The silhouette looks up at the moon, chest rising and falling. In the frosted glow, I see the shine of his eyes.
Farron steps off the edge.
“Farron!” I scream. Sprinting harder than I ever have before, I make it to the edge of the cliff, fling myself to my knees, and peer into the dark.
Down below, white waves crash on the rocks. There’s no sign of the Autumn Prince.
My body reacts as if it doesn’t even have to wait for my mind. Every part of me knows what I need to do.
Taking a deep breath, I jump from the cliff and descend toward the cursed waters below.
The wind howls in my ears. There’s nothing but air on all sides of me. My stomach shoots up into my throat. I’ve cliff jumped hundreds of times before, but never this high. Never without checking the waters below. I try to make sense of everything as I plummet, the waves rushing up to meet me.There are so many rocks—did Farron hit one on the way down? WillIhit one?
Fear claws at my throat as the spray of the churning water strikes my skin. I brace for impact.
I slam into the water with a violent splash. My bones ache with the impact, but I’m not dashed against the rock. I’m swept up in cold darkness, the current tugging at me from each direction. I fight the pull, trying to orient myself.
Breaking through the surface, I gasp for breath. A wave sweeps over my head, and I’m forced to fight for air again. I only get a moment above water before a swell pulls me under, but I keep trying.
“Farron!” I yell each time I’m able to get a lungful of air. Where is he? Is he alive? Is his body shattered on the rocks?
Moonlight shimmers off the isle, about half a league away. If he survived the fall, he’d swim there.
This water is cursed,a childish part of my mind says.
Sputtering against the waves, I growl, “Fuck it.”
Curse or not, I’ll find Farron.
Arm over arm, I cut through the water, the moon my lifeline. I can do this. I’ve swum through rougher waters. One arm in front of the other?—
A force slams into me, and I’m sent tumbling down into the dark. I right myself, eyes fighting through the ocean. Did Farron find me? What else could have?—
A shape materializes. Four powerful legs made of currents of water. Muscular body rippling like waves. Eyes shining with malevolent moonlight. A monstrous horse made entirely of the sea surges forward. Its liquid form shifts and flows as it canters toward me.
I gasp and try to swim for the surface. The creature gets to me first. The horse rears up, then strikes. Its hooves, solid despitetheir liquid appearance, pound into my chest, driving the last breath from my lungs.
I claw at the water, trying to find purchase, but the horse doesn’t stop. It pushes me further and further down. My ears pop and my lungs burn. A spell, there’s a spell for breathing underwater. I try to summon my magic, but I can’t get a hold of it. Mom is always telling me to put down my swords and practice the ancient powers. Why didn’t I listen to her?
I beat at the horse’s legs but it’s no good, my movements too slow in the water. The horse sneers, an angry expression, filled with hate. Is this Captain Katharine’s curse or just another scared beast like me?
My vision blurs. The weight of the water pushes against me on all sides. I’m drowning. A Prince of Summer,drowning.
What a waste. Just like Damocles always thought.
Though, if I have to go like this…chasing after Farron…
At least I’m dying for something worthwhile.
Golden light shimmers through my vision. Is this it? Death? Will the Orb of Ancestors still take my spirit, or will I be denied that honor because I didn’t die upon the sands?
This gold light of death sure is beautiful though. It appears above us. Even the horse seems distracted by it, looking up, the pressure of its hooves releasing.
Hey, this ismydeath. Let me have it,I think to the horse.
The gold light shifts, and I see it’s the outline of a person. A man.
One with a thatch of wild hair.
