CHAPTER 1
"C'mon Cassus. Hurry up."
"I'm going as fast as I can," Cassus huffed, trying to keep up with the other boy running through the castle grounds ahead of him.
"Well, go faster," said Jonrell. "I don't want to lose."
"Then you shouldn't have made the bet to begin with."
The tip of Cassus' foot hit a protruding stone. He pitched forward and smashed his face against the ground, biting his cheek. Blood welled in his mouth.
"You can rest when we finish!" Jonrell yanked Cassus up before he even had a chance to spit.
Cassus wrenched his arm away. "Why are you so bent on me doing this? The bet with Wilken was for you to run the length of the castle before the supper bell rang. Not me. If you don't want to lose the money, then leave me behind."
"One Above, Cassus. My father's the king. It's not about the money. And you know I've run this plenty of times."
Cassus frowned.
Jonrell sighed. "I know it bothers you that the others give you a hard time when I'm not around. I thought it would help if they could see you pull this off too."
"I don't always need you to watch out for me, you know."
"I know. But you're my best friend. That's what I'm supposed to do." Jonrell grabbed Cassus' arm again. "We can still make Wilken look the fool. Now push the pain away and just worry about the next step."
* * *
Cassus' legs felt like water, and his muscles burned as he raced through the jungle. The weight of the crying Byzernian girl in his arms did little to ease his pain.
Just worry about the next step.
He pushed aside thick, green leaves, dodging the slimy vines cascading from the trees.
At least the arrows have stopped.
"Did we lose them?" Horan asked, shifting his own small passenger in his arms.
A ball of bright orange fire zipped past Cassus' head. The heat from the sorcery sucked away the precious air his tired lungs needed. The ball slammed into a tree fifty paces ahead with a cracking roar. The burning trunk snapped, descending into his path. Cassus quickly changed course to avoid the rising flames, and shifted again to avoid the next ball of fire.
He spared a glance back.
"Does that answer your question?"
Cassus couldn't see his pursuers through the masses of plant life, but he heard their shouts. He held the girl tighter in his arms, and willed himself to go faster.
"Hurry," Cassus called. "The old man said the river was this way."
They raced along, skirting over old, moss-covered logs and outcroppings of half-buried rock.
Cassus slid down loose black dirt into a small ravine, doing all he could not to fall over while the girl clutched frantically at his shirt. He caught his balance at the bottom, and set off again, ducking under the low-hanging branches. His heart leaped as the sound of rushing water prickled his ears.
Almost there. We can do this.
An intense wave of heat engulfed him as the ground exploded, lifting him into the air. He crashed into the jungle's undergrowth. Branches snapped beneath him. Dirt rained down, sticking to his sweat-covered neck. A dull hum buzzed in his ears.
