginning to understand the woman’s blind devotion to him.