I knew I could barely stand on my own, but I still wrapped my arm around her and pulled her up. Her body weighed almost nothing, light enough that lifting her didn't strain me the way it should have. Small blessing, I guess.
Her skin was freezing against mine, her breath shallow enough that I wasn't even sure she would stay conscious long enough to escape. But there was no time to think about that.
My wings snapped open and I forced them to beat as hard as I could. The tunnel walls scraped against the edges, far too narrow for proper flight, but I managed to lift us anyway.
Pebbles and chunks of loose stone rained down on my wings every time they brushed the walls, sending sharp jolts up my spine. The air was cold and stale, barely giving me anything to breathe. Each flap felt like pushing against mud, heavy and suffocating.
