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The plucky sprite keeps attacking.
Any one of those blows could kill her . . .
“Ruby!” I plead. “Get out of here.”
Inara grins as her eyes shift to the stubborn sprite, who refuses to give up her hopeless attack. Refuses to save herself, because she’s the best damn sprite in the entire Everwilde.
And now, Inara is going to hurt her.
No. My insides twist as I read the intention in Inara’s sneer.
Something inside me snaps. No more.
Baring my teeth, I lunge forward before the others can stop me and catch Inara with a roundhouse kick to the face. My bare foot smacks her jaw with a satisfying crack.
I’m going to savor that sound for the rest of my undoubtedly short existence.
Her eyes widen. She was expecting me to retreat, to beg and plead. Not to fight back.
If murder had a face, it would be Inara’s right now. I’m so going to pay for that.
But not right now. Using her surprise, I snatch Ruby from the air, shoot for the cliff, and leap.
The second my feet push off the rocky side and the ground disappears, the absolute insanity of my decision becomes apparent.
Shitshitshit—
My stomach churns as I careen toward the raging river.
“Kid, you’re a badass!” Ruby screams, throwing her arms into the air as if she’s on the best rollercoaster ride of her life.
As I release my fingers, sending Ruby to freedom, I can’t help but think that’s the greatest compliment Ruby could ever give me.
Oh, goody, maybe they can put it on your tombstone.
Frothy waves swallow me.
The force of the river takes my breath away. I claw to the surface, gasping, trying to escape the water’s wrath as it slams me into boulders, holds me under, and knocks me in circles until I can’t tell which way is up.
By the time I find a log to cling to, the roar of the waterfall is deafening. I catch Ruby darting above me. She’s holding a limp willow branch as if she could possibly pull me up.
“Grab ahold, Kid!” Ruby screeches, her voice filled with pure terror.
But it’s too late. I hit the edge of the waterfall with just enough time to look over and realize how far down below the water is. Hundreds of feet.
Hundreds. Too high to survive. From this distance, every bone in my body will break.
For some reason, Hellebore’s voice slithers into my mind. I can fly. Can you?
They won. Inara, Hellebore, the whole evil lot of them. Rage pierces my core. I scramble for a foothold on the rocky bottom. For an indention in one of the nearby boulders to grab. I buck against the river’s force, fighting the violent current with all my strength.
I’ve never wanted to live more than now, just so I can watch the hateful smirk drain from their eyes as they realize I survived. My will to live is a spiteful, burning thing. Greater than anything I’ve ever felt before.
It’s so powerful, so real, that I actually think it could magically change my circumstances.
But that doesn’t happen because no matter how much I negotiate and plead with it, gravity’s a bitch.
The second the water shoots me into the air, legs churning and dress tangled around my face, I drop like a freaking rock.
