Page 193 of Tale of the Heart Queen

“Fine,” I concede, and we continue picking our way through the quiet forest as the sun climbs before clouds start to roll in. I pray that doesn’t mean rain. The only thing worse than being tired, hungry, and stuck inside this fucking bubble would be to be tired, hungry, stuck inside this fucking bubble, and wet.

I shake my head, admonishing myself for wallowing in worst-case scenarios, even in my imagination, because fate will find a way to prove me right.

As we keep walking, mist crawls along the ground while the grass gives way to rocky terrain. “I don’t like this,” I say. “It’s too quiet.”

“I agree,” Nadir says. “Just go slowly.”

I nod as my hand tightens around his while the fog thickens around us. We continue tripping blindly over scrub and wildflowers, and I’ve lost every sense of the direction we were going.

Where is the mountain? I ask.

He stops and looks around as if trying to orient himself. I think we should keep going that way.

With no other options, we keep walking, our eyes on our feet, lest anything materialize out of the fog. Nadir pulls out the canteen, and we share the water as the humidity climbs and sweat trickles down our backs.

As I’m swallowing the last drops, Nadir jerks to a stop. I crash into him, almost knocking him over, too focused on our surroundings to notice. He grabs me, yanking me around the waist against his front, and then I see what’s caught his attention.

My foot rests on the edge of a steep drop. Another step and I would have fallen. It stretches before us, and whatever is across and below is lost to the mist. Sharp spears of rock jut up from the fog, all at various heights. I squint down at the swirling clouds.

“I suppose we have to figure out a way over this,” I say wryly, and Nadir nods.

“I suppose.” Dropping to my knees, I stretch flat onto the ground, hoping to discern something useful through the fog, but everything is by design and thus hopeless.

“I’m guessing those spikes are anchored to the bottom of this drop,” I say, pushing myself back onto my knees, and Nadir nods. “But we have no idea how far down they go.”

“Or if more are hiding,” he adds.

Unless the drop is miles and miles, we should be able to survive it. But if one of those spires is disguised by the mist, not even Fae strength will help us.

“I’ll go first,” I say, staring into the swirling void, grinding my back teeth.

“Lor,” Nadir says, dropping down next to me. “It’s too dangerous.”

“I was wrong about the berries, but this has to work.”

I look at him and lay a hand against his cheek. “We have to get out of here. It’s the only way.”

His eyes darken, and he looks like he wants to argue. Like he wants to tear apart the sky.

I look down again, swallowing thickly. “Once I’m at the bottom, I’ll find you a safe place to jump.”

“I don’t like this,” he says.

“I know.”

Pressing up to my feet, I inhale a deep breath that does nothing to settle my nerves. Herric won’t kill me, I remind myself. But that thought offers little comfort. He obviously isn’t above hurting me, but I can handle a little pain. Nadir watches me, and I offer him a watery smile. For him, a little pain is nothing.

I throw my arms around his neck and whisper, “I love you.”

Trying to clear my mind of every negative thought holding me back, I hurl myself over the edge, bracing myself for impact. As I plummet, I graze the edge of something sharp, but I continue to fall and then land, rolling over stinging bits of gravel strewn across the ground.

As I come to a stop, I inhale several ragged breaths before I scramble to my feet, examining the long slice up my arm. Sure enough, I caught on something, but the wound only scratched the surface. Nothing I can’t handle.

“Nadir!” I shout up through the mist. I can’t see him or anything beyond a few feet around me. The feeling is claustrophobic and disorienting.

“Lor,” he calls from somewhere above, a little bit to my right.

“Drop a stone,” I say. “And I’ll tell you if it’s safe.”