Total pages in book: 295
Estimated words: 282090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1410(@200wpm)___ 1128(@250wpm)___ 940(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 282090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1410(@200wpm)___ 1128(@250wpm)___ 940(@300wpm)
“You feel closer. Perhaps three or four ascents from the top,” Tairn answers. “But none of us can see a thing through the fog. Claw Section is cresting now.”
“I think we have less than an hour left.” I offer Maren what I hope is an encouraging smile but probably looks like a weary grimace. “You sure you can’t just pick them up in your claws like the crossbolts and fly them to the top?” I ask Tairn.
“They’d never tolerate the indignity of it. Besides, all they have to do is crest the cliffs. We have wagons waiting to carry the ones who will allow it.”
Right. Because they can’t fly to Aretia. Not in this condition.
“We can make it an hour,” Maren says between huffed breaths. “Luella,” she calls ahead. “It should be about another hour! Are you holding up?”
“We’ll make it,” a weak voice responds ahead of the silver-specked gryphon.
Sloane braces a hand on the cliff and looks back at me. “She and Visia have been arguing,” she whispers. “It’s getting quieter, but I can’t tell if it’s because they worked out their differences or because Luella can’t breathe. And I think she just threw up.”
“Altitude sickness,” I respond just as quietly.
“And you don’t have to whisper,” Maren states. “Gryphons have remarkable hearing.”
“Just like dragons,” I mutter. “No privacy.”
“Exactly.” Maren scratches just above Daja’s beak, reminding me of that spot above her nostrils that Andarna likes. “Gossiping busybodies,” she says with affection. “Don’t worry, Luella will win her over. She’s the nicest of us.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Sloane slows, waiting for us to come up with her. “Visia’s family was killed in the Sumerton raid last year.”
“Lu wasn’t even a cadet when that happened,” Maren argues between shallow breaths.
“If riders torched Draithus,” Sloane quips, arching a brow, “would you care if you were walking with someone from the Northern Wing? Or would you simply loathe all riders?”
“Good point,” Maren admits. “But it’s hard to hate Luella. Plus, she bakes really good cake. She’ll win Visia over with butterscotch once we get to Aretia— just watch.”
A flash of dragon wing appears through the fog, cutting through the cloud like a knife before disappearing again.
“At least they’re still trying to do patrols,” Sloane says as we continue forward.
“Brave, considering they can’t see the cliff’s edge,” I add.
A wave of tension…of awareness barrels down my bond with Tairn. Guess he’s not too happy about the lack of visibility, either.
“Not there!” a familiar voice shouts up ahead, and the line halts. “You’ll trigger it!”
Dain.
“What the fuck is he doing back here?” Sloane mutters. It doesn’t matter how many times I explain that Dain didn’t understand the consequences of stealing my memories; Sloane still despises him.
There’s an overwhelming part of me that still does, too.
Cibbelair begins moving, picking his way carefully up the path, and we follow, eventually coming to where Dain stands rigidly against the cliff wall, making himself as small as possible so the gryphon will be able to pass by.
“There’s a pressure trigger,” he warns, gesturing to a section of the trail just ahead of him with a map clutched in one hand and holding out his other arm so Ridoc and Luella don’t continue. “We know it sends out arrows but don’t know from where, so we can’t disarm it. Hence why I’m standing here, warning everyone about that particular section.”
I glance up the cliff wall, noting the numerous cracks in the face that could hide any number of munitions, then back to the trail, where a rope has been laid across the rock to mark the untouchable area. It looks to be five, maybe six feet across, which would already give me a little pause on the ground, but jumping an area that big on an unforgiving ledge, at our level of fatigue—let alone the gryphons’—is flat-out intimidating.
And I can barely see a damned thing past the rope in this fog.
“We have to jump,” Ridoc says, eyeing the trail.
“Everyone’s made it across so far.” Dain nods.
“Luella?” Maren leans out over the cliff to see past Cibbelair.
A small flier with pale, nearly white hair and freckles that remind me of Sawyer looks back. “I don’t know. It’s farther than I’ve ever jumped before.”
“She’s the smallest of us.” Maren doesn’t bother whispering.
“Like you,” Sloane adds, looking my way.
“Ridoc, can you and Dain throw her across?” I ask.
“You mean can I throw you across?” Ridoc asks with his typical sarcasm.
I snort. “I’ll be able to jump it.” Like hell is Ridoc going to throw me.
Luella’s head draws back in offense.
Shit. “I’m used to the altitude,” I remind her, hoping to cover my accidental insult. “What has everyone else done?” I ask Dain.
“Running leap,” he answers. “We’re just making sure whoever’s on the other side is done recovering first so there’s no impact.”
Gods, I wish Xaden were here. He’d simply pluck Luella up with shadows and ferry her across. Then again, he just might let her fall. I never quite know when it comes to other people.