Moonkissed

Chapter Seven

Kylissa quizzed Bael relentlessly as they walked through the ever-rising temperature of the forest about where they were going, but he kept firmly quiet about the subject. Of course, she knew it was only because she wanted to know so badly, which was annoying.

The sun was high in the sky before Bael started to smile and walk a little faster, casting his eyes about as they hiked as if he were looking for something. Kylissa followed his gaze, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it was he was keeping for him, which made him laugh.

As they continued, the ground began to slope upward gently. Kylissa was so busy looking around that she didn't notice Bael stop walking. She went to take another step, but to her astonishment her foot was greeted only by air. She began to fall, but Bael grabbed her arm and yanked, sending them both tumbling backwards.

"What the heck?" Kylissa yelped, untangling herself from Bael and scrambling to her feet. She edged forward and peeled back some pine tree boughs and looked down.

And down...and down.

They were standing at the very edge of a very deep cliff.

Kylissa's stomach rolled, and she took rapid steps backward until she tripped over Bael and landed hard on her bottom.

"Hello again," Bael said.

"I almost became a pancake," she said hoarsely.

"Nah," Bael said as they clambered to their feet. "I wouldn't have let you." He flashed her a smile and started walking parallel to the cliffside. "Come on, I know it's around here somewhere."

Kylissa followed him, wondering why his words had made her stomach leap again, the way it had when she had realized she was standing on a cliff—but no, that wasn't quite right. This time, it felt almost...nice.

She was still puzzling over this when Bael exclaimed, "Here we are!" They pushed their way through the trees and came a to a small patch of cleared land with the cliff to their right. A bridge stretched out between their side and a strange mountain of bright red tiles.

Wait.

Tiles?

"Is that—"

"Yep," Bael said, fisting his hands and putting them on his hips like some kind of greenish superhero. "It's a giant house. Complete with a giant and...other assorted creatures." He smiled broadly and took a few steps toward the bridge. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Kylissa regarded the bridge. It was made of one huge slab of wood and ropes that lashed it to the cliffside and the ledge that it led to on the other side. Above this ledge was a large door that read, "You must be within this size to enter through this door. Larger entrances can be found to your left; smaller, to the right."

Kylissa tossed Bael a confused glance, but he was already stepping onto the bridge. Taking a deep breath and trying not to think about all the empty space between her and the ground, she followed.

For the first few steps, Kylissa treaded as lightly as she could, her hands knuckled around the ropes on either side. The next few, she relaxed a little. After all, she hadn't died yet, and the bridge felt thick and sturdy beneath her feet. By the time they had reached the midpoint of the bridge, she had let one hand drop and only trailed her other on the rope, too busy staring in awe at the world below them to be afraid anymore.

Everything in the ravine was giant. The trees sprouted up taller than the mountain-house they were climbing toward; flowers splashed the ground in pool-sized bursts of color. The blades of grass were so large she could make out individual strands even from where she stood, thousands of feet above them. She was sure they were the height of normal trees.