Chapter 4
“You will not make it into the temple, little prey.”
I ignored him, racing like a pegasus across the bridge.
“You Zamariens don’t know when to shut up, do you?”
Tharic’s sandals sounded closer. No matter how hard I tried, the distance between us kept narrowing. One moment. I just needed one moment to see how close he was.
I chanced it, whipping my head back. The instant our eyes connected, I regretted my decision. Pure hatred colored his eyes like flaming fire. Tharic snarled, throwing sunbolts at my back.
I whipped around. Drawing on my starfire, I created a shield. It glittered like a million stars. I pounded across the brick needing to catch my breath. I was still tired from the swim. Tharic on the other hand was running like the swim up the waterfall was a warm up.
“Just give in, little prey. I’ll keep it short.”
“Is that what you tell every female knowing you can’t make it longer even if you tried?”
Tharic cursed. I leapt forward, landing hard on a brick just as he whipped out a wing to jab at my spine.
The bridge rumbled. Swayed.
The bricks shifted beneath my feet.
I yelped, tumbling to the ground, rolling with the bridge. To my utter embarrassment, Tharic was still on his two feet bracing himself with his arms spread out. I drew up my knees. Through the cloudy fog, an enormous slide sprang out of the bridge, sliding down into the clouds.
I had a choice. Take the slide or let Tharic kill me. I chose the slide.
Without caution, I shot for the edge of the bridge, pushed off the end, and slid.
The slide was carved entirely of gold, looping down into a curl that encircled three times before swirling into a rise that disappeared beyond the clouds. The moment I slid down, my hearts leapt into my throat.
A headiness overwhelmed me. I was utterly mesmerized, and terrified, all at the same time. I couldn’t breathe for excitement. For fear. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. Thankfully my flight robes had an under legging component that kept me covered. The further down I slid, the faster I went.
Tharic dove after me.
I silently screamed at his tenacity.
Looking down, I jerked all my wings forward and yanked on the sides of the slide.
An instant rush of speed sent me flying down.
I curved with the bend, letting the momentum propel me forward.
Tucking in my arms, my body rushed through the loop, soaring overhead as I spun upside down, rushed through the loop and was sent racing down the next leg of the slide.
For a moment, it felt as if it was just me and the clouds. This far out, I couldn’t even see the Goldstone Bridge. Couldn’t see the other Ascendants running for their lives. I could barely even make out Tharic on the slide through the thickness of the clouds.
I felt weightless. Free. In control.
Then the slide swirled into a zigzagging pattern that sent my body reeling from side to side. I rammed to one side, then I was tossed to the other, before being shot once again into the air.
Except this time, the slide had no end. I blinked.
Stars.
I was going to have to jump.
Hearts thrumming, I squinted through the press of billowy clouds, desperately searching for any inkling of where the bridge was.
I caught a twinkling of gold in the distance.
The momentum of the slide sent me careening into the air. I floated into the clouds, weightless, before my body weight shifted, and began yanking me down. I looked down, only seeing endless clouds. There was no bridge in sight. Panic flittered in my chest.
This could not be where I died.
Still tumbling through the air, I jerked.
I itched to snap out my wings, but I didn’t dare.
Bricks of gold rushed into view, crumbling on either side for several long stretches.
Ignoring my rising fear, I tucked my knees in.
As the bridge rose, and my body descended, I let out my wings just enough to help me tuck and roll.
I collided with the bridge and went sprawling. I’d landed too hard. Too fast. I spun, out of control, unable to stop myself.
“No,” I squealed.
I tried clinging to the brick. My hands were as slippery as water. I gripped on to nothing. My body nearly slid off the side of the bridge. Jerking my wings, and gripping the edge, I snapped my body to the side against the momentum and threw myself back to the middle of the bridge.
Finally at a place where I could get control of my balance, I shot to my feet and ran.
And not a moment too soon.
Tharic landed at the center of the bridge. Perfectly. On the balls of his feet, already in a full sprint after me.
My sandals slapped the brick as I raced across the next stretch. It wound into curves and loops. Squinting, I gauged the distance between each gap. As I neared the first set of winding bridge-way, instead of following the loop, I leapt over them altogether.
“At least you’re not a complete idiot,” Tharic called from behind me.
I turned in time to see him leaping just like I’d just done. I turned back around, breathing opened mouth, gasping for air. My ribs burned. My muscles ached. I needed water so bad.
There were several Ascendants before me running for dear life, all of us trying to beat an invisible clock.
The male at the very front leapt off the bridge, tumbling into endless clouds, headed for the temple gates.
Then a female followed him. And then another.
I envied their progress, forcing my own feet to move faster.
Ahead of me was a male. His gait had slowed. He was limping. He’d been wounded. He had his wings out to help him with balance. That was great and all, but they were taking up all the room on the bridge. Not daring to see how close Tharic got, I rushed ahead and shoved the male out of my way.
“What in the stars—”
“I’m sorry…but…gotta…go,” I called over my shoulder, running faster.
“You can’t just push angels out of the way like that, Anathelle! You need to—”
Then the angel was screaming.
“All that blasted talking,” Tharic snarled. “Burning useless.”
I turned my head to the side. The male Tharic had thrown tumbled down, down, down.
Then he spread his wings.
No.
I wanted to scream. To tell him to not fight it.
But it was too late.
He opened his wings, starting to fly back to the bridge. Three stareagles surged out of the cloudy heavens. The stareagles rushed him, tearing into his flesh with their talons. They shredded his wings, tore at his skin, and ripped him apart. Then they dragged him away as he screamed.
Focus, Safah.
I started leaping to gain speed and distance. To outmatch Tharic. But the burning asheater still kept gaining on me. Kept taunting me. I thought about Manmi. I thought of all the Matriarchs that made it into the temple before me.
I had to make it.
I gained some speed, passing another male. Moments later he was tossed off the bridge by Tharic.
I caught up to, and passed, a female. I heard the snap of her neck, then her wings, before I caught the whoosh of wind as her lifeless body went hurling off the side of the bridge.
So, brutality against females was sport to Zamariens. I made a mental note and cleared more of the bridge.
I ran past three more males, all of whom were tossed off. None got a chance to put up a fight. Nearing the end of the bridge, I threw up a silent prayer of thanks to the Infinite. I ran two more paces.
Then Tharic was on me.
One moment my feet were slapping against brick. The next, I was being body slammed from behind like a bloodhyena into the side of a mountain.
I went hurtling through the air, soaring over the bridge.
I landed on the stones with a definitive crack.
I couldn’t even tell what was broken. I hurt everywhere.
I rolled over to get up. But Tharic was on me again.
He bashed a wing into my side. Then another.
A sandaled foot collided into my face. Then it stomped into my neck. My stomach.
Brutality.
He didn’t plan to make this quick. Which meant I had time to get away. Tharic came in for another kick, but I rolled, shot back to my feet, and ran.
“What in the rot?” Tharic screamed. “You Anathelles just don’t know how to die! Well, except for your Manmi.”
Oh, how I wished to turn around and slap the taste out of his mouth. But I had no time. I was close to the end of the bridge. This jungle-raised baboon wasn’t going to make me miss it.
I ran with all my might, ignoring the dripping blood. The searing pain. The ache in my body. I had a legacy to uphold. I had a family to make proud. I had an empyrean to defend.
I would Ascend.
I ran for the end of the bridge, tasting victory. I slammed my feet into the bricks. Then an explosion erupted beneath the stones. And the bridge beneath us collapsed.