The first frost step held until Ty put weight on it.
Then it complained through a thin cracking sound.
The sound ran through the shaft in a thin crackle that made Blue grab his hair and JJ grab his coat. Ty froze with one foot on the lip and one foot on the step, arms spread against wet stone.
"That step gets one complaint before I lose patience," JJ said. "Move slow and keep your weight near the wall."
"My weight is currently negotiating with terror right now," Ty said.
"Tell terror the wall has better footing today."
Ty shifted toward the shaft wall with care.
The step held under his borrowed balance barely.
He hated how much relief hurt. His ribs pulled tight around the old bruise from the frame's hook. His burned palm had wrapped itself around a crack in the stone and reopened again. Blood mixed with cold water, then froze in a thin pink line along his knuckles.
Blue leaned over his shoulder and looked down.
