“Yes. Do you have the map?”
She pulls out the letter, turned map, that still has her blood stained on it. “Right here. Do you really think it’ll help?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s worth a shot.” A long shot actually, but I don’t want her to feel discouraged before we even get to the portal. If there’s a chance the magic between the Oracle and her blood is still active, then it’s worth bringing along.
She wraps her arms around my torso, and it feels uncomfortable. We’ve only seen each other once since our run-in the other morning and I can confidently say that the awkward tension between the two of us is still very much alive and well.
The second we land in front of the portal, she releases her hold on me as if being in contact with me will somehow harm her.
“What now?” she asks, taking a step closer to the glowing ring filled with stars.
“We try this once. If we don’t find the Oracle, we go back.”
She understands that it’s not a suggestion, but an order and she simply nods, accepting my terms. There’s a long pause as we stand side by side, not saying a word. When she decides she’s ready, she reaches out her hand to me. I take it and the both of us step through the gateway of stars.
We should feel our feet instantly hit the ground, but instead we’re falling through an endless galaxy. I tighten my grip on her hand, but we’re moving too fast and too aimlessly for me to pull her closer. The attempt to grab her with my shadows fails and panic crawls up my spine when I feel her slipping from me.
As our fingers part, she’s torn away from me. The world around me spins and I can’t see her anywhere.
“REIGN!”
There’s no answer.
A violent tug sends me crashing into what feels like a concrete wall. Every part of my body screams out in pain as my vision goes red. My head pounds against my skull, but I hardly notice it when something comes barreling down on top of me, instantly releasing all of the air from my lungs.
My vision is still fighting to come back along with my breath, but my hands find her face and I don’t need to see to know it’s her. A few long seconds pass and those green eyes come into focus. I’ve broken her fall, but I can tell she’s in a world of pain.
“Let me look at you,” I say, lifting her head in my hands as she lies on top of me. She groans and does her best to look up at me, but there’s a giant gash in her forehead that is dripping blood into her left eye. “I’m going to roll you off of me, okay?”
She nods and does her best to move with me as I roll her onto her back. Whatever pain was radiating through my body a moment ago has now been silenced by my concern for her.
“What happened?” she attempts to say through grunts.
“I don’t know. Just stay still.”
I tear a strip of fabric from my shirt and wrap it around her head to slow the bleeding. As I’m pulling away, she grabs onto my wrist. I wait for her to say something, but she doesn’t and eventually lets go. The rest of her seems to be void of any other injuries, but I’d bet my life she has a concussion.
“Can you stand?”
“I think so.” She wraps her arm around my neck, and I help her up.
“Easy. Take your time.” Her face scrunches. “What’s wrong? Do you need to lie back down? Here.” I reach for her other arm, but she bats me away.
“No, it’s—where are we?”
I’ve been so caught up in making sure that she’s okay, I hadn’t taken the time to look around. I scan the area, noting every detail of land before turning back to her.
“I have no idea.”
Chapter 38
Reign
“You’ve never been here?” I ask Ryder who seems like he’s readying for an attack.
“No, I haven’t.”
Columns and statues are covered in a bright green moss while overgrown ferns shade the rubble and broken-down walkways. Golden rays of sunlight break through the large, round opening above. I’m not sure if there was once a roof, but there certainly isn’t one now. Only a canopy of lush trees.
