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He didn’t look back. “Move faster.”

Leif moved with surprising agility given the size of him, his feet angling to catch the stones in the right way before shifting his weight forward, again and again, with no hesitation. Only when a breeze came would he still, find his balance again, and advance.

I was far less graceful.

“Don’t fall,” Leif grunted, right after I’d almost slipped. “I’ve no desire to drag your body along.”

“Stop talking and let me focus.”

I hated that he saw me this way. If we had a sailing challenge, he could see my skills, and wouldn’t look at me the way all Pearlslook at Seaweeds. If he cared to look at all. Leif only glanced my way twice, and it was only when the chain stretched taut. When he did, he shook his head.

I wrestled my pride away and continued.

Leif paused to take a swig from his flask and dig into his bag for a chunk of dried meat to chew before continuing. My stomach groaned at the sight.

That’s why he can move so much better.He was a Pearl. He could afford proper food and water. Meanwhile, I was testing my body’s ability to survive on drops of water and sheer determination.

Additionally, the adrenaline of running from the fire wore off, allowing me to feel every ounce of pain from the injury at my side. It throbbed as I treaded along, a biting pain that summoned a blinding ache in my forehead.

Hungry and wounded. No wonder he looked at me as if I wouldn’t last the day.

The ground at our feet narrowed, affording no more than a few inches past my shoulder-width.

Now Leif slowed.

“Can you see how much further?” I asked. I could hardly see the path ahead of him, but everything I could see faded into the clouds.

“Quiet,” he grumbled.

Out of all the people I could have been stuck with for this…

A grating noise echoed through the sky. Leif stiffened ahead of me, his head twisting to the side.

“What was that?”

An arrow whizzed ahead of him.

TWENTY-SEVEN

I swallowed the scream in my throat as the arrow passed, the rising sun caught against the sharpened iron tip.

Three seconds later, another arrow whizzed by. Not just one, I realized in horror. Many.

We both knelt. My hand dug for purchase in the stone as the sound of arrows continued. Three more seconds, then another volley. Three seconds, more arrows.

“We aren’t being attacked,” Leif declared. He boldly stood. “It’s an obstacle course.” He yanked his foot with the chain. “Get up. We haveto pass together.”

I pitched my gaze over his shoulder to watch the arrows. He was right. They passed at the exact same spot every time, one row hitting at chest height with another at knee height, with a few feet in between each row. We couldn’t crawl, we couldn’t jump. We had to walk through at the exact right time to put us in the space between the rows of arrows when they passed.

This time, when Leif glanced at me, it wasn’t in disappointment. He genuinely checked to see if I was ready.

I gave a little nod.

He stepped forward three paces. When the arrows came, they split the distance between Leif and me.

Together, we both took three more steps. The arrows flew again—two in front of Leif, two between us, and two behind.

“Step,” I breathed. “One two three. Step.”