Page 32 of Fallen Demon

The princess noticed everyone watching her. “A master key,” she said before pushing the rectangle into empty space and turning it. She let it go and the rectangle stayed in place, as if it floated on air.

Dark light shone from its surface, and a resounding click echoed around us. The air around the cliff’s edge shimmered for a moment, and then everything went still.

“What was that?” Lacey asked.

“A barrier,” Jasmin answered. “We don’t know if it was originally here, or who put it, but so far, we have found that every truly dangerous corner has a barrier like that. And only this key can open it.” She pocketed the rectangle again.

Rage put the bag down and reached for the ropes.

“We’re not going down like that,” Farrah said. She stepped to the cliff’s edge and swept her hands forward. A thin staircase of ice started forming before her, the first step right at her feet, and the others winding down along the side of the cliff.

“Won’t it melt?” Jasmin asked.

“Not while I’m holding my magic,” Farrah explained.

“Thank you, Farrah,” Drake said, walking to the staircase. He paused at the edge, though, and gestured to the team leader. “After you, Rage.”

Rage also thanked Farrah and started down the stairs. Drake was next, then Princess Jasmin. Frank, Cyran, Barn, and Mill went right after her.

Zad stopped beside the staircase and gestured for us to go. “Ladies first.”

Lacey went first, then me, and Farrah waited for Wyatt. Zad was last.

Surprisingly, the stairs were wider than they looked, and less slippery. I felt the need to hold on to a rail, but we all had good reflexes, and if someone did fall, I wouldn’t hesitate to call my wings and jump after them. I knew Zad would do the same.

The staircase went on and on and on, and even though I knew it was the tension talking; it felt like we had been going down for hours.

Then finally, we reached the mist.

“Here we go,” Rage called from the front. He pulled out a spear from its sheath behind his back. “Be ready for anything.”

He took a few more steps and disappeared into the mist. One by one, we were swallowed by the vapor. When it was my turn, I inhaled sharply as my feet touched the gray substances. A coldness surrounded my toes and spread up as I went down. Before it reached my neck, I held my breath.

Then I was in the mist.

The stairs disappeared, the ground felt firm but I couldn’t see it, I couldn’t see anything but the mist.

“Lacey? Farrah?” I called.

Nothing. No answer.

Oh, shit.

I called my magic, and after a little resistance, cast a light bolt over my open palm. It only illuminated the mist and didn’t show me anything.

For a second, I wondered if I should stay put or look for my friends.

Something zoomed past my back, and with a gasp, I turned toward it, but all I could see was mist, now with a golden glow because of my bolt.

“Drake?” I tried again. “Jasmin? Rage?”

Nothing again.

I inhaled deeply, trying to keep the panic down. If I panicked now, then I wouldn’t—and I had to think. What should I do?

Slowly, I took a step forward. Then another. Then another. The ground was still firm and hard underneath my boots, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t at the edge of another cliff.

I continued walking for a little while, counting the steps so I wouldn’t go crazy in this mist.

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