Xander took the rope he’d used to save me and tied it to the end of an arrow. He handed it to Dolion. “Hit that tree right there next to the cave entrance, as deep as it can go.”
Dolion did as asked and embedded the arrow into the tree.
“Rokh, I need you to go over and tie the rope off. We’ll tie this end around everyone as they cross as a safety measure.”
I saw the panic on Rokh’s face and the confusion on my sisters’.
Especially Ahyana’s.
Did Xander not know that Ahyana had no idea what Rokh was?
“I’m so sorry,” Rokh said to Ahyana. “I promise to explain everything.” Then he cried out in pain and turned himself into Kunguru and flew across the expanse.
I heard Ahyana’s gasp and saw the shock on all my adelphia’s faces.
And unfortunately, Ahyana witnessed the lack of surprise on mine. “Did you know?” she asked me.
My stomach turned over. This was not going to be an enjoyable conversation. “Yes, but let me explain.”
Rokh tied off the rope, tugging it tight around the tree trunk. “It’s done,” he said.
And it was as if he were standing right next to us and speaking.
“The curved rocks around us reflect the sound,” Xander said. “We can talk to one another across this chasm without having to yell.”
I’d never witnessed anything like it before. And he was right, it was almost like we were standing in an open-air dome. How had I not noticed how the rocks were formed?
Probably because that horrible bridge had snatched up most of my attention.
Stephanos and Dolion had taken another rope and tied it to a thick tree on our side so that there was a rope in place for our trip back across.
“I’m going first,” Xander said, which didn’t surprise me. I couldn’t imagine that it was going to be very easy for him. I had gone over to the lip of the ledge and couldn’t see the bottom of the chasm. It was an extremely steep drop.
He took the rope attached to the far side and tied it around his waist. I saw the way his hands trembled slightly, but I was certain I was the only one who would notice.
Then he stepped out onto the bridge and I stopped breathing.
It held.
He walked across slowly and the bridge swayed a bit back and forth. Not too bad, but it didn’t seem pleasant.
When he reached the other side, I saw the way his shoulders dropped, as if he were relieved.
His safety allowed my heart to resume a normal rhythm. He undid his rope and handed it to Rokh, who turned into a raven again to fly the end of the rope back over for the next person.
Stephanos took the rope and tied it around his waist and stepped out onto the bridge next.
Rokh transformed back into himself and made the mistake of trying to talk to Ahyana.
“How could you not tell me about this?” she demanded. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time!”
“Not lying,” he said. “Just not telling you everything.”
Even I knew that was the worst possible thing he could have said.
“I planned to give up everything for you, Rokh! I was willing to run away with you, leave my sisters behind, and this is how you repay my trust? My commitment? Why wouldn’t you tell me about this?”
“Ahyana, I wanted to tell you. I did. But I was scared that it would change how you felt about me.”
