6
Drifter knelt by Allie’s side and set a hand on the back of her shoulder. “You okay?”
She snorted as she rolled over onto her back and sat up. “If you keep asking that, I’m going to think we were in some sort of danger.”
He examined the vanishing shaft between the grates with pursed lips. “I’m not sure.”
“Not sure?” Kalta scoffed as he manned the lever. “You two were almost eaten up and spat out by that thing.”
Drifter turned his head to Kalta and a sly smile appeared onto his lips. “I thought you weren’t going to wait for us.”
Kalta stared at the floor and shrugged.
Allie climbed to her feet and threw her arms around Kalta’s neck in a tight hug. “Thank you for not leaving us.”
Kalta’s cheeks blushed, and his eyes bulged out of his head. “I-it was nothing.” Allie drew awa
