Page 136 of Once Upon a Fable

A man’s dirty, leathered foot, splayed to the side and not moving.

Oh, God.

My stomach lurched.

My hand latched around a branch, and I kept climbing.

I climbed until I reached the valley floor and then I ran.

I ran to his side, shoved off my bag, and crashed to my knees.

I pressed my fingers against his throat.

And waited.

Come on.

Come on!

My fingers burned against his skin. I willed every power in the twisted universe for him to open his eyes and reveal that sinful sneer. That arrogant cruelty that hid so much inside.

Nothing.

I slumped over him.

I pressed my ear to his naked, scarred chest.

I listened.

My own heart thundered in my ears, pounding without pause.

There!

Was that—?

Holding my breath, I shouted at my nervous system to shut the hell up. I pressed my ear harder to his sternum. I dug my fingers deeper into his jugular.

And there...

Faint and almost unwilling, the soft thud of his heart.

Rearing back, I shook him. “Hey. Can you hear me?” I tapped his filthy cheek, brushing aside leaf-tangled hair. “Open your eyes.”

God, what is hisname?

I needed his name so I could scream it. So I could yell it into his ears and force him to stay alive.

As I shook him, my temper spiked. “Come on, Simon, Andrew, Colin, whoever you are...open your damn eyes.”

Nothing.

Not even a twitch.

I kept trying. I pinched his cheek. I punched his chest. I listened again for a pulse to see if it was stronger or weaker.

Still faint.

Still unwilling.