Chapter 0186

Then, to my shock, Jackson ferrets out a teeny tiny little path up the cliff, balancing on it with

incredible grace that makes me wonder if he’s part goat shifter, instead of all wolf. I do my best to

follow, clinging to the rock and taking his patient hand when I need to. Twenty minutes later we’re

about thirty feet in the air on a flat jut of rock about ten feet wide. I hesitate, wondering if it’s safe,

but Jackson crouches casually on the edge, apparently having no such concerns.

I scowl and move close to him, wishing I moved in the wilderness with his clear ease and

confidence.

Too much time hanging out in a palace, I guess.

“What are you seeing?” I whisper, wanting to know what the situation below looks at from his eyes.

“Big group,” he murmurs, gesturing towards the three fires burning below and the cadets gathered

around them. “Already done some damage.” He points to the side now and I grimace to see that

there are about ten cadets passed out to the side, my stomach turning to see a few of their legs

twisted and broken, taken out of the running in their attempt to cross.

I press my eyes shut, swallowing hard, hoping desperately that none of them are Ben, or Jesse, or

Luca, or Rafe. But…no, it can’t be. Their stories at the Academy can’t end like that, and neither can

mine.

“So?” I ask, forcing myself to open my eyes and pay attention. “What do you think, do we risk it?

Rush it?”

“No, too many of them,” Jackson murmurs, shaking his head. “They’ll hold out overnight, hoping to

take out more. Then, in the morning, they’ll shift and run. Maybe cut the bridge behind them. We

need to get across another way.”

“Is there another way?” I ask, fear curling in me now.

“Down the ravine and back up,” Jackson murmurs, nodding and pointing left along the trail, beyond

the bridge. “It’s…harder, it will take time.”

“Well let’s go,” I say, standing up straight. But Jackson’s hand intercepts me, pulling me back down.

“Impossible in the dark,” he murmurs, and I can see him shake his head. “Handholds, footholds…

you could easily fall to your death.”

I don’t miss that he says that I could fall to my death. He doesn’t mention himself.

“So, what?” I ask, ignoring it. “First light?”

“First light,” he says, nodding. “We move along the ridge, get to a high point, get into position. Then,

as soon as we can see…we move. Hope to hell nobody has projectiles, like you.” He nods to my

crossbow.

“The only people who do will be marksmen,” I sigh. “And…the other two are close enough with me.

They won’t take us out.”

“Trusting,” Jackson says, his voice sarcastic, like he clearly thinks that they might. But I ignore him

as we both stand and move to the left along the cliff face. Again, I step where he steps, trusting the

fact that if the stone can hold him it can certainly hold me. About fifteen minutes pass as we move

along and I’m drenched in sweat, even in the cool night air, with the stress of having to balance so

high and so precariously.

Finally, though, we come to another wide, flat area, this time with a slight overhang in the cliff face

that creates a little shelter. I peer into it, a little worried it might already contain some wildlife, but

Jackson moves towards it without a care.

“In,” he says, tossing his canteen beneath the overhang and taking off his backpack, dropping that

too. I do as I’m told, sitting down and crossing my legs, unlooping the crossbow from my shoulder

and placing it at my side along with the arrows as I look up at him. “There’s some fruit in there, and

bread,” he says, gesturing towards the bag. “You should eat.”

“Well, you should too,” I mutter, pulling it towards me as I realize how hungry I really am.

“Nah, I don’t need it,” Jackson says, putting his hands on his hips and looking back the way that we

came. “Eat as much as you want. I’ll be back by morning.”

And then my mouth drops open as Jackson begins to stride away.