Page 17 of An Avalanche Hero Christmas

“This way!” Lance said, darting suddenly to the right, and she followed suit just in time.

Behind them, she could hear Boris pursuing them. She might have her back to him now, but she was staring in the face ofdeath. And as far as she was concerned, death had green eyes and a pair of blades.

Mallory spotted the problem way before Lance said, “No!”

Up ahead, the rows of trees presented a path for them to follow, coming to a stop about thirty feet away. As they drew nearer, Mallory saw things even more clearly. It wasn’t just the woods that seemed to end at that point. Beyond it, there was no snow, no ground she could see.

“It’s a cliff!” she panted. The memory of the mountain rushing up to meet her flashed through her mind. “Lance, we can’t—”

“We have no choice,” he told her, pulling her by the arm before she could decelerate.

The sound of metal scraping metal filled the air behind them. Boris was gaining on them!

It was now or never.

Jump and risk death, or hesitate and face certain death.

The odds of surviving weren’t great, but Mallory had no other options.

She squeezed her eyes shut as they reached the ledge. Lance’s arms wrapped around her, and she felt her feet leave the ground. All weight seemed to fall from her body. A high-pitched sound filled her ears, but whether it was the wind in her ears or her own scream, she didn’t know. All she knew was that they were falling and fast.

It occurred to her midair that opening her wings only moments earlier might have prevented her present situation. But by now, it had to be too late. Not to mention, Lance’s arms had tightened around her.

When they landed, she barely felt the impact, but a pained grunt from Lance told her all she needed to know. Mallory opened her eyes, still wrapped in his arms, and craned her neck. There was nothing but snow as far as she could see. Snow and rocks. No trees.

Lance groaned, and she felt his grip on her relax. She rolled off his body, and he sat up.

“We survived,” he said, staring above her head.

Mallory followed his line of sight, and her jaw nearly hit the snow. The cliff had to be at least a hundred feet high. Maybe even two. It was a miracle they’d survived the fall, but something else caught her attention. Standing right on the edge, staring down at them, was Boris.

“He’s not going to jump,” Lance said as though reading her thoughts.

“What makes you so sure?”

“He’s not insane enough to try.”

Boris gazed at them for another moment, then he turned and disappeared from view.

“We need to keep moving,” Lance said. “We’ll find a way to get back up, but for now, we need to get far away from him. Are you okay?”

It hadn’t even occurred to Mallory to check herself for cuts or bruises. She quickly examined herself. She’d lost her scissors back there, but otherwise, she was okay. “I’m fine. But you don’t look so good. You took a leap of faith—literally. I’m surprised you’re not already comatose.”Or worse,she thought with a chill.

His face and neck were covered with bruises and small scratches. Her gaze dropped to his torso, and she stifled a gasp. Two cuts marked Lance’s chest where Boris had struck him, just above the heart. The reality of what had happened set in then. If Boris had aimed the slightest bit lower, he wouldn’t be breathing right now.

As if that weren’t bad enough, he’d just thrown himself off the edge of the cliff, not knowing how far they’d fall or where they’d land.

He’d risked his life to save her.

Twice.

“I’m okay,” Lance told her. He tried to get up, wincing with the effort. “I’m fine.”

The look on his face told her otherwise, but Mallory said nothing. She climbed to her feet, and they continued moving away from the cliff, away from Boris. Right now, that was what mattered most.

Still, she couldn’t shake the guilt that swept through her at the thought of all that had happened. They’d known each other no longer than a few days, and she’d already put him through so much.

But she would be dead by now if he hadn’t helped her when he had. She might have died in that avalanche. She might have frozen or starved to death without him. And right now, Boris would have skewered her if he hadn’t fought back. So far, he’d been no less than her guardian angel.

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