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Alex kept her mouth closed, not sure what to say.

“I think that’s a ‘no’ to the Goldenwood theory,” Jordan whispered back.

She looked at him with exasperation. “Yeah, I got that, thanks.”

“There’s no such thing as a ‘Goldenwood’,” the Meyarin informed them. “These trees are golden because they form the boundary around the city of Meya.”

Alex felt her heart skip with anticipation. She glanced at her friends and saw the starry-eyed looks on their faces. They had grown up hearing bedtime stories of the Lost City. For them, what they were about to experience was comparable to walking into a make-believe world.

With every step through the now golden forest, Alex felt her nervousness increase. Despite the excitement of seeing the Lost City, she couldn’t forget they were about to be in a whole heap of trouble for trespassing upon a sacred site. She had no idea how that would play out. Not to mention, there was also the potentially devastating news regarding Aven that she was supposed to deliver.

Theyreallyshould have come up with a plan first…

The trees ended abruptly at the top of a cliff overlooking a deep valley that stretched across the horizon. The surrounding cliffs were lined with golden trees that glistened in the sun’s rays. Around the boundary were thunderous waterfalls spilling into a river that encircled the valley like a moat around a castle. Alex could only just see the distant and jagged cliff face that ended the valley from where they stood, but she didn’t stop to wonder just how far the distance was. She was too distracted by her first view of Meya.

“Whoa.”

Alex wasn’t sure who said it, but it was the only word to describe what they were seeing. Never in her most creative fantasies could she have imagined such a spectacular place. The entire city blazed, like it was lit from within by a silvery luminescence that seemed to flow out of a massive, spiralling building situated in the middle of the valley.

“Their palace reallyismade out of Myrox!” D.C. whispered in awe.

Alex realised that her friend was right. The huge architectural phenomenon in the middle of the city had to be the palace, shining with the light of a thousand suns. Or apparently just shining from the pure Myrox of which it was made. The glow was so strong that it radiated out into the rest of the impressive city, lighting the entire valley, bouncing across the river and up the waterfalls into the forest.

“Incredible,” Alex breathed.

“You should feel honoured,” the Meyarin said. “Your race hasn’t set foot upon the Golden Cliffs for millennia. It’s only fitting that you should witness such a sight before you meet your end.”

“Could you ease up on the death threats?” Jordan muttered. “If this is meant to be one of our last living moments, you’re kind of ruining it.”

Faster than Alex could track the movement, the Meyarin had her arrow notched and her bowstring taught with the lethal weapon pointing directly into Jordan’s face. If she released it, Jordan would be dead before any of them could blink.

“You’d be wise to watch your words, youngling,” the Meyarin hissed. “You’ll find that those who I’m taking you to are much less tolerant.”

She lowered her weapon, and Alex reached a trembling hand out to squeeze Jordan’s shoulder. He didn’t seemoutwardly rattled, but she knew he must have been shocked by the Meyarin’s quick reaction. Neither he nor Bear had ever interacted with Aven, so they hadn’t witnessed first-hand the speed and strength the immortal race possessed. Not until now, at least.

“Come along, mortals,” the Meyarin said, and she moved closer to the uneven cliff face. “Watch your step, as the remainder of your life will be shortened further if you set a foot out of place.”

“We’re not climbing down there, are we?” D.C. asked, her voice hitching slightly. “We’ll break our necks!”

The Meyarin continued walking until she reached the very edge of the precipice, where she dropped into a crouch. She then balanced on one hand before using it to push herself off the side of the cliff.

“No!” Alex cried, rushing forward in shock. Sure, the Meyarin had threatened their lives, but Alex didn’t want to see herdead.

She dropped to her stomach and crawled until she could see out over the edge. Inexplicably, the Meyarin was perched just beneath the cliff top, standing on empty air.

“I have all eternity, but you are aging by the second,” the Meyarin said plainly. “Come along, let’s not waste any more time than we have to.”

Alex gaped at her. “How are you…levitating?”

The Meyarin exhaled wearily—it was a sign of frustration rather than anger for a change. She stood up on tiptoes and reached up to grasp Alex’s wrist, yanking her over the cliff.

Alex heard her friends scream her name as she fell, but instead of plummeting to her death, she landed on a solid surface.

“Whatisthis?” she asked, standing on wobbly legs and staring at the transparent flooring. Despite what her body wastelling her, she could see no evidence of any kind of support underneath her. It simply looked like she was floating in the middle of the air.

Alex had to close her eyes when the scenery spun around her. They wereveryhigh up, and having what appeared to be nothing under her feet didn’t agree with her stomach, regardless of the impossibly stable—but invisible—floor.

“Alex! Are you okay?”