Page 63 of Outcast Fae

“It actually did, don’t you hear that?” Vaughn stepped next to me, torso naked, the shirt in his hand.

“Hear what?”

“The change in the electric hum.” He walked closer and scanned the pit with a frown.

After a moment, he picked up a handful of sand and threw it into the pit. Some of the sand fell and sizzled below, but some of it revealed what looked like invisible stepping stones suspended in mid-air.

“See that?” Vaughn asked.

“A path,” I said, taking a step forward.

“Wait.” Vaughn grabbed my arm to stop me. “Listen for the change in the current.”

“I don’t hear anything.” It was probably his werewolf senses allowing him to perceive the change.

Suddenly, the sand that had landed on the invisible stepping stones fell into the pit with a sizzle.

“The stepping stones come and go,” I said.

Vaughn nodded. “It won’t be easy, but Sinasre and Chan are almost here, so we’d better go.”

I checked the other team’s progress again and realized that Sinasre had jumped off the last platform. I frowned as Vaughn knelt and began scooping handfuls of sand onto his shirt.

“It’s too dangerous,” I said.

“There’s a pattern to it,” he said as he continued to fill his shirt with sand. “The humming changes every five seconds, then new stepping stones appear.”

“That’s barely any time,” I said.

He picked up his shirt and cradled it in one arm. “C’mon, climb on my back.”

“What?!”

“You won’t be able to fly. You tried that already, and we have to cross together.”

I shook my head.

“I can carry your weight. No problem,” he assured me.

“That’s not what I’m worried about. Electrocution,” I said, pointing towards the bottom of the pit. “That’s the real concern here.”

“The others will be here in minutes,” Vaughn urged, glancing back. “Only God knows what’s going on under that dome, but I need to see. Besides, we’re notgraduatingfrom this program and prancing back into our old lives, if that’s what you’re hoping. We have to risk it all. C’mon, climb on my back!”

So this was it. Did I trust Vaughn or not? Would my choice really help the children? I could forget about it and let Sinasre and Chan go first. I almost laughed at the thought. Who was I kidding? I wouldn’t let my own cousin risk his life. I gave in and decided to believe in Vaughn.

I took to the air. Vaughn nodded and turned. My wings fluttered behind my back as I wrapped my legs around his waist and held on to his wide shoulders. Wasting no time, he scooped a handful of sand from his shirt and scattered it over the pit.

He waited, one ear cocked, listening. The sand that rested on the invisible stepping stones fell and disintegrated as it hit the force field below. Quickly, Vaughn cast another handful of sand and jumped onto the closest stepping stone.

I counted the seconds inside my head. When I reached four, Vaughn jumped and simultaneously scattered more sand, revealing the next stepping stone.

Batting my wings, I helped us change direction in midair to make sure we landed on the newly-materialized stone to our left.

Working as a team, Vaughn and I quickly developed a rhythm. We operated flawlessly, our confidence growing, our sharp senses predicting where the next stepping stone would appear. It almost felt too easy.

What also felt easy was his skin under my hands and his wide body between my thighs. His skin was like silk and his muscles flexed as he moved, rippling under my palms. Once again, I had to press down the pooling want I felt every time I was near him.

The other side of the pit was near. We skipped over two more stones. We were only six feet away from solid ground. One more jump. I tried not to look down. I’d never been afraid of heights, but the swirling electricity beneath us didn’t help matters.