The House of Starlight & Shadow (The Mirror Kingdom Chronicles Book 1) by Coreene Callahan

Author:Coreene Callahan [Callahan, Coreene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Published: 2023-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

24

MAKE THE JUMP

Leaning into the run, Truly sprinted toward the edge of the cliff. Her boots felt heavy. Each breath came fast, hot air rasping in the back of her throat. Balls of her feet churning, she pushed herself harder, gauging the distance to target. A little off-angle. She made the infinitesimal shift, correcting the trajectory, praying she was strong enough to land the jump.

Her feet left the ground.

She went weightless.

A second later, she landed with a bone-jarring thump.

Her soles skimmed over the stepping stone. Dust swirled. Her muscles burned as she slid across orange rock worn smooth by desert winds. With a skipping hop, she ramped into another run. Pumping her arms and legs, she leapt from one boulder top to the next. Don’t look down. Repeating the chant, Truly visualized the outcome she wanted instead — the initial jump, the landing, the physical coordination required to cycle into the next leap.

Her pace was good, her determination set. No faith required, just quick feet, working muscles, and the will to live. She heard Westvane running in her wake — footfalls silent, his breaths even and steady, the quiet rustle of feathers. Montrose made more noise, but she refused to look back. The pair stayed behind her for a reason. Probably to shield her from what dogged their trail.

Dwelling on the Hyraxes, however, wasn’t productive. She needed to concentrate and keep moving. Easier to do now as the rock field leveled out. No more jagged cliff faces and hard climbing. On the smaller side of tall, the towers in front of her turned into true stepping stones. The gaps between rounded edges continued to narrow, allowing her to jump from one to the next. Exhaustion dragged at her, though, threatening to pull her under as she made another leap.

Pain clawed through as she touched down.

Breathing so hard her chest hurt, her body urged her to take a break. Truly pushed harder instead. Slowing down would lead to disaster, so instead of listening to her muscles, she lined up the next stone. Tired legs propelled her forward. She eyed her target zone. The rock top slanted at a bad angle, down and to the left. Landing in the middle would be best. She needed to clear the edge while lining up her approach. If she didn’t, she might lose her footing and slide off the other side — right into Hyraxes’ claws.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Sweat dripped into her eye.

With a swipe, she rubbed the droplet away and refocused. Balls of her feet grinding over stone, she launched herself into the air. Her feet slammed down. Fatigue broke her stride. The toe of her boot caught a rough patch. Truly hissed as her body rocked forward. Her muscles flexed. Agony tightened its grip as she struggled to keep her feet under her.

Red-orange stone revolved beneath her.

Her shoulder slammed into the uneven surface. Air exploded from her lungs. Rock scraped across her hip, and she spun into an uncontrollable tumble.

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