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“See up there? Four jumps ahead?” he asked in the common tongue, still carrying her as he leapt through the air. “It’s close enough to the one next to it for me to drop you off when I land—think you can manage?”

Seeing where he meant, she nodded mutely, still shocked by his rescue, especially since all of the others had showed her nothing but animosity. “Yes,” she gasped out.

“Then get ready,” he said after another leap. “In three”—he jumped—“two”—he jumped again—“one!” And with his final jump, as soon as he landed, he lowered his arms, transferring her across to the next cloud over.

Instantly, she was on the move, knowing that if she dallied, the platform would only overbalance and she’d need rescuing all over again. She didn’t have time to thank her saviour—that would come later, she’d make sure of it. But until then, she still had a race to win.

Side by side, she and the Tia Auran continued upwards. She had a feeling he could have pulled ahead of her again, but for some reason, he was holding back, almost like he was looking out for her, while also spurring her on at the same time.

“Keep up, mortal! Any slower and you’ll be going backwards!”

A surprised laugh bubbled from her at his teasing, and she flicked a glance over at him to see an amused, if challenging grin on his face.

“Backwards is still faster than you!” she returned. “Catch me if you can!”

And with a renewed burst of speed, she blurred forward, careful with her leaps but confident as well—much more so now that her lightheadedness had vanished, her brush with death having delivered a surge of energy to combat the ring’s effect, at least for the moment.

Up and up they continued, regaining their lead as they flew by the others until finally the end was in sight; the small platforms finishing with an impossible leap up to a clouded landmass.

Alex felt her hopes plummet when she noted the space between the final platforms and their destination, knowing there was no way she could make that distance. But as she watched, her Tia Auran companion pulled ahead and, once he reached the end, pushed off with a mighty jump that had him sailingupwards through the air. His leap was so powerful that he had to roll upon landing atop the solid cloud mass, but he hurried back to the edge just as Alex was nearing the final steps—only two leaps away now.

“Jump!” he ordered, leaning down with his arms out. “I’ll catch you!”

Alex had a split second to decide whether to place her life in his hands, or to accept defeat and turn around. But there was no choice—not if she wanted to stay in the race.

With one final leap onto the last platform, Alex pushed off with as much force as she could, flying through the air with her arm outstretched and her mind screamingplease-please-please-please-pleasein a desperate litany. But she needn’t have doubted her rescuer, because as soon as she rose high enough, his hand latched around her wrist, heaving her upwards until she tumbled onto the safe, solid ground beside him.

Panting as she lay there, dazed, Alex didn’t get the chance to recover.

“Up, mortal!” the Tia Auran urged. “You haven’t finished yet!”

If Saefii’s words were anything to go by, Alex knew her race had barely begun. She now had to complete whatever ‘circuit’ was ahead that would only conclude once she returned to where she now was—Lendasa Marna.

The ‘Sky Kingdom’.

There was a reason the name had been familiar. Alex had heard it before, during her time in the past. The translation was a phrase the Meyarins had sometimes used when referring to Draekora and, when Alex pushed herself to her feet and spun around, it was clear that Saefii had used it for similar reasons.

Unable to stifle her gasp, Alex stared in awe as she looked out at the Tia Auran equivalent of Draekora—a much,muchlarger version of the floating islands she had come to know.

The late Draekoran matriarch, Zaronia, had once told Alex that the group of draekons who had followed the Meyarins to Medora had brought a fraction of their lands with them. But Alex had never considered just how small that fraction might be, since her current view was beyond the scope of her imagination.

Scaling out further than her eyes could see were islands upon islands, each more magical than the next. And at the centre of them all was a massive, pillared fortress shining like silver Myrox in the overhead suns, a veritable draekon stronghold.

Lendasa Marna—a kingdom in the sky.

But more than that, it was aninhabitedkingdom.

Different coloured draekons flew overhead, their wings outstretched to catch the wind as they sailed through the air. Others were resting in the assorted habitats provided by the islands; some dozing under the heat of the suns, some sloshing around the tops of waterfalls, some close enough to be watching Alex and her companion with wary curiosity. From her limited vantage point, she could already tell there were more draekons than she had ever known existed.

And none of them—not a single one—were familiar.

Regardless, Alex felt hope rise in her heart as she thought of Xiraxus, wondering if perhaps her attempt to contact him a few days ago had failed because… because… she didn’t have a reason. But nevertheless, seeing evidence of his kin, she couldn’t help trying again to reach him.

Xira? Can you hear me?

Once more, she was met with silence, yet refused to allow dread to take a foothold in her mind. Just because he wasn’t answering, just because she couldn’t feel their bond, it didn’t mean anything other than that he wasn’t in Tia Auras. He could have gone to any world, could have led the Medoran draekons anywhere. He had to be alive—hehadto be.

Alex didn’t have a chance to feel the weight of her disappointment, nor did she have the chance to give into her rising fear and grief. Because, while she’d been busy taking in the scenery, the other Tia Aurans had caught up and were now on the clouded island with her and her saviour.