Gavin stood next to me, his hand resting on the small of my back. His gaze hadn’t left the giant as if he was learning it, counting its breaths, and searching for a weakness that wasn’t there.
The sparks of hope that had flared to life inside me from Gavin’s confession were burning out, leaving behind ash. I looked up at him, desperate to keep the last spark lit. But when our gazes collided, a sob burned behind my ribs.
He knew we were going to die too.
But the corner of his mouth edged up like we were playing another game. He brushed the damp tendrils of hair from my face, fingers tracing the curve of my cheek.
My breath hitched against the pressure squeezing my chest.We can go back.I begged him with my eyes, promising to go with him this time.
But he shook his head, his palm pressing lightly against the base of my throat where my breath still passed smoothly. A few days from now, when my curse finally claimed me, it wouldn’t.
I stepped into him and wrapped my arms around his back. Resting my head against his heart, I anchored myself in its steady beat, a stark contrast to the staccato drum of mine. His chin bumped the top of my head, his lips planting a kiss into my hair.
Everything in silence. Like we were miming our last moments. The bridge waited. Sometimes death was patient when it knew it had already won.
I wished for one more story. One more night by the campfire, our faces bathed in its glow, the stars twinkling overhead. A story with a happy ending—giants slain and love conquers all.
Like a myth.
But some myths were real. Like this one.
I blinked; the sting of tears, blurring the floor, a blend of dark gray and brilliant green.
Green.
Swiping away the wetness clinging to my lashes, I peered at the floor and the patches of moss that had formed in the grooves of the stone. It spread into the shadowed corners of the chamber, growing thicker the closer it got to the steaming pit.
This was the same type of moss that had saved me when I fell, cushioning me in its thick, muted swath. It had swallowed my footsteps, made me sound invisible.
My heart cracked against my ribs. The innkeeper's warning whispered in my mind.You can’t defeat the giant. No one can. But the treasure belongs to those who walk where others dare not.
Who would dare to walk past the giant? I studied the platform. There was room, maybe four feet of width, from the edge to the tip of his nose. It was a ridiculous idea. The bridge was certain death, and this was certain death with a front row view of the giant's teeth.
But what other choice did we have?
I squeezed Gavin’s shoulders, then pressed my index finger to my temple. His brow creased, but he nodded. Palm flat against his chest, I signaled him to wait as I slipped from his arms and bent to remove my boots.
With careful steps, I crept toward the thickest section ofmoss and used my dagger to cut four narrow strips about the width of our soles. Then I sliced through the strings of vine climbing the chamber wall.
Slow and sure, I secured the moss to the bottom of my boots with the vines, knotting them tightly. My first step was a faint hush; the second, soundless.
Gavin’s boots were next. Going up on my toes, I pressed my lips to his ear, my voice the softest whisper.
“Follow me.”
Always.He mouthed the response, and my heart pinched in my chest.Thank the treasure gods for the first rule of Gavin Blackwood.
The moss concealed our footsteps as we edged toward the giant’s platform. His hoarse breaths were even, eyes closed. But his teeth were bared as if he smiled in his sleep, waiting to see if we dared to take the first step.
First rule of sneaking past a giant: hold your breath.
I inhaled through my nose, holding the air tight in my chest as I slipped past his massive feet. Immediately, to my right was the pit, an endless void. The skulls watched, their sunken eye sockets following my progress.
Another step. The next one was wider as I avoided a tangle of vines. Gavin followed a few paces behind, his body nimble even in the narrow path.
The giant’s finger twitched, a spasm that sent fear spiraling through my veins.
Every muscle in my body locked up.
