“Levi!”

“Cassie, take cover!”

She ducked a fraction of a second before a bullet whizzed over her head.

Logic broke through her fear long enough for her to recognize the simple fact that while falling from a cliff could kill her, staying exposed to a shooter practically guaranteed she wouldn’t survive the day.

She pressed against the boulder and circled it until she was shielded from the would-be assassin’s gunfire. Another bullet hit the rock a few inches from her, debris exploding into the air.

She closed her eyes, both to protect them and to will this to all be a dream. When she heard guards shouting, she forced her eyes open again and stared at reality. Levi was in as much danger as she was.

The ground surrounding the rock Levi held loosened as dirt gave way.

Cassie swallowed hard and looked around for anything she could use to help him climb back to safety. Tufts of grass fought through the soft ground between huge boulders, but nothing lay on the windswept land besides the rocks that had long ago become part of the landscape.

Levi managed to bring his second hand up beside the rock he clung to. He fisted a handful of grass, but it ripped free of the ground. He grunted, but Cassie couldn’t tell if the sound was born from frustration or fear. His hand clawed at the ground, his fingers digging into the mud but not able to keep from slipping.

The rock loosened further. Cassie gasped. It wasn’t going to support Levi’s weight much longer.

She gauged the distance between them. A meter. Maybe a meter and a half.

Her fears welled up inside her, combating the truth. No matter who Levi was or wasn’t, she loved him. She couldn’t watch him die right in front of her, not when she could do something to prevent it.

One hand still clinging to the boulder, she slid her body toward Levi and stretched her leg toward him. “Here. Grab on to me.”

“No. I don’t want to take you with me.”

“The rock is pulling loose. You don’t have a choice,” Cassie said.

Levi tried to find a handhold again without success.

“Levi, let me help you.” Cassie rolled onto her side so she could extend her reach farther while still keeping her hand on the boulder that had become her lifeline.

This time, Levi took hold of her ankle. The mere thought of his weight pulling her down with him was enough to send a new wave of panic over her. She bent her knee, trying to pull her leg back, and the movement brought Levi sliding upward.

He bent his left knee as though trying to clamor back onto solid ground, but he was still too far over the edge to find success. Using every ounce of strength, she leaned back and tried to bend her leg further.

Her muscles burned as Levi tried again to get his legs under him. This time his knee made contact with the spot where the ground gave way to air. He inched forward, using the rock to pull himself up as he kept one hand on Cassie’s ankle.