The noise and motion carried on, emptying her stomach and filling her heart with dread. She might have stayed clutching the ground were it not for one driving thought. Belinda’s in the loft. Oh Lord. The mountain will surely rend in two, collapsing around us, and Belinda is trapped in the least-protected place of all. Please, please, please … Her desperate prayer devolved to the one word as she struggled to her feet, only to be pitched forward again. Mina crawled, hampered by her nurse’s large skirts, until able to stand and stagger forward. She finally made it to the doorway of the cabin. Still unbarred, the door flapped open and shut with great fury, snapping at her hands each time she grabbed for the handle. Finally, she caught it, shoved against the wood. Powered by the groundswells, the door shoved back with far more force, knocking her to her knees then dragging her forward by dint of her determined clutch to the handle. Once within, Mina let it go, only to have the thing batter her side until strong arms closed around her and jerked her out of the way.
