Shaking off the surreal realization that I had cursed out a being capable of creating a canyon, I refocused on the chasm. Something shifted at the bottom, but it was hard to see through the darkness. Squinting, I stared harder, and the hair on my neck prickled like static. The feeling crept over me—like the shadows were staring back. I took a sidestep, but the sensation followed, circling me like a predator stalking its prey.

  Then a tendril of inky blackness curled upward, reaching as if to pull me in. I jerked back from the edge, heart pounding. “Henry, what the hell is that?!”

  He flinched, momentarily startled, Maya now free from his hip as she busied herself nearby. “What’s what?”

  Dominicus tilted his head in curiosity, while Time, ever watchful, merely glanced my way.

  I waved pointedly toward the very much alive shadows. “The shadows—they’re moving.”

  Henry’s confusion cleared, and he sighed, though his expression darkened. “Ah. That would be the grief of another spirit. The Lady of Shadow.”

  From the corner of my eye, Time stiffened. Neither Henry nor Dominicus seemed to notice as he stood motionless, his focus sharpening.

  “Something happened to her,” Henry continued. “No one knows what exactly, but her grief nearly consumed her. She cast it down into this place, and it’s been growing ever since, twisting the land into a horrorscape—if the rumors are to be believed. No one dares go near it to try cleansing it.”

  I swallowed hard, the sensation of being watched growing stronger, like the shadows themselves had suddenly become aware of us. “So… there’s just a massive magical nightmare zone in the middle of the continent, and we can’t do anything about it?”

  Henry shrugged, grim but resigned. “In essence, yes.”

  Time finally stepped closer, wary yet alert. “Those shadows are unnatural,” he murmured, his gaze hardening. “Has anyone informed the Spirit of Light?”

  Henry shook his head. “We sent a missive years ago to her temple, but no word ever came back.”

  Time’s lips pressed into a thin line. “We will deliver the message personally when our paths cross with hers. This cannot be left unchecked, especially if it begins to grow..”

  Some tension eased from Henry’s shoulders, though his wariness lingered. “That would be appreciated. Even from here, it makes my skin crawl.”

  Nearby, the sound of crumbling stone echoed sharply, sending chills down my spine. I stepped back instinctively, giving the edge even more space. There was some serious bad juju down there, and the sooner we got away from it, the better.

  I glanced toward Time and asked weakly, “What are the odds that Light will ask us to handle this?”

  Please say none, please say none.

  Time shot me a tired look. “Likely.”

  Dragging both hands down my face, I groaned. “Fuck.”

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  Henry glared at me. “Lan–”

  I waved him off. “Yeah, yeah, language, I know.” I frowned, scanning the area behind him. “Actually… where is Maya?”

  Henry’s eyes widened as he swung around, his voice rising. “Maya! We just talked about wandering off!”

  Before he could go into a full panic, Maya’s voice piped up from a short distance away. “I didn’t leave your sight!”

  True to her word, she was only a few yards away, crouching near the edge to examine a neon-pink flower. Thankfully, she hadn’t touched it yet—it would be just our luck if it turned out poisonous.

  Henry exhaled sharply, tension in his shoulders. “Maya, stay away from there. It’s dangerous.”

  She pouted, glancing over her shoulder. “But I’m not touching it.”

  The sound of crunching stone cut through the air like a warning. My blood turned cold as recognition struck. “Maya, get away from there!” I shouted, but it was too late. I knew that sound, had heard it just a second ago.

  The ground beneath her shuddered and gave way with a thunderous crack. Maya slid toward the edge, her eyes wide with panic. Henry lunged for her, shouting her name, but he wasn’t close enough—she was already out of reach.

  Instinct took over, and I surged forward, throwing myself after her. Sliding sideways, I managed to grab her shirt just as she started to tumble. My free arm caught the crumbling edge of the chasm, while my legs scrambled for traction against the shifting rock. Pain twisted through my arm, but I didn’t care. I had her.

  “Kid,” I grunted, holding her tightly, “we’re going to have a long talk about wandering off.”

  Maya clung to my arm, tears welling in her eyes. She nodded, but before I could say more, the stone under me shifted ominously.

  Henry’s voice cut through the tension. “Hold on! We’ll pull you up!”

  He and Time scrambled closer, their faces pale with urgency. Cracks snaked through the ground beneath them, and Henry cursed under his breath.

  I couldn’t help myself. “Language.”

  Despite the situation, Henry barked out a nearly hysterical laugh. “Not exactly my priority right now.”

  The stone crumbled more, the cracking getting worse, and–with a snap decision–I swung Maya with all my strength up and over the edge. She tumbled into Henry’s arms, both of them collapsing backward, safely away from the edge.

  The stone beneath me groaned, starting to slide. Time seized my arm in a crushing grip, determination blazing in his eyes. Dominicus, the furthest from the edge at the start, now hurried toward us, wary of the cracks in the ground.

  Time’s nails dug into my arm and he scowled. Reckless boy. What were you thinking?! His voice echoed in my mind, heavy with anger, disbelief…and fear.

  I grimaced, shaking my head. Wasn’t thinking at all. But I don’t regret it.

  His expression tightened, but the stone shifted again, sliding under our weight. The entire chunk under Time was cutting away from the edge, dragging down.

  “Back up,” I shouted. “It’s going to collapse!”

  I could feel it even now, the cracks growing deeper as the spine chilling sound cut through the air.

  Time shook his head, grip tightening as determination pinched his expression.

  “I will not leave you to fall,” he said firmly, his grip tightening.

  The ground under us gave a final sickening lurch. Images of Karma flashed in my mind—her waking up to find her husband dead. He wasn’t supposed to be in human form, he wasn’t supposed to be killable.

  She’d never recover from losing him, not like this. And I couldn’t let it happen.

  I’m sorry.

  Time’s eyes widened, realization dawning too late. With every ounce of strength left in me, I shoved him back. He stumbled into Dominicus just as the ground gave way completely.

  Weightlessness seized me as I plummeted into the abyss. I caught a glimpse of Time scrambling to get back to me, Henry catching him from behind and forcing him away from the edge. Then I couldn’t see anything past the chasm’s edge.

  “Nikolas!”

  Time’s shout echoed off the chasm walls and I shuddered, the wind blowing my hair into my eyes as I plummeted.