The woman shows no reaction. She blinks and closes the door, leaving me in the darkness.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
PHOENIX
When I emerge out of the forest, a large wall of stone greets me.
I look up.
Up.
And up.
I have to crane my neck all the way back to see the edge that sticks out. That’s where her nest is. Where I saw her land before she disappeared inside a large cave mouth.
My path is clear.
The only way out is through.
I roll my shoulders and stretch my back. My gloves creak as I stretch my fingers and warm up my wrists. I’m a good tree climber. I’ve got this. How hard can climbing a rock be?
It turns out, much harder.
I’m about seven feet into my climb when I realize that the side of the mountain is overgrown with moss in places. It offers little help. The moment I try to get a grip on it, my hand slides.But what’s worse is that it leaves a moist residue on the rock even after I clear it out.
Every muscle in my body is tense. My breathing grows more and more labored with each step. Thunder rumbles in the distance, startling me.
My head whips to the side at the sound. Behind me I see dark clouds rolling in. Storm clouds.
Fuck me.
Heavy rain is the last thing I need right now.
I better hurry and haul my ass all the way to the top before it starts pouring down on me.
So, I brace myself and climb. My throat is dry, the tips of my fingers aching due to all the weight they must hold.
When I grip the next ledge, I realize it’s wider than others. Groaning, I pull myself up to find a shelf wide enough I can sit and rest for a minute. Carefully, I settle onto it, my legs dangling over the edge.
I’m high enough that the tops of the trees are underneath me. From here I can see the dark sky stretching as far as the horizon.
My eyebrows furrow. That’s so odd. I don’t remember the last time it rained in Ekios. It’s always clear skies and sun, even when it’s cold.
I glance up. I’m about one-third of the way to my destination. Based on how fast the clouds are rolling in, I’ll have to be extremely efficient with my time if I want to make it before the rain hits.
Out of all the days to rain, it just had to be today.
Despite my whole body protesting, I continue my climb. My stomach growls painfully, my throat is dry.
I ignore the uncomfortable sensations in my body. That, I am trained to do. I know well.
I focus on clearing my mind and keeping my breathing steady and deep. Just as I grip a rock above me and try to transfer my weight onto it, the stone crumbles.
A breath hitches in my throat, and my heart leaps out of my chest. My whole body sways sideways, only one hand keeping me in place?—
For a split second I’m not climbing anymore.
I’m falling.
