Page 84 of A Realm of Shattered Lies

“I didn’t hear it hit the bottom,” says Zora.

We’re both lying on our backs on the earth. I’m fairly sure both of us are content never to get back up, so long as we can feel solid ground underneath us for the rest of eternity.

“What?”

“I didn’t hear it hit the bottom,” she repeats. “For all we know, it’s just lurking on the edge of the chasm wall waiting to pounce on us.

I don’t bother stifling my groan. “Well, why don’t you take a look and see?”

“What if it’s waiting for me to do that, and as soon as I look over the edge, it plans to chomp off my head?”

I let my head flop over to the side so I can stare at my sister. She’s already staring at me, looking perfectly serious.

“I’m not going near that cliff again,” I say.

“Why not?”

“Because that’s like flirting with death. You don’t survive what we just survived, then go peeking over the edge of a chasm. It’s just asking to have the ground crumble out beneath you.”

She shoots me a glare. “I can’t believe you won’t go check for me.”

“There’s no scorpion waiting just below the edge,” I grumble, covering my eyes with my forearm.

“Then explain to me why I didn’t hear it fall.”

“Because you were shrieking at the pain in your arm and couldn’t hear it over your own screams? Because you were focused on making sure both of us survived, and you can’t pay attention to that many things at once?”

My sister flops dramatically on the ground. “So you admit I risked my life to save you—ripped my chest muscles in half to deliver you from that monster—and you won’t peek over the edge of the chasm so I can have peace of mind?”

We stare each other down for a moment. I can’t believe she just used the word deliver in conversation. I let out a sigh. “Fine.”

She looks a bit too appeased for my liking as I crawl over to the edge.

“Why are you crawling?”

“Because everything hurts.”

When I get to the edge, I hesitate. “You’re sure you didn’t hear it hit the ground?”

“Ha! So you don’t think I’m being paranoid, after all!”

I groan and force myself to look over the edge. To my relief, there’s no lurking scorpion in sight. Just a glittering expanse of fog that I can’t help but think looks more satiated than it did earlier.

“Well?”

“Just like I told you, it’s gone.” I retreat from the edge all the same.

“Then why didn’t I hear it hit the ground?”

I rub my temples. “I can’t say I have the energy to think about that at the moment.”

“But it is noteworthy that I didn’t hear it, right?”

I crane my neck to look over at her. Zora has the smuggest grin I’ve ever seen pasted across her face.

It makes my stomach twist, but not in such an awful way.

“It’s sort of nice,” I say.

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