Moon Blessed

Chapter 43 ~ On the Precipice

    Sweat ran down Nastasia's back in rivers and her scarf, which clung to her damp face, was practically smothering her. She couldn't loosen it from her skin though, as she didn't dare move her hands from the cliffside for very long.

    She and Nikolai dangled high above the shoreline and one false move could spell their very quick end. She had no desire to end up impaled by rocks or swept out to sea, and the tide was coming in fast.

    Nastasia gritted her teeth and pulled herself up another few inches, her muscles aching with exertion. Every move left her body trembling but there was no time to stop and rest. She wasn't sure she could hold herself in one place long enough to do so anyway.

    Nastasia sucked down a few quick breaths and moved again. Morana dug into the cliffside and Nastasia braced the tip of her boot in a narrow foothold. Nikolai shimmied up below her, his breaths heavy and uneven. His arms were shaking too and Sir Arlov's wavy hair was plastered to his forehead and neck.

    Nastasia glanced up, trying to judge the remaining distance to the top of the cliffs. "If we keep going like this, we could probably make it before sunset," Nikolai panted. Nastasia met his gaze as he clenched his hand around the hilt of the sword and gestured to the horizon with the other. "That'll be another hour, maybe two."

    Nastasia nodded and resumed climbing. She didn't get far before some debris came crumbling down. She startled but quickly recovered herself and peered up again. The debris had come from one of the Knights overhead. Vadik Kamenev glanced down with a knowing smirk.

    "Careful, Silent Knight," he called. "There are loose rocks everywhere."

    Nastasia curled her fingers deeper into the cliffside and tightened her hold on Morana, fighting the urge to throw a spear of starlight at Vadik and knock him from the cliff face. She wouldn't stoop to his level by killing someone in cold blood. Vadik deserved to be stopped, but she would deal with him the right way.

    "Hey," Nikolai nudged her foot with his shoulder as he pulled himself up beside it. "Ignore him. We need to keep moving. The tide is coming up."

    Nastasia looked down and instantly, her vision spun. The water level had risen significantly since she last noticed it, and became more unruly too. Surf crashed against the cliffside as waves rolled in. Nikolai nudged her foot again and Nastasia dragged her gaze back to Sir Arlov's.

    "It's all right," he murmured. "We'll make it. Keep climbing."

    Nastasia drew a slow breath and nodded. She fixed her gaze firmly on the stony expanse in front of her and resumed her slow trek upwards. Shadows coiled anxiously around her wrists and squeezed. Nastasia didn't bother shaking them away. She willed them to become slightly more translucent and prayed no one would notice the dark wreaths locked around her forearms.

    They moved in silence, hauling themselves up inch by inch. Nastasia ignored the other Knights around them and kept her focus on her climb and Nikolai. They would both make it up. They had to.

    She wouldn't allow either of them to be caught in some scheme of Vadik's. She didn't doubt for a moment that the Knight was planning something, but she wouldn't go down that easily. He'd failed to hurt her last night and he would fail again today.

    Nastasia ground her teeth almost painfully as she dragged herself up to another foothold. The sweat drenched bandages on her palms were slick against the leather wrap of Morana's hilt and apprehension pooled in her gut. Nastasia ignored the feeling and managed to slip her foot atop a small ledge.

    From the corner of her eye, she saw more loose stone come sifting down the cliffside. A sudden shout overhead jerked her to attention. Nastasia gasped as a portion of rock crumbled beneath a Blodian Knight's foot. He flung his hand up, catching Vadik by a strap on his boot.