Page 86 of Riftborne
I felt a lump forming in my throat. I’d rather go outside and do sprints. Was that an option?
Uneasiness spread through the room as we all exchanged shifty looks. Mercer’s calm expression remained.
“I need everyone to line up at the back of the room. There’s no technique to this, simply a lot of repetition. After a while, you will be able to go without oxygen for longer and longer. And that could just save your life. Most die on the battlefield from suffocation.” Mercer paced in front of us. “Anyone want to volunteer to go first?”
Everyone became eerily still.
“I’m not going to kill you. That would be completely counterproductive,” he remarked softly.
As if that was supposed to make us feel better.
His eyes narrowed in on Nazul. Mercer motioned for the dark-haired boy to step forward. Nazul glanced down the line at us before lowering his head and walking towards the Lieutenant.
“Just try to stay calm. It’s the only way through it,” Mercer said.
Nazul nodded, eyes still locked on the ground.
“Raine, give us a countdown.”
Raine shifted her weight nervously, “Five…” she stuttered. “Four. Three. Two. One?—”
Mercer’s arm shot toward Nazul. I felt my hair whip back as a gust of wind slammed through the room. Mercer yanked his hand backward, and my hair flew in front of my face just as Nazul gasped. His eyes shot up, filled with terror as he gripped his neck with his hands.
The Lieutenant was pulling the air out of his lungs.
After only a few seconds, Nazul fell to his knees, but Mercer stayed in position, still withholding oxygen.
My hands started to shake. How was I going to make it through this? I couldn’t even hold my breath long enough to fetch something at the bottom of a swimming hole.
This went on for what felt like an eternity before Nazul doubled over and fell to the ground, motionless. Finally, Mercer relented, and I watched air fill the boy’s lungs once again. He turned onto his stomach and gasped repeatedly. The sound was horrifying.
“That was actually quite impressive, recruit. Most don’t make it nearly that long the first time.”
Nazul didn’t even register Mercer’s words. He was still retching desperately.
“Fia, you’re next.” Mercer nodded in my direction as Nazul crawled back to his spot in line. I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t say a word. My whole body was shaking.
“We don’t have all day. Come on now,” he added, but his gaze softened as we made eye contact.
I stepped forward. There was no getting out of this. I tried to concentrate, savoring my last breaths before the inevitable seizure.
“Raine, another countdown.”
I looked back at my friend to see her pale expression, but Inodded, giving her the go ahead before turning back to the Lieutenant.
“Five,” she said, voice wavering. I felt my pulse quicken, but I tried to calm it. I needed to relax. “Four. Three. Two.”
Suddenly, I felt the wind rush past me. I took one last breath and closed my eyes.
I felt my body jerk forward as the air was dragged from my lungs, and my mind went wild with terror. I swallowed, trying to focus on anything else, but it was to no avail.
All of my senses were on edge, and I felt a familiar heat radiating from the base of my spine. Panic washed over me as I felt the first tendril link onto my vertebrae. My body was going into defense mode. I had to stop it. My eyes shot open.
Instinctively, I gasped for a breath that didn’t come, only forcing the web to climb higher, faster. White light pulsed through my veins. I felt myself stumble, losing my balance. My eyes locked with Mercer just as the darkness overtook my vision.
CHAPTER 31
“Miss Riftborne? Can you hear me?”I heard a soft male voice say, pulling me from the darkness.
