I didn’t have time to dwell as the sound of rushing water drew my attention. Before us, a river crashed and sprayed as a rapid current rushed past. We followed the water, a thick mist up ahead.
“Is that a waterfall?” I asked.
Isabella followed me as I walked along the bank. I could almost see through the mist now.
“Oh, damn,” Isabella muttered.
I stopped, finally seeing it.
A thundering waterfall was gushing down the mountain.
“How’s the surface not frozen?” I asked. “It’s below freezing. You’d think the entire river would be frozen solid, it’s cold enough!”
“Yeah, really,” Cody said. “Hey. Look.”
I followed his gaze through the mist. Lights glowed in the distance, dotted across the mountains and valley below. From this height, I could see a grand castle with towers that soared into the sky. It rested on one of the lower summits. Not far were the dotted lights of a village and other buildings nestled in the landscape.
“That’s it,” Isabella said. “Nightfall.”
My chest tightened as I stared at the castle, still a great distance away. Would it hold the answers I was looking for? Crushing the thought, I turned to Isabella.
“Yeah, but how do we get there?”
“You jump.”
Commander Everson’s voice made my spine stiffen. Where the hell did he come from? And what did he say?
“You can’t be serious,” I deadpanned.
“It is the only way in. One that all of us took—all but the Aurkai,” he said. “Come with me.”
I glanced at Isabella, who raised her eyebrow in uncertainty, then to Cody, who shrugged and had ‘what the hell’ written all over his face.
Sighing, I followed Everson, listening to Isabella mutter something about insanity under her breath.
The raging water roared as we neared the cliff edge, where it barreled toward its descent.
“This is the way forward,” Everson said, spreading his arms wide as he turned to face us.
I stood at the cliffside and stared at the dark water as it surged from the mountainside. Mist shrouded the water column, keeping the bottom from view. There was no way this was a survivable fall.
“This is madness,” Isabella said. “Are you seriously trying to tell us you jumped off this thing? And survived?”
Everson ignored her and walked to the water’s edge. He crossed several stones rising above the water. They formed a path across the river to the center of the waterfall. There, at the edge, a large stone jutted out at a sharp, pointed angle. It was a natural dais that looked straight out of a horror film where sacrificial ceremonies were held. Everson stood there, the water rushing around him, and glanced at us.
“I’ll see you at the bottom.”
The air stilled, the sound muted, and as if in slow motion… he fell.
I stared at the place where he’d been standing, my body rigid with disbelief.
“Is he dead?” Cody whispered.
I stood there, my jaw slack, finally mustering the courage to move enough to see down into the thick mist clouding the falling water.
“None of this makes any sense,” I said. “This water should be frozen. Everything else is. Why is it flowing? This is all wrong.”
“Can’t you feel it?” came a soft, unfamiliar voice.
