Howhad they gotten there so fast, how had they known?Theanswers were really irrelevant, the only thing that mattered was that they stood between me and my freedom.Ilooked around.Theother side of the cliff that had cracked away from my own taunted me.Itwas a long jump, andIwould fall a great distance before hitting the wall, only adding to my momentum.Butif it was like the twin wallIclimbed now, it was well textured, andIshould be able to catch myself.Thefissure ran a great distance down the top of the cliff, and the soldiers would need to go around it before they could catch up to me.
Itwas my only option.Iclimbed up higher, seeming as ifImeant to takeNoki’shand, but really,Ijust wanted more leverage for my jump.Ireached out to him, and just as he was about to reach me,Icoiled every muscle in my body and then released, pushing from my wall toward the other side.
Icould hear them shouting asIfell through the air, the opposite cliff approaching me at a sickening speed.Ihit the wall hard, the rock etching itself into my skin asIscrambled to hold on.Butthis wall was much slicker than the oneIhad been on.Somethingabout its positioning allowed the sea mist to cling to it.Icontinued to slide down; my tearing flesh the only friction slowing me down.Despitethe pain,Ipressed my whole body into the wall, even my face, begging to slow down.Thecliff disappeared from beneath my feet asIfinally managed to grab a single handhold, just above the edge.
Thecliff had cut back into a cave carved by the ocean, andIhung on now by a few fingers just above that cave.Belowme the sea swirled into a vortex that seemed to gurgle and roar like a hungry animal, waiting for me to fall into its maw.Myfingers began to slip, soIswung my other arm wildly, trying to catch hold anywhere as my legs dangled freely.Thesharp rocks cut into my already battered fingertips, butImanaged to grab on with my other hand just next to the first.
Thenmy stomach dropped as an unmistakable crumbling soundripped from the wall and my holds came loose.Thelast thingIremembered was the ocean capturing me in its icy embrace.
Chapter28
Tori
Idreamed of light.Smalldancing lights, that floated in the air above me like fireflies.Itried to reach for them, but it was as if my body were made of stone, as if the very earth had come up around me to hold me prisoner.Butthe earth was warm, and soonIfound the embrace comforting.Idreamed of the arms of my mother, her sweet song rocking me back into deep sleep.
Idreamed of a great beast.Hisscales shone an iridescent red, like old blood had been crystallized.Hiseyes glowed orange, like the depths ofAshenforgePeak, molten and laced with the ancient magics of the earth.Hisblack horns rose in great waves behind the collar of spikes at the back of his head, leading into his long neck and body.Buthis wings rose up to unfathomable height, each tipped with black claws.Hissilver teeth glimmered with the same iridescence as his scales, and his hot breath was laced with ash and death.ButasIstood before the dragon who had almost broken the world,Ididn’t feel rage or destruction from him, only sadness burned in those deep eyes.
Idreamed of warm arms again.Theyweren’t rigid as of stone, but soft and strong.Insteadof reaching for the light,Iwas filled with it, a deep golden light that began at my heart, and spread outward.Itburned away the blackness that filled every crack in my chest, every bruise on my body.Itflooded from my heart and out through the tips of my fingers and toes.Andas it filled me,Iheard its deep voice whispering my name.
Idreamed of blood.Thehills outsideXyrwere drenched with it.EmperorHadeon’sarmy surrounded the great dragon.Hadeonengulfed himself and theWorldBreakerwith a shell of lightning, blocking out the rest of the world.Thedragon was injured, but he continued to fight, matching each ofHadeon’slightning strikes with blows of his own.Hadeonfell to one knee, and the dragon descended.Butas he moved to make the final attack,Hadeonlifted something in his handIcould not see.Malechfroze, andHadeon’smalicious smile that haunted all my dreams spread.Thedragon lowered his head, andHadeonstruck.
Idreamed of a lake, which glowed with soft blue light.Ilooked over the edge to my reflection, but a different face looked back.Aface lined with age, so worn and ragged that it seemed she was carved of the earth itself.Agespots and wrinkles shifted as a smile pulled at her lips, revealing toothless gums.
Idreamed and dreamed again.Somestayed with me and some floated away like the clouds that hugged the mountains in their deep wintery embrace.Ilay in a river of stars, the current slowly taking me somewhere from whichIcould never return.Butit was peaceful, andIlonged to rest,Ilonged for the freedom that it brought me.Butstill the light danced in front of me, calling me back.Itslow voice a lureIcould not ignore.
Chapter29
Abraxas
Thisprincess was brave, but also stupid.Ihad expected her to try and escape again.Hell,I’deven had patrols on the upper cliff just in case she tried to climb out, butInever truly expected her to take that route.Sheprobably didn’t know that the young recruits who trained on the beach had actually been forbidden from taunting each other into climbing the wall.Somany had fallen to their deaths over the years, swallowed up by the unforgiving sea.
Nowshe lay here, battered and broken, andIknew thatIhad almost lost her.Shehad crashed into the underwater rocks, her arm nearly severed and severely crushed from the fall, along with severe internal bleeding and bruising.Onlythe cliff’s proximity to the castle had saved her.
Now,Isat with her as she recovered.Ihad carried her down, deep into the earth as her blood ran down her in rivers, leaving a grisly trail in our wake.Shewas sopping wet and covered in seawater, the salt slowing any healing thatTori’sbody could do.Herbreathing and pulse were almost non-existent.ButIhad laid her into the grotto beneath the castle, begged the ancient magic that still lived in that hidden place to save her.Ithadn’t been enough, not nearly enough to heal her, but she still breathed.
Wecouldn’t remain there long, andTori’sbody still lay broken before me, her recovery slowed by a fever and the severity of her wounds.Thehealers came and went constantly, but they always seemed to have the same answer.Shewould have to wake on her own.Theyspoke the words softly, likely knowing how closeIwas to ripping their heads off every time they said them.Butit was not their fault she lay like this— it was mine.Ihad held her too tight, and the bars of her cage had bit into her until she could think of nothing but escape.
So, six days after her fall,Isat with her, my fingers threaded with hers on her uninjured arm.Itraced the lovely curve of her cheekbone and pushed her raven hair behind her pointed ear.
Isighed and let my fingers drift over her forehead.Alight coating of sweat covered her from the fever, but she felt cooler to me than she had in days, and that gave me hope.Ileaned in, hovering over her ear, asIhad the last six days, “Wakeup,Princess.”Shedidn’t move at all.Ileaned in closer, my lips just brushing her skin, and in a whisper evenIcould barely hearIbegged, “Comeback to me,Tori.”Stillnothing.
Thebeast in my heart roared, pushing against my ribs, sick with rage that threatened to burn all that lay before me, to hurt any who had harmed her.ButIknew the truth, and all the creature had managed to do was break cracks in the ice that had surrounded my heart for so long.
Icouldn’t help myself, asIlaid a soft kiss upon her forehead.Iimagine the aghast look that would cross her face if she knew whatI’ddone.Icouldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me, even though my heart cracked a little more.WhatIwouldn’t give to have her scowling at me right now.
Butthen, for the first time in days, her lips parted, and she emitted a small groan.Ifroze in place, afraidIhad imagined it, but a moment later, her eyelids fluttered slightly. “Tori,Tori, open your eyes.”JustasIspoke the words, my healer,Oryx, walked in and rushed to her side.Hereyes kept fluttering, as if she were in a dream. “What’shappening?”Imeant to speak the words calmly, but they escapedas a ragged shout.
Oryxtouched her neck and pulse, his other hand on her chest, feeling her breathe. “YourMajesty, she—” but then her eyes flew open, and she sucked in a deep breath.Sheseemed to try to move, to swing her arms, but the bandages andI’msure the pain held her back, and she sunk back into the bed, another moan escaping her.Oryxdashed off to the alchemy table they had set up in the room, the smell of herbs being crushed meeting my nose asTori’seyes darted around.
“You’realright, you’re in the castle.”Hereyes were unfocused despite their movement, but then they locked onto me, andIsaw her coming back.
“I’m…alive?”Hervoice was hoarse from lack of use, barely a whisper.
“Yes, you are safe.”Sheseemed to relax at that, her eyes leaving me and drifting towards the ceiling,
“Imust have dreamed…Iwas flying, soaring through the air, over the seas and mist and mountains.Thewind lifted my wings…”Shetrailed off, then snapped her eyes back to me, her face hardening, as if she hadn’t meant to share that.
“Whathappened?” she asked.
