Page 93 of The Ninth Element

“Well, in point of fact,” Darian interjects, “I am the most agile of us all.”

“NO!” Bahador and Faelas roar in unison, their eyes bulging as if Darian is volunteering to jump into the sun.

I blink, taken aback by the intensity of their reaction. It was just asuggestion, a risky one, sure, but hadn’t they all been suggesting the same thing? Clearly, the idea of Darian voluntarily throwing himself into the unknown, potentially facing a gruesome demise, is beyond their comprehension.

Darian rolls his eyes. “Enough with the coddling, both of you.”

As the three of them argue, I see Omeer and Othman standing on the second row of pillars, picking up their golden coins. Samira is on the first pillar after making her first leap, but Roshana is still standing at the edge.

“Care to jump back?” Zanyar’s voice startles me.

“Yes,” I say, though my feet remain rooted to the spot, my gaze fixed on the trials unfolding before me.

“All right, Bahador, go ahead,” Faelas concedes, waving a hand dismissively.

Just as Bahador’s smirk begins to widen and his eyes slowly move to the third row, Faelas, quick as a striking tiger, takes a half-step back and leaps into the air.

I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to bear the sight of him attempting a jump that seems impossibly, terrifyingly long. How couldanyman clear that void? My stomach clenches with dread.

Roshana’s scream, a raw, piercing shriek, slices through the silence of the cavern, ripping my eyes open, and my heart leaps into my throat.

Faelas… He’s on all fours, clinging to the front edge of the pillar, his body trembling with exertion. He must have slipped, his momentum nearly carrying him over the front edge of the pillar, a horrifying near-miss averted only by throwing himself on the pillar.

“Dammit, Faelas,” Bahador grumbles.

Faelas quickly rights himself and smirks as he pockets the coin. “Next time, be faster.”

Darian shakes his head and rubs his forehead. He takes a deep breath and turns to me. “Are you doing fine over there?”

I nod and offer him a reassuring smile.

Omeer and Othman’s mission is accomplished. They jump back to the edge and start heading toward the gates. As always, they act in silence, notbothering to communicate with the rest of the group.

“Wait!” I call out, stopping them on their track. “We might need to step back onto the gates together, like how we got here. Remember, the gates only opened when all nine of us entered simultaneously.”

They exchange a glance, and after a moment of thought, they nod and stay put. Turning away from the Gajaris, I assess the rest of our group.

Roshana remains frozen at the edge of the cliff. She needs to collect five coins, a daunting task made even more difficult by the absence of her partner. Defeat is evident on her face, a harsh reality she can’t seem to shake off, leaving her stuck and unable to make even the first jump.

In contrast, Samira is in motion. She’s already on the second row, her eyes fixed on the intimidating third. Even if she jumps from the second row to the third like Faelas, she needs four coins for her and Olanna. The gap between the third and fourth rows feels like an endless abyss, a distance that seems impossible to conquer for any creature without wings.

However, Samira’s determination appears unshakable. She isn’t focusing on her future steps; she is fixated only on her next target. Taking a half-step back, she summons her strength and jumps.

My heart lodges in my throat as I watch her launch herself into the air, like a soaring arc against the backdrop of the abyss. Her first foot lands on the edge of the third pillar, and her bodylungesforward, desperately seeking purchase. She fights to bring her other foot up, to gain solid footing, but her first foot slips on the slick stone, her body pitching forward and then… downward.

A strangled gasp tear from my throat. For a single, agonizing eternity, she is falling, a terrifying freefall that halts only by a desperate, frantic grip of her fingers over the pillar’s edge. Now, she hangs suspended, like a silhouette against the yawning emptiness below, dangling precariously between life and oblivion.

Roshana screams again, and we all watch as Samira hangs in the air with only one strong arm. Time stretches thin; each moment feels like a lifetime. My hands fly to my mouth, and terror claws at my throat as she struggles to lift herself up.

“Dammit,” Bahador curses.

“Don’t let go!” Darian’s shouts.

Samira’s struggles are intensifying, and her grip is slowly slipping away. A few more moments, and she will lose her grip…

“Find a foothold before pulling yourself up,” Faelas shouts with a surprisingly calm voice, instructing her. “There is a crack on the right side of your right foot. A little higher. More to the right. There.”

After several torturous moments, she somehow finds her footing on the crack at the edge of the pillar, giving her the leverage she desperately needs to steady herself. Only after does she manage to lift her left arm and grab the edge with both hands before climbing the wet surface with careful movements. When she finally hauls herself onto the top of the pillar, I let out a sigh of relief, watching her roll onto her back.

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