The warriors stared apprehensively as the stones hovered above their heads, casting blue light over their faces.
“Well,” Brodnik said, his eyes wide, “that’s one way to do it.”
“The stones will stay with us until we no longer require them,” I explained. “We can leave the torches here.”
“Are you sure about this?” one of the warriors asked, swatting at a stone. “How do we know this magic is safe?”
“It’s safer than falling to your death,” I answered.
“Yes,” Kull said. “Now, remove your ropes.”
He slung his pack off his shoulder, unfastened the canvas covering, and pulled out a coiled length of rope. We all did the same. We’d used ropes on several occasions already, though never on a drop as deep as this.
Removing the rope from my pack, my stomach knotted with anxiety as I stood on the edge and contemplated the descent. What would I give to have my stepfather show up right now? Fan’twar was the dragon sky king of Faythander—one of the only creatures I trusted with my life. He’d raised me until my twelfth birthday, and in my mind, he was more of a parent to me than either of my birth parents.
I’d feel much safer sitting on Fan’twar’s back than dangling from this rope. But as it was, my stepfather was hundreds of miles away, and I doubted he could fit through the tangle of roots we’d traversed and make it to a place so overgrown the sunlight didn’t reach it.
Kull stood under a large growth of roots, grabbed one, and yanked on it until he seemed satisfied. “We’ll tie off the ropes here.”
This time, the men followed without complaint. They were in their element, taking orders from their leader, embarking on a quest that may or may not end in the termination of their lives. This was what Wults lived for. I wished I had the same confidence.
I found a root and tied my rope around it as Rolf stood next to me and did the same. His face, even with its hint of a beard, looked so young. This was his first real quest, and he was over-the-moon excited to be included in Kull’s expedition. But still, his youth bothered me. How would his mother feel if her son didn’t return?
“Are you frightened of the height?” Rolf asked me.
Had he noticed the tremor in my hands? “A little,” I answered.
“But weren’t you raised by the sky king himself? Shouldn’t you be used to this sort of thing?”
“True. But if I fell, at least I had the sky king to catch me.”
“What was it like to be raised by the sky king? Were you ever frightened of the dragons?”
“Honestly, no. Some of my happiest memories are from my time with them. I preferred being raised by dragons.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s true. My human mother had trouble showing emotions. She’d had all of her memories from Faythander erased and replaced with false ones. My whole childhood was a lie. She never felt like a parent, probably because she never saw herself as one. I’m not sure if she ever loved me—not really.”
“But did you love her?” he asked me.
The question caught me by surprise. I’d been so concerned about whether my mother loved me that I hadn’t contemplated whether I loved her.
“I’m not sure,” I finally answered. “It’s hard to get close to someone who’s had most of their memories replaced.”
Rolf shrugged. “Well, it wouldn’t bother me if my mother lost some of her memories, especially her memory of whenever I added soapweed to her boar-hound stew.”
I cracked a smile. “I see. Yes, I suppose in that situation, your mother’s altered memories would be beneficial.”
Rolf secured the knot around his waist and tossed the coiled rope over the precipice. The rope thumped against the edge as it tumbled into the darkness.
The rest of the men did the same until we all stood at the edge.
“We will go slowly,” Kull called. “This is a longer descent than what we are used to. Do not become too hasty, for you will lose your footing, and no one will be able to rescue you.”
At that, the men turned, leaned back, and let the ropes support their weight as they slowly descended. I did the same, my heartbeat loud in my ears and my hands slick with sweat as I took my first step into the abyss.
Chapter 3
The blackness engulfed me. Not soon enough, my tiny orb lights floated from the top of the ravine, casting a bluish glow over the damp rocks and layers of black soil. I held on to my rope with slick palms as I waited for the orb to catch up to me, and then we descended the crevasse.
The scent of damp earth filled the air as the waterfall rushed past, spraying cold droplets on my skin. I kept my feet planted firmly on the rock face, though I slipped as I tried to maneuver down. The rope burned my hands. Wincing, I moved down another inch, then another. This was going to take a while.
The other men didn’t seem to have any better luck. I considered looking down to see if I could spot the bottom but decided against it. Instead, I focused ahead of me.
The rushing of the waterfall grew quieter the lower we went, and the now-audible men’s voices echoed through the huge canyon.
Rolf rappelled next to me. “Hello, Olive,” he said.
“Hey,” I said while trying to find someplace to plant my feet.
“This is fun, right?”
“Yes, Rolf. Very fun.” My toes slipped, causing small pebbles to dislodge and plunge to the bottom. My stomach flip-flopped as I lost my grip.
Rolf caught my arm.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as I found a foothold.
“It’s no trouble,” he said with a smile. “You know, Kull and I are second cousins once removed on my mother’s side.”
“Really?” I fumbled with the rope at my waist. Somehow, the knot had cinched tighter.
“Yes. I’ve been
