Page 9 of Fading Sun

I nod, even though everything in me screams to stay back and find a different way through. But we can’t do that. Our only other option that we know of is to go back the way we came. The aphrodisiac rose garden, the deadly storms, the dark forest, the vicious monsters, the broken bridge…

Stepping through a waterfall portal is a walk in the park compared to all of that.

Although, walking through that rose garden again with Blaze does sound appealing. More than appealing. It makes my fire magic burn stronger inside me, my thoughts drifting back to the night we spent together in that tent.

A night I wouldn’t mind someday repeating…

He holds out his hand, and despite everything, there’s reassurance in his gaze. A silent promise that he’ll be with me through this.

Maybe there’s hope for us, after all.

I hesitate for a moment, then take his hand.

The warmth of his touch rushes through me. It calms the tremble in my fingers, grounding me, making me feel safe and steady.

He sucks in a sharp breath, and I think he’s feeling it, too.

“On three?” he asks, squeezing my hand.

“On three,” I repeat, tightening my grip.

“One,” he says, counting us down. “Two...”

I glance back at the witch’s cottage, then return my focus to the water rushing in front of us, ready to swallow us into its icy depths.

My stomach rises into my throat.

But at least the waterfall’s roar is drowning out the wind’s whispers, so I can’t be tempted with thoughts of killing Blaze.

“Three.” He tugs on my hand, and together, we jump.

The world blurs around me, and then I’m spinning through a vortex, falling, unable to hear or see through the pounding water. My stomach drops like it does on a rollercoaster, my heart racing with panic.

I take a breath, as if to scream, but water rushes into my lungs instead. It burns far worse than my flames ever could, filling me up until there’s no space left for it to enter.

This is it.

Langwerda lied.

The water is killing me.

Then, just as suddenly, there’s ground beneath my feet. I can still hear the rushing water, but it’s behind me now, no longer tearing apart my senses.

I pull in a desperate breath, air filling my lungs instead of water.

My clothes, miraculously, are dry.

“You can open your eyes now,” Blaze says, and wonder fills me when I do.

We’re in a lush, green valley, with mountains towering all around us. The town ahead looks like something out of a fairy tale, with quaint cottages and cobblestone streets, and a narrow stream winding through its center.

“Are you sure we’re still not in the mystical realm?” I ask, continuing to look around in awe.

“I’m sure.” Blaze chuckles, still not letting go of my hand. “This is Lauterbrunnen. A town in Switzerland.”

I’m still admiring the town’s beauty when he pulls his hand out of mine and steps away, his expression hardening, refusing to look at me.

My heart drops. Apparently, his warmth toward me was as short as the jump through the portal.

---