Evermore Academy (Evermore Academy #3) - Audrey Grey Page 0,99

the both of us. Streaking inhumanly fast through the woods.

At this pace she’ll leave us behind.

If she beats us to the campus, there’s no doubt in my mind that she’ll promise everyone we’re already dead.

Which is going to be the truth if something doesn’t change. The darklings won’t be attracted to the portal for long. The magic will fade and then they’ll pick up our scent. Normally they would be way more attracted to Inara than us, but since she’s ahead and we’re running in her path—

“We can’t be behind her,” I call to Mack, who immediately understands why.

We cut to the left just as an animalistic screech lances the night.

The ground slopes upward. A ridge appears, rocky and steep but climbable.

Scrabbling for a good hold, I launch up the trail, grabbing boulders, sticks, whatever I can find to steady myself. At the top of the ridge the rising towers of Whitehall engrave into the starry night sky.

Mack tries to hide her disappointment as she says, “It’s so far away.”

“We can make it.” The lie comes out so easily as we shoot across a field, aiming for the safety of the school. Somewhere between those spires and us waits the magical shield.

I don’t bother looking behind us at the inhuman sounds growing louder every second. A part of me is already coming to terms with the fact that we aren’t going to make it. The darklings are too fast, and our mortal bodies—while trained for a high level of endurance—can’t keep up this pace.

I careen around a ravine. Mack slips and almost tumbles in, but I grab her. She’s slowing. My body screams to push faster. To escape the deadly monsters breathing down our backs.

But I can’t leave her behind. I can’t.

We’re not going to make it.

New plan—we need a new plan! I snap my head to the left, taking in the high cliffs partially eclipsing the moon.

A dark, shadowy mouth yawns near the top.

Grabbing her hand, we veer toward them.

The mist clears as we ascend. Huffing, arms groaning, we scale the rough gray cliff. When the handholds disappear, I lunge to my right and up, my fingers slamming into a shallow crevice.

My legs dangle as my stomach twists.

A few feet above, a ledge promises an end to my torment.

I scramble over the side, vision warbling in and out. After allowing myself three solid breaths, I turn onto my belly and reach out my hand for Mack.

She shrieks as she jumps. My sweaty hand collides with hers, fingers squeezing so hard my hand cramps. By some miracle, I manage to yank her up.

She catches the ledge rim. Another jerk and she rolls onto her back beside me, gasping for breath.

“Let’s never do that . . . again.” Panting, she digs out her phone. At some point during the escape or the climb the screen was cracked, but there’s still ten percent battery left. “Is there a Fae nine-one-one or?”

“Dial Asher!”

She clicks on the contact, ignoring my curious look at the circle image of Asher without a shirt. We both wait, silent except for our labored breaths, as we wait for the ring that will end our torment.

Nothing.

No service.

“Dammit.” She hugs the phone to her chest and stares at the dark sky. “Maybe Ruby made it to safety?”

“Ruby?”

A fluttering shape dances in front of my face, but it’s only now, with the panic wearing off, that I notice she’s flying lopsided. “I can’t make it much farther. Inara tore my wing.”

Worried she could be injured more than she’s letting on, I capture her in my hand and gently look her over. Other than a large tear in her right wing at the apex, she’s fine.

“Want me to scout out the cave?” she offers.

I nod, hiding my disappointment. Once she’s inside the entrance, I force myself to inch closer to the ledge when all I want is to lie here. To just lie here and breathe for a moment and pretend this isn’t happening.

But it is happening. The ground below churns with gray shapes whose only purpose in life is to eat us. They climb over each other, a few fighting for space.

But they’re trickling away from the cliff at a steady rate.

“That’s right, face munchers,” Mack murmurs, quietly edging up beside me on her belly. “Run away.”

Ruby’s wings flutter softly in my ear as she returns. The injured one makes a rustling paper noise. “It’s really disgusting in there. I think a troll lived here once and trolls are not known