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Back The Endless Skies Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Copyright Notice
  2. Dedication
  3. Map
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  55. Also by Shannon Price
  56. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  57. Newsletter Sign-up

Sethran lets out a war cry, his sword colliding with the flank of the horse closest to us. Hot blood sprays across my legs as the animal falls. Its rider dismounts and lunges toward me with murder in his eyes. I dodge the first slash of his sword and bring my axe swinging down. His own shield meets it, but just barely. The human is twice my weight, but untrained. Meanwhile, I’ve lived for this, waited for this.

I throw myself into the battle.

27

ROWAN

“No, no, no.” My heart plummets in a free fall through my body, into the ground and into whatever lies below. We have to live. We have to live to save the prince, to save the city. I want so badly to help, but—

“Surviving is something,” I whisper under my breath.

Pivoting, I run in the opposite direction. I don’t have to look behind me to recognize the sharp clash of metal against metal, the high-pitched whinny of a horse. It’s only when a pointed thunder of hooves starts to get louder that I spare a frantic look over my shoulder.

Two riders race toward me. Suddenly, one of the horses swings sideways, legs flailing. Its rider falls to the side, trampled underfoot with their hands caught in the reins. As the human’s body hangs limply to the side, I spot a pair of arrows sticking out neatly from the human’s back. Thanks, Ox.

I pump my legs and arms as hard as I can, ducking under weighty branches. Sharp cracks fill the air as I crush fallen sheets of bark under my feet. Skies, I pray. Skies keep them. Keep me, keep me, keep me …

My fingertips scrape against the trunk of a tree as I swing myself around it and into a shadowed thicket—but I misjudge, and just beyond the undergrowth, the ground drops off into open air. Gasping, I stumble back, now gripping the tree trunk more tightly. Far below the cliff is a wide, rocky beach dotted with debris. I push back from my vantage point as the sandy soil slides away under my feet.

The human shouts something, and I turn. Taking two knives in my hand, I crouch low until I see the human in question. He makes a rude gesture that doesn’t need to be translated. My heart pounds as more dirt and earth and sand loosen. The sturdy tree I am hidden behind begins to move.