Page 73 of The Blood Rites

They move together with a strange but brutal grace, picking their way across the rocky outcropping. They stop at the edge of the ledge, and the terrain beneath their feet begins to warp and shake.

Orla crouches and places her hands on the dark rock. Her eyes squeeze shut, and the surface of the stone ripples, softening into grey mush as a bridge forms out of nothing, connecting the ledge to another one out of view.

She stands, blood streaming slowly from one nostril, and nods to Rask. He grins, impressed, before stepping onto the new path.

They haven’t seen us yet.

I debate waking Marissa, but she startles awake on her own, sensing my unease. I raise a finger to my mouth in warning, but it’s too late.

Rask is staring directly at me, grinning like a hunter who has found wounded prey.

“Look who we have here,” he says, licking his lips.

“Run, Marissa!” I shout.

Marissa blinks the sleep from her eyes and hurtles to her feet, breaking into a run.

I hear Rask laughing behind as I grab Marissa’s hand and guide her through the rocks. I gesture towards a narrowing corridor of broken stones leading us deeper into this part of the island.

“Will you fit through there?” she asks, voice trembling with uncertainty.

Her uniform is torn at the thigh from her scramble to get moving. Blood soaks her leg, but she ignores it, limping slightly as I pull her along.

“I’ll be fine,” I pant.

I let go of her hand and urge her ahead of me. She slips through with no issue, and I squeeze in after her, shards biting into my palm as I shuffle through.

We weave our way through more corridors of stone, gasping for breath.

I can hear the thundering footsteps above us, echoing like a war drum. My heart hammers in my chest while I try to scout a way forward. If I get this wrong, we’re dead.

Up ahead, the stone rises sheer above us. But there, at the base of the wall, a series of narrow passageways cuts through. Most of them look too small to fit through, but there is one in the centre that could work.

“Aim for that middle hole,” I instruct Marissa.

“Are you sure?” she responds, wheezing. “I’m scared you won’t fit. Please don’t leave me.”

“Don’t worry,” I say. “We’re going to make it through together. Now go.”

She picks up her pace and throws herself through the gap, shredding more of her uniform as she goes. Now that I’m here, this gap is tiny, but it’s my only choice. I climb in headfirst, and I can hear Rask’s rough laughter from behind.

Panic flares. For all I know, he can crush me inside the stone.

I shove the thought away and keep crawling.

The hole constricts around me. I drag myself forward, slicing my palms on the sharp edges. Marissa is screaming at me to hurry.

I manage to get through, stumbling onto solid ground. I ball my hands into fists, gritting my teeth as blood drips from my palms and stains the rocks.

“Nice try!” Rask shouts, and I can see his hulking form through the hole.

The energy around me shifts as Rask channels his Mana into two enormous stone gauntlets. A wicked smile teases the corners of his mouth as he charges towards the opening.

I drag Marissa against my side and throw up a shield.

Golden light erupts from my hand.

I don't know how I do it. Only that protecting her feels as natural as breathing.