I murmured a prayer to Lanokota.
***
“Oh, lordy, this isn’t good.”
On the balcony with the cliff and the sea still in half darkness, I saw enough that a shiver ran through me. The precipice wasn’t as rocky and jagged as I’d hoped. A drop from the balcony to the cliff wasn’t far and I found a landing place. However, beyond that – let’s just say Fiona and Damon knew something of holding a human prisoner.
Nervous, scared, I paced the suite, while trying desperately to think. A dragon could simply fly off the balcony. Unfortunately, Lanokota hadn’t offered me dragon wings. Nor did Alaric know where I was to fly in and rescue me. I dared not wait until such time as he might find me. Fiona might come in at any time and throw me from the suite and onto the deadly rocks below.
“Courage, dammit. You can do this.”
I stalked to the edge and looked down, studying the cliff. The early morning sunlight had crept over its face, and showed me spots where I could, with care, climb down. I’d need to make my way to the left, creeping along the edge to the ledge a short way below. From that ledge, I thought I saw more useful toe and hand holds that might enable me to cling to the face.
I sucked in a deep breath and climbed onto the railing. The lashing sea looked so very far away, the cliff so incredibly treacherous. My mouth dry, nervous sweat trickled from my arm pits down my ribs. I could kill myself doing this. But, would Damon and Fiona murdering me be any worse?
Either way, death hung at my shoulder like a thundercloud. I could not wait to be rescued, as the rescue might not come. Alaric and Willow had no idea where I was. Fiona already said she’d kill me if Alaric didn’t follow through with her demands. Most likely, Alaric had already written me off like a bad debt.
I had only myself to rely on.
Holding my breath, I eased my body over the railing until I hung on it by my hands. I let go, and dropped to the steep slope a dozen feet down. Catching my balance before I tumbled over the cliff, I peeked over the edge. My head spun with vertigo.
“Okay, don’t do that again.”
The slope was rough with broken rock and gravel. Not easy by any means, but also not as bad as I feared. Crab-like, I worked my way toward the ledge, using both hands and feet, then slid backward onto it. Okay, the first part was over. I took a moment to study the jagged precipice and sat down on the ledge.
I glanced upward. The balcony above looked so very safe. And now, so very far away. I half expected to see Fiona or Damon peering down at me, ready to shift into their dragons and pluck me off the ledge as easily as they might a stranded cat. The thought, the image in my mind, scared me into rolling onto my belly and edging my way down.
At first, the going wasn’t too bad. As long as I looked neither up nor down, that was. I focused on the hand and footholds, taking one small step at a time. Finding another ledge large enough for me to stand on, I paused to catch my breath and glance around.
Almost halfway there. I can do this.
Once more, I examined the terrain and suspected that if I moved from the ledge and to my right, I could locate an easier path. In fact, what I saw resembled a trail leading to the water’s edge.
Glancing up, I saw the house’s wide overhang. The balcony I departed from was quite a distance away, and I saw no sign that my escape had been discovered. At least no shouts proclaimed it, no flying dragons flew past in search of me. Fiona and Damon would surely know I didn’t break the suite’s door down.
Gaining hope and courage, I dropped from the ledge. The uneven and loose rock broke under my sneakers. My heart in my throat, I grabbed for something, anything, that would halt my lethal tumble down the cliff and to my death below.
A handy boulder sticking from the cliff halted my terrible slide. Breathing hard, my heart thudding in my chest, I clung to the precipice with my hands and feet. Holy shit, that was close. While not daring to look down and behind me, I slowly took in the path I needed.
Slowly, as carefully as a bomb specialist defusing an explosive device, I crabbed my way toward the sort of trail leading down. Closer to it, I saw it wasn’t a path at all, but rather a narrow line between boulders stuck into the cliff. There wasn’t enough room for my body, but I struggled toward it anyway. Sweat stung my eyes and stuck my hair to my face and neck.
Inching lower, I gripped the rocks with my hands and sought for toeholds I couldn’t see. Salt spray from the crashing surf both wetted me and made the rocks more slippery. It also told me how close I was to my goal. If the ocean reached me, I was nearly there.
Hope and triumph surged within me. I beat them. I escaped Fiona and Damon, halted their attempts to force Alaric into surrendering his power, his authority. I would find a phone, call Alaric, tell him never to give in.
I gripped a smooth rock wet from the surf. Algae made it slippery, more treacherous than I thought it would be.
My hands slipped.
I grabbed for the rock again, panicking. Loose in its bed, the damn thing fell out like a broken tooth and came with me.
Terror filled my soul as I fell.
Chapter Twenty
Alaric
I didn’t sleep that night.
