After a few deep breaths and talking myself into it, I opened the door. Vander sat on the end of his bed with his arms and ankles crossed, appearing vexed as usual. He wore a sword on his back, and a belt with several weapons: a couple knives, a golden, snake-handled dagger, small star-shaped blades, and a bundle of rope. “Not even my prissy sisters take as long as you to get ready.” He pulled up his hood. “Pull your mask up once we leave the walls of Drakthar.”
“Yes, sir,” I said and saluted.
His severe demeanor cracked, and the corner of his mouth curled. “Smartass.”
After walking far enough that Drakthar was no longer in view, we stood at the base of the towering wall. Thunder crackled over our heads and a cool breeze raised goosebumps along my spine. A man in assassin black stepped out from the turret and tossed down the end of a thick rope. It hit the ground with a thud.
“There is only one door in the wall at the main entrance,” Vander explained.
“So, we’re walking to the entrance right?” I knew we weren’t, but this wall soared over even the highest ancient treetops. Sweat dampened my uniform. I was too frightened to even get into the nightwatch tower. I wanted to conquer this fear, but in a much smaller tree, not an imposing wall that dizzied my mind.
Birds twittered, flying past my head and up and up until they disappeared on the other side. Thunder rumbled to the west, and the wind brought the smell of rain and deep gray storm clouds our way.
“We need to move before the storm hits. Ladies first.” Vander gestured toward it.
Every five feet or so there was a knot in the rope that would help with footing, but I had trouble gripping with my crippled left hand. I gulped and held the thick rope. “I’ve never climbed a rope before.”
In two steps, he was pressed against my back. His unexpected closeness made my heart jump into my throat. I peeked over my shoulder at him as he took hold of my right wrist and moved it higher than my left. “One hand over the other.” His deep voice rumbled against my skin, making it tingle. “It helps if you press your thighs and feet tightly around the rope. You’re ducai, you’re strong enough to pull yourself up with just your arms.”
He backed off, and I could breathe deeply again. It wasn’t my arm strength I worried about. I’d have to rely more on my right hand and legs, but I’d always done that. After a few beats, he stared at me expectantly. Did he feel the tremble of fear in my body when he touched me? I was loath to admit it, but I confessed, “I... I’m afraid of heights.” Falling out of a treehouse one time as a child kept my feet firmly on the ground since. “I don’t think I can do this, sir.”
“Everyone is afraid of something. You don’tthinkyou can, but Iknowyou can.” His blue eyes flicked back and forthbetween mine. “Climb.” I almost appreciated his demand. If I had a lenient trainer, I wasn’t certain I’d ever attempt this.
Shaking, I nodded and curled around the rope. As long as I kept my eyes up, I would be fine. I could convince my mind I was only a few feet off the ground.
After I passed four knots, my left hand started to ache and tremble. Sweat dampened my black hood around my hairline.
A gust of wind whistled, and the rope lightly swung side to side. I paused, resting my cheek against the tether, the fibers poked into my skin. “Hold on. I’m following behind,” Vander announced. The rope jiggled with his weight. Mistakenly, I glanced to see Vander, and the distance from the emerald ground was farther than I thought. My muscles locked up, and I squeezed my eyes shut. My breaths came too fast.
“Keep going,” Vander said, gentler than I expected. “We need to get to the top before the rain starts.”
As if making a point, thunder boomed nearby.
“I—I can’t.” I couldn’t get my hands to let go. I opened one eye and peeked at Vander again. Everything began to tilt; my head spun.
“You’re not going to fall,” he insisted. “One hand over the other, that’s all you have to do. Keep your eyes up.”
I hugged my lifeline tighter, pressing my feet harder into the knot I stood on. “I can’t let go,” I whispered. My heart pounded as hard as when I was being chased by a vampire. “I can’t.” I didn’t trust my left hand to hold me.
“Yes, you can.” He was suddenly right at my feet. “You do this once and next time you’ll wonder what you were even scared of. Trust yourself and your strength.”
Come on, Aesira.I pried my hand away and slowly reached and pulled.
“That’s it,” Vander assured. “Now the other hand. The faster you move, the sooner this is over.”
That was the truth I needed to hear. The faster I was off this damn rope, the better. At the halfway point, I could barely hold with my left hand and gripped harder with my feet. When the top came into view and I started to get hopeful, a drop of rain hit the exposed skin on the bridge of my nose, then another. The pitter patter came fast and hard.Get to the top, get to the top,I chanted. The assassin who’d tossed the rope down leaned over the edge of the wall.
Tiny rivers of water ran down the strands of braided fiber, worsening my already failing grip.
“We need to move faster,” Vander commanded.
I quickened my pace again. Then I felt my crippled hand slip and cinched my other harder, but I was sliding as if the fingers of the wind were pulling me toward the earth. My stomach plummeted, and the rope burned through my gloves until my boots hit the knot below and slipped past. No no no no no. I wasn’t stopping—couldn’t stop.
I gasped to scream, then slammed into Vander’s palm. His fingers dug into my rear end. “Shit!Hold the damn rope!”
My heart slammed into my ribs. My throat constricted, slowing my breath but I was definitely holding the rope. “I’m going to fall! I’m going to die!” I shrieked. The rain came in sheets now. Water streaked along my face under my mask.
“No, you won’t! I have you, just don’t let go, Aesira. You understand?” He firmly held me up and felt even more secure than the rope. I believed him.
