Page 30 of Claim the Light
CHAPTERELEVEN
Isaac’s grip on my hand tightens. “We need to move. Now!”
He steps toward the edge of the fountain. “Once we enter the veil, they won’t be able to follow us. But we have to hurry.”
Checking that we’re all with him, he steps lightly over the short, stone edge and into the shallow water.
His shoulders are tense, and I sense his growing worry. He won’t be able to move too quickly or he’ll risk breaking the contact with the three of us.
“Stay close to me,” he says, his voice urgent. “We need to pass right by this statue at a very particular spot. It isn’t far. We’ll reach it in time if we stay calm.”
The water is so shallow that it barely covers my feet, but it’s the least of my concerns right now.
Isaac told us to stay calm, but it’s fucking hard when Scorn dragons are breathing down our necks.
Risking a backward glance, I catch sight of our pursuers closing in. They’re near enough to us now that I can make out a faint mark across their faces. It looks like a smear of dirt. Some sort of smudge.
The closer they come, the greater the chill that rides my body.
But then I catch sight of the figures racing up behindthem.
Relief floods me at the sight of Callan and Lana moving swiftly and far more quietly than either of the two Scorn dragons as they close in on our pursuers.
“Nearly there,” Isaac says as we approach the nearest turtle statue. “Stay close… Stay with me…”
Water pours from the statue’s mouth in a long stream and when I take my next step, the spray catches the surrounding artificial lights and forms brilliant rainbows in the air.
The colors blend and blur, obscuring the buildings in the background and even the Scorn dragons where they skid to a stop, seeming to have become aware of the fact that they’ve become the hunted.
Then the rainbow widens until it consumes my entire view, blocking out my surroundings entirely.
I blink to clear my eyes and—
I step into pure, white light.
The sudden change in our environment stills my breath.
The space we stepped into feels as vast as the abyss beneath the river, but it’s so bright, and the air is so crisp, that we could have stepped into clouds.
There’s a pause and then hot air billows around me. The gust is strong enough that it would have knocked me over except it’s coming from all directions and basically pinning me upright.
It’s deliciously warm, and now I understand why Isaac told us to remove our shoes.
Every drop of water on my body, on my clothing, in my hair, and even between my toes evaporates, leaving me warm and dry.
I can’t see a thing beyond the bright, white light, but I’m so much more comfortable now that I’m not drenched and freezing. I don’t even care that my hair is sticking out at all angles.
Isaac doesn’t move away, remaining like an anchor beside me. His voice reaches me through the intense, white glow as he seems to speak to all of us. “We’ve arrived safely. Please don’t worry about Callan and Lana. They will take care of the Scorn who were following us.”
His voice softens. “It’s important that you take your time now to let your eyes adjust. Embrace your surroundings and allow the light to become yours.”
His voice calms any lingering anxiety and, after a few long seconds, my vision clears enough to make out his silhouette, then Beatrix’s form, and finally Micah’s smile.
I step into Micah’s open arms, resting my frizzy head to his chest, both of us nearly losing hold of our shoes in the process.
“This is the veil,” Micah says, and I’m reminded that he’s been here once already.
As my eyes finally adjust to the brightness of the air around me, I make out the shape of what appears to be a sun shining far above us and a hint of wispy clouds. The sky is tinged a crisp blue and the soft breeze carries a hint of summer. The floor is shiny like white marble, but it isn’t cold beneath my bare feet. I consider my still-damp sneakers and opt to remain barefoot for now.
