Fate Breakers

Chapter 32

Velia

"Basil!"

I snatch the two males with the wings back from the edge, using the force to propel myself off. Not the first time I've jumped from a cliff. First time doing it to save someone other than myself. The canopy of trees blocks out the light almost fully. I feel every inch of the cool forest.

Orange flashes into view. This may be the one thing these colored cloaks are useful for. Dr. Guzman falls into one of the dark patches. I feel as he enters the space, tense and terrified. The dark grabs him first, I follow behind it.

The force of his body slamming into mine almost has me winded. I hold him tighter. There's so little shade on the path. I find purchase under an overhanging branch. For this, I shut my eyes. Envisioning all those still on the other side of that bridge, I take that image, envisioning us under the shade of that tree instead.

Gravity drags me into the dust and dirt of the path. My ears are ringing. The light of the sun stings my eyes. Someone blocks out the sun. I open my eyes to find Dr. Leda. He's grabbing Guzman from off of me. The wind's returned to his lungs. He's screaming.

My heart clenches. He's only in his twenties, so much life left to live. So many of them are like this. His hands shake, the tears keep falling. And here comes Baxter.

"I told you no." He's snarling at me.

I shove him back. He staggers in his step. "And I told you this was a bad idea. Why am I here if you were just going to ignore me?" Silver dots my vision. My head is pounding. The ringing in my ears won't stop. "You could have killed him. And you." The cold metal of Goughe's gun bites into my hand. It doesn't last long. I thrust the thing over the side of the ravine, praying Mother Gaia will dispose of it. "In what world would shooting at a panicked animal help the situation?"

Goughe gawks, scrambling for an excuse. "I wasn't aiming for the horse!"

"You shouldn't have been aiming for anyone to begin with!" A shorter male with blonde hair and a short crimson cloak storms over, face red with anger. "Do you fucking hear that?! That's the echo of this entire bridge carrying out across this whole barren island! You want to talk about the leucrocotta, they're not the only bastards here! Anything and everything that's gonna want us all dead now knows where we are!"

Gods, he's right. The leucrocotta were only the start. They're the least of what Irrenic has to offer. "We're staying here." I let my voice carry. "We're staying here, and we're waiting for Eurylochus and Oso."

Baxter pales. "We don't have to do that." Now he's scared. Of course, now he's scared. "Everything's fine now."

"No, everything is not fine!" Dr. Leda's eyes are glowing. His anger makes my chest go tight. Power rumbles in his voice as he snarls, "You just risked everyone's lives for the sake of time! If you think any of us are moving forward after that, then maybe you need to have your ass dropped from a hundred-eighty feet in the air!"

The pounding in my head becomes too much to bear. I shut my eyes, moving back until I can slump up against something. The cold, hard surface eases me. I try to block out the noise, focusing on the dark. Something cold splashes onto my hand.

Dr. Kellas is kneeling beside me, a wet rag in her hand. "Close your eyes," she says softly. "I'll put this over them."

I do as she says. The rag isn't all that cold, but it helps to block out the light. I feel her press a canteen to my lips. I part them, letting the water slip into my mouth. "Do you get these migraines often," she asks, pressing something small and round to my lips. Some sort of medicine, no doubt. I take it, swallowing it down with the water.