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The sphere might be smooth on the inside, but it was sloppy on the outside, throwing blue liquid in wide arcs, like mud off monster truck tires. Messy conditions that made it difficult to navigate, but it wasn’t all bad news. She was still breathing. Hadn’t been torn apart or eaten yet, so no matter how challenging the terrain, she considered it a win so far.

A pair of glowing eyes flashed in her periphery.

Wet fur smeared with blue hammered the side of the sphere.

Truly braced as she skidded sideways. The ball slammed into a standing stone, sending her sprawling. Her forward progress slowed. She struggled to get up and, planting her hands against the curved wall, pushed forward. The slimy surface under the sphere bit against grainy sand as she sped up again.

Standing on top, Hyraxes went flying.

Feeling like a hamster on a wheel, Truly bared her teeth and kept going. She fell again. And again. More times than she cared to count, but refused to quit running. The outer shell continued to shed. Arching splashes flew off the outside like blue paint as she rolled. Thick slime sprayed across stone like blood spatter, leaving shimmering tracks in her wake.

Finally, some good news.

The sphere might be strange, but at least, it acted as more than just protection. The spray off its outer shell served another purpose. A messy trail was easier to follow than a subtle one. No guesswork or expert skill needed to track her and…

Westvane wouldn’t be far behind.

Up on her toes, she whirled around a sharp corner. It wouldn’t be long now. Glancing up, she tried to see through the sloppy exterior. The shimmering sphere revolved around her. She caught a glimpse of red rock, heard the clang of striking claws, but —

No Westvane yet.

His absence, however, didn’t mean he’d abandoned her. He was there. Somewhere. Lurking above, searching for an opening, tracking her progress. All she needed to do was stay the course until he reached her.

Light sliced between two standing stones.

Truly leaned right, aiming the sphere at the opening. Too narrow, perhaps. Not enough room for the ball to squeeze through, maybe. Could end up being the wrong decision, but at this point, she didn’t have a choice. She had become a living, breathing example of the slogan “do or die,” so despite the uncertainty, she ran toward the narrow fissure anyway.

The standing stones rose labyrinth-like around her. The slice of light glowed ahead of her. The gap between the rock walls narrowed even further.

Pace furious, Truly aimed the ball at the light-filled hole. The sphere slammed into the break between boulders. Rock exploded like a starburst. Shards of shrapnel rained down. Rock badgers roared in pain. The air inside the sphere heated as glass-like walls shrank inward, brushing the sides of her shoulders. Tumbling like a pinball, she pedaled her legs, forcing the magic to bend as the Hyraxes regrouped.

Claws and teeth ripped at the outer shell.

“Truly!”

Looking up, she saw him through spinning blue muck. Feet planted. Stance aggressive. Wings folded. Twin swords undulating with black flames, Westvane stood on the edge of the last tower.

“Westvane — get me out of here!”

“Move your ass, princess. Roll clear of the rocks!”

Baring her teeth, she snarled at him. Great suggestion. In no way helpful, given she was already throttled up, at maximum capacity, fighting to move the sphere forward.

“I’m stuck!”

Truer word had never been spoken.

Shewasstuck. Stuck inside a ball. Wedged in a crevice. Trapped by magic she didn’t understand as Westvane yelled more impossible instructions, and rock badgers attacked, beginning to tear the sphere apart, leaving her vulnerable to the swipe of razor-sharp claws.

26

I ALWAYS DO

Too far away to help, Westvane watched Truly struggle inside the sphere. He willed her forward from his position atop the high cliff. She was mired in mucky sand. Slipping on blue slime. Wedged between rocks as Hyraxes continued ramming the shell protecting her deeper into the crevice.

Twin swords in hand, he ran along the ridge. His focus jumped between Truly and the soaring stone arch above her, searching for weakness in the structure. Not much there for the Hyraxes to exploit. Rock cantilevered above her, thick slabs forming a doorway wide enough for one person to walk through, but not for the sphere. His eyes narrowed on the tower tops. Solid enough. The beasts would have to go up and over to attack from multiple vantage points.

Leaping from one stepping stone to the next, Westvane made a few rapid-fire calculations. The delay cost him. He wanted to charge to the fray. He wanted to intervene. He wanted to get between her and danger. Nobel sentiments. A warrior-worthy goal. Almost altruistic. He hardly recognized himself or the need that drove him anymore.