Page 92 of When Eden Falls

With the dagger grasped tightly in my hand, I drove deep within for every ounce of courage I could conjure up. I swung round, facing the four eyed demon beetle as it flew through the air. Its skeleton fingers reached for my shoulders; its saliva filled mouth open wide. A small whimper escaped me at the sight of its huge, sharp fangs angling for the side of my neck.

Within a fraction of a second before it collided with me, I thrusted the blade between the two middle eyes—the same place Dybgo’s spear had perforated, ending the attack on the Parvos weeks ago—and twisted it, hard. Crumbling under its weight, I fell to the ground. The Igknamai thrashed and spasmed on top of me, and I grimaced, watching the light in its haunting black eyes flicker out, as thick, red blood poured out of its wound onto my face, neck, and chest.

As I tried to catch my breath, the sound of laser fire echoed around the area. A scuff of hurried boots, followed by warm hands grabbing at my shoulders, was the only thing I was aware of before I was hauled out from beneath the large, motionless beast. Once my legs were free, I pounced to my feet and sprinted to the rockface, with Rooke close behind.

Oz hauled us both up the side of the craggy wall, barely moments before two more Igknamai snapped and roared at our heels. Standing on a slither of rocks, I leant my forehead against the wall, panting, trying to calm my ragged breathing. Glancing behind me, a dozen Igknamai of various sizes monopolised the ravine floor. Smaller ones ambled at the back, whilst others ripped into Cora and my backpacks, littering the ground with our belongings. The majority of the larger ones reared and roared up at us, pacing along the base of the rockface immediately below.

The beast I’d killed sprawled on the floor, blood soaking the area surrounding its head, still with the golden dagger jutting out of its face. Sticks protruded from the scales at the back of its head. A smaller Igknamai lay dead further back, and another appeared wounded, hobbling around. Both had half a dozen of the same objects sticking out of their bodies. I frowned. They looked like arrows.

I glanced up the hazardous rockface. Oz and Cora were halfway up. Kobe was nearing the top, while Zamya crouched on the edge in safety, peering up at the trees, proving the ascend was possible.

“Where the hell is Llexzus?” Rooke mumbled.

“He was back in the forest,” I snapped at his naivety.

With wide eyes, Rooke looked up at me. His forehead and cheeks glistening with sweat, his complexion unusually pale. Confusion flashed in his eyes. I pointed to the ravine. “This was a trap, Rooke. Llexzus asked us to wait here while he called them to us.”

Trying to convince himself otherwise, he mumbled, “No. No, that’s not…”

“Think about it? Where are the Akquarians? They left us here. They left us to die.”

“The Akquarians were helping. They were shooting arrows.”

“Arrows? The Akquarians don’t use arrows! They have swords and spears, never arrows.”

He frowned at me, trying to piece everything together.

Without another thought, I began to climb the rockface. The surface was no more than hard clumps of sand and brittle stone. It fell away from my grasp in several places, making the task even harder than I originally anticipated.

A desperate cry echoed around us, followed by an avalanche of sand and stone cascading down from the rockface above. Protecting my eyes, I heard Oz shout Cora’s name as a body slid down the uneven surface nearby.

I peered up through the dust. Oz was holding onto the wall, reaching down as if Cora had slipped through his fingers. Nowpositioned lower than I was, Cora was struggling to place her feet, swinging on her hands whilst sheer panic filled her eyes. Her dangling feet were causing a rise in excitement from the Igknamai directly below.

“Hold on, Cora,” I said, attempting to move across the fragile rockface towards her.

“No, let me.” Rooke was closer to her than I was, but as he moved, the sand and rock disappeared from beneath his feet. Grabbing the wall, he pulled himself up, securing himself against it.

“Stay there. I’ll go. I’m lighter,” I said, and began to scale the wall sideways. I made it two steps before the rubble under my feet disintegrated. I scratched at the rock, bruising my fingertips as I slid down. A hand grabbed my wrist, pausing the falling momentum long enough for me to find my footing again.

I peered up and found Rooke holding me in place. His face filled with uncontrollable trepidation.

“Help! Please!” Cora whimpered. “I can’t get up.”

I glanced down at her. I could see her strength faltering. The sheer look of fear overwhelmed her dainty features. The fight in her body beginning to weaken.

“Rope,” Rooke shouted up to Kobe and Zamya at the top. “Get some frigging rope!”

The sound of scurried movement from above trickled down to us, but how much longer could Cora hold? It was taking too long.

I began to move again. Rooke reached for me, objecting to my attempt, but I ignored him. This time I double tapped my chosen footholds before I placed my weight fully onto them. I could hear Cora sobbing—eating away at my nerves.

“Hang in there, Cora, I’m coming.”

I cursed as my foot slipped again, but I held my position, searching for an alternative route.

“Eden!” I flinched at the sound of Cora’s petrified wail as she slid lower.

I looked down, grasping how much further I needed to go toget to her. But the sight of an Igknamai pouncing up towards her forced me to freeze. Her scream rippled through the ravine. Frantic, helpless cries from the crew followed as Rooke attempted to move again, but the weakening wall prevented him from going anywhere at speed.