Lib Novel Page 12
Frowning, he moved gingerly onto the bridge, testing its strength.
He stopped partway across, noting that there were several steel cables reinforcing it. He looked back over his shoulder and waved.
Carys moved out of the shadows on the other side of the crevasse and stepped onto the bridge.
He turned and continued on to the other side. There was a yawning opening in the rock. He could see light at the end of the tunnel somewhere. It clearly led through to the other side of this hill.
He’d noted that this entire mountain range was riddled with tunnels and mines, so he hoped they could continue to find shortcuts through them.
Carys was halfway across the bridge when she froze and looked up.
His pulse tripped, and suddenly, he heard the whirr.
A drone was coming.
“Hurry!” he yelled.
She picked up speed, pumping her arms. The sound of the drone echoed off the rock walls, getting louder.
She wasn’t going to make it.
If the drone spotted her, the Gek’Dragar would descend on their location.
Carys clearly decided the same thing. She stopped and met his gaze.
“Carys,” he murmured.
Then she gripped the railing of the rope bridge, and leaped over the side.
Sten’s heart tried to burst from his chest. Her dress flapped as she gracefully fell, then arrowed her body in under the bridge. She clung to the bottom of it, pulling herself into a tight ball.
His heart thundered in his ears. It was hard to spot her, even when you knew exactly where to look.
Sten pushed his back against the rock in the tunnel, panic still drilling into his heart. Seeing her leap off the bridge, out over the ravine…
He crouched, and drew in a shaky breath.
The drone flew into view. It was made of brown metal, lights blinking along the sides. It was roughly spherical, with four short arms at the front.
It was definitely Gek’Dragar tech.
It slowed, flying over the bridge.
Move on. Move on.
The drone hovered for a second and Sten tensed. He flexed his hand, ready to attack.
If it spotted Carys…
Then, the machine flew on. Sten released a breath and made himself wait, which was agony. Carys was hanging over the gul-vexed ravine, clinging to the bridge. His muscles quivered.
Finally, the sound of the drone faded.
He leaped up. “Carys.” He ran onto the bridge.
She pulled herself over, flashing her bare legs at him.
He grabbed her hands.