I caught up to, and passed, a female. I heard the snap of her neck, then her wings, before I caught the whoosh of wind as her lifeless body went hurling off the side of the bridge.
So, brutality against females was sport to Zamariens. I made a mental note and cleared more of the bridge.
I ran past three more males, all of whom were tossed off. None got a chance to put up a fight. Nearing the end of the bridge, I threw up a silent prayer of thanks to the Infinite. I ran two more paces.
Then Tharic was on me.
One moment my feet were slapping against brick. The next, I was being body slammed from behind like a bloodhyena into the side of a mountain.
I went hurtling through the air, soaring over the bridge. I landed on the stones with a definitive crack. I couldn’t even tell what was broken. I hurteverywhere. I rolled over to get up. But Tharic was on me again. He bashed a wing into my side. Thenanother. A sandaled foot collided into my face. Then it stomped into my neck. My stomach.
Brutality.
He didn’t plan to make this quick. Which meant I had time to get away. Tharic came in for another kick, but I rolled, shot back to my feet, and ran.
“What in therot?” Tharic screamed. “You Anathelles just don’t know how to die! Well, except for yourManmi.”
Oh, how I wished to turn around and slap the taste out of his mouth. But I had no time. I was close to the end of the bridge. This jungle-raised baboon wasn’t going to make me miss it.
I ran with all my might, ignoring the dripping blood. The searing pain. The ache in my body. I had a legacy to uphold. I had a family to make proud. I had an empyrean to defend.
IwouldAscend.
I ran for the end of the bridge, tasting victory. I slammed my feet into the bricks. Then an explosion erupted beneath the stones. And the bridge beneath us collapsed.
Chapter 5
Fear coiled its scaly hide around my throat like a sandviper and squeezed. I had never been afraid of heights—always flying into the clouds where I didn’t belong and flying to heights most angels didn’t dare. I’d always felt the safest, the calmest, on high ground. Falling didn’t easily scare me, either.
But falling while forbidden to fly?Thatwas something even Manmi hadn’t prepared me for.
My stomach rolled, twisting in knots, as I tumbled weightlessly through layered billows and clouds. Had I passed the bridge? Could I fly now? What if I chanced it and forfeited Ascension?
I tumbled, gaining speed the further I descended. I blinked away tears as my body remained in an awkward tangle while I struggled with what to do. My mind was frazzled. I had to think.
Tuck and roll.
I strained against the wind, twisting the full length of my body so I could bring in my knees. I spread out two pairs of wings, curling them over my form. I spread out another pair so they could be used to push off the ground. The remaining four pairs I kept loose, in case I needed to grip or climb.
Clapping sounds—like shifting rock and thunder—sounded above. I kept my hands out before me, trying to brace for whatever would come. Blinking through the haze of clouds, I saw something shining. It was ivory. Smooth in a few places, but jagged rock in most. There were glittering stars littered all over it. As I squinted, trying to make sense of what I was seeing, the image cleared.
I gasped.
It was the Efysien rock base that upheld the entire islet.
I shifted my weight, preparing for a hard collision. The clouds began to clear. The mountain came into view. And the fast-approaching rocky ground was rushing to meet me.
“Rot,” I hissed.
This was going to hurt. Like everything else in this cursed ascent.
I calculated the drop. To the left, the rocky base sloped out into nothing but cloud. I assumed that end led straight to the Ouanaviel Sea far below. Certain death.
To the right was a high slab of white. Very few ridges were on the sides of the mountain. The bridge collapsed before I could make itonthe platform which meant I still couldn’t fly. I’d have to climb the side of this mountain.
I was growing enraged. I was dirty. Hungry. Tired. Wounded. And for stars sake, I now had toscalethis mountain rock to get into the temple?
Hot tears prickled the back of my eyes. How in the stars would I make it into the temple on time? How was I going to carry on what Manmi died to uphold? Fatigue flooded my body, making my wings droop, and my head hang.
